NEW FORMS OF ARTISTIC AND SEMANTIC REALIZATION OF THE PSALMS OF DAVID IN THE WORKS OF A. PÄRT

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the theoretical foundations and systemic principles for analyzing the Psalms of David in the context of musical creativity, with a special emphasis on the interpretation of the psalmodic tradition in the works of Arvo Pärt. Methodology of the study. The research is based on a set of humanistic and musicological methodologies, encompassing systemic, hermeneutic, comparative, historical-stylistic, and textological approaches, as well as the method of intertextual analysis, which makes it possible to consider the psalm as a text that exists at the intersection of theological, musical, and poetic systems. Scientific novelty of the article is determined by the comprehensive disclosure of both the traditional genre characteristics of the psalm and the degree of their transformation in the musical works of Arvo Pärt. The focus is placed not only on the preservation of the canonical features of the psalmodic form, but also on the innovative strategies used by the composer in the context of renewing the tradition of sacred music. Conclusions. In Pärt’s stylistically restrained and highly structured psalm compositions, the features of the ancient genre are preserved: references to archetypal themes, dialogic structure, and symbolic richness. At the same time, a new sacred interpretation of the psalm emerges–not as a relic of the past, but as a living spiritual text that continues to resonate in the modern world. In this context, the use of non-metrical rhythm by the composer, which follows the traditions of early Christian psalmody, is especially significant. This approach makes it possible not only to move away from metric regularity, but also to approach the rhythm of spiritual breathing, the free internal pulse in which musical movement aligns with the natural rhythm of prayer. It has been established that in the 20th century, the genre of the psalm acquired new expressive horizons: its stylistic diversity expanded, and the structure of form creation became significantly more complex. Psalm compositions began to be realized within a wide range of forms – from concise choral miniatures to large-scale stage and concert works. In Arvo Pärt’s oeuvre, these tendencies receive a special intonational and dramaturgical interpretation: the psalm retains its sacred verticality and dialogical nature but is embodied in a minimalist sound shell, which transforms it into an expression not only of prayerful but also of metaphysical experience in the contemporary world.