Many long-familiar objects do not have a clear definition of their meaning in our minds. The word “accompaniment” also refers to such concepts.
Translated from French, it means "accompany, repeat, play along." Even simply beating the rhythm with a foot or clapping for a long time was considered a kind of “accompaniment”. However, in the twentieth century there was a clear wording of this term.
What is the specificity of the accompaniment?
Today, accompaniment is the addition of a melody with musical accompaniment in the form of harmonic and rhythmic support for a soloist. The singer or instrumental musician performing the leading part can act as a soloist.
Almost all music is based on melody as the main means of expression. She is the queen, passing through the entire musical texture with a red thread and dictating to the other voices the ways of their manifestation.
This type of musical texture is called “homophonic-harmonic”. Since it has one main voice and its accompaniment in the form of harmony.
Most instruments are not able to reproduce harmony, you can play them, even very expressively, with only one voice. At the same time, soloing to the accompaniment of the orchestra is quite expensive.
That is why more often than not an instrument such as the piano plays this role. It successfully imitates the sound of the orchestra with its rich harmonic capabilities and colorful tones.
Accompaniment as a sounding texture
Accompaniment is not only what we hear in real sound. This word is also called notes written for instruments that play the accompaniment part. The third meaning of the word lies in the action itself. This is the name of the escort execution process.
The main task of the accompanist, or, in other words, the accompanist is to supplement the soloist, helping him to create an artistic image. This assistance is provided mainly in the following areas:
- adding various registers and tones, which the soloist does not have in his arsenal, that is, a colorful enrichment of sound;
- the addition of a one-voice melody with a chord harmonic texture that creates a three-dimensional effect and conveys a certain emotional subtext;
- metro-rhythmic support, maintaining the stability of pace and musical form.
Moreover, accompaniment is always a secondary part of the texture, so it should sound quieter than a solo part.
Accompanist work
If you see a solo instrumentalist playing the piano on stage, this does not mean that the pianist accompanies him.
There are a number of works written for such a duet with an expanded equal part of the piano, where both instruments are soloists and act as a duet. This form of playing music is called a chamber ensemble.
Only in the case when the piano part has an obviously accompanying character, supporting the main instrument, we can argue that this is an accompaniment.
The notes for the accompanist, however, can contain a lot of complicated and virtuosic episodes in the introduction, conclusion and losses, as if “negotiating” what the soloist has not said, logically developing his line.
Outstanding Accompaniment Masters
Truly masterful accompaniment is a great art that has its own conspicuous figures. Among the outstanding accompanists who have gone down in history are such as:
- Vazha Chachava - professor, head of the concertmaster department of the leading Russian conservatory, spoke with E. Obraztsova, Z. Sotkilava, I. Arkhipova (D. Matsuev - one of his students);
- outstanding concertmaster, People's Artist of the USSR D.M. Lerner, who worked with S. Lemeshev, M. Maksakova, E. Shumskaya, N. Gedda, who went on stage until the last days of his life and gave 50-60 hour and a half free concerts at the age of 102 in year;
- Professor M.N.Ber, who has worked as a concertmaster in the vocal class of the Russian Academy of Music for 50 years, has trained more than 20 laureates and 30 soloists of opera houses;
- S. T. Richter proved himself to be a brilliant accompanist in his work on the songs of F. Schubert with D.F. Discus and many others.
Attending a concert by an outstanding soloist, one should not underestimate the work of a concertmaster. His contribution to a successful joint performance is difficult to overestimate.