1 Folklor Ruso-Ucraniano

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

1 Folklor Ruso-Ucraniano Universidad de Puerto Rico/Recinto de Río Piedras Facultad de Humanidades/Departamento de Historia HIST 4176- Historia cultural de Rusia/Dra. Nélida Muñoz de Frontera FOLKLOR RUSO-UCRANIANO “Baba Yaga”, pintura de Viktor Vasnetsov. Referencia: “Baba aYaga”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Yaga. Izquierda-“Basilisa”, pintura de Iván Bilibin (1899). Derecha-Casa de almacenaje de los sami en Estocolmo. Referencia: “Baba Yaga”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Yaga. Los sami son un pueblo indígena europeo que habita al centro y norte de Suecia, Noruega, Finlandia y la península de Kola en Rusia. También son conocidos como los lapones y su principal medio de vida es el pastoreo de renos. 1 Universidad de Puerto Rico/Recinto de Río Piedras Facultad de Humanidades/Departamento de Historia HIST 4176- Historia cultural de Rusia/Dra. Nélida Muñoz de Frontera Izquierda: Imagen del pájaro de fuego de Boris Zvorykin (1920’s). Derecha: “Pájaro de fuego” de Marc Chagall (1949), Referencia: “Russian Fairy Tales: Images”, www.clover.slavic.pitt.edu/~tales/images.html. “Sadko en las profundidades del mar”, pintura de Ilya Repin (1844-1930). Referencia: “Ilya Repin Sadko”, www.paintingiant.com/paintings/ilya-repin-sadko.html. Sadko es un héroe legendario de Novgorod. 2 Universidad de Puerto Rico/Recinto de Río Piedras Facultad de Humanidades/Departamento de Historia HIST 4176- Historia cultural de Rusia/Dra. Nélida Muñoz de Frontera Kashchey el inmortal, de Iván Bilibin. Pinturas de Viktor Vanestsov. Izquierda: “Ilya Muromets” (1914). Derecha: “Los bogatyri” (1898). Referencia: “Ilya Muromets”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilya_Muromets. La pintura de los tres bogatyrs se considera la mejor obra del pintor. Los héroes son (de izquierda a derecha): Dobrynya Nikitich de Riazán, Ilya Muromets de Murom y Alyosha Popovich de Rostov. Pinturas de Viktor Vasnetsov. Izquierda: “Un caballero en el camino” (1878). Derecha: “La doncella de nieve” (1899). Referencia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Vasnetsov. 3 Universidad de Puerto Rico/Recinto de Río Piedras Facultad de Humanidades/Departamento de Historia HIST 4176- Historia cultural de Rusia/Dra. Nélida Muñoz de Frontera “Rusalka”, pintura de Konstantin Mazovsky (1879). Referencia:”Rusalka” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusalka. Jóvenes ucranianas con traje típico. Referencia: “Ukrainian folklore”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_folklore. 4 Universidad de Puerto Rico/Recinto de Río Piedras Facultad de Humanidades/Departamento de Historia HIST 4176- Historia cultural de Rusia/Dra. Nélida Muñoz de Frontera Arriba: cosaco tocando una bandura. Abajo: “Los cosacos le contestan al Sultán Mehmed IV,” pintura de Ilya Repin (1880-1891). Referencia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cossacks. 5 Universidad de Puerto Rico/Recinto de Río Piedras Facultad de Humanidades/Departamento de Historia HIST 4176- Historia cultural de Rusia/Dra. Nélida Muñoz de Frontera “La invisible ciudad de Kitezh”, pintura de Konstantin Gorbatov (1913). Referencia: “Kitezh”, http://en.wikipedia.org/Wiki/Kitezh. Escenografía para la Escena II del Acto IV por Iván Bilibin (1929), para la ópera “La invisible ciudad de Kitezh” de Rimsky-Korsakov. Referencia: “Bilibin Index”, www.auburn.edu/~mitrege/russian/art/bilibin/index. 6 .
