Russian romances: list and performers

Romance is a definite term. In Spain (in the homeland of this genre) so called a special kind of compositions, intended primarily for solo performance under the sound accompaniment of violas or guitars. At the heart of the romance, as a rule, lies a small lyric poem of a love genre.

The origins of the Russian romance

In Russia, this genre was brought from France by aristocrats of the second half of the 18th century and was immediately adopted by the fertile soil of Soviet poetry. However, Russian romances, the list of which is known to every lover of the classical song, began to emerge somewhat later, when the Spanish shell began to be filled with truly Russian feelings and melodies.

The fabric of the new song was organically intertwined with the traditions of folk art, which for the time being was represented exclusively by anonymous authors. The romances were rehearsed, passing from mouth to mouth, altered and "polished" the lines. By the beginning of the XIX century, the first collectors of songs began to appear, driven by the idea of preserving the old Russian romances (their list was already quite large by that time).

Often these enthusiasts supplemented the collected texts, giving lines depth and poetic power. The collectors themselves were academically educated people, and therefore, going to folklore expeditions, pursued far not only aesthetic, but also scientific goals.

The evolution of the genre

Starting from the turn of the XVIII-XIX centuries, the artistic content of romance lyrics became more and more filled with deep personal feelings. The individual world of the hero received an opportunity for a bright, sincere expression. The combination of the same high syllable with simple and lively Russian vocabulary made the romance truly popular and accessible to both the nobleman and his peasant.

The vocal genre was finally reborn and by the middle of the XIX century it became an integral part of the secular evening in the beloved by all the young ladies of "languid" home music making. There were also the first Russian romance performers. The list, which made up their song repertoire, contained more and more author's works.

The most famous in the first half of the XIX century were such famous composers as A. Alyabyev, A. Varlamov and A. Gurilov, who played an invaluable role in the development of the Russian romance and its popularization.

Urban and Gypsy romances

The urban romance absorbed the greatest number of folklore motifs of Russia in the 19th and 20th centuries. Being authored, such a song on the freedom of its existence resembled the oral folk art and was characterized by its characteristic features:

• The magic of the details;
• Clearly delineated images;
• Step composition;
• Powerful reflection of the main character;
• The image of ever-elusive love.

Characteristic features of urban romance from a musical point of view are the harmonic composition of the composition with minor tones, as well as the inherent sequent.

Gypsy romance was born as a tribute to Russian composers and poets in the beloved by many with the same name of execution. The basis of it was an ordinary lyrical song. However, in the texts of her and the melody fit in the characteristic artistic turns and tricks that were in the course of the gypsies. To learn such a romance today is no wonder. His main theme, as a rule, is a love experience in various gradations (from tenderness to carnal passion), and the most notable detail is "green eyes".

Cruel and Cossack romances

There is no academic definition of these terms. However, their characteristic features are described in the literature quite fully. The peculiarity of the cruel romance is a very organic combination of the principles of the ballad, lyrical song and romance. Individual features include the abundance of the main plots, which differ only in the causes of the tragedy. The result of the whole story is usually death in the form of murder, suicide or from mental torment.

The birthplace of the Cossack romance is Don, who presented to fans of folk poetry the legendary song of an unknown author "Spring will not come for me ...". History also does not know the exact authorship of most highly artistic works, which can be described as "classical Russian romances." Their list includes such songs as "Dear Long", "Only Once", "Eh, Friend Guitar", "Come Back", "We Only Know" and others written in the first third of the 20th century.

Russian romances: list and their authors

According to one of the main versions, Russian romances, the list of which was listed above, belong to the most popular songwriters in the beginning of the last century: Boris Fomin, Samuel Pokrass, Yulia Haita and others.

The most devoted connoisseur of the classical romance in the 20th century was Valery Agafonov, who first declared the high value of the cultural baggage leaving the Soviet listener. Russian romances, whose list was Agafonov, their revival on a new basis were due to the return to their homeland of their legendary performers - Alexander Vertinsky and Alla Bayanova.