THE IMAGE OF JOAN OF ARC IN THE ORATORIO BY A. HONEGGER «JOAN OF ARC AT THE STAKE»

Abstract

The article examines the oratorio genre in the work of the Forantz composers of the group of six. The focus is on the oratorio "Joan of Arc at the Stake" ("Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher") by Arthur Honegger. The aim of the article is to reveal the image of the main character. The oratorio «Joan of Arc at the Stake» by A. Honegger is one of the most striking examples of 20th-century Western European composers turning to the oratorio genre. What makes it particularly interesting is that the composer, drawing upon national traditions of blending various genres, achieves a new level of genre synthesis and introduces new elements into the oratorio format. The complex fusion of genre components presented here prompts the author to abandon traditional genre classifications and call his work a «mystery». Honegger harmoniously balances the components of the musical whole, dramatizing the content and achieving an organic synthesis of music, text, and stage dramaturgy. The blending of these diverse elements impacts the unfolding of the plot, the dynamics of character development, and the musical portrayal of the image of Joan of Arc.