Recommended publications
  • RUSSIAN, SOVIET & POST-SOVIET SYMPHONIES Composers
    RUSSIAN, SOVIET & POST-SOVIET SYMPHONIES A Discography of CDs and LPs Prepared by Michael Herman Composers A-G KHAIRULLO ABDULAYEV (b. 1930, TAJIKISTAN) Born in Kulyab, Tajikistan. He studied composition at the Moscow Conservatory under Anatol Alexandrov. He has composed orchestral, choral, vocal and instrumental works. Sinfonietta in E minor (1964) Veronica Dudarova/Moscow State Symphony Orchestra ( + Poem to Lenin and Khamdamov: Day on a Collective Farm) MELODIYA S10-16331-2 (LP) (1981) LEV ABELIOVICH (1912-1985, BELARUS) Born in Vilnius, Lithuania. He studied at the Warsaw Conservatory and then at the Minsk Conservatory where he studied under Vasily Zolataryov. After graduation from the latter institution, he took further composition courses with Nikolai Miaskovsky at the Moscow Conservatory. He composed orchestral, vocal and chamber works. His other Symphonies are Nos. 1 (1962), 3 in B flat minor (1967) and 4 (1969). Symphony No. 2 in E minor (1964) Valentin Katayev/Byelorussian State Symphony Orchestra ( + Vagner: Suite for Symphony Orchestra) MELODIYA D 024909-10 (LP) (1969) VASIF ADIGEZALOV (1935-2006, AZERBAIJAN) Born in Baku, Azerbaijan. He studied under Kara Karayev at the Azerbaijan Conservatory and then joined the staff of that school. His compositional catalgue covers the entire range of genres from opera to film music and works for folk instruments. Among his orchestral works are 4 Symphonies of which the unrecorded ones are Nos. 1 (1958) and 4 "Segah" (1998). Symphony No. 2 (1968) Boris Khaikin/Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra (rec. 1968) ( + Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3, Poem Exaltation for 2 Pianos and Orchestra, Africa Amidst MusicWeb International Last updated: August 2020 Russian, Soviet & Post-Soviet Symphonies A-G Struggles, Garabagh Shikastasi Oratorio and Land of Fire Oratorio) AZERBAIJAN INTERNATIONAL (3 CDs) (2007) Symphony No.
    [Show full text]
  • Solar Eclipses in the Outlook of the Slavs
    ics & Ae ys ro h sp p a o r c t e s T A e Prokofyev, J Astrophys Aerospace Technol 2014, 2:2 f c h o Journal of Astrophysics & n l o a DOI: 10.4172/2329-6542.1000107 l n o r g u y o J Aerospace Technology ISSN: 2329-6542 Research Article Open Access Solar Eclipses in the Outlook of the Slavs Prokofyev A* KITION Planetarium & Observatory, Kiti, Larnaca, Cyprus *Corresponding author: Alexandr Prokofyev, KITION Planetarium & Observatory, Ammochostou 9, Kiti, 7550, Larnaca, Cyprus. Tel: +357 99037440; E-mail: [email protected] Rec date: Jul 1, 2014, Acc date: Jul 26, 2014, Pub date: Aug 15, 2014 Copyright: © 2014 Prokofyev A. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Abstract The article provides an overview of descriptions of total solar eclipses in different literature forms, rites and toponyms of Slavs. It is shown that the solar eclipse had a prominent role in the worldview of the tribes. Explanations of some terms of Slavic outlook are given with suggestions for the correct terminology. A program for further investigation in Slavic and other people’s culture is proposed. Keywords: Total solar eclipse; Archeoastronomy; Mythology; Slavs; Character 'Akhet' (Figure 2) should be translated as 'eclipse' instead of Akhet; Myth of creation of the world; Myth of end of the world; 'horizon'. Then the next well-known text obtains a simple explanation. Dragon slayer; Tales During the advance of the eclipse (former translation: after sunset at the horizon) Ra joins the fight against the forces of darkness, Introduction crocodiles, snakes and so on.
