Accompaniment is what?

Many long-familiar objects do not have a clear definition of their meaning in our minds. Such terms include the word "accompaniment".

In French, it means "to accompany, to echo, to play along." Even a simple beat of the rhythm with a foot or clapping hands for a long time was considered a kind of "accompaniment". However, in the twentieth century a clear formulation of the term arose.

What is the specificity of accompaniment?

Today, accompaniment is the addition of a melody with musical accompaniment in the form of a harmonious and rhythmic support for the soloist. In the role of a soloist, a singer or an instrumentalist performing the leading part can perform.

Almost all music is basically a melody as the main means of expressiveness. She is a queen, with a red thread passing through the entire note texture and dictating to the other voices the ways of their manifestation.

This type of musical texture is called "homophonic-harmonic." Because it has one main voice and its accompaniment in the form of harmony.

Most instruments are not capable of reproducing harmony, they can be played, even very expressively, with only one voice. In this case, soloing to the accompaniment of the orchestra is rather expensive.

That's why most often in this role is an instrument such as pianoforte. It successfully imitates the sound of the orchestra with its rich harmonics and colorful timbres.

Accompaniment as a sounding texture

Accompaniment is not only what we hear in real sound. This word also refers to notes written for instruments that perform the accompaniment. The third meaning of the word is the action itself. This is the name of the accompaniment 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 timbres, which the soloist does not have in his arsenal, that is, colorful enrichment of sound;
• Addition of a single-chord melody with a chord harmonic texture, creating an effect of volume and conveying a certain emotional subtext;
• Metro-rhythmic support, maintaining the stability of tempo and musical form.

And the accompaniment is always a minor part of the texture, so it should sound quieter than the solo part.

The work of the accompanist

If you see an instrumentalist soloist playing the piano on stage, this does not mean that the pianist accompanies him.

There are a number of works written for a similar duet with an expanded equal parts piano, where both instruments are soloists and act as a duet. This form of music making is called a chamber ensemble.

Only in the case when the piano part has a clearly accompanying character supporting the main instrument, we can say that it is an accompaniment.

Notes for an accompanist, however, can contain a lot of difficult and virtuosic episodes in the introduction, conclusion and loss, as if "negotiating" what the soloist has not done, logically developing his line.

Outstanding accompaniment masters

A truly masterful accompaniment is a great art, in which there are some notable figures. Among the outstanding concertmasters in history, one can name such people as:

• Vazha Chachava is a professor, head of the concertmaster's chair of the leading Russian conservatory, spoke with E. Obraztsova, Z. Sotkilava, I. Arkhipova (D. Matsuev is one of his students);
• An outstanding concertmaster, People's Artist of the USSR DM Lerner, who worked with S. Lemeshev, M. Maksakova, E. Shumskaya, N. Gedda, who appeared on the stage until the last days of his life and gave 50-60 half-hour free concerts at the age of 102 in year;
• Professor MN Ber, 50 years worked as an accompanist in the vocal class of the Russian Academy of Music, prepared more than 20 laureates and 30 soloists of opera houses;
• A brilliant accompanist showed himself S. T. Richter in the work on the songs of F. Schubert with D. F. Diska and many others.

While attending a concert of an outstanding soloist, the accompanist's work should not be underestimated. His contribution to a successful joint performance can not be overestimated.