The name "balalaika", or, as it was also called, "balabayka", comes from the consonant Russian words balakat, balabonit, balabolit, joker, which means to chat, empty calls. These concepts convey the essence of the balalaika - a playful, light, "strumming" instrument, not very serious.
According to one version, the balalaika was invented by the peasants. Gradually, it spread among the buffoons traveling around the country. Buffoons performed at fairs, entertained the people, earned a living. Such fun, according to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, interfered with work, and he issued a decree in which he ordered all instruments (domras, balalaikas, horns, psaltery, etc.) to be collected and burned. But time passed, the king died, the balalaika sounded again throughout the country.
The balalaika is a stringed plucked instrument. This is a kind of lute - one of the main musical instruments of the XVI-XVII centuries. The old balalaika did not always have a triangular shape. It could be both oval and semicircular, had two, and sometimes four strings. The modern balalaika was created in 1880 by the masters Paserbsky and Nalimov, commissioned by the founder of the first orchestra of folk instruments and a remarkable balalaika performer Andreev. The instruments made by Nalimov remain the best sounding to this day.
The group of balalaikas in the orchestra of musical instruments has five varieties: prima, second, viola, bass and double bass. They differ in size and tone of sound. The leader in the group is the prima, who most often solos. They play it with rattling - they make single strikes on the strings with the index finger, tremolo - with a quick alternation of strikes on the strings up and down, and pizzicato - by plucking the strings. The largest of the balalaikas - the double bass - has a height of 1.7 m.
The balalaika is a common musical instrument that is studied in academic music schools.
PUZZLES
But only three strings
She needs music.
Everyone is happy with the game!
Oh, she's ringing, she's ringing
Who is she? Guess...
This is our ... (balalaika).
Three strings, and what a sound!
With overflows, alive.
I recognize him at the moment -
The most Russian instrument.
Balalaika is a truly folk musical instrument, and it also received its name among the people. Occasionally, however, there is another thing - a balabaika, more characteristic of the south of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine. It is believed that the name "balalaika" comes from the words "balakat", "joke", which means "empty calls", "talk", talk about something unimportant. The sounds of the balalaika were associated precisely with the strumming of the strings.
According to another version, the name "balalaika" comes from the Tatar word "bala", which means "child". But it is quite possible that the words "talk" and "talk" also came from this word, since they were associated with baby talk and chatter.
Oddly enough, but the history of the creation of the balalaika has retained very few references to this musical instrument. Information about it is unclear, and often contradictory. But there are much more references to domra. This musical instrument is considered the prototype of the balalaika. However, there is a version that the balalaika and domra existed at the same time.
Some historians believe that buffoons played the domra, and the balalaika has always been an exclusively folk instrument. With the disappearance of the buffoons, their musical instrument also disappeared, but the balalaika remained. In addition, there is another assumption that the domra was simply renamed into a balalaika over time. Perhaps this is due to the fact that at certain periods in history the attitude towards domra was different: one king enjoyed the sounds of this instrument, the other, on the contrary, did not recognize and persecuted the musicians playing it.
More clear references in the history of the creation of the balalaika are found in documents from the reign of Peter I, for example, in the "Register" of 1714. Starting from the 18th century, the balalaika gradually began to win the love of the Slavic peoples and over time was recognized as a national instrument, becoming a symbol of the Russian people. Initially, the instrument had a round shape, a very long neck, four times the length of the body and two strings, which were made of metal, which gave it a sonorous sound, and, at the same time, softness. Over time, the balalaika was transformed from rounded to triangular, another string was added and the length of the neck was shortened.
It is a mistake to think that nowadays the balalaika has been forgotten. Of course, it is no longer as common as it used to be. However, the balalaika is still in demand among modern professional musicians. At present, the balalaika has been significantly improved as a musical instrument. This allows you to extract new sounds from it. Musicians who play the balalaika professionally are called balalaika masters or balalaika virtuosos. Thanks to their skills, not only Russian folk melodies familiar to our ears sound, but also various variations on the theme of works by foreign classics and modern musicians. To date, many musical works of the most diverse nature have been written, intended for performance on the balalaika - concertos, sonatas, suites, and so on.
