N.V Lysenko: the Source of Children’s Opera (to 175th Anniversary of the Composer)
The article is dedicated to the children’s opera by M. Lysenko. The composer has a key place in history of this genre. Three operas: “She-goat Deresa” (1888), “Mister Catlike” (1891), “Winter and Spring” (1892) are experience of a system education of opera’s art. It is the first classic children’s opera in history of music. The first opera “She-goat Deresa” is a short comic work written for little children (6-7 years). Lysenko used many folk melodies. A music composition has attributes of a big opera. There are arias-songs, choruses, instrumental introduction etc. Two-three motives in the piano part and we have a musical portrait of any animals. The same bright is the song of She-goat. Lysenko wrote an easy vocal party, which can be sung by children. Its melodies are duplicated in the piano but the composer decided on many creative problems. Second opera is “Mister Catlike.” It is a short comic work too (in four movements). It is a whole opera in miniature. Intonated material in this work is not folk but it is based on elements of Ukraine melodies. Very interesting decisions used in the portraits of main personages: Cat, Fox, Bear, Wolf, Wild Boar and Hare. First and Third movements in the opera have a large plan, Second and Forth are in a common plan. “Animal epos” of Lysenko’s operas is a beginning of this theme in the history of genre. Third opera “Winter and Spring” is some complicated from the trilogy. It is named “Fantastic.” Many children’s voices are in the opera and three grown-up singers too (Froze, Old Snow Men, Winter). Large place in opera have a folk custom.