A study of Sulkhan Tsintsadze's "Five Pieces on the Folk Themes for Cello and Piano" in the light of folk music elements in classical music

When folk elements are mentioned in classical music, it is seen that studies generally focus on the concept of nationalism in the 19th century. However, it is possible to state that folk tunes exist in classical music in nearly every period. In fact, many studies today emphasize that these two types of music develop with each other. Nevertheless, the 20th century is a period when folklore studies were taken to the highest level. In this time period, not only people examined their own music, but also wondered and searched the similarities related to other musical cultures from different countries. This study focuses on Sulkhan Tsintsadze, a cellist and composer who lived in the 20th century, when the approach to folk music elements in classical music took on a different dimension, and his "five pieces on folk themes for cello and piano". Tsintsadze, a Georgian composer and cellist who lived in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, presents the elements of Georgian folk music in his works. In the study, based on the interaction with the folk elements in the historical process of classical music, "five pieces on folk themes for cello and piano" are examined; practices are offered for technical passages. In addition, in the third and fourth parts of the work, stylised/abstract versions of makam is encountered in the equal (tampere) sound system, and the similarity is explained theoretically. The study is a qualitative study, and it consists of data collection, document analysis and semi-structured interviews. The meetings took place face-to-face in Georgia with people who previously worked with the composer knowing him in person.