1 part Tonal Atonality - analytics, V. Kazarin

 Greetings!
` We are pleased to present an information resource that provides a comprehensive overview of the work of the outstanding Russian composer Vyacheslav Kazarin within the context of the finest achievements of World Culture.

Sincerely, art historian Arina Ryazantseva.

Blog, there will be a lot of interesting things:
https://composervaycheslavkazarin.tilda.ws
Wixsite:
https://savasavichev.wixsite.com/composer-kazarin



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1st Introductory Article on Tonal Atonality:
How It’s Done


Why composer Vyacheslav Kazarin’s music sounds natural, despite its complexity
[examining the score of ‘From the Heart to the Sun’ within the context of the ‘Tonal Atonality’ concept, and why this arouses genuine interest]


1. Kazarin does not destroy tradition — he ‘reprogrammes’ it

Most contemporary composers follow one of three paths:
•    either a break with tonality,
•    or stylisation in the classical tradition,
•    or polystylism.

Kazarin does something different: he preserves the natural mechanisms of perception, but builds a new system upon them.
This is the key to the naturalness of the sound.



2. For him, tonality is not harmony, but structure

This is the most important point.

In classical music, tonality is:
•    functional relationships,
•    dominant–tonic,
•    cadences.

With Kazarin — it is not.

For him, tonality is a structural centre, a ‘point of attraction’, which:
•    may not be expressed by a chord,
•    may not be confirmed by a cadence,
•    may exist solely in the soloist’s line.

But it is there, and the brain ‘senses’ it.
That is why the music is perceived as ‘tonal’, even though the harmony may be entirely atonal.



3. Atonality is not chaos, but texture

The following are constantly found in the score [using the violin concerto ‘From the Heart to the Sun’ as an example]:
•    divisi in 3–4
•    sul tasto
•    micropolyphony
•    polyrhythm 9:4, 7:4
•    scattered harmonies

This creates an atonal environment, but it:
•    does not conflict with tonality,
•    does not destroy it,
•    but frames it.

It is like the light and air surrounding an object.



4. Polyphony — a mechanism of integration

This is a stroke of genius.

Polyphony in Kazarin’s music:
•    is not thematic,
•    is not Baroque,
•    is not imitative in the classical sense.

It is energetic.

Polyphony connects:
•    the soloist’s tonal lines
•    the orchestra’s atonal layers
•    rhythmic processes

It is precisely polyphony that makes the system coherent, rather than eclectic.



5. Complexity is hidden within, rather than displayed on the surface

This is a most rare quality.

For many contemporary composers:
•    complexity = effect
•    complexity = goal
•    complexity = a display of technique

With Kazarin, it is the opposite:
•    complexity = mechanism
•    complexity = internal engine
•    complexity = a means of generating form
And what emerges is a clear, natural musical language.

It is like watching a bird: it flies effortlessly, yet inside lies incredible aerodynamics.



6. Music develops as a living organism, not as a structure

This is what the listener feels intuitively.

In Kazarin’s work:
• there are no ‘patchworks’
• there are no ‘collages’
• there is no ‘quotation’
• there is no ‘modularity’

There is an organic development, where each element arises from the previous one.
This is the principle of generation that the author himself speaks of, and which I have already mentioned in my introductory review articles.



7. Why this is of interest to musicians
Because:
• it is a new model, unlike any existing one;
• it works — it sounds natural;
• it is complex, but not ‘forced’;
• it is contemporary, but does not alienate the listener;
• it is tonal, but not in the traditional sense;
• it is atonal, but not chaotic.

This is an extremely rare combination.



8. Why is this of interest to theorists?

Because ‘Tonal Atonality’ is:
• not polystylism
• not extended tonality
• not free atonality
• not modality

It is a new hierarchical model, where:
• tonality = structure
• atonality = texture
• polyphony = integration

And this is truly a new type of musical thinking.