Moreover, training programs for balalaika masters are supported at the state level. Almost every children's music school in the country has training in playing the balalaika. The study period varies from 5 to 7 years.
Among the famous balalaika virtuosos are Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev, Dmitry Anatolyevich Kalinin, Semyon Ivanovich Nalimov, Boris Sergeevich Troyanovsky and many others.
Balalaika is a Russian folk three-stringed plucked musical instrument, from 600-700 mm (prima balalaika) to 1.7 meters (double bass balalaika) in length, with a triangular slightly curved (also oval in the 18th-19th centuries) wooden case. The balalaika is one of the instruments that, along with the accordion, has become a symbol of the Russian people.
The first written mention of the balalaika is contained in a document dated June 13, 1688, “Memory from the Streltsy order to the Little Russian order”, which, among other things, reports that in Moscow the Arzamas townsman Savka Fedorov son of Seleznev and Shenkursky district of the palace Vazheska were brought to the Streltsy order volost peasant Ivashko Dmitriev, and with them a balalaika was brought so that they rode a cart horse in a cart to the Yausky gates, sang songs and played the balalaika in toe and the guard archers who stood at the Yausky gates on guard scolded
Another mention of the balalaika refers to October 1700 in connection with a fight that took place in the Verkhoturye district. According to the coachmen Pronka and Aleksey Bayanov, the yard man of the steward of the governor K.P. Kozlov I. Pashkov chased them and "beat them with a balalaika."
The next mention of the name "balalaika" is found in written monuments from the time of Peter the Great. In 1715, during the celebration of a comic wedding arranged by order of the king, balalaikas were mentioned among the instruments that appeared in the hands of the dressed participants in the ceremony. Moreover, these instruments were given into the hands of a group of Kalmyks dressed up.
During the XVIII century. The balalaika spread widely among the Great Russian people, becoming so popular that it was recognized as the oldest instrument, and even assigned Slavic origin to it.
Russian origin can only be attributed to the triangular outline of the body or body of the balalaika, which replaced the round shape of the domra. The shape of the balalaika of the 18th century differed from the modern one. The neck of the balalaika was very long, about 4 times longer than the body. The tool body was narrower.
In addition, the balalaikas found in old popular prints are equipped with only 2 strings. The third string was a rare exception. The strings of the balalaika are metal, which gives the sound a specific shade - the sonority of the timbre.
In the middle of the XX century. a new hypothesis was put forward that the balalaika existed long before it was mentioned in written sources, i.e. existed next to the domra. Some researchers believe that the domra was a professional instrument of buffoons and, with their disappearance, lost a wide musical practice. The balalaika is a purely folk instrument and, therefore, more resilient.
At first, the balalaika spread mainly in the northern and eastern provinces of Russia, usually accompanying folk dance songs. But already in the middle of the 19th century, the balalaika was very popular in many places in Russia. It was played not only by village boys, but also by serious court musicians, such as Ivan Khandoshkin, I.F. Yablochkin, N.V. Lavrov. However, by the middle of the 19th century, an harmonica was found almost everywhere next to it, which gradually replaced the balalaika.
The balalaika received its second birth at the end of the 19th century thanks to the efforts of Vasily Andreev, who was called "the young father of the balalaika." V. V. Andreev, together with instrumental masters V. V. Ivanov, and then F. S. Paserbsky and S. I. Nalimov, improved the folk instrument and designed a family of balalaikas of various sizes based on the bow quartet. The first performance of the ensemble, which was called the "Circle of lovers of playing the balalaika together" took place in St. Petersburg in 1888.