    [Show full text]
  • Jack Haney's Introduction to the Russian Folktale Is the First Volume of an Ambi- Tious Project to Translate Anew Aleksandr Afans'ev's Russkie Narodnye Skazki
    Jack V. Haney. An Introduction to the Russian Folktale. Armonk, NY and London: M. E. Sharpe, 1999. viii, 135 pp. $40.00 (cloth); $18.95 (paper). An Anthology of Russian Folk Epics. Edited by James Bailey and Tatiana Ivanova. Armonk, NY and London: M. E. Sharpe, 1998. 464 pp. $69.95 (cloth); $29.95 (pa- per). Jack Haney's Introduction to the Russian Folktale is the first volume of an ambi- tious project to translate anew Aleksandr Afans'ev's Russkie narodnye skazki. To help the North American reader cross over into the world of the Russian tale, it discusses the collecting and publication of Russian tales, performers and performance, tale con- tent, and the probable mythic and ritual basis of tales. Haney performs an especially valuable service by concentrating on the Russian perspective on this genre. Folktales are ubiquitous and one of the richest and most varied narrative types. They can be, and have been, approached in many ways. The Russian approach is probably the least familiar to the North American reader and the one most in need of explication. Folktales tend to be associated with the past, either the historical past or the past of an individual, namely childhood. In the West, Bruno Bettelheim's Uses of Enchant- ment and the works of Marie von Franz have encouraged us to look at tales in the con- text of human development, to see parallels between the psychological growth of the child and the adventures of tale heroes. More recently, Jack Zipes and Marina Wamer have drawn our attention to the political dimension of tales, the messages beneath the surface and even the commercial intent behind the folktale versions produced in film studios.
    [Show full text]
  • The Inextricable Link Between Literature and Music in 19Th
    COMPOSERS AS STORYTELLERS: THE INEXTRICABLE LINK BETWEEN LITERATURE AND MUSIC IN 19TH CENTURY RUSSIA A Thesis Presented to The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Music Ashley Shank December 2010 COMPOSERS AS STORYTELLERS: THE INEXTRICABLE LINK BETWEEN LITERATURE AND MUSIC IN 19TH CENTURY RUSSIA Ashley Shank Thesis Approved: Accepted: _______________________________ _______________________________ Advisor Interim Dean of the College Dr. Brooks Toliver Dr. Dudley Turner _______________________________ _______________________________ Faculty Reader Dean of the Graduate School Mr. George Pope Dr. George R. Newkome _______________________________ _______________________________ School Director Date Dr. William Guegold ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. OVERVIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF SECULAR ART MUSIC IN RUSSIA……..………………………………………………..……………….1 Introduction……………………..…………………………………………………1 The Introduction of Secular High Art………………………………………..……3 Nicholas I and the Rise of the Noble Dilettantes…………………..………….....10 The Rise of the Russian School and Musical Professionalism……..……………19 Nationalism…………………………..………………………………………..…23 Arts Policies and Censorship………………………..…………………………...25 II. MUSIC AND LITERATURE AS A CULTURAL DUET………………..…32 Cross-Pollination……………………………………………………………...…32 The Russian Soul in Literature and Music………………..……………………...38 Music in Poetry: Sound and Form…………………………..……………...……44 III. STORIES IN MUSIC…………………………………………………… ….51 iii Opera……………………………………………………………………………..57
    [Show full text]
  • 28Apr2004p2.Pdf
    144 NAXOS CATALOGUE 2004 | ALPHORN – BAROQUE ○○○○ ■ COLLECTIONS INVITATION TO THE DANCE Adam: Giselle (Acts I & II) • Delibes: Lakmé (Airs de ✦ ✦ danse) • Gounod: Faust • Ponchielli: La Gioconda ALPHORN (Dance of the Hours) • Weber: Invitation to the Dance ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Slovak RSO / Ondrej Lenárd . 8.550081 ■ ALPHORN CONCERTOS Daetwyler: Concerto for Alphorn and Orchestra • ■ RUSSIAN BALLET FAVOURITES Dialogue avec la nature for Alphorn, Piccolo and Glazunov: Raymonda (Grande valse–Pizzicato–Reprise Orchestra • Farkas: Concertino Rustico • L. Mozart: de la valse / Prélude et La Romanesca / Scène mimique / Sinfonia Pastorella Grand adagio / Grand pas espagnol) • Glière: The Red Jozsef Molnar, Alphorn / Capella Istropolitana / Slovak PO / Poppy (Coolies’ Dance / Phoenix–Adagio / Dance of the Urs Schneider . 8.555978 Chinese Women / Russian Sailors’ Dance) Khachaturian: Gayne (Sabre Dance) • Masquerade ✦ AMERICAN CLASSICS ✦ (Waltz) • Spartacus (Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia) Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet (Morning Dance / Masks / # DREAMER Dance of the Knights / Gavotte / Balcony Scene / A Portrait of Langston Hughes Romeo’s Variation / Love Dance / Act II Finale) Berger: Four Songs of Langston Hughes: Carolina Cabin Shostakovich: Age of Gold (Polka) •␣ Bonds: The Negro Speaks of Rivers • Three Dream Various artists . 8.554063 Portraits: Minstrel Man •␣ Burleigh: Lovely, Dark and Lonely One •␣ Davison: Fields of Wonder: In Time of ✦ ✦ Silver Rain •␣ Gordon: Genius Child: My People • BAROQUE Hughes: Evil • Madam and the Census Taker • My ■ BAROQUE FAVOURITES People • Negro • Sunday Morning Prophecy • Still Here J.S. Bach: ‘In dulci jubilo’, BWV 729 • ‘Nun komm, der •␣ Sylvester's Dying Bed • The Weary Blues •␣ Musto: Heiden Heiland’, BWV 659 • ‘O Haupt voll Blut und Shadow of the Blues: Island & Litany •␣ Owens: Heart on Wunden’ • Pastorale, BWV 590 • ‘Wachet auf’ (Cantata, the Wall: Heart •␣ Price: Song to the Dark Virgin BWV 140, No.
