Nykolaieva by Prylypchany Brothers is a Pinnacle of World Traditional Instrumentalism

Author

Khai Mykhailo

a Doctor of Art Studies, a professor, a chief research fellow at the Department of Musicology and Ethnomusicology of M. Rylskyi Institute of Art Studies, Folkloristics and Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine).

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0604-025X

Nykolaieva by Prylypchany Brothers is a Pinnacle of World Traditional Instrumentalism

Abstract

Instrumental perfromance of pastoral songs, especially in large-format recreational instrumental and dance activities, occupies a peculiar place among the unusual phenomena of traditional musical culture of Ukrainians alongside the ancient manifestations of musical-heroic epics – bylynas and dumas, and the renown culture of group singing – calendar and ceremonial-ritual melodies and lyrical-sub-vocal songs.

In this article, on the basis of a unique Hutsul «performance» on three homogeneous instruments, where the three main functions (melody, «contra» / «second» and «bass») are executed on three folk violins by a family group of three brothers, respectively – Spyrydon, Kyrylo and Luka Prylypchany – the form of a construction complex in structure and typology recreated the work from Kolomyia  of Hutsul composition – Nykolaieva  is analyzed.

It gives all grounds to put forward the mentioned work, as well as the whole tradition of a large-scale ensemble-violin performing of the Ukrainian highlanderers – the Hutsuls and the Boykos – for consideration to the UNESCO Commission on Intangible Heritage as a work of traditional culture, that is the property of all mankind.

Keywords

Nykolaieva, the brothers Spyrydon, Kyrylo and Luka Prylypchany, paradigm of folk instrumental music, the phenomenon of traditional instrumentalism.

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