The history of the origin of the balalaika is rooted in the mists of time. Gradually, the balalaika spread among the peasants and buffoons traveling throughout our vast country. The buffoons performed at fairs, amused the people, earned a living and a bottle of vodka and did not even suspect what wonderful instrument they were playing.
Zabolotsky P.E .. Boy with a balalaika. 1835.
The fun could not last long, and, finally, the Tsar and Grand Duke of All Russia Alexei Mikhailovich issued a decree in which he ordered all the instruments (domras, balalaikas, horns, gusli, etc.) to be collected and burned, and those people who would not obey and give balalaikas, flog and send them into exile in Little Russia. But time passed, the king died and the repressions gradually stopped. Balalaika sounded all over the country again, but again not for long. The time of popularity was again replaced by almost complete oblivion until the middle of the 19th century.
Lashin Andrey Kirillovich
Boy with balalaika
So the balalaika was lost, but not quite. Some of the peasants still played the three-string. And one day, while traveling around his estate, a young nobleman Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev heard a balalaika from his courtyard Antip. Andreev was struck by the peculiarity of the sound of this instrument, but he considered himself an expert on Russian folk instruments. And Vasily Vasilyevich decided to make the most popular instrument out of the balalaika.
Vasily Vasilievich Andreev
To begin with, he slowly learned to play, then he noticed that the instrument is fraught with tremendous possibilities, and decided to improve the balalaika. Andreev went to Petersburg to violin maker Ivanova, for advice and asked to think about how to improve the sound of the instrument. Ivanov opposed and said that he would not do the balalaika, categorically.
Virtuoso Nikolai Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky
Andreev pondered, then took out an old balalaika, bought by him at the fair for thirty kopecks, and masterly performed one of the folk songs, of which there are a huge number in Russia. Ivanov could not resist such an onslaught and agreed. The work was long and hard, but still a new balalaika was made. But Vasily Andreev conceived something more than the creation of an improved balalaika. Taking it from the people, he wanted to return it to the people and distribute it. Now all the soldiers in service were given a balalaika, and when leaving the army, the military took the instrument with them.
.Talent and admirer 1910s
Thus, the balalaika again spread throughout Russia and became one of the most popular instruments. Moreover, Andreev conceived to create a family of balalaikas of different sizes, modeled on a string quartet. For this, he gathered the masters: Paserbsky and Nalimov, and they, working together, made balalaikas: piccolo, treble, prima, second, alto, bass, double bass. These instruments formed the basis for the Great Russian Orchestra, which subsequently traveled to countless countries around the world, glorifying the balalaika and Russian culture. It got to the point that in other countries (England, USA, Germany) orchestras of Russian folk instruments were created on the model of the Great Russian.
Bogdanov-Belsky Nikolay Petrovich. Celebration on the porch 1931
Andreev first played in the orchestra, then conducted it. At the same time he also gave recitals, the so-called balalaika evenings. All this contributed to an extraordinary surge in the popularity of balalaika in Russia and even abroad. Moreover, Vasily Vasilyevich brought up a huge number of students who also tried to support the popularization of the balalaika (Troyanovsky and others). During this period, composers finally paid attention to the balalaika. For the first time the balalaika sounded with the orchestra.
Matetskaya E. Still life with balalaika
Today the instrument is going through hard times. There are few professional performers. Even in the village they forgot about the balalaika. In general, folk music is of interest to a very narrow circle of people who attend concerts or play any folk instruments.
Elisabeth Jerichau Baumann Polsk balalajkaspiller.
Now the most famous balalaika players are VB Boldyrev, Valery Evgenievich Zazhigin, Andrey Alexandrovich Gorbachev, VA Kuznetsov, MI Senchurov, Evgeny Bykov, DA Zakharov, Igor Bezotosny, Vladimir Nikolaevich Konov, Mikhail Fedotovich Rozhkov. All of these people try to maintain the popularity of our great instrument and are engaged in teaching and concert activities.
Fedoskino box Miniature.
In the history of balalaika there have been ups and downs, but it continues to live and it is not for nothing that all foreigners are the personification of Russian culture.
BALALAIKA
Balalaika is a Russian folk three-stringed plucked musical instrument, from 600-700 mm (balalaika prima) to 1.7 meters (balalaika-contrabass) in length, with a slightly curved triangular (also oval in the 18th-19th centuries) wooden case. The balalaika is one of the instruments that have become (along with the accordion and, to a lesser extent, pitiful) a musical symbol of the Russian people.