    [Show full text]
  • The Slavic Vampire Myth in Russian Literature
    From Upyr’ to Vampir: The Slavic Vampire Myth in Russian Literature Dorian Townsend Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Languages and Linguistics Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences The University of New South Wales May 2011 PLEASE TYPE THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: Townsend First name: Dorian Other name/s: Aleksandra PhD, Russian Studies Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: School: Languages and Linguistics Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences Title: From Upyr’ to Vampir: The Slavic Vampire Myth in Russian Literature Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) The Slavic vampire myth traces back to pre-Orthodox folk belief, serving both as an explanation of death and as the physical embodiment of the tragedies exacted on the community. The symbol’s broad ability to personify tragic events created a versatile system of imagery that transcended its folkloric derivations into the realm of Russian literature, becoming a constant literary device from eighteenth century to post-Soviet fiction. The vampire’s literary usage arose during and after the reign of Catherine the Great and continued into each politically turbulent time that followed. The authors examined in this thesis, Afanasiev, Gogol, Bulgakov, and Lukyanenko, each depicted the issues and internal turmoil experienced in Russia during their respective times. By employing the common mythos of the vampire, the issues suggested within the literature are presented indirectly to the readers giving literary life to pressing societal dilemmas. The purpose of this thesis is to ascertain the vampire’s function within Russian literary societal criticism by first identifying the shifts in imagery in the selected Russian vampiric works, then examining how the shifts relate to the societal changes of the different time periods.
    [Show full text]
  • Midsummer Storybooks
    Description Magic Items Pick 2: Subtract your Popularity from 3 and choose that little coat, pretty, plump, rosy cheeks, youngest, many magic items from the following: smallest, willful, hair of gold, hair of silver, lovely, magic stones (2) Child clad in leaves, hooded, thick brows, humble, joyful, bread crumbs (1) conceited, curly hair, loveable, blue coat, red shoes, horn of waking (1) “All children, except too spoiled, headstrong, polite, frills, patched, little, wooden horse (2) sometimes good, sometimes bad, fond of good lamp of seven kingdoms (1) one, grow up.” things singing quilt (1) - Peter Pan and Wendy, James M. Barrie pan pipes (2) Mundane Life cursed mirror shards (2) Pick 1: treasure map (1) babysitter, paperboy, thief, runaway, foster child, silver knife (1) (magical weapon 1) hacker, volunteer, scout, child singer, child star, little black casket (2) abductee, skateboarder, busker, dog walker, student, wooden sword (2) (magical weapon 2) assistant, urchin, bellhop, dish washer, assembly any wealth 1 trinket line worker, bagger, caretaker, gardener, juvenile delinquent Experience Improve Stats Improvements You are filled with the pure wonder Choose one set: Add +1 to your Courage (maximum of +3). Courage +1, Brawn 0, Cunning +2, Wisdom -2 Add +1 to your Brawn (maximum of +3). and innocence of childhood, for you Courage 0, Brawn +1, Cunning +2, Wisdom -2 Add +1 to your Cunning (maximum of +3). Courage +2, Brawn -2, Cunning +2, Wisdom -1 Add +1 to your Wisdom (maximum of +3). are an eternal child. Tricks and tales Courage -1, Brawn -1, Cunning +2, Wisdom +1 Choose a new Child move.
