Klimova N. Opera Theatre of Claude Debussy: symbolist aspects of organization

The thesis is dedicated to study of opera creative work by Claude Debussy in its direct interlink with the basic esthetic principles of French symbolists. The thesis for the first time considers opera theatre of Claude Debussy as an integral phenomenon, main principals of opera works by the composer are revealed as well as their correlation with the basic establishments of symbolists’ esthetics. The novelty of the angle of research was defined by a special view at the significance of the first stages of the completed opera works by C. Debussy for the formation of artistic total. The research reveals the specific features of the spatio-temporal organization of opera works interlinked with the artistic-esthetic key-points of the composer. It is emphasized that C. Debussy is guided by the symbolist type of dramaturgy in the completed opera plots. The composer brings the selected plots in compliance with his own intentions. The composer surmounts the specifics of the verbal text by creating a complex structure of verbal and musical components interaction on the whole. Patterns in the organization of musical text are revealed in the orientation of the composer to the first scene (performance) as a sense centre, a dramaturgical matrix of the entire work. The principle of unfolding the musical clothe of a composition as a multileveled reflection of dramaturgical “matrix”-model, found by the composer, defines a significant novelty of organization of an artistic unit. Ideas implemented in the opera compositions by C. Debussy resonate with the esthetic principles of French symbolists. By creating a “matrix” dramaturgy of a composition, the composer obviously supposes formation of the sense of the composition beyond the text as it is. The specific features of the spatio-temporal organization of opera works are defined by the spatio-temporal compression in the beginning (in the opening of dramaturgical matrix) and spatio-temporal “reflections” in the further dramaturgical development. From this point of view opera texts by C. Debussy are inseparably linked with the innovative feeling of time and space in the beginning of the XXth century. This allows speaking of the opera theatre by C. Debussy as a regular phenomenon of the musical culture of the XXth century.