Ethnic Russian music specifically deals with the folk music traditions of the ethnic Russian people. Russia is a large and extremely culturally diverse country with dozens of Ethnic groups each with their own forms of Music. Russian classical music is a Genre of Classical music related to Russia 's culture people or character Psychedelic trance or psytrance is a form of Electronic music characterized by hypnotic arrangements of synthetic rhythms and mesmerizing melodies For Russian soft drinks see Russian soda. Russian pop music is Russian-language Pop music produced either in Russia Russian hip hop is Hip hop music produced in Russia or in the Russian language in other countries (mainly former Soviet states of Ukraine, Belarus For other meanings of the word see Bard (disambiguation. The term bard (бард Russian rock ( Pусский рок) refers to Rock music made in Russia and/or in Russian. Time line for Music of Russia 1751 Dmitry Bortniansky born 1776 Bolshoi Theatre founded 1787 Alexander Alyabyev A music festival is a Festival oriented towards Music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as Musical genre, Nationality or locality Nashestvie (Russian Нашествие literally "invasion" is the largest open-air festival of Russian rock music A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's The Hymn of the Russian Federation (Государственный гимн Российской Федерации Gosudarstvenny Gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the National Adygea is a republic in Russia. The Republic's national anthem was written by Iskhak Shumafovich Mashbash; music&mdashby Umar Altay Republic is a region in Russia, composed primarily of ethnic Russians and Altaians Prominent modern performers include the Alexei G Astrakhan is a Caucasian region of Russia with a rich musical history The first major study of the Music of Bashkortostan appeared in 1897 when ethnographer Rybakov S Buryatia is a part of the Russian Federation. One of the country's main instruments is a two-stringed horse-head Fiddle called a Morin khuur. Native musical instruments The Pondur is the oldest of musical instruments of the Chechens, consisting of three strings and a wooden casing Dagestan is a region of Russia. There is a Dagestani Philharmonic Orchestra and a State Academic Dance Ensemble. Evenk Autonomous Okrug (or Evenkia was a federal subject of Russia. Traditional Ingush Musical instruments include the Zurna (similar to a Clarinet) Dekhch-pandr (similar to a Balalaika) Kekhat The city of Irkutsk is the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, both of which produced several famous popular musicians and have a number of styles of folk music The modern city and region of Kaliningrad is home to the Kaliningrad Regional Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestra, the Lik male Chamber choir Kalmykia is a national republic within the Russian Federation The swift and energetic traditional music of Karelia is regarded as the purest expression of Finnish music less influenced by Germanic and other outside elements Khakassia is a region in Russia The Khakas people are Turkic, and their culture including music has some similarities to the culture of Tuva, a neighboring The Komi Republic is a region of Russia. Musicians from this area include Tatyana Unmyakova of Myllarit. Krasnodar is both a Krai and a city within it in Russia. Grigoriy Ponomarenko is the best-known composer from Krasnodar which has also produced the Mordovia is a Federal subject of Russia (a republic) Its National anthem is "Shumbrat Mordovia!" ( Hail Mordovia!) by Sergey Kinyakin Nenets Autonomous Okrug is a Russian federal subject, inhabited by the Nenets. Ossetia is a region split into South Ossetia in Georgia and North Ossetia in Russia. Rostov Oblast is a region of Russia, which contains the city of Rostov-on-Don. The Sakha Republic is a part of Russia in Asia. Its most distinctive national instrument is the khomus, a Lamellophone Tatarstan is a region of Russia, where largest ethnic group are the Tatars Their traditional music is a mixture of Turkic and Finno-Ugric elements Tuva is a part of Russia, inhabited by a Turkic people related to the nearby Mongolians Tuvans are known abroad for ''khoomei'' (''xöömej'' Udmurtia is a Federal subject of Russia (a republic) The largest ethnic group in the area are the Udmurts, who have vibrant folk song traditions The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries It does not include art music, which in Russia often contains folk melodies and folk elements.

Ethnic styles

The performance and promulgation of ethnic music in Russia has a long tradition. Initially it was intertwined with art music, however, in the late 19th century it took on a life of its own with the rise in popularity of folkloric ensembles such as the folk choir movement led by Piatnytsky and the Russian folk instrument movement led by Vasily Andreyev. Vasily Vasilievich Andreyev (Василий Васильевич Андреев - 1918 was a Russian musician responsible for the modern development of the Balalaika and

In Soviet Russia, folk music was categorized as being democratic (of the people) or proletarian (of the working class) as opposed to art music, which was regarded as being bourgeois. After the revolution, along with Proletarian "mass music" (music for the proletarian masses) it received significant support from the state. The proletariat (from Latin la ''proles'' "offspring" is a term used to identify a lower Social class; a member of such a class is proletarian In Post WWII Russia, Proletarian mass music lost its appeal, whereas folkloric music continued to have a widespread support among the population. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

In the 1960s folk music in Russia continued to receive significant state support and was seen as the antithesis of Western pop music. The fact that numerous Soviet folkloric ensembles were invited for foreign tours raised the prestige of the folk performer to that of the academic musician, or even higher.