The body is glued from separate (6-7) segments, the head of the long neck is slightly bent back. The strings are metal (In the 18th century, two of them are veined; modern balalaikas have nylon or carbon strings). The fretboard of the modern balalaika has 16-31 metal frets (until the end of the 19th century - 5-7 fixed frets).
The sound is clear, but soft. The most common techniques for producing sound: rattling, pizzicato, double pizzicato, single pizzicato, vibrato, tremolo, fractions, guitar techniques.
Before the transformation of the balalaika into a concert instrument at the end of the 19th century by Vasily Andreev, it did not have a permanent, ubiquitous system. Each performer tuned the instrument according to his style of performance, the general mood of the pieces being played, and local traditions.
Small concert with balalaika. 1937 (Children. Playing the balalaika) H., M. 110x135
Bogdanov-Belsky Nikolay Petrovich
The system introduced by Andreev (two strings in unison - the note "mi", one - a fourth higher - the note "la" (both "mi" and "la" of the first octave) became widespread among concert balalaika players and began to be called "academic". There is also a "folk" tuning - the first string is "G", the second is "E", the third is "C". In this tuning, triads are easier to take, its disadvantage is the difficulty of playing on open strings. In addition to this, there are regional traditions of tuning the instrument . The number of rare local settings reaches two dozen
Balalaika player. 1930 Bogdanov-Belsky Nikolay Petrovich
Varieties
Contrabass balalaika
The modern orchestra of Russian folk instruments uses five varieties of balalaikas: prima, second, alto, bass and double bass. Of these, only the prima is a solo, virtuoso instrument, while the rest are assigned purely orchestral functions: the second and alto implement the chord accompaniment, and the bass and contrabass function as the bass.
Young Minstrel Bogdanov-Belsky Nikolay Petrovich
Prevalence
The balalaika is a fairly common musical instrument that is studied in academic musical educational institutions in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
The term of study on the balalaika in a children's music school is 5-7 years (depending on the age of the student), and in a secondary educational institution - 4 years, in a higher educational institution - 4-5 years. Repertoire: arrangements of folk songs, transcriptions classical works, author's music.
Boy with balalaika 1930 oil on canvas 90.5x70.5
Bogdanov-Belsky Nikolay Petrovich
History
There is no unequivocal point of view on the time of the emergence of balalaika. It is believed that balalaika has been spreading since the end of the 17th century. Possibly derived from Asian dombra. It was a “long two-stringed instrument, had a body about one and a half inches long (about 27 cm) and one span of width (about 18 cm) and a neck (neck), at least, four times longer ”(M. Gyutri,“ Thesis on Russian Antiquities ”).
The balalaika acquired its modern look thanks to the musician-educator V. Andreev and the masters V. Ivanov, F. Paserbsky, S. Nalimov and others. Andreev suggested making the deck out of spruce, and making the back of the balalaika from beech, and also shortening it (up to 600-700 mm). The family of balalaikas (piccolo, primo, alto, tenor, bass, double bass) made by F. Paserbsky became the basis of the Russian folk orchestra. Later F. Paserbski received a patent in Germany for the invention of the balalaika.
The balalaika is used as a solo concert, ensemble and orchestral instrument.
Bogdanov-Belsky Nikolay Petrovich. Village friends.
Etymology
The shape of the balalaika's body was initially round.
The very name of the instrument, which is typically folk, is curious, with the sound of syllabic combinations conveying the character of playing it. The root of the words "balalaika", or, as it was also called, "balabaika", has long attracted the attention of researchers by its relationship with such Russian words as balakat, balabonit, balabolit, joke, which means' to talk about something insignificant, chatter, to ring empty-handed, kalyakat '(go back to the common Slavic * bolbol of the same meaning, compare the similar barbarian onomatapeya). All these concepts, complementing each other, convey the essence of the balalaika - a light, amusing, "strumming" instrument, not very serious.
Adding to the above! The word "balabaika" comes from the Turkish "balaba" - a musical folk instrument, akin to a dombra, with a rounded shape (see above). Etymology of the word "balaba" - "balabaika" - "balalaika", as well as the majority slavic words with a repetitive vowel in a syllable come from Turkic languages. It is possible that both "chatting" and "swearing" have a similar history.
The first written mention of the balalaika is contained in a document dated June 13, 1688 "Memory from the Streletsky order to the Little Russian order", which, among other things, states that in Moscow
“In the Streletsky order, an Arzamas settlement man Savka Fyodorov, son of Seleznev, and a Shenkursky district of the palace Vazhe volost, a peasant Ivashko Dmitriev was brought, and a balalaika was brought with them so that they rode a horse-drawn carriage in a cart to the Yau gate, sang songs and played that bala the guard archers who were on guard at the Yau Gate were scolded "
Another mention of the balalaika dates back to October 1700 in connection with a fight in the Verkhoturye district. According to the testimony of the coachmen Pronka and Alexei Bayanovs, the courtyard of the steward of the governor K.P. Kozlova I. Pashkov chased them and "beat them with a balalaika".
