Polyphony as an Object of Study in Contemporary Musicology

The main goal of this article was to examine polyphony as an object of study in contemporary musicology. Based on research materials in the field of musicology, as well as in the realm of art studies and literary knowledge, the author poses and addresses questions related to the contemporary understanding of polyphony, its characteristic features, and main types. Relying on research approaches to the definition and determination of the specificities of the concept of "polyphony," the author adheres to the established classification of types of polyphonic textures. The work provides a detailed discussion of heterophony, polymelodic, and imitative polyphonies, defining their essence and providing examples of these types of polyphony. The author focuses on the conventionality of dividing these types of polyphony. As a result of generalizations and analysis of the scientific literature on the issue of polyphony in contemporary musical art, it can be concluded that polyphony as a subject of study has interested domestic scholars since the beginning of the 19th century. It was during this time that samples of Russian folklore, modal and harmonic features of Russian folk song construction began to be actively studied. The feedback is also significant – the influence of folk polyphony on the professional sphere, especially in the genre of opera. In contemporary musicology, attention is primarily concentrated on individual types of polyphony that crystallized during the development of this form of polyphony, focusing on the characteristic features of their application practices. Many scholars emphasize the interaction of polyphony with other fields of art and scientific knowledge, primarily with literature. A unifying motif regarding each of these areas of human practice is the so-called polyphonic thinking. For some time, the question of the originality and specificity of the melodies of Russian folk songs remained contentious in domestic musicology; however, it is now proven the validity and uniqueness of Russian folk polyphony. Finally, the scientific understanding of polyphony at the present stage implies the involvement of the problem of terminology that has been established in musicology and practice. The characteristics of the formation and the substantive side of the concepts used in the theory and practice of polyphonic art are also addressed.