Russian Folk music
By:Addison Holliday and Gen Mcwilliams
Russian folk music history
The roots of russian folk music date as far back as to the middle of the first millennium AC, when Slavic tribes settled in the European part of the present territory of Russia. Those tribes were famous for their love and mastery of music, singing and dancing, according to Byzantium and German manuscripts. It is known, that in 591 Avars' khan sent Slavic singers and gusli players as ambassadors to Byzantium Emperor. The music of Kievan Rus, the first Russian state formed in the 10th century, was not homogeneous, just like the tribes that made up this country. It included Finno-Ugric, Turkic and other prototypes besides Slavic ones. Very old are guttural singing traditions of Siberia and the Far East. Till date regional and ethnic (pre-national) traditions are evident in Russian folklore. Thus, folk singing traditions of the northern, western, southern and central regions, as well as settlements in basins of big rivers of Oka, Volga and Don, have their own distinct features. Majority of still alive folk songs have pagan roots bearing the impact of Christian rites.
Russian folk music and dancing rituals
Instruments used in russian folk music.
The Orchestra is made up of two groups of authentic Russian stringed instruments: balalaikas and domras. Most of them have three strings (domras sometimes have 4) but are tuned differently. Domras are oval shape instruments and come in 4 sizes: piccolo, prima, alto, and bass; balalaikas are triangular shape instruments and come in 5 sizes: prima, secunda, alto, bass, and contrabass. Most are played with plectrums. The Orchestra also uses accordions, bayans (button accordions), as well as various woodwind and percussion instruments.
The Balalaika probably has its origins in the Oriental dombra, a two-stringed, oval-faced instrument brought to Russia by the Mongols in the 14th Century. Over the centuries, the design of the instrument evolved to a triangular shape, probably to simplify its construction. For centuries the balalaika was an instrument of the peasant class, and was also used by minstrels and court musicians to accompany singing. Two-, three-, four- and six-stringed versions appear in various writings. Frets were originally made of animal gut, tied around the neck, and tuning was at the discretion of the player.
At various times during its history the playing of the balalaika was banned by both the Orthodox Church and the state, for as often as not the irreverent street musicians, or "skomorokhi" (скоморохи), in their ballads poked fun at both of these institutions.