The next written source in which the balalaika is mentioned is the "Register" signed by Peter I, dating back to 1714: in St. Petersburg, during the celebration of the clownish wedding of the "prince-pope" N.M. Zotov, besides other instruments carried by the mummers, four balalaikas were named.
J. Shtelin said about Peter I that "from a young age he had no chance to hear anything other than the rough sound of drums, a field flute, a balalaika ..."
At the end of the 18th century, the word began to penetrate high literature, for example, it is found in the poem by V. I. Maikov "Elisha", 1771, canto 1: "you tone me a beep il balalaika".
In the Ukrainian language, the word was first attested in the diary entries of the beginning of the 18th century, which tell about the "Tatar who played with the balabayku". This form of "balabaik" is also present in the southern Russian dialects and the Belarusian language.
It was "a long two-stringed instrument, had a body about one and a half spans long (about 27 cm) and one span of width (about 18 cm) and a neck (neck) at least four times longer" (M. Gutry, "Dissertation about Russian antiquities ").
The balalaika acquired its modern look thanks to the musician-educator Vasily Andreev and the masters V. Ivanov, F. Paserbsky, S. I. Nalimov and others, who in 1883 began to improve it. Andreev V.V. proposed to make the deck out of spruce, and to make the back of the balalaika from beech, and also to shorten it to 600-700 mm. The family of balalaikas (piccolo, prima, alto, tenor, bass, double bass) made by F. Paserbsky became the basis of the Russian folk orchestra. Later F. Paserbski received a patent in Germany for the invention of the balalaika.
The balalaika is used as a solo, concert, ensemble and orchestral instrument. In 1887 Andreev organized the first circle of balalaika lovers, and on March 20, 1888, in the building of the St. Petersburg Society for Mutual Credit, the first performance of the “Circle of Balalaika Lovers” took place, which became the birthday of the orchestra of Russian folk instruments.
Another mention of the balalaika dates back to October 1700 in connection with a fight in the Verkhoturye district. According to the testimony of the coachmen Pronka and Alexei Bayanov, the courtyard of the steward of the governor KP Kozlov I. Pashkov chased them and "beat them with a balalaika."
The next written source in which the balalaika is mentioned is the "Register" signed by Peter I, dating back to 1714: in St. Petersburg, during the celebration of the clownish wedding of the "prince-pope" N.M. Zotov, besides other instruments carried by the mummers, four balalaikas were named.
Another version speaks of the Proto-Slavic origin of the name. The root of the words "balalaika", or, as it was also called, "balabaika", has long attracted the attention of researchers by its relationship with such Russian words as balak, balabonit, balabol, joke, which means ‘to talk about something insignificant, to chatter, to make money, to talk empty-handed, to scoff’ (go back to the common Slavic * bolbol same meaning, compare similar onomatopoeia barbarian). All these concepts, complementing each other, convey the essence of the balalaika - a light, amusing, "strumming" instrument, not very serious.
Design
The length of the balalaika is from 60-70 cm (balalaika prima) up to 1.7 meters (balalaika-contrabass). The body is triangular (also oval in the 18th-19th centuries), slightly curved in shape, consisting of separate (6-7) segments. The headstock is slightly bent back. The strings are metal (in the 18th century, two of them were veined; modern balalaikas have nylon or carbon strings). The fretboard of the modern balalaika has 16-31 metal frets (up to the end of the 19th century - 5-7 fixed frets).
The sound is clear, but soft. The most common techniques for producing sound are rattling, pizzicato, double pizzicato, single pizzicato, vibrato, tremolo, fractions and guitar techniques.
Build
Before the transformation of the balalaika into a concert instrument at the end of the 19th century by Vasily Andreev, it did not have a permanent, ubiquitous system. Each performer tuned the instrument according to his style of performance, the general mood of the pieces being played, and local traditions.
The system introduced by Andreev (two strings in unison - the note "mi", one - a fourth higher - the note "la" (both "mi" and "la" of the first octave)) became widespread among concert balalaika players and began to be called "academic" ... There is also a "folk" tuning - the first string Salt, the second is Mi, third - Before (in the major triad Before). In this tuning, triads are easier to take, but its disadvantage is the difficulty of playing on open strings. In addition to the above, there are regional traditions of tuning the instrument. The number of rare local settings reaches two dozen.
