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Moscow  Nights    

Study  Guide  –  High  School  Level    

We  can  be  found  on  the  web  at:                                                                                                    www.RussianFolk.com  If  you  have  questions,  please  contact  us:                                                                    RussianTrio@gmail.com  

                                     

Program  Description    

 From  the  Artic  to  the  Black  Sea,  the  Baltic  to  the  Pacific,  and  the  Steppes  to  the  Taiga,  Moscow  Nights  brings  you  music  from  the  heart  of  the  vast  Russian  continent.    This  

unique  ensemble  performs  on  balalaikas  ranging  from  small  to  enormous;  the  bayan;  an  accordion  with  buttons  on  both  sides;  and  an  assortment  of  authentic  percussive  instruments.    Singing  in  the  Russian  language  and  wearing  colorful  costumes,  the  

ensemble  recreates  a  sense  of  old  world  history  and  the  spirited  excitement  of  Russian  folk  melodies  and  rhythms.  

           

 

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Moscow  Nights  -‐    Biography  

 