Прояви релігійного модусу ностальгії у "Сонаті-Reminiscenze" М. Метнера
Manifestation of the nostalgiс religious modus in "Sonata-Remaniscenza" N. Metner

Summary/Abstract: The process of displaying the phenomenon of nostalgia and nostalgic religious modus in culture, particularly in music creation is reviewed and analysed in the article. The creative work of the Russian composer N. Metner is taken as a basis. His creative work brightly displays the connection between nostalgic consciousness and creative artistic process. Basing on the material of N. Metner’s "Sonata-Reminiscenza" for piano, as well as on his artistic philosophical quotes, it is shown how the ideas of nostalgic reminiscence are embodied in the music. The majority of modern dictionaries and encyclopedias usually describes the term "nostalgia" as a longing for the motherland, for the lost past. However, this definition of the notion nostalgia is incomplete. The Plato’s concept of "reminiscence" has undergone profound resonance in the European cultural tradition. According to it, nostalgia is considered as a longing for an ideal, for supreme truth and harmony, which the soul is trying to "reminisce". Features of the religious modus of nostalgia include the mind centrality (which ensues from the belief in the Absolute, as the supreme centre), an approach to personal creative work as a Service, an understanding of culture as a tool for elevation of the human spirit to heavenly beauty. We found, that many philosophers and scientists explain the phenomenon of nostalgia, as an attempt to restore the lost integrity and unity with the Ideal World or the idealized past. Similar ideas were expressed by M. Heidegger, S. Crowell, S. Casey and others. Similar ideas are present in the work the of the composer-philosopher N. Metner. He believed, that the real process of writing music is a special kind of "reminiscence" of hidden supreme images of the Ideal World. N. Metner often calls his composer work not writing but reminiscence. The philosophical category of the Unity is also present in N. Metner’s philosophical-aesthetic conception. The composer-philosopher believed, that the Unity is like the concept of Motherland. And this Motherland can be lost, forgotten as the distance from it increases. According to N. Metner the philosophical category of the Unity corresponds to the characteristic of the nostalgia phenomenon. The composer has embodied the idea of nostalgic reminiscence in the "Sonata-Reminiscenza". The name of "Sonata-Reminiscenza" and the idea of this composition is associated with Plato’s philosophical doctrine of Reminiscence. Plato emphasized that every real knowledge gained is actually the recollection of the forgotten one. The structure of the sonata corresponds to the sequence of the process of nostalgic recollection. The introductory theme-epigraph of the sonata is an allegory of the first song, or "platonic reminiscence" about the Ideal. This theme is an intonational generalisation and quintessence of the thematic material throughout the sonata. The introductory theme is connected with all the following themes of the exposition. All the exposition themes form the harmonious, independent and closed section, it is associated with the philosophical views of N. Metner, various categories have a common origin, and together form a unity (integrity). The material of the first section of the sonata appears to be the characteristic of a certain perfect beginning, the golden age, or forgotten, lost Paradise, that evokes nostalgia and a desire to return the lost. Accordingly, music of the composition carries the semantics of negative, hostile and destructive beginning, as long as the material of the composition is the exact opposite and distortion of the primary harmonious formula of the composition’s pramaterial. Development can be seen as the embodiment of the image of anti-culture, the era of decadence, the force that moves away from the centre, and harmony. This section also represents a real imperfect earthly world, which, in its vanity and sinfulness, forgot Higher Celestial Laws. Exposure and development of the sonata are essentially two different systems (two opposite worlds), together they form a dialectical pair. In this case, reprise acts as an awareness and understanding of the traumatic rupture of times (worlds or cultures). It is associated with a forceful recovery of memories about ideal and harmonious, which are the kind of reunion of the subject with lost and forgotten. The result is some integration of the past (lost) with the present . The subject is able to achieve internal integrity as a lost ideal now is an integral element in his today’s life. So, nostalgic experience may be considered "successful". Thus, the material of the sonata can be seen as a musical reflection of the psychological process of nostalgic recollection (reflection) of ideal-lost. The end result of the process of nostalgia, which is displayed in the Sonata, is integrating its images in real present time. The idea of nostalgic memories is also reflected by N. Metner in the genre, thematic and compositional features of construction of "Sonata –Reminiscenza". So, nostalgic recollection-contemplation may be an impulse in the artist's work, can serve as a tool for organizing the creative process itself, and, also, may be embodied in musical images-memories.

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