Quart-unison
The sound of the open strings of a balalaika prima forms its quarter-unison scale. A sequence of tones, starting with the first string, the highest in pitch: La, Mi, Mi (first octave) - this is the academic structure of the balalaika.
Balalaika second tunes in a fifth below prima, alto - lower by an octave. Second and viola may also have a quart scale, in which case their scale will coincide with that of domra alto (d 1, a, e) and tenor (a, e, H).
The musical range of the prima balalaika with 24 frets on the fretboard is two full octaves and five semitones (part of the first octave, the second and part of the third): from Mi first octave to La third.
Quart
| String | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | D (Re) |
| 2 | A (A) |
| 3 | E (Mi) |
Balalaika sizes second, alto, bass and contrabass have a quart scale similar to that of a three-stringed domra. Sequence of tones: Re, La, Mi... Intervals:D(part 4)A(part 4)E.
The musical range of the 15-fret quart balalaika is two full octaves and one semitone: from Mi big octave up E sharp first.
Customization
First, the correct position of the stand on the deck is checked: the same open string and clamped at the XII fret should sound with an octave difference. If the sound at the XII fret is lower, then the stand is moved towards the neck (shorten the working part of the string), if higher - vice versa. This is how all three strings are tested.
The basic string, from which the tuning begins, is the 1st in the prima balalaika. It is tuned on a tuning fork La, piano or button accordion.
The second string is tuned by forming a clean fourth with the 1st string. This interval contains V semitones, therefore, the 2nd string is clamped at the V fret and tuned in unison with the 1st, after which the required interval is formed between them open. The third string is tuned in unison with the second string.
Balalaika family
The modern orchestra of Russian folk instruments uses five varieties of balalaikas: prima, second, alto, bass and double bass. Of these, only the prima is a solo, virtuoso instrument, while the rest are assigned purely orchestral functions: the second and alto implement the chord accompaniment, and the bass and contrabass function as the bass.
Balalaikas alto and double bass sound one octave lower than the one written on the stave.
| View | Build | Notation | Scale | Length | Frets | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Prima | a 1, e 1, e 1 | 435-450 | 675-685 | 19-24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second | d 1, a, a But in moments of rest, the peasants loved to listen to the balalaika, to sing to it, so they often bought an instrument, regardless of the costs: "God willing, father will sell the yard, but he will buy the balalaika" (Goleizovsky, Kasyan Yaroslavich | Goleizovsky K.Ya. Images of Russian folk choreography ). It was usually said about a talented balalaika player: "Our Semyon was born with a balalaika". The popularity of the balalaika was so great that, in addition to the chorus, riddles were also composed: It grew in the forest, they carried it out of the forest, Crying in her arms, and jumping on the floor. In the forest tyap-tyap; a blooper at home, If you take it on your knees, it will cry.Balalaika also entered the images of children's counting rhymes (draws), which serve children to choose a driver in the game: Tsyntsy-bryntsy, balalaika, Tsyntsy-bryntsy, play it, Tsyntsy-bryntsy, I don't want Tsyntsy-bryntsy, I want to sleep.The words "tsyntsy-bryntsy" imitate the sound of a balalaika. The word "bryntsy" can be associated with the verbs "rattle", "hit", "strum" on the strings. But most often the balalaika is mentioned in ditties, it contributed to the crystallization of the ditty melody and the consolidation of the song tradition as the basis from which the variants came. Performing a ditty to the accompaniment of a "three-string bell", as the poet I. Kobzev lovingly called the balalaika, has always been one of the most widespread forms of folk music. Trin-bullshit is a balalaika. The mistress of my soul. Play more fun Into the balalaika, dear! .The song "Wind Of Change" by the German band Scorpions contains the following lines: Let your balalaika sing What my guitar wants to say (Let your balalaika sing that What does my guitar want to say ...) PrevalenceThe balalaika is a fairly common musical instrument that is studied in academic musical educational institutions in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The term of study on balalaika in a children's music school is 5-7 years (depending on the age of the student), in a secondary educational institution it is 4 years, and in a higher educational institution - 4-5 years. Repertoire: arrangements of folk songs, transcriptions of classical works, author's music. PerformersWrite a review on the article "Balalaika"NotesLiterature