9. Why this is appealing to performers

Because [taking the violin concerto ‘From the Heart to the Sun’ as an example]:
•    the solo part is logical, melodious and natural
•    the orchestration is transparent yet rich
•    the texture is complex but not ‘disjointed’
•    the music ‘breathes’
•    the dynamics and articulation are meaningful, not merely decorative

It is a pleasure for a performer to play music that is alive, not ‘contrived’, whilst being technically brilliant and virtuosic.



10. Why is this interesting to listeners?

Because:
•    the music is emotional
•    it creates an image
•    it leads from darkness to light
•    it requires no ‘preparation’
•    it is not aggressive
•    it is not cold

This is a rare instance where contemporary music does not repel, but attracts.
Addendum
[based on Vyacheslav Kazarin’s article ‘Tonal Atonality with the Author’s Explanations’]


This article is not merely a review by the author. It is a manifesto explaining what Kazarin is doing in music and why this is important not only for theorists, but for musical culture itself.

It demonstrates:
• that ‘Tonal Atonality’ is not an experiment for the sake of experimentation,
• not an attempt to ‘be modern’,
• not a game of intellectual constructs,
but a sincere endeavour to restore music’s lost integrity, without destroying it or stylising it to resemble the past.

This is a rare stance in the 21st century.



What new insights does the article offer into the
concept


1. Tonality gives rise to atonality — and only in this way

This is the key message of the article:
‘Tonality gives rise to atonality, and in no other way.’

This means:
• atonality in Kazarin’s work is not independent,
• it is not an equal layer,
• it is not opposed to tonality,
• it springs from it, like light from a source.

This fully explains the sense of naturalness in his music.



2. Atonality is the radiance surrounding the structure

A stunning image, implanted by the author into the consciousness of the global musical community: ‘Atonal elements are the radiance surrounding tonality’.
This is an incredibly powerful and precise metaphor in the context of the phenomenon under discussion.

For most composers, atonality is:
• conflict,
• chaos,
• destruction,
• negation.

For Kazarin, it is light, a ‘halo’, an atmosphere.



3. Polyphony is not a technique, but a way for music to breathe

The article emphasises:
‘Polyphony is a mechanism of integration’.

This means:
• for him, polyphony is not ‘counterpoint for counterpoint’s sake’,
• not Baroque stylisation,
• not an intellectual game.
It is an organic movement that connects:
• structure (tonality),
• texture (atonality),
• form (dramaturgy).

This explains why his music sounds alive, rather than ‘contrived’.



4. For Kazarin, the climax is an epiphany, not an explosion

The article emphasises:
‘The climax can be quiet… a moment of inner enlightenment’.
This is incredibly important.

In contemporary music, the climax is often:
• noise,
• density,
• chaos,
• aggression.

For Kazarin, the climax is an epiphany, an ‘inner light’.
This is entirely consistent with the conceptual and thematic essence of the violin concerto ‘From the Heart to the Sun!’.



5. He does not continue a tradition — he creates a new one, calling it ‘Tonal Atonality’, which is:
• not polystylism,
• not extended tonality,
• not free atonality,
• not modality.
 
This is a new system, not a variation on the old ones.
And this explains why his music sounds:
• both familiar and new,
• both natural and complex,
• both contemporary and profoundly human.

Why listeners are objectively captivated by Vyacheslav Kazarin’s work
Because he is a rare kind of artist who:
• does not destroy,
• does not shock,
• does not quote,
• does not stylise,
• does not imitate,
• does not rebel for the sake of rebellion.

He creates.

He truly wants to breathe new life into music, to restore to it:
• meaning,
• light,
• depth,
• organicity,
• humanity.

And this can be felt in every bar of his music and in every paragraph of his article ‘Tonal Atonality with the Author’s Explanations’.



Arina Ryazantseva, art historian and biographer of composer Vyacheslav Kazarin
Russia, Moscow 2026

` A-CVK