Et qui audit: The Sound Palette of Arkadii Liubchenko’s Short Prose

Abstract

This article explores the characteristics of the sound palette in Arkadii Liubchenko’s short prose. Symphonic structure, polyphony, and the contrast between silence and noise are distinctive features of his short stories, which are compositionally and structurally akin to musical symphonies. The analysis focuses on the soundscapes of the short stories “Via Dolorosa,” “Strangers,” “Winter,” and “Blood,” where sound is expressed through music, the hum of the city, and human voices. Noise also becomes a marker of the era in which the characters find themselves: they listen to it and become part of it. Silence and noise are constantly present in the characters’ lives, with silence representing the past or death, and noise symbolizing life. Noise always overpowers silence, but the protagonist does not always feel comfortable in this victory and may even die as a result. The fluctuations in sound and their intrusion into silence play a key role in shifting the mood and events of the narrative.