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An excerpt characterizing the Balalaika“Help is given only from God,” he said, “but the measure of help that our order has the power to give, he will give you, my sir. You are going to Petersburg, give this to Count Villarsky (he took out his wallet and wrote a few words on a large sheet of paper folded in four). Let me give you one piece of advice. Arriving in the capital, devote the first time to solitude, discussing yourself, and do not enter the old ways of life. Then I wish you a happy journey, my sir, ”he said, noticing that his servant had entered the room,“ and success ...The traveler was Osip Alekseevich Bazdeev, as Pierre had learned from the caretaker's book. Bazdeev was one of the most famous Freemasons and Martinists from the time of Novikov. Long after his departure, Pierre, without going to bed or asking the horses, walked around the station room, pondering his vicious past and with the delight of renewal imagining his blissful, impeccable and virtuous future, which seemed so easy to him. He was, as it seemed to him, vicious only because he somehow accidentally forgot how good it is to be virtuous. Not a trace of his former doubts remained in his soul. He firmly believed in the possibility of a brotherhood of people united for the purpose of supporting each other on the path of virtue, and this was how Freemasonry seemed to him. Arriving in St. Petersburg, Pierre did not inform anyone of his arrival, did not go anywhere, and began spending whole days reading Thomas of Kempis, a book that was delivered to him by someone unknown. Pierre understood one thing and all while reading this book; he understood the pleasure he had not yet known to believe in the possibility of achieving perfection and in the possibility of fraternal and active love between people, opened to him by Osip Alekseevich. A week after his arrival, the young Polish count of Villarsky, whom Pierre knew superficially from the Petersburg world, entered his room in the evening with the official and solemn air with which Dolokhov's second entered him and, closing the door behind him and making sure that there was no one in the room except Pierre was not there, he turned to him: Soon after that, it was not the former rhetorician who came to the dark temple for Pierre, but the guarantor Villarsky, whom he recognized by his voice. To new questions about the firmness of his intention, Pierre replied: "Yes, yes, I agree," and with a radiant childish smile, with an open, fat chest, unevenly and timidly striding with one barefoot and one shod foot, he walked forward with Villarsky put to his naked chest with a sword. From the room he was led along the corridors, turning back and forth, and finally led to the door of the box. Villarski coughed, they answered him with Masonic knocks of hammers, the door opened in front of them. Whose bass voice (Pierre's eyes were still blindfolded) asked him questions about who he was, where, when he was born? and so on. Then they again took him somewhere, without unbinding his eyes, and while walking he was told allegories about the labors of his journey, about sacred friendship, about the eternal Builder of the world, about the courage with which he must endure labors and dangers ... During this trip, Pierre noticed that he was called now seeking, now suffering, now demanding, and at the same time they knocked differently with hammers and swords. While being led to some subject, he noticed that there was confusion and confusion between his leaders. He heard how the surrounding people argued among themselves in a whisper, and how one insisted that he be led over some kind of carpet. After that, they took his right hand, put it on something, and with the left ordered him to put a compass to his left breast, and made him, repeating the words that the other read, read the oath of loyalty to the laws of the order. Then they put out the candles, lit alcohol, as Pierre heard from the smell, and said that he would see a small light. The bandage was removed from him, and Pierre, as in a dream, saw, in the weak light of the spirit fire, several people who, in the same aprons as the rhetorician, stood opposite him and held swords pointed at his chest. Between them stood a man in a white bloody shirt. Seeing this, Pierre moved his chest forward on the swords, wanting them to sink into him. But the swords drew back from him and immediately put the bandage on him again. “Now you saw a small light,” a voice told him. Then they lit candles again, said that he needed to see the full light, and again they took off the bandage and more than ten voices suddenly said: sic transit gloria mundi. [thus worldly glory passes.] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
P greetings, my dear readers! If you have looked at this page, then you are curious people, and I really respect curious people. Who am I? I am Old Man Gramophone. I know a lot interesting stories... We old people love to chat! So I want to tell you one story ...
About balalaika! What are you frowning on? It's boring, you say ... Well then tell me why for almost 70 years in the United States there has been a ban on the sale of Russian balalaika? Why, when overseas tourists imagine Russia, do they imagine a kind of brown bear with a balalaika? Why certainly with a balalaika ?! Say, it's kind of a national flavor. Color, of course, color. Yes, just not everything is as simple as it seems at first glance. What, my friends, has already become interesting? Well then read and listen.
The history of balalaika goes back almost three centuries. It is known that by the end of the 18th century it was one of the most beloved instruments of the Russian people. But did balalaika exist in Russia before the 18th century? How, when and where did it come from? Unknown. Many pundits agree that the balalaika originated from the domra, which the Russians adopted from the eastern tribes, immigrants from Asia. For some time, domra became a favorite instrument of wandering musicians-entertainers of buffoons with their everyday, folk-satirical repertoire. The Church was very hostile to the domra, considering all folk instruments, and especially stringed instruments, as "the Devil's vessel" and "demonic games"... The persecution of folk musical instruments by the church and the secular authorities in the middle of the 17th century took the form of their mass destruction. 
