THE ROLE OF MATTI RANTANEN’S CREATIVE ACTIVITY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONTEMPORARY BAYAN-ACCORDION ART IN FINLAND

Abstract

The article is devoted to determining the role of the creative activity of the outstanding Finnish accordionist, composer and teacher Matti Rantanen in the development of the accordion and accordion art of Finland in the second half of the 20th – early 21st centuries. The relevance of the work is due to the significance of the creative figure of Matti Rantanen in the European musical space of this era, the need for a scientific understanding of his significant artistic achievements, as well as the practical lack of study of this issue in Ukrainian musicology. The purpose of the study is to provide a general characteristic of the creative activity of Matti Rantanen and to determine the nature of the artist’s influence on the development of the Finnish accordion and accordion art. The research methods are historical, culturological, activity-based and biographical. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the article is the first work in Ukrainian musicology specifically dedicated to the creative figure of Matti Rantanen. The study, for the first time in Ukrainian musicology, highlights the artist’s creative biography, identifies his artistic achievements in the performing, composing, and pedagogical spheres, and also reveals his significant role in the development of Finnish accordion and accordion art. The main milestones of the artist’s creative path and his most important artistic achievements are outlined. Rantanen’s active concert and performing activities as a soloist and chamber ensemble musician in Finland and many other European countries, as well as in the United States and Canada, are characterized. The artist’s significant performing repertoire is outlined. Matti Rantanen’s fruitful pedagogical activities as head of the accordion department at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki are highlighted. Rantanen’s methodological and organizational influence on the optimization of the modern development of Finnish accordion and accordion art is revealed, and the creative figures of the artist’s most famous students are highlighted. The conclusions summarize the leading creative achievements of Matti Rantanen in composing, performing, teaching and music-educational activities. It is noted that the prospects for further research are focused on a more detailed consideration of Rantanen’s artistic achievements in each of the indicated areas, in particular, on the analysis of the artist’s performance style.