Andreev and his associates - N. Privalov, F. Niemann, V. Nasonov, N.P. Fomin did not limit themselves to the revival of only one balalaika. They also worked to improve other instruments of the Russian people, such as domra, gusli, zhaleyka, Vladimir horns, etc. The result of this work was the formation of the Great Russian Orchestra, the first performance of which took place under the direction of Andreev on January 11, 1897 in the hall of the Nobility Assembly. Since then, orchestras of folk instruments began to spread with extraordinary speed throughout Russia.
Thanks to the performing arts of Vasily Andreev and his talented followers, such masters as Boris Troyanovsky, Alexander Dobrokhotov and a little later, Nikolai Osipov, venerable composers drew attention to the balalaika. Now not only Russian folk songs sound great on the balalaika, but also transcriptions of works of Russian and Western classics, in addition, composers have created an original repertoire for the balalaika, including more than 100 suites, sonatas, concertos and other works of large form.
Zabolotsky P.E. A boy with a balalaika. 1835.
The fun could not last long, and, finally, the Tsar and Grand Duke of All Rus' Alexei Mikhailovich issued a decree in which he ordered all the instruments (domra, balalaika, horns, harp, etc.) to be collected and burned, and those people who would not obey and give balalaikas, flog and send into exile in Little Russia. But time passed, the king died and the repressions gradually ceased. Balalaika again sounded throughout the country, 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 peasants still played music on the three-string. And, one day, traveling around his estate, a young nobleman Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev heard a balalaika from his yard Antipas. Andreev was struck by the peculiarity of the sound of this instrument, and yet he considered himself an expert on Russian folk instruments. And Vasily Vasilyevich decided to make the most popular instrument out of the balalaika.
Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev
To begin with, he slowly learned to play himself, then he noticed that the instrument was fraught with enormous possibilities, and decided to improve the balalaika. Andreev went to St. Petersburg to the violin maker Ivanov, for advice and asked him to think about how to improve the sound of the instrument. Ivanov, however, opposed and said that he would not make a balalaika, categorically.
Virtuoso Nikolai Petrovich Bogdanov-Belsky
Andreev thought about it, then took out an old balalaika, which he bought at the fair for thirty kopecks, and masterfully 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 serving were given a balalaika, and, 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 decided to create a family of balalaikas of different sizes, modeled on a string quartet. To do this, he gathered masters: Paserbsky and Nalimov, and they, working together, made balalaikas: piccolo, treble, prima, second, viola, bass, double bass. From these instruments, the basis of the Great Russian Orchestra was created, which subsequently traveled to countless countries of 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 Nikolai Petrovich. Holiday on the porch 1931
Andreev first played in the orchestra himself, then he conducted it. At the same time, he also gave solo concerts, the so-called balalaika evenings. All this contributed to an extraordinary surge in the popularity of the balalaika in Russia and even beyond its borders. 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 an 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 interesting 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 Boldyrev V. B., Zazhigin Valery Evgenievich, Gorbachev Andrey Alexandrovich, Kuznetsov V. A., Senchurov M. I., Bykov Evgeny, Zakharov D. A., Bezotosny Igor, Konov Vladimir Nikolaevich, Mikhail Fedotovich Rozhkov. All these people are trying to keep the popularity of our great instrument and are engaged in teaching and concert activities.
Fedoskino box Miniature.
There were ups and downs in the history of the balalaika, 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 (prima balalaika) to 1.7 meters (double bass balalaika) in length, with a triangular slightly curved (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, the pity) the 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. Metal strings (In the 18th century, two of them were veined; modern balalaikas have nylon or carbon strings). On the fingerboard of a modern balalaika there are 16-31 metal frets (until the end of the 19th century - 5-7 forced frets).
The sound is loud but soft. The most common techniques for extracting sound: rattling, pizzicato, double pizzicato, single pizzicato, vibrato, tremolo, fractions, guitar tricks.
Until 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 own style of performance, the general mood of the pieces played, and local traditions.