This centuries-old struggle led to the fact that by the beginning of the 18th century, domra was completely forgotten. But, at the same time, the balalaika appeared and took a firm place in folk art... How so? Where did it come from? In fact, the domra was not abandoned by the people, it was only disguised under a different name, somewhat modified and simplified. The tool, which was persecuted by the church and the authorities, the cunning people first changed the name, giving a new one, meaning an object for fun and entertainment. Then, since this musical instrument had to be made with home means and hastily, to simplify the work, the body began to be knocked together not semicircular like in the domra, but cut from the bottom, and then completely triangular from simple boards. In addition, the old Russian technique of playing - clanging the strings with a hand with a hand - was transferred to the balalaika. Therefore, the tool began to be called "brunka", "balabaykoy", balalaika... This is how the Asian domra turned into a Russian balalaika... But some scholars ascribe to the balalaika a different - Tatar origin. They believe that the balalaika was invented by the Russians themselves during the Tatar rule or was borrowed from the Tatars. Tatar word "balalar" translated into Russian means "children"... If you add a typical Russian ending to it "-ka", then the received word "balalarka" it becomes very much like balalaika... However, if we agree with this version of the Tatar origin of the instrument, it turns out that the balalaika appeared in Russia not in the 18th century, but at least 400 years earlier!
In general, the question of the origin of the balalaika turned out to be complex and confusing. At the beginning of the 19th century, the popularity of the balalaika was dealt a blow by the spread of the seven-string Russian guitar in Russia. The process of gradual disappearance of the balalaika from folk musical life began. Then, serious damage to the popularity of balalaika was done "vociferous she-girl" (a kind of accordion), also widespread in Russia in the middle of the 19th century. Of course, the balalaika did not disappear completely from the musical everyday life of the people, but its popularity continued to decline.
It is not known how the fate of the balalaika would have developed if the passionate lover of Russian folk music Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev had not been in its path. It is with him that the second birth of the balalaika begins and the beginning of the flourishing of national instrumental music.
Vasily Vasilievich Andreev (1861–1918)
- an outstanding patriot of Russia, reformer of Russian folk instruments, founder and leader of the first Great Russian Orchestra, teacher, composer, conductor, virtuoso performer on balalaika and harmonica. Descended from an old noble family. FROM early years was fascinated by folk music and self-taught played many instruments. Hearing in the summer of 1883 in his estate Maryino in the Tver province the play of the balalechnik-nugget Antip, V.V. Andreev was amazed at the rich possibilities of the primitive instrument and fired up the idea of \u200b\u200bimproving it. The very next year he dared to perform as a balalaika soloist in a charity concert in Samara, and in 1886 with a new, improved balalaika he made his debut in St. Petersburg in the hall of the Noble Assembly. Uncommon talent and charm, combined with aristocratic polish, quickly turned V.V. Andreeva in the idol of high society salons and trendsetter. In 1887 he organized "Club of fans of playing balalaikas"... The performance of this Circle in the hall of the City Credit Society in St. Petersburg on March 20, 1888 was the first in the history of the Andreevsky Orchestra. As a result of his tireless and disinterested pedagogical activity in the troops, railway schools, at the courses of rural teachers - balalaikas and domras spread throughout Russia, and folk songs returned along with the instruments.
Thanks to the triumphant tours of the Circle and then the Great Russian Orchestra in Europe and the USA, Russian instruments gained popularity far beyond the borders of Russia. In 1892 in France V.V. Andreev was elected an honorary member of the French Academy of Arts. In 1900, at the World Exhibition in Paris, he was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor and the Great Gold Medal of the Exhibition. In 1913 he was awarded the title of court councilor, and in 1914 - the title ... The revival of folk instruments by V.V. Andreev gave not only his entire fortune, but his whole life. V.V. died. Andreev on the night of December 26, 1918. His last listeners were the soldiers of the Ural Front.