    [Show full text]
  • Rimsky-Korsakov and His World
    © Copyright, Princeton University Press. No part of this book may be distributed, posted, or reproduced in any form by digital or mechanical means without prior written permission of the publisher. David Brodbeck The Professor and the Sea Princess: Letters of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Nadezhda Zabela-Vrubel EDITED BY MARINA FROLOVA-WALKER TRANSLATED BY JONATHAN WALKER I am still filled, my dear, dear friend, Filled with your visage, filled with you! . It is as if a light-winged angel Descended to converse with me. Leaving the angel at the threshold Of holy heaven, now alone, I gather some angelic feathers Shed by rainbow wings . —Apollon Maykov (1852), set by Rimsky-Korsakov as No. 4 of his Opus 50 songs and dedicated to Nadezhda Zabela-Vrubel “I am rather dry by nature,” confessed Rimsky-Korsakov in one of his letters.1 This is indeed the prevailing impression we are likely to draw from his biographies, or even from his own memoirs. We know so much about the externals of his life, and yet the inner man somehow eludes us, obscured by his professorial image: a kindly but reserved man, with a pos- itive outlook on life, dignified and of impeccable morals. The contrast with the wild biographies of Musorgsky and Tchaikovsky allows us to suppose that Rimsky-Korsakov was really rather ordinary, even a little dreary. 1. Maykov’s Russian original of the epigraph above is as follows: Yeshcho ya poln, o drug moy milïy, / Tvoim yavlen'yem, poln toboy!. ./ Kak budto angel legkokrïlïy / Sletal besedovat' so mnoy, / I, provodiv yego v preddver'ye svyatïkh nebes, ya bez nego / Sbirayu vïpavshiye per'ya / Iz krïl'yev raduzhnïkh yego… • 3 • For general queries, contact [email protected] © Copyright, Princeton University Press.
    [Show full text]
  • Contemporary Russian Advertising As a Sociocultural Phenomenon
    Russian Language Journal, Vol. 67, 2017 What Makes Russian Advertisements Russian? Contemporary Russian Advertising as a Sociocultural Phenomenon VALENTINA IEPURI Introduction It is common knowledge that advertisements reflect society. They play an important role in the formation of stereotypes and impose a certain way of life and a certain system of values. By analyzing both the foreground and the background of advertisements as texts, it is possible to reveal not only their primary sales messages but also the embedded social and cultural ones (Frith 1997, 3). Sociocultural, anthropological, and psychological aspects of Russian advertising and various forms of its impact on public consciousness, morality, and public taste require special attention and research, especially now that advertising has become an integral part of contemporary life in Russian society. Unfortunately, in literature on Russian advertising, there is a limited number of scholarly publications in which advertisements are viewed not only as a part of marketing activities but also in a broader context—as a cultural, anthropological, and socio psychological phenomenon with a certain influence on public consciousness (Trushina 2001, 170; Larionov 2014, 4). Advertisements present not only information about products and services, enticing customers to obtain them, but they also contain a certain kind of an ideological code with a system of symbolic values: social, moral, political, and familial (Turkina 2000, 78). This article attempts a brief analysis of how these values are mirrored in contemporary Russian advertising discourse and will outline the main cultural and linguistic features that make it culturally unique. A retrospective look at advertising in Russia in different time periods will serve as a helpful introduction.