Ethnic (folk) music in Russia can often be categorized according to the amount of authenticity in the performance: truly authentic folk music (reproductive performances of traditional music), folkloric and fakeloric performance.

Russia is a multi-ethnic country with some 300 different ethnic groups, many of them non-Slavic, living within its borders. This article deals specifically with just Russian ethnic music.

Authentic folk music

This music is closely tied in with the village life and traditions. It was usually not performed by music professionals. In recent times, with the move to literacy and technology there has been a marked decline in authentic folk performance practice. Festivals, competitions and the work of ethnomusicologists have made attempts at preserving what has survived. In recent times there has been a movement by musicologists to study and reproduce authentic folk music in an authentic style on the concert stage. This movement in Russia is spearheaded by members of the Faculty of folk music at the Moscow conservatory under the direction of Pokrovsky. The Moscow Conservatory (Московская Государственная Консерватория им

Folkloric music

This category includes music by groups led by music professionals who take authentic musical material, refine it, and perform it in a manner suitable for the musically educated Western audiences. The category includes many of the folkloric ensembles popular in the Russian Federation such as the Kuban Cossack Choir. Kuban Cossack Chorus (Кубанский Казачий Хор is one of the leading ensembles of Folk music in Russia. Often these folkloric ensembles specialize in collecting and maintaining the folk music traditions of the area of heir origins which they service. They perform in stylized stage costumes based on the authentic costume designs used in the village but modified for stage use.

Fakeloric music

Includes music composed by city intelligentsia and professional composers in a folkloric manner. Some 60-80% of contemporary Russian folk music marketed to the West is not authentic and can be loosely labeled as fakeloric. Much of the music of the Russian folk instrument orchestras can also be categorized in this group as it is based on academic music traditions but taking often folk music melody as its inspiration.

In recent times music professionals who have completed diplomas in noted conservatories performing on "Russian folk instruments" are now questioning their "folkiness" when they perform, as none of their music was never really performed originally by the folk in the villages. Some now refer to their music as being academic folk music which is an oxymoron.

This category can also include singer songwriters such as Zhanna Bichevska, Bulat Okudjava, and Vladimir Vysotsky. Bulat Shalvovich Okudzhava (also transliterated as Boulat Okudjava / Okoudjava / Okoudzhava; Булат Шалвович Окуджава Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotsky (Владимир Семёнович Высоцкий Vladimir Semyonovich Vysotskyj) ( January 25 1938 &ndash July

Vocal music

Russian folk music is primarily vocal. Russian folk song was an integral part of daily life in the village. It was sung from morning to night and reflected the four seasons and the events in a villager's life.

Authentic village singing differs from academic singing styles. It is usually done using just the chest register. As a result it is often described as controlled screaming or shouting. Female chest register singers only have a low diapason of an octave to 12 notes.

Chest register singing has evolved into a style used by many of the Folk Choirs in Russia.

Instrumental music

Instrumental music for a long period was suppressed in Russia. In 1648 Tsar Alexei under the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church banned the use of all musical instruments. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure At that time it was stated that instruments were from the devil. As a result instrumental music traditions disappeared and did not have a fertile ground for development in Russia for many years. No musical instruments are used in Russian churches.

In the late 19th century Vasilli Andreyev, a salon violinist, took up the balalaika in his performances for French tourists to Petersburg. The balalaika (балала́йка) (also Balabaika балаба́йка - is a stringed instrument of Russian origin with a characteristic triangular body and The music became popular and soon Andreyev had organized a club of balalaika players. This club grew into an orchestra, which in time grew into a movement. From a simple unsophisticated three stringed instrument this movement led to the development and implementation of many other Russian folk instruments.

The Russian folk instrument movement had its resonance in the cultures of other ethnic groups within Russia, the Soviet Union and the Soviet Block countries. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Folk instrument orchestras appeared in Belarus, Ukraine, Kirgistan, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Moldavia, and Romania.

Carnival in Petrograd in about 1919

Traditional instruments

String

Soviet postage stamp depicting traditional Russian musical instruments.

