Cultural Dimensions of Choral Performance in the West and East of Ukraine (the First Half of the 20th Century)

In the first half of the twentieth century, Eastern Galicia and Dnieper Ukraine were under the jurisdiction of different states, whose policies were reflected in the development of cultural life. Its development is closely connected with choral performance — an area in which Ukrainians willingly showed themselves primarily due to their musical and singing skills. The purpose of the article is to examine the cultural and creative peculiarities of choral performance in the east and west of Ukraine and to identify common and distinctive features. The research methodology includes a historical method - to reveal the conditions for the development of choral performance at different stages of the first part of the twentieth century; a comparative method to understand the special features of choral life; and a method of generalisation to reproduce the picture of choral performance in these historical and geographical regions. Scientific novelty. For the first time, the article reveals the dynamics of choral processes in the west and east of Ukraine during the outlined period. Conclusions. In the first half of the twentieth century, choral performance in Galicia and Dnieper Ukraine was based on the stable foundations of the cultural and artistic achievements of the Ukrainian people and acquired the “status” of a significant factor in the self-preservation of national musical culture. In Eastern Galicia, it became an integral part of the region’s culture, led to the revival of the creative process, and convincingly testified to the power of original national choral traditions. In the conditions of statelessness, hence the totalitarian regime, choral performance remained an imported means of spiritual uplift of Galicians, a vital source of their self-preservation. In Dnieper Ukraine, which was in much more difficult social and cultural circumstances, as part of the Russian Empire, choral performance was closely connected with the idea of national self-affirmation in the 20s; in the 1930s – 1950s, it was forced to respond to the demands of the party-Soviet political system, which badly affected both the repertoire and performing skills. Despite the complex realities of cultural creation, the national component has become an integral feature of Ukrainian choral performance