Vakhtang Kakhidze’s Creative Work in the Context of the Relation Between Jazz and Academic Music

Abstract

Twentieth-century art is characterized by its striving for synthesis, which gave rise to a number of new styles and genres. The creative mutual influence of jazz and academic music is one of the brightest manifestations of this process. This issue has not been studied in Georgian musicology to date. As an example of this process, the article discusses Vakhtang Kakhidze’s work, with a focus on his Concerto for Piano and Symphony Orchestra and Bruderschaft for viola, piano and string orchestra. Areas of research include: the application of jazz musical-linguistic resources and adaptation of its individual elements as a means for updating traditional musical language; imitation of jazz sounds with traditional classical instruments – “coloration” in jazz style; and the structural integration of jazz expressive techniques and classical music. It is argued that Vakhtang Kakhidze's compositional quest is closely related to the idea of the synthesis of jazz and academic art.  Stylistic features of jazz art, improvisation as a principle of thinking, solid compositional genres of academic music, classical forms and peculiarities of Georgian folk music organically coexist in both of these examples of the composer’s academic music. It is concluded that among Georgian composers of the 1980s, Vakhtang Kakhidze’s works most clearly reflect the synthesis of European compositional technique and jazz traditions.