Ave Maria w polskiej pieśni solowej XIX w. Przyczynek do badań nad związkami słowa i muzyki

Abstract

Solo songs about Our Lady were very popular in Poland in the XIXth century, especially the song "Ave Maria". The authours of these songs were both professional composers like W. Czerwiński, Antoni Kętski, J. Nowakowski, A. Zarzycki, musician-instrumentalists (A. Teichman) and amateurs (the Rev. J. Karesz). The composers of these songs tried to compose music for the songs which would give them the flavour of religious music. The text of the "Ave Maria" inspired the composers to two-part compositions and emotional colouring. The joint action of word and music is limited in the "Ave Maria" song almost exclusively to the problem of tempo (moderato, andante) and to metro-rhythical ordering. The musical content creates a kind of religious atmosphere. The accompaniment is subordinate to the melody and it is the melody which decides on the aesthetic values of the whole composition. The old rhetorical figures are of little importance. Hence there appears an individuality of atmosphere which makes it difficult to discover the regularities which exist. Nevertheless, it is possible to a certain degree to find some common features in these compositions, like the text transformations which serve to accentuate the words "Ave Maria" and "Sancta Maria", and to deepen the spirit of awe contained in the words "sin" and “death". The text is treated as prose by means of the musical expression i. e. the slow tempo, the flat tonality, the quiet rhythmic contour and the limitation of the accompaniment to the background. The melody starts with a rising motion. There is a decorative cadence on the word "Jesus". The Polish solo songs "Ave Maria" are marked by a lot of improvisation and amateurship. When evaluating them, however, we should take into consideration the climate of the epoch they were created in. The worship of Our Lady, especially in the period of foreign domination, signified for the Polish people the hope of future liberation. Appealing to the name of Our Lady was not only a religious act but also a patriotic one. That is why the form of expression and the aesthetic values of the above mentioned songs played in this case only a sacondary part. The problem discussed here requires more detailed study.