The History of Russian Vocal Music - class handout Boyarina (Lady) Yelizaveta Medvedeva, CM, OT Barony of Carolingia, EK Copyright 1997 by Elizabeth Lear GLOSSARY Definitions of musical forms: monophonic (one sound) - music consisting of a single melodic line, without additional parts or choral accompaniment. It is the oldest type of music. In Russian, odnogolosnya (solnya = solo). polyphonic (many sounds) - music that consists of two or more melodic lines, each having individual significance and independence. The earliest extant polyphonic music dates from the 9th century, and it prevailed as the popular style until the end of the 16th century. In Russian, mnogogolosnya . homophonic (joint sounds) - music that consists of a single melodic line supported by chords or other subordinate material. Most classical music from Haydn to Debussy is essentially homophonic . heterophonic (other sounds) - a type of polyphony where two or more performers produce essentially the same melody with slight modifications on the parts. This style is frequently found in Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Javanese and African music. Definitions taken from The Harvard Brief Dictionary of Music, copyright 1960. The primary types of vocal music in Russia: bylina / starina - the basic style of folk music - primarily epics and stories, often containing fantasy elements but based on real people and events. Starini are often more realistic than bylini. znamenny - religious chants, believed to have Byzantine origins but heavily influenced by folk music to create a uniquely Russian style. demestvenny - liturgical chants used in the late 17th century strictly for festal occaisions, with znamenny used on all other days. These disappeared from use in the 18th century except with the Old Believers. dulchovny stilchi - religious poems in the syle of bylini protyajnaia - soldiers' songs or laments - The core of the song is grief or a complaint (soldier's widow, young bride badly treated by mother-in-law, separated lovers). These appeared late in period, and are the most common type of folk song today. skomorokhi - described as minstrels, clowns, mummers, buffoons, actors, dancers, acrobats, puppeteers, magicians, and animal trainers, they were the primary creators of epic songs and tales. Church Music Collections: In 1772, the Holy Synod republished the works of Tikon and Mazanetz in four books of Western notation. This publication is the basis for most scholarship today on the znamenny style of liturgical chants. 1 - Hiermologion The oldest and purest collection of znammeny, with over 1000 specimins of the "hiermos", the model stanza of the Kanon used in early morning services. 2 - Octoechos Contains longer canticles and heirmoi. 3 - Prazdniky For the nine immovable feast days; contains canticles and the appropriate texts for services. 4 - Obikhod (Ordinarium) Canticles in the order used in the daily rounds of services. Volumes 1, 2 & 3 are nearly entirely znamenny, but 4 contains more Western-influenced 17th century material, either more simplified znamenny or new formations of znamenny with harmonies. These books were used all through the 19th century. No chromatic steps have been found in any of the five books. The range was the G below middle C to Bb or C of the next octave. Low and high notes were used only as exceptions. Wide leaps of 4ths and 5ths were used, but were not common. Folk Instruments: gusli/husli - The word husli was, in the times of Kievan Rus', the generic word for a string musical instrument. Later the word became associated with a psaltery-like instrument which existed in Kievan Rus' and continued to be played in Ukraine until the 19th century. The root of the word is derived from the early Slavic word "gosl", which meant "string". gudok/hudok - One of the most ancient bowed string instruments of the Slavs in the hudok. It has three strings and is played with a bow. The hudok was popular from the times of Kievan Rus', when it was used primarily for the playing of dance music. It was often used by the skomorokhi and accompanied by the husli. Two of the strings are used as drones while the melody is played on the third. domra - The domra is a four-stringed instrument, similar to the mandolin. From FOLK INSTRUMENTS OF UKRAINE, copyright 1987, Bayda Books. AUDIO EXAMPLES: agricultural songs - "Naduri" (Georgian Folk Songs, track #3) This song was sung by farmers as they helped their neighbors in the field, each section of the song corresponding to a particular stage of the operation. healing songs - Sabodisho (Georgian Folk Songs, track #14) In Georgian folk medicine miraculous healing powers were attributed to such songs. Here, the singing is accompanied by a chonguri, a traditional four-string lute-like instrument. laments - "About the separation of the soul from the body." (Early Monodic and Polyphonic Chants, track #18) This funeral lament is in the highly ornamented style of razvody. drinking songs - "Grant Us Peace" (Georgian Folk Songs, track #5) With these words a freely improvised vocal trio lauches every drinking session in the Guria region. marching songs - "Khasanbegura" (Georgian Folk Songs, track #5) This song recounts an episode in the Russo-Turkish wars. znamenny -"Christ is Born" (Early Monodic and Polyphonic Chants, track #5) doulchovnye stikh - "Trisagion" (Early Monodic and Polyphonic Chants, track #10) LYRIC EXAMPLES: koljada platter songs gathering songs Bylini: Vassily Buslaev Sadko Skomorokhi songs: LETYAT UTKI (THE DUCKS) ---------- The ducks are flying, the ducks are flying and two geese, Oh the one I love, the one I love, I wait in vain for him. You are far away, you are far away, where are you? Oh how beautiful, How beautiful a message from you would be. When, my beloved, When, my beloved, you resolve to forsake me, Oh do not tell me, Do not tell me the reason why. Sung by The Pennywhistlers, copyright 1965. IN A GLADE ---------- In the forest near the Danube river, there is a nightingale singing, he sings to gather everyone from his family. In the forest near the Danube river, there is a bass vibrating and a fiddle crying, I think of a place where my lovely one is strolling now. In the forest near the Danube river, I am sick with my loneliness, crying, I want to fly like a bird, to where my lovely one is now. Sung by Milla, copyright 1994. The lyrics of the song tell the story of a girl who can't get away to see her paramour; he is far away because of the war with the Turks of the Ottoman empire. This is a widely known Ukranian folk song of the "lyrical" variety, dating from the 1600s when the Ottoman empire was trying to conquer areas of Ukraine. Bird-related imagery is common in Ukrainian lyrical folksongs from that era. It was common for Ukraine to be referred to metaphorically as a seagull in these lyric folksongs, and the nightingale reference in "In A Glade" is another example. Folk Music - pagan origins - ritual/sympathetic magic - dance/gathering songs - laments - koljadas - fortune telling - festivals - songs of every day life - bylini + originally based on historical events and people +full of metaphor and allegory +reflected nationalism and pride Church Music - Orthodox church meant Byzantine influence - church music recorded as early as 11th century - primary musical form called znamenny chant - became more ornamented in 16th century - music notated in signs like neumes until 16th century - kriuk notation related to neumes, but not the same - some music still not decipherable from kriuk - new transcriptions of church music published in 18th and 19th centuries Kiev - center of power until 1240 - Russia became Christian in 988 - music important in secular and religious life - music was primarily vocal only - some folk instruments were played, but the church discouraged this - breakdown in power made it easy for Mongols to invade Novgorod - rose to be center of power after Kiev was conquered - subject to Tartars, but protected - functioned as keeper of Kievan Russian culture - also developed strong cultural style of its own - skomorokhi (wandering minstrels) achieved great prominence - Novgorodian bylini took on new styles - also developed art of bellringing Moscow - became center of power after Tartars defeated in 1480 - began to consolidate power - Tsars supported and promoted the arts, especially music - most creative liturgical period was 16th century - became stronghold of Orthodox faith - started to open to western influence in 16th century - instrumental music became more popular - in the 17th century, church ritual and music reformed - schism caused Old Believers to leave the church - revolts, uprisings, discontent heralded by folk song - skomorokhi banned - western influence became more prevalent