One of the most famous balalaika performers, whose fame thundered around the world was Boris Sergeevich Troyanovsky (1883-1951)... He was called "Russian Paganini", "the king of the balalaika", "balalaika player Kubelik" (in honor of the renowned Czech virtuoso violinist and composer Jan Kubelik). He was the founder of the modern school of virtuoso balalaika performance. From 1904 to 1911 was the soloist of the Great Russian Orchestra of Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev. He traveled a lot in Russia, visited abroad - in Germany, England, France, America ... Berlin, Leipzig, Hamburg, London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Washington applauded him. In England in the fall of 1909 B.S. Troyanovsky was invited to play the balalaika at Windsor Castle in the presence of two kings - English and Portuguese, and made a splash. In 1910 B.S. Troyanovsky again visited England, where he met the outstanding French actress Sarah Bernhardt, and at her invitation, interrupting his tour in England, went to Paris, where he gave several concerts at her theater. From 4 to 6 June 1909, the musician talked with the great writer Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy in Yasnaya Polyana, played the balalaika for him. Lev Nikolaevich spoke very warmly about B.S. Troyanovsky. In St. Petersburg, in the hall of the City Duma on April 17, 1913, a concert was held, in which B.S. Troyanovsky. The proceeds from the concert went to support the expedition of the Russian polar explorer Lieutenant G.Ya. Sedov to the North Pole. In 1914-1915. for great services in the promotion of Russian music B.S. Troyanovsky was awarded the title "Soloist of His Imperial Majesty"... During the First World War, he performed a lot at the front in front of Russian soldiers.
But B.S. Troyanovsky was not only an excellent balalaika performer. He talentedly made arrangements not only of folk songs, but also of classical works that were included in the balalaika's repertoire and traveled half the world with him, causing amazement and delight of the public. With great skill he made arrangements "Dance of Death" C. Saint-Saens, " Spanish capriccio " ON. Rimsky-Korsakov and others. After the October Revolution of 1917 B.S. Troyanovsky was one of the initiators of the creation in Moscow of the first professional ensemble Russian folk instruments conducted by P.I. Alekseeva. 
The renowned State Academic Russian Folk Orchestra named after V.I. N.P. Osipova. During the Great Patriotic War B.S. Troyanovsky lived in Leningrad. In the most difficult conditions of the blockade, he did not interrupt his concert activities, performing at factories, factories, and in military units. The concert work of the virtuoso balalaika player continued almost until his death in 1951.
If B.S. Troyanovsky went down in history as a master of playing a popular folk repertoire, then Nikolay Petrovich Osipov (1901 – 1945) from the very beginning he chose a different path - the performance of the classical repertoire. He was a great balalaika player. The received conservatory education in the violin class at the St. Petersburg Conservatory helped him, when he finally left the violin, to find his own special musician style and introduce a completely new quality into the art of playing the balalaika. Composer M.M. Ippolitov-Ivanov said that "Osipov made a balalaika in his hands as perfect as a violin.".
Leading the orchestra of Russian folk instruments in 1940, N.P. Osipov became a leader - a reformer, boldly put forward solo instruments and actively introduced completely new instruments into the orchestra, expanding the performing capabilities of the collective. The orchestra acquired a new unique face, sparkled with new colors. The balalaika sounded not only accompanied by Russian folk, but also symphony orchestra... N.P. Osipov paid special attention to creating a new original repertoire for the orchestra. During this period, composers appeared who created many interesting works "Russian folk repertoire"... Among them - Nikolai Pavlovich Budashkin (1910 - 1988), who became the first composer to write for a folk orchestra. In 1945 Nikolai Petrovich Osipov died. In 1946 the orchestra was named after him.
All these wonderful people not only revived interest in a simple folk instrument - the balalaika - in Russia, but also glorified it all over the world, winning the love and respect of all mankind for it! Therefore, it is surprising that for almost 70 years in the United States there has been a ban on the sale of balalaikas.
This story began back in 1940, when the then head of the Washington administration, Franklin Roosevelt, signed a secret decree banning balalaikas in the country for a period of 10 years. Since then, the decree has been regularly renewed. In 2000, by decree of President Bill Clinton, the ban was extended to Alaska, which was the only state where the sale was allowed, because The balalaika is considered a folk musical instrument in Alaska. At the time of F. Roosevelt, these lands did not yet have the status of a state, so the ban was circumvented thanks to loopholes in the legislation. So in the USA this "extremist" the instrument is still banned. The current American President Barack Obama extended the taboo until 2020 on October 2, 2010. However, these days the ban remains incomplete. It is not forbidden to play the balalaika, although you need to have a special license for this. Mass sale of this instrument and its industrial production are not allowed. Therefore, J. Flynn's book "How to make a balalaika", published in 1984, enjoys fantastic popularity to this day and has already gone through 9 reprints! An ordinary American who wants to enjoy the sounds of a balalaika can make it on his own - it will be impossible to buy a balalaika in a store for at least another ten years.
