History of the Russian Folk Orchestra
he concept of an 'orchestra of folk instruments' is without a direct parallel
in the United States; the closest we might come would be the mandolin and
banjo orchestras which were popular in the early part of this century. In Russia,
Ukraine and many of the other parts of the old Soviet Union, however, folk traditions,
music and the instruments used to make that music play a prominent role in the cultural
life of the people.
The principal instruments of the Russian folk orchestra -- the balalaika and
domra -- probably evolved from a common Oriental instrument brought by the
Mongols in the 13th Century. This was a round-backed, round- or oval-faced instrument
with a long neck and two or three strings. The transition from that design to the
three-sided balalaika was probably a design simplification.
The balalaika was an instrument of the peasant class until the late 19th
century, used by street minstrels or 'skomorohki', and on occasion by court
musicians, most often to accompany singing. In the mid-1880s a minor nobleman and
musician, Vassily Vassilievich Andreyev, was intrigued by the playing of the balalaika
by one of the peasants on his estate and set about first to learn more about the
instrument, and second to develop a better designed and constructed balalaika which
would be suitable for the concert stage. Not content simply to 'build a better
balalaika', Andreyev conceived and then had made a 'family' of instruments which would
cover the range from soprano to bass so that an ensemble much like a chamber orchestra
could play serious compositions. Later, a similar family of domra instruments was
designed and incorporated into what was by then a full orchestra with members seated
in sections as in a symphonic orchestra, led by a conductor. Still later, the
Russian 'bayan', or button accordion, joined the orchestra, as did folk percussion and
specialty wind instruments.
Andreyev's idea found favor with the Romanovs, and his orchestra became 'The
Great Russian Imperial Court Orchestra', touring first within Russia and then
to Europe and the United States. By the time of Andreyev's death in 1918, the
concept of an orchestra consisting entirely of folk instruments had made a permanent
impression on the Russian cultural scene. Today, it is common to find one or more such
orchestras in any city in Russia. The larger ones such as the Andreyev Orchestra of St.
Petersburg and the Osipov Orchestra of Moscow regularly tour abroad.
Wars, revolution and changing circumstances in Russia led to large-scale
emigration to Europe and North America, and with this the establishment of
musical groups which sought to preserve some of the musical traditions of the old
country. Ensembles and orchestras were formed, frequently affiliated with churches
and social clubs. Ethnic nightclubs and cabarets featured folk acts, and Western
music publishing houses issued hundreds of Russian and gypsy songs as sheet music
and songbooks. While many of these groups, acts and clubs had disappeared by the 1940s,
a few survived and kept the musical and cultural traditions alive.
Today, there are a dozen or so Russian folk orchestras active in the United
States, most of which were formed since 1960. The Washington Balalaika
Society, now in its fourteenth year, is the largest of these. Others are located in Maine, New York,
New Jersey, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Canton/Akron, Houston, Tucson, Reno, Madison (The University of Wisconsin), Iowa (Luther
College) and Los Angeles. Smaller ensembles are active in many other cities.
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