• Balalaika - three-stringed, triangular sound-board, played with the fingers. The balalaika (балала́йка) (also Balabaika балаба́йка - is a stringed instrument of Russian origin with a characteristic triangular body and It comes in many different sizes. Two of the strings are tuned alike in prima, secunda and alto balalaikas.
• Domra - small three-or-four-stringed lute with a rounded soundboard, plucked or strummed with a plectum. Not to be confused with Dombra The domra (Russian language домра is a long-necked Russian String instrument Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck (either Fretted or unfretted and a deep round back or more specifically to an instrument from
• Donsloy Ryley - a Russian hurdy-gurdy with an oval body and an attached triangular keybox. A hurdy gurdy (also known as a wheel fiddle) is a stringed Musical instrument in which the strings are sounded by means of a Rosined wheel which the strings
• Gudok - a three-stringed, pear-shaped Russian bowed instrument which is usually held vertically. A gudok (also hudok; Russian and Ukrainian гудок is an ancient Eastern Slavic string Musical instrument, which was played
• Gusli - one of the oldest known Russian musical instruments, described by the Greeks as early as the 6th century CE. Gusli is the oldest distinctively Russian musical instrument Its exact history is unknown but it may have derived from a Byzantine form of the Greek Many different versions of this plucked string instrument exist.
• Kolyosnaya Lira - Russian hurdy-gurdy with a violin body. A hurdy gurdy (also known as a wheel fiddle) is a stringed Musical instrument in which the strings are sounded by means of a Rosined wheel which the strings The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member
• Semistrunnaya Gitara (Semistrunka) - a seven string version of the acoustic guitar with its own unique open G major tuning. The Russian guitar is a seven-string acoustic Guitar that arrived in Russia toward the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century most probably

Wind

• Bayan - a chromatic button accordion
• Garmon' - a kind of diatonic Russian button accordion, featuring a unique unisonoric design. See also Accordion The bayan (баян is a type of Chromatic button accordion developed in Russia in See also Accordion A chromatic button accordion is a type of Button accordion where the Melody -side keyboard consists of rows of buttons The garmon (гармонь is a kind of Russian button Accordion, a free-reed wind instrument. See also Accordion A button accordion is a type of Accordion on which the Melody -side keyboard consists of a series of Buttons
• Kalyuki - a hollow pipe with no additional air holes, used for whistling sounds.
• Kugikli/Kuvikly - simple panpipes
• Svirel - Russian flute
• Vladimirsky rozhok - made in Russia's Vladimir Oblast by shepherds who composed melodious calls on it. The pan flute or pan pipe (also known as panflute or panpipes) is an ancient Musical instrument based on the principle of the Closed The vladimirskiy rozhok (Владимирский Рожок is an ancient Russian Musical instrument made of Wood. Vladimir Oblast (Влади́мирская о́бласть Vladimirskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast) This horn has a range of two octaves and a very distinctive, idiosyncratic sound.
• Volynka - traditional Slavic bagpipe. The Volynka (Волинка (Волынка(Tulup zurna - see also Duda, Koza, and Kobza)It is a Slavic bagpipe Bagpipes are a class of Musical instrument, Aerophones using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag
• Zhaleika - Russian folk clarinet/hornpipe. Zhaleika ( Жалейка in Russian, also known as брёлка or bryolka is a Russian single-reed Woodwind instrument The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word The hornpipe is a Woodwind instrument incorporating animal horn around the reed at the sounding end or both

Percussion

• Buben
• Bubentsy
• Kokshnik
• Korobochka
• Lozhki - decorated wooden spoons. The tambourine or Marine is a Musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame often of wood or plastic with pairs of small metal jingles
• Rubel
• Treshchotki - set of wooden boards on a string that are clapped together as a group.
• Vertushka
• Zvonchalka

Ethnomusicology

Further reading

• Maes, Francis, translated by Arnold and Erica Pomerans (2001). A History of Russian Music: From Kamarinskaya to Babi Yar. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-21815-9.  
• Abraham, Gerald E. (1988). Studies in Russian Music. Reprint Services Corp. ISBN 0-317-90761-1.  
• Ralston, W. R. (1970). Songs of the Russian People: As Illustrative of Slavonic Mythology and Russian Social Life (Studies in Music, No 42). Haskell House Pub Ltd. ISBN 0-8383-1224-1.  
• Veryat, I. (1994). Russian Songs: Text in Romanized Russian, English, and Music. Aspasia. ISBN 1-882427-23-8.  
• Abraham, Gerald E. (1976). On Russian Music. Scholarly PR. ISBN 0-403-03757-3.  
• Ho, Allan and Dmitry Feofanov (eds. ) (1989). Biographical Dictionary of Russian/Soviet Composers. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-24485-5.  

External links

• Barynya - mp3s of Russian folk songs and detailed descriptions and photographs of most Russian folk instruments. You can also buy Russian instruments here.
• List of Russian/Central Asian folk music CDs
• Golosá: Russian Folk Choir of the University of Chicago
• Official Website of the Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra (in Russian) - one of Russia's leading folk orchestras with about 80 members. Some mp3 clips can be downloaded.
• Music from Russia and Nearby Regions
• Russian folk music