Oh, those American rulers! They would still be forbidden to make a guitar, because it is larger than a balalaika, and it has as many as six strings against three ... It's funny, really! But you can't fool people. Ordinary Americans want to listen "Russian banjo" - balalaika. And that's it! And nothing can be done about it, and bans - they are bans to get around them. So the Americans are bringing our balalaika from Mother Russia under the guise of souvenirs! Well done!
And the balalaika, with her ancient history, continues to live, will always be young and perky, because she embodies the unyielding character of the Russian people, her crystal chime awakens Russian souls from sound sleep and oblivion! Now, my dear readers, have you understood why the balalaika is the personification of Russian culture for all foreigners? And you say: "Bears, balalaikas ..."... That's the same!
Material prepared by RGAFD staff
A message about balalaika will briefly help you to find out a lot of useful information about it. musical instrument.
Balalaika message
Balalaika- Russian, Belarusian folk three-stringed plucked musical instrument with a triangular body.
Balalaika story for children
The history of this musical instrument goes back far into the depths of the centuries. Regarding the place of its origin, there is a lot of documentary evidence on this topic. Some believe that it was invented in Russia, others that the balalaika originated from the dombra (a folk instrument of the Kirghiz-Kaisaks), and still others, that it was borrowed from the Tatars. The date of the appearance of the instrument is also ambiguous. Most musicologists and historians adhere to the conditional date - 1715, although it is mentioned in the information of 1688.
It is assumed that the serfs invented the balalaika to brighten up their service with the landowner. Gradually, it spread among the buffoons and peasants who traveled throughout the territory of Russia. Skomorokhs performed with balalaikas at fairs, making people laugh, and thus earning their living. Once the Grand Duke of Russia Alexei Mikhailovich issues a decree, which ordered to collect all musical instruments and burn them at the stake, because there is nothing to spread fun instead of work. And those who refused to give up balalaikas and other instruments were ordered to be repulsed and sent to Little Russia in exile. The repressions continued until the death of the king. The musical instrument fell into oblivion until the middle of the 19th century. Rarely in which courtyards his melody sounded.
Once Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev, a young nobleman, traveling around his estate, heard a balalaika from his courtyard Antip. He was amazed at the sound of the instrument and decided to make it the most popular instrument. First Vasily Vasilyevich learned to play the balalaika himself, and then decided to improve the sound a little and took him to St. Petersburg to see the violin maker Ivanov. The work was hard and long. The new balalaika surpassed all Andreev's expectations: the appearance, sound and melody were mesmerizing. The nobleman decided to return the instrument to its former national glory. So it spread across Russia again.
Vasily Vasilyevich did not stop there. He created a family of balalaikas of various sizes, modeled on the string quartet. For this, the famous masters Nalimov and Paserbsky were invited. Together they made: treble, prima, piccolo, second, alto, bass, double bass. The created Great Russian Orchestra, which traveled not only to Russia, but also to other countries, was based on these instruments.Andreev played in the orchestra, and then conducted it. In parallel, he gave solo concerts, which were called "balalaika evening." Today, the instrument is again experiencing hard times, even in the villages they forgot about it.
How does the instrument work?
After the modernization of Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev, the balalaika was shortened to 600 - 700 mm, one round resonator hole was replaced by several (star-shaped). The deck was made of spruce and the back was made of beech. This gave the cabinet improved resonance properties. The balalaika consists of the following parts:
- Housing. It consists of a front part and a back part, which is glued from wooden segments.
- Vulture. Frets are located on it.
- Head. This is the top of the instrument, where the tuners and mechanics for tuning the balalaika are located.
What sound does a balalaika make?
The instrument has rich performance, acoustic and artistic qualities. Produces a low sound, but soft and sonorous. The timbre is gentle, chamber. The source of the sound is strongly stretched strings, which are clamped by the fingers of the left hand at the frets. The balalaika has only 3 strings. The bottom two sound the same: the sound "mi" of the first octave. String 1: A sound one fourth higher.
- Balalaika for foreigners is a fashionable souvenir from Russia.
- The oldest balalaika is 120 years old. It can be seen in the Ulyanovsk Museum.
- The craftsman who makes this instrument is called a balayker.
- It is played in orchestras of Russian folk instruments in Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway.
- In the 19th century, all soldiers were given a balalaika to raise morale. After the end of the service, they could keep it for themselves.
- The Russian imperial family initiated the trip of the ensemble of Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev to the Paris exhibition, where Europe first heard and saw the balalaika. They were a huge success.
We hope that the report on the balalaika helped you prepare for the lesson, and you learned a lot of useful information about this Russian musical instrument. And your short story about the balalaika you can leave through the comments form below.