A. BAKS' SYMPHONY THROUGH THE PRISM OF CELTIC ALLUSIONS

Abstract

The uniqueness of the figure of the English composer Arnold Bax, his extraordinary role in the musical life of Britain at the beginning of the 20 th century and in the wider European cultural space is determined. It is emphasized that the artist was formed at the turn of the eras: between the late Victorian tradition and the modernist search for a new sound, while preserving his own national flavor. The importance of Celticism as a fin de siècle cultural and aesthetic construction and its profound influence on the formation of the composer's worldview orientations is emphasized. The Irish theme for A. Bax appears as a symbol of «another space» as an alternative to industrial civilization, which was rapidly changing the European landscape at the beginning of the 20 th century.
Through the images of Celtic mythology and the landscapes of Ireland, A. Bax built his own philosophy of escape from the mechanized world, giving his music a touch of meditative spirituality. The author studies the composer's connection with the work of William Butler Yeats and the ideological and aesthetic principles of the Irish Renaissance. It is argued that it was Celtic mythology, legends and the poetics of Irish landscapes that became the leading spiritual sources of his symphony, forming a special symbolic language and dramaturgy. The musical style of A. Bax is characterized as a synthesis of rationally constructed form with impressionistic colorism, symbolist imagery and internal drama. It is shown that the composer combined the classical European tradition with innovative harmonic and orchestral solutions, creating a unique sound canvas in which romantic expression turns into a symphonic poem. An analysis of the symphonic cycle, which includes seven symphonies and demonstrates the consistent evolution of the artist's musical thinking, is presented.
The symphonic legacy of A. Bax testifies to his innovative approach: the composer rethought the architectonics of the genre, assigning the epilogue the role of a meditative climax and transforming the symphonic finale into a space of spiritual concentration and philosophical reflection. It is summarized that the work of Arnold Bax makes a significant contribution to British and European culture of the 20th century, opening up prospects for further research into the interrelationships of art, politics and national identity in post-Victorian England. His music appears as a unique combination of Irish myth, British national tradition and pan-European artistic trends of the time.