Small concert with balalaika. 1937 (Children. Playing the balalaika) H., M. 110x135
Bogdanov-Belsky Nikolai Petrovich
The system introduced by Andreev (two strings in unison - the note "mi", one - a quart higher - the note "la" (both "mi" and "la" of the first octave) was widely used by concert balalaika players and began to be called "academic". There is also a "folk" system - the first string is "sol", the second - "mi", the third - "do". In this system, triads are taken easier, the disadvantage of it is the difficulty of playing on open strings. In addition to the above, there are also regional traditions of tuning the instrument .The number of rare local settings reaches two dozen
Balalaika. 1930. Bogdanov-Belsky Nikolai Petrovich
Varieties
Double bass balalaika
In a modern orchestra of Russian folk instruments, five varieties of balalaikas are used: prima, second, viola, 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 viola implement chord accompaniment, while the bass and double bass perform the bass function.
Young minstrel. Bogdanov-Belsky Nikolai Petrovich
Prevalence
Balalaika is a fairly common musical instrument, which is studied in academic musical educational institutions in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
The term of training 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, arrangements of classical works, author's music.
Boy with Balalaika 1930 oil on canvas 90.5x70.5
Bogdanov-Belsky Nikolai Petrovich
Story
There is no single point of view on the time of the appearance of the balalaika. It is believed that the balalaika has been spreading since the end of the 17th century. Perhaps it comes from the Asian dombra. It was a “long two-stringed instrument, had a body about one and a half spans in length (about 27 cm) and one span in width (about 18 cm) and a neck (neck) at least four times longer” (M. Gutry, “ Dissertation 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 proposed to make a soundboard from spruce, and make the back of the balalaika from beech, and also shorten it (up to 600-700 mm). The family of balalaikas made by F. Paserbsky (piccolo, prima, alto, tenor, bass, double bass) became the basis of the Russian folk orchestra. Later, F. Paserbsky 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 Nikolai Petrovich. Village friends.
Etymology
The body shape of the balalaika was originally rounded.
The very name of the instrument is already curious, it is typically folk, conveying the character of playing on it with the sound of syllables. The root of the words "balalaika", or, as it was also called, "balabayka", has long attracted the attention of researchers by its kinship with such Russian words as balakat, balabonit, balabolit, joker, which means 'talk about something insignificant, chat, irritate, empty calls, scribbling '(go back to the common Slavic *bolbol of the same meaning, compare the similar onomatopoeia barbarian). All these concepts, complementing each other, convey the essence of the balalaika - an instrument of light, funny, "strumming", not very serious.
Adding to the above! The word "balabaika" comes from the Turkish "balaba" - a musical folk instrument, akin to dombra, with a rounded shape (see above) The etymology of the word "balaba" - "balabaika" - "balalaika", as well as most Slavic words with a repeat the vowel in a syllable comes from the Turkic languages. It is possible that both "talking" and "hurting" have a similar history.
The first written mention of the balalaika is contained in a document dated June 13, 1688 "Memory from the Streltsy order to the Little Russian order", which, among other things, reports that in Moscow
“In the Streltsy order, the Arzamas townsman Savka Fedorov, the son of Seleznev and the Shenkur district of the palace Vazheskaya volost, the peasant Ivashko Dmitriev, was brought, and with them a balalaika was brought so that they rode a cart horse in a cart to the Yau Gates, sang songs and played balalaika in toe and guard archers, who stood at the Yauska Gate on guard, scolded "
Another mention of the balalaika refers to October 1700 in connection with a fight that took place in the Verkhoturye district. According to the coachmen Pronka and Alexei Bayanov, the courtyard man 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, referring to 1714: in St. Petersburg, during the celebration of the jester’s wedding of “Prince-Papa” N. M. Zotov, in addition to other instruments carried by mummers, four balalaikas were named.
J. Shtelin said about Peter I that “from a very 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 V.I. Maikov's poem "Elisey", 1771, song 1: "tune me a whistle or a balalaika."
In the Ukrainian language, the word was first attested in diary entries from the beginning of the 18th century, telling about "a Tatar who played a balabayka." This form of "balabayka" is also present in the southern Russian dialects and the Belarusian language.
