The dissertation is devoted to the study of the role of the double bass in the musical art of the 20th century, which fundamentally changed the status and semantic roles of the instrument. Time limits highlight the essential evolution, which is reflected in the composing and performing creativity. The aim of the dissertation is the analysis of evolutionary processes in several dimensions: national, historical, genre, stylistic and performing.
The material of the dissertation is the compositions of European, American and Ukrainian composers, including symphonic and chamber-instrumental compositions of the 20th century, compositions for double bass solo; special attention is paid to P. Hindemith's compositions (Sonata for double bass and piano, Parody for clarinet in B and double bass «Musical flower garden and all sorts of things in Leipzig» and his little-known composition Eight pieces for solo double bass). In particular, the dissertation analyses compositions such as "Carmen Fantasy" for double bass by F. Proto and "Concert Duet" by K. Penderecki, for the first time, the compositions with the participation of the double bass of Ukrainian composers (about 20), many of which have not been previously presented in scientific studies, are covered in detail, which is a position of novelty.
The research methodology covers historiographical, genre-stylistic, structural-functional and comparative approaches to the analysis of creativity for the double bass.
The scientific novelty of the obtained results lies in the systematic analysis of the ways of development of the double bass from an orchestral to a solo instrument in the composing creativity of the 17th-21st centuries. For the first time in musicology, we systematized chamber-instrumental compositions with the participation of the double bass, created in the 20th century; the specifics of the evolution of the functionality of the instrument are represented, which is expressed in the double bass parts in the symphonic and chamber-instrumental compositions of the composers of the 20th century; the way of development of Ukrainian double bass art of the 20th century is presented; scores of compositions for the double bass by Ukrainian composers were put into scientific circulation; we updated in the scientific and performing space «Eight pieces for double bass solo» by P. Hindemith, which is almost unknown to the Ukrainian listener.
In the Conclusions, observations on the evolution of the double bass are summarized in several dimensions. Thus, all of the above confirms that the role of the double bass in the creative work of the composers of the 20th (and 21st) century is becoming more and more multifaceted and important, which indicates a paradigm shift in its perception, on the one hand, as an instrument with its own unique voice in the modern score, and on the other – as a universal instrument that has rich possibilities for the realization of the boldest creative ideas.
