Russian Folk Instrumental Music (authentic folk orchestras and instrumentalists)
00:00 Beryozka (Little birch) Russian round dance - ¨Beryozka¨ Dance Ensemble Orchestra 03:31 Down the Volga river / I´ll go out to the river - Leningrad Psaltery Ensemble 06:21 Buffoonery - Pyatnitsky Chorus Orchestra 10:09 Stop it, fellows - Balalaika solo by Nichiporenko 12:12 Kamarinskaya - Pyatnitsky Chorus Orchestra 14:24 Caprice - Folk Instrument Orchestra 18:18 The moon is shining - Folk Instrument Orchestra 21:19 The faun (waltz) - Folk Instrument Orchestra 26:41 Fantasia, based on theme of folk song “The Night” - Guitar solo by Ilvanov-Kramskoi 30:50 Fantasia, based on themes from Volga Ditties 34:22 Ah, the long night - Domra solo by Yakovlev 36:51 Saratov dance tune - Beresta solo by Kasatov 37:54 Pedlars (based on folk song theme) - Accordion solo by Kuznetsov Russian folk instrumental music is rich and varied. The frescoes and bas-reliefs of old churches in Kiev and Vladimir, diverse chronicles and icons give an idea of the numerous instruments which existed in Russia in olden times. It was the function of folk musicians to “play for singing,” to “play for dancing.” In numerous solo and ensemble performances folk musicians elaborated the melodic and poetical nature of the Russian folk song. Russian folk music and the art of folk musicians played a big part in the formation and development of Russian classical music. Folk instruments are still to be heard over the vast expanses of the Soviet Union. Old-time favorites are string instruments such as the gusili, balalaika, domra, violin and guitar, woodwind instruments like the pipe and kugikly, percussion instruments like the tambourine, spoons, drum, rattle and later instruments like the Russian concertina (of various types), bayans and accordions. The folk instrument orchestras organized by progressive Russian musicians toward the end of the last century were few in number and attracted chiefly lovers of folk art. Only after 1917 did folk orchestras and choruses accompanied by folk instrument ensembles receive the support of the government. Their numbers grew, many instruments were improved, new repertoires created, folk songs and music pieces were circulated among the people to be recorded and studied. This is a recording of the Andreyev Folk Instruments Orchestra, founded in 1888 and praised by Leo Tolstoy, Maxim Gorky, Fyodor Chaliapin and Konstantin Stanislavsky. The popular song “Pedlars” is played by the Osipov Russian Folk Orchestra, founded in 1936 on the basis of a small Moscow radio group. Such composers as Vasilenko, Budashkin and Chaikin wrote pieces for it and the well-known singers Maksakova, Pirogov and Reizen appeared with the musicians. The orchestras of the “Beryozka” Dance Ensemble and the Pyatnitsky Chorus give solo performances in this recording. Both these groups have attained a high standard of performance and real artistic unity with the dances and songs they accompany. Soloists who reveal the rich resources of such folk instruments as the guitar, Russian concertina, bayan, domra, beresta and balalaika are also widely represented. Recorded in the U.S.S.R. Мелодия / Capitol Records (DT 10491) Art: The Twilight Moon (1899), by Isaac Ilyich Levitan (1860-1900)
