Music of Russia

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Music of Russia
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Russian Federation
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Overview

• Largest country in world (spans Europe and Asia)
• Demographics 80 ethnic Russian
• Religion Eastern Orthodoxy (establ. 988) is
  predominant

• 1861-abolition of serfdom
• 1917-coup ended 300 years of monarchy
• 1922- Soviet Union formed (White Army defeated)
• 1991-dissolution of Soviet Union

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Music of the Peasants

• Feudal social system serfs considered property
  of landowner, obliged to give percentage of crop
  to landowner
• Layering of Christian traditions and rituals over
  older pagan beliefs
• Lives governed by family and agricultural cycles

1909 Peasant Girls (Prokudin-Gorskii)
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Peasant Music

• Songs and music were integral to village life
• Types of songs
• 1. calendar songs (e.g. pre-Lenten songs,
  seasonal festivals, harvest songs
• 2. rite of passage songs (esp. wedding songs and
  dances)
• 3. Work songs (e.g. harvesting, haymaking)

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Music of the Cossacks

• Militaristic communities, renowned for
  self-reliance and horsemanship
• Allegiances religion and motherland
• Group singing is heterophonic, melody is middle
  voice
• Songs often historical epics

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The Russian Folk Orchestra

• Originated in 19th cent. Elite interest in
  national character.

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Vasiliy Vasilievich Andreyev (1861-1918)

• Father of the Russian Folk Orchestra
• Adapted and arranged folk music for the salon and
  stage
• Composed new pieces

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Russian Folk Orchestra

• Appropriated, controlled, used by Soviets as
  state-supported new folk music.
• Establishment of conservatories for study of
  folk instruments (i.e. balalaika, domra,
  bayan) composition, conducting
• Post-Soviet period, Russian Folk Music
  conservatories and ensembles still exist.

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Instruments
BALALAIKA BAYAN
DOMRA
GUSLI
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The Slavonic Bass

• Feodor Chaliapin (Russian) (1873-1938).
  Considered one of greatest opera singers debuted
  with Met in 1907 lived in exile since 1921.
• Boris Christoff (Bulgarian) (1914-1993). Sang as
  boy in church choir famous for opera religious
  music Russian songs.