    [Show full text]
  • JAN 2015 Sponsored by Time Warner Inc
    2015 Winter/Spring Season JAN 2015 Sponsored by Time Warner Inc. Larry Poons, Untitled, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 68”x85” Published by: Season Sponsor: BAM 2015 Winter/Spring Season #MariinskyBAM Brooklyn Academy of Music The Mariinsky Theatre Alan H. Fishman, Valery Gergiev, Chairman of the Board General and Artistic Director, State Academic Mariinsky Theatre William I. Campbell, Frederick Iseman, Vice Chairman of the Board Chairman, Mariinsky Foundation of America Adam E. Max, Donald M. Kendall, Vice Chairman of the Board Chairman Emeritus Karen Brooks Hopkins, Michael D. White, President Vice Chairman Joseph V. Melillo, Executive Producer BAM and the Mariinsky Theatre present The Enchanted Wanderer Season Sponsor: By Rodion Shchedrin Directed by Alexei Stepanyuk BAM engagement made possible by: Mariinsky Opera Musical direction by Valery Gergiev Conducted by Valery Gergiev Leadership support for the Mariinsky Residency at BAM provided by Frederick Iseman BAM Howard Gilman Opera House Jan 14 at 7:30pm VTB Bank is the Principal Partner of the Mariinsky Theatre. Sberbank and Yoko Nagae Ceschina are Principal Sponsors. Running time: one hour and 35 minutes, no intermission Support for the Signature Artists Series Libretto by the composer after the novel by provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation Nikolai Leskov, The Enchanted Wanderer Leadership support for opera at BAM provided by: Set design by Alexander Orlov Aashish & Dinyar Devitre Costume design by Irina Cherednikova Stavros Niarchos Foundation Lighting design by Yevgeny Ganzburg Major support for the Mariinsky Residency at BAM Choreography by Dmitry Korneyev provided by Renova Endowment funding has been provided by Performed in Russian with English titles The Andrew W.
    [Show full text]
  • Russian Student Handbook
    DEPARTMENT OF CLASSI C A L AND MODERN LANGUAGES , LITERATURES, AND CULTURES INSIDE THIS HANDBOOK: Russian Student Handbook Career Paths for 2 A / Y 2 0 1 5 - 16 Russian Majors Academic 3 Recognition & What is the Slavic Major with a Russian Concentration? Student News Recent Graduates 4 The Slavic Studies Major students for careers do- and Russia in particular, Alumni News 5 with a Russian concentra- mestically and interna- is playing an increasingly tion is an interdiscipli- tionally in the changing significant economic and Study Abroad in 6 Russia nary degree for students global environment, in political role. seeking to study Russia which the Slavic world, Russian Events at 7 WSU within the European Slavic Klub 7 and global contexts. Language and cultural Foreign Language 8 Career Day proficiency are essential Schoolcraft Multi- 8 components of this cultural Fair major. Students can Funding 9 complement them with Opportunities coursework in business, Internships/ 10 Volunteering political science, history, geography, and theater. Recommended 11 Russian Reading & This program prepares Viewing Source: http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/ Online Resources 14 Publish Your 15 Work Why Study Russian at WSU? Undergraduate 15 Research Grants Russian Studies at Wayne and minors enjoy a looking for a stimulating Russian Detroit 16 combines academics with dynamic learning program where students Russian America 17 exciting extracurricular environment based on are able to participate activities, study abroad, close interaction with the significantly in crafting Jobs & 18 Grad School internships, and research faculty, active student their own learning expe- opportunities that bring organizations, and links rience, while simultane- Slavic Major with 19 a Russian Russian language and to local and international ously being challenged concentration culture to life for our Russian communities.
    [Show full text]
  • RUSSIAN & UKRAINIAN Russian & Ukrainian Symphonies and Orchestral Works
    RUSSIAN & UKRAINIAN Russian & Ukrainian Symphonies and Orchestral Works Occupying a vast land mass that has long been a melting pot of home-spun traditions and external influences, Russia’s history is deeply encrypted in the orchestral music to be found in this catalogue. Journeying from the Russian Empire through the Soviet era to the contemporary scene, the music of the Russian masters covers a huge canvas of richly coloured and immediately accessible works. Influences of folklore, orthodox liturgy, political brutality and human passion are all to be found in the listings. These range from 19th-century masterpieces penned by ‘The Mighty Five’ (Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Borodin, and Cui) to the edgy works of Prokofiev and Shostakovich that rubbed against the watchful eye of the Soviet authorities, culminating in the symphonic output of one of today’s most noted Russian composers, Alla Pavlova. Tchaikovsky wrote his orchestral works in a largely cosmopolitan style, leaving it to the band of brothers in The Mighty Five to fully shake off the Germanic influence that had long dominated their homeland’s musical scene. As part of this process, they imparted a thoroughly ethnic identity to their compositions. The titles of the works alone are enough to get the imaginative juices running, witness Borodin’s In the Steppes of Central Asia, Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, and Mussorgsky’s St John’s Night on the Bare Mountain. Supplementing the purely symphonic works, instrumental music from operas and ballets is also to be found in, for example, Prokofiev’sThe Love for Three Oranges Suite, Shostakovich’s four Ballet Suites, and Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite.
    [Show full text]