The Folk Music of Russia: Why It Sounds Different from Western Europe

Russia has a unique folk music tradition that is quite different from the music of Western Europe. This is due to the different history and culture of Russia.

The history of folk music in Russia

Folk music in Russia has its roots in the music of the Slavic and Finno-Ugric peoples who inhabited the Russian Empire. This music was often used for dancing and was passed down from generation to generation. In the 19th century, Russian composers began to incorporate folk music into their own compositions, and folk music became more popular in Russia.

Early history: before the 18th century

Folk music in Russia has a long history and traces its roots back to the pagan rituals of the Slavic peoples. These rituals were often sung and danced to accompanied by folk instruments such as the gusli, kalimba, balalaika and zhaleika. Over time, these pagan traditions were absorbed into the Orthodox Christian faith and became an integral part of Russian culture.

In the 18th century, Russian folk music began to develop into what we now recognize as a distinct genre. This was largely due to the work of two men: Vasily Andreyevich Zharkovsky and Maxim Perepelitsa. Zharkovsky was a composer and music theorist who wrote several treatises on Russian folk music, including one that outlined the nine different genres of Participatory FolkloreMusic. Perepelitsa was a diplomat and amateur ethnographer who collected over 3,000 folk songs from all over Russia. His work helped to codify and document the various regional styles of Russian folk music.

The 18th century: the rise of the khorovod

By the 18th century, a new form of Russian folk music was beginning to take shape. This was the khorovod, or “round dance.” The khorovod was usually sung by a group of people, often with one person in the middle who would lead the others in singing and dancing. The khorovod became very popular in Russia, and it is still commonly performed today.

The khorovod usually has a simple tune that is easy to remember and sing. This helped it to spread quickly throughout Russia, as people could easily learn it and perform it themselves. The lyrics of a khorovod often tell a story or describe a scene from nature, and they often express positive emotions such as joy and happiness.

The popularity of the khorovod continued to grow in the 19th century, when more and more people began to collect folk songs from all over Russia. This led to the rise of another form of Russian folk music known as the skomorokh.

The 19th century: the rise of the balalaika

The 19th century saw the rise of the balalaika, a three-stringed instrument that became hugely popular in Russia. Folk music was often used as a form of entertainment in taverns and other public places, and the balalaika was perfectly suited to this. It could be played solo or in a group, and its distinctive sound quickly made it a favorite with both musicians and audiences.

The popularity of the balalaika continued into the 20th century, and it became one of the most iconic symbols of Russian folk music. Today, it is still widely used in folk ensembles and is known around the world.

The sound of Russian folk music

Russian folk music has a distinctive sound that can be instantly recognizable. Even to the untrained ear, there is something different about Russian folk music when compared to the folk music of Western Europe. This is because Russian folk music has been influenced by the music of the East.

The influence of the Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Church has had a significant influence on Russian folk music. The church banned many folk songs because they were considered “pagan” or too worldly. This left a gap in the musical repertoire, which was filled by spiritual songs called kontakioni and other devotional songs. These spiritual and devotional songs were often written by church leaders and were intended to be sung by professional chanters in a church setting. Many of these songs were based on folk melodies, but they tended to be more complex and ornamented than traditional folk tunes. As a result, Russian folk music has a unique sound that is different from the music of other countries in Europe.

The influence of the nomadic peoples

Much of the music of Russia is characterized by a strong Slavic influence. This is due in part to the fact that many of the nomadic peoples who occupied the Russian steppes in earlier centuries were of Slavic origin. These peoples, known as the Tatars, often raided areas of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, and their music helped to shape the folk music of these regions. The Tatars were especially influenced by the music of the Turkic peoples, and their music often featured instruments such as the komuz (a three-stringed lute) and the dombra (a two-stringed instrument).

The influence of the Slavic peoples

The Slavic peoples are one of the largest cultural groups in Europe and their music has been a major influence on Russian folk music. The Slavs were originally from the region that is now Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. They began to migrate to other parts of Europe in the late sixth century AD. By the ninth century, they had reached as far as the Black Sea and had established themselves in Russia.

The Slavic peoples were divided into three main groups: the West Slavs ( Poles, Czechs, Slovaks), the East Slavs ( Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians), and the South Slavs ( Slovenes, Croats, Bosnians, Montenegrins, Serbs, Macedonians, Bulgarians). Each group had its own distinct culture and dialect.

The West Slavs were the most populous of the three groups and their culture had a strong influence on Russian folk music. The West Slavic people used a lot of stringed instruments in their music such as the lira (a type of lyre), gusle (a one-stringed fiddle), drumlija (a type of drum), pandura (a type of lute), bagpipe, hurdy-gurdy, and accordion. The East Slavs also used these instruments but not to the same extent as the West Slavs.

The South Slavic people had a different musical tradition which was based around wind instruments such as the zurna (a type of oboe) and tamburitza (a type of mandolin). unison singing was also popular among the South Slavs. This style of singing can be heard in some Russian folk songs which have been influenced by South Slavic music.

The instruments of Russian folk music

Music is a part of every Russian’s life, just as it is in the lives of people all over the world. However, the folk music of Russia has a sound that is quite different from the music of Western Europe. This is because the instruments used in Russian folk music are different from the instruments used in Western European music.

The balalaika

The balalaika is a Russian folk instrument with a long neck and three strings. It is considered one of the national symbols of Russia and is often featured in Russian folk music. The instrument is believed to have originated in the Ural Mountains region, where it was used by shepherds and used to play simple songs.

The gusli

The gusli is a type of folk music instrument that is unique to Russia. It is a type of zither, which means that it has a number of strings that are stretched over a soundboard. The gusli usually has between 14 and 36 strings, and the player sits with the instrument on their lap and plucks the strings with their fingers.

The gusli has a long history in Russia, and it is thought to have first been used in the 10th century. It was traditionally used by Ivan Susanin, a folk hero who is said to have led Polish troops away from Russian territory. The gusli is also said to have been played by Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince who is one of the most famous figures in Russian history.

The gusli continued to be popular in Russia throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and it can still be heard in folk music today. If you want to hear the gusli for yourself, you can find recordings of traditional Russian folk music that feature this instrument.

The zhaleika

The zhaleika is a type of Russian folk music instrument that is similar to the clarinet. It is usually made out of wood and has a slightly curved shape. The zhaleika has a range of two octaves and can be used to play both fast and slow tunes.

The influence of Russian folk music on the world

Russia is a land with a rich and varied history, and its folk music reflects this. Unlike the folk music of Western Europe, which was largely influenced by the Church, Russian folk music has its origins in the pagan traditions of the Slavic people. This makes Russian folk music sound very different from the music of other European countries.

The influence of Russian folk music on classical music

Russian folk music has had a profound influence on the development of classical music in Russia. Many of the greatest Russian composers, such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, and Igor Stravinsky, were heavily influenced by folk music. This is particularly evident in their works for the piano, which often make use of traditional Russian folk tunes.

In addition to influencing the great Russian composers, Russian folk music also played a role in the development of jazz and rock music. Several jazz and rock musicians, such as Dave Brubeck and Jimi Hendrix, have cited Russian folk music as an important influence on their work.

The influence of Russian folk music on popular music

It is widely known that the folk music of Russia is strikingly different from the folk music of Western Europe, and this difference is often cited as one of the reasons why Russian music sounds so unique. However, what is less widely known is that the influence of Russian folk music on popular music extends far beyond the borders of Russia. In fact, Russian folk music has had a significant impact on the development of popular music in many parts of the world, including the United States.

One of the most obvious ways in which Russian folk music has influenced popular music is through the use of unusual time signatures. Many Russian folk songs are in odd time signatures such as 5/4 or 7/8, which are not commonly used in Western European music. This unusual use of time signatures gives Russian folk songs a very distinctive sound, and it has been adopted by many popular musicians over the years.

Another way in which Russian folk music has influenced popular music is through its use of mode. Mode is a musical term that refers to the scale that a piece ofmusic is written in. Most Western European music is written in major or minor mode, but Russian folk music often uses a mode called “modal.” Modal pieces have a very different sound from major or minor pieces, and they are often described as sounding “exotic” or “mysterious.” This sound has been adopted by many popular musicians over the years, particularly in genres like jazz and rock.

Finally, Russian folk music often features unusual instrumentation that is not commonly found in Western European music. One of the most iconic examples of this is the balalaika, a three-stringed instrument that is commonly used inRussian folk music. The balalaika has a very distinctive sound, and it has been adopted by many popular musicians over the years, particularly in genres like country and bluegrass.