A Brief History of Russian Old Folk Music

Russian old folk music has a rich and varied history, and has been a significant part of the country’s cultural heritage for centuries. In this blog post, we’ll take a brief look at the origins and evolution of this musical tradition.

Origins of Russian Folk Music

It is widely believed that Russian folk music has its origins in the music of the ancient Slavs. The Slavs were a group of people who lived in Central and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages. They were known for their beautiful music and singing. Russian folk music is thought to have been influenced by the music of the Slavs.

Pre-Christian Era

The earliest music of the pre-Christian era was primarily concerned with cult rituals and ceremonies related to birth, death, and fertility. The first musical instruments were probably horns and drums, which were used to communicate over long distances and to summon the spirits of dead heroes. Over time, stringed and wind instruments were developed, along with complexity in musical form and structure.

By the 9th century AD, Christianization of the Slavic peoples was well underway, and Russian folk music began to absorb influences from Byzantine liturgical music and Western plainsong. By the 13th century, a distinctive tradition of Russian church singing had emerged, led by monophonic chants known as znamennyi stabbing.

In the centuries that followed, as Russia emerged as a powerful empire under the czars, folk music continued to evolve. New instruments were introduced from Persia and Turkey, including the balalaika and domra. And by the 18th century, Russian orchestras were performing works by European composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.

Christianization of Rus’

In the late 10th century, Vladimir the Great, ruler of Kievan Rus’, adopted Orthodox Christianity from Byzantium and signaled a Baltic-Byzantine cultural synthesis that persisted well into the 17th century. Orthodoxy in Rus’, with its liturgy in Church Slavonic (a South Slavic language), introduced a new formalism that fundamentally altered Russian folk music. The two traditions began to diverge from one another in the first quarter of the 17th century; by 1700 different levels of society had developed their own distinct musical styles.

One important influence on popular music was the arrival of immigrants from other cultures—first Tatars and then Poles, Germans, Armenians, Greeks, and Jews. Greeks brought instruments unknown in Russia at that time, such as the lira (a type of mandolin), tambourine, cymbalom (a large hammered dulcimer), and guitar; Armenians brought the duduk (a double-reed woodwind instrument); Tatars introduced the dombra (a long-necked two-stringed plucked lute); and Jews brought both their cantorial music and klezmer instrumental music.

The Golden Age of Russian Folk Music

Russian folk music has its roots in the music of the Eastern Slavic people. Russian folk music is divided into two main categories: rural and urban. Rural music is the music of the peasantry, while urban music is the music of the urban dwellers. Russian folk music was at its peak during the 19th century, which is known as the Golden Age of Russian Folk Music.

The 18th Century

The 18th century is often called the Golden Age of Russian folk music. It was a time when the music was blooming and evolving, and when many of Russia’s most iconic folk songs were born.

During this time, the folk music of Russia was greatly influenced by the music of other countries, particularly Poland and Ukraine. This can be heard in the use of foreign melodies and instruments in Russian folk songs from this period.

One of the most significant figures in Russian folk music during the eighteenth century was Dmitri Stepanovich Bortniansky. Bortniansky was a composer who did much to promote the development of Russian choral music. He is best known for his collection of over three hundred choral works, many of which are still popular today.

Other important figures from this period include Nikolai Lvov, Mikhail Matinsky, and Vasily Titov. These composers and performers helped to shape the course of Russian folk music for generations to come.

The 19th Century

Prior to the 19th century, Russian folk music was primarily religious in nature, with long-standing Byzantine musical traditions coming to the fore. However, as the century progressed and Russia became increasingly secularized, folk music began to take on a more secular character. This was evident in the rise of popular entertainers known as skomorokhi, who often performed satirical songs that poked fun at the Church and other authority figures. The skomorokhi were eventually banned by the tsarist government, but their influence can still be heard in Russian folk music today.

One of the most important figures in 19th-century Russian folk music was Vladimir Semenov, a singer and multi-instrumentalist from the village of Pokrovskoye. Semenov was a master of many styles of Russian folk music, including epic ballads known as byliny, which told stories of heroic deeds and mythical creatures. He also collected and recorded countless folk songs from all over Russia, helping to preserve them for future generations.

Another important figure in 19th-century Russian folk music was Aleksandr Dargomyzhsky, a composer from Moscow. Dargomyzhsky is best known for his operas (including Rusalka, which remains one of the most popular Russian operas today), but he also did much to revive interest in Russian Folk Music. In 1859 he published a collection of folksong arrangements called Rustic Songs, which contained many popular tunes that are still sung today.

The 19th century was a golden age for Russian folk music, with numerous important figures helping to preserve and promote traditional tunes. This work continued into the early 20th century with composers like Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich incorporating elements of folk music into their own classical compositions.

The Modern Era of Russian Folk Music

Russian folk music has its roots in the pagan music of the Slavic people. The first Russian folk music ensemble was formed in the late 19th century by Vasily Andreyev. However, it was not until the 1960s that Russian folk music began to gain popularity in the West. In the 1990s, Russian folk music underwent a revival in Russia. Today, Russian folk music is enjoyed by people all over the world.

The 20th Century

During the first decades of the 20th century, Russian music was still strongly influenced by Western music. Major composers such as Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Prokofiev, and Dmitri Shostakovich made use of Western harmonic techniques, but they also sought to create a new, specifically Russian music. Folk music played an important role in their compositions; many works by these composers are based on or inspired by Russian folk songs and dances.

The Soviet era (1917–1991) was a time of great change for Russian music. Following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, many composers were opposed to the new regime and left the country. Those who remained were expected to compose works that would support the aims of the Communist Party. For many years, Soviet composers were forced to toe the party line, composing music that extolled the virtues of Communism while downplaying individual expression.

However, there was also a strong undercurrent of dissent among Soviet composers. Some, like Dmitri Shostakovich, openly defied authority with works that critiqued the government; others found more subtle ways to express their dissatisfaction. In any case, composer who resisted the official policy often did so at great personal risk; many were persecuted or even imprisoned by the authorities.

During the last years of the Soviet Union, there was a marked thaw in official attitudes towards music and other forms of artistic expression. This led to a renewed interest in Russian folk music among composers and audiences alike. In recent years, Russian folk music has enjoyed something of a renaissance, both inside Russia and abroad.

The 21st Century

Since the turn of the 21st century, there has been a revival of interest in Russian old folk music. A new generation of performers has begun to experiment with the traditional sounds, and to incorporate them into a modern context. This has led to a renaissance of sorts, with a new understanding and appreciation for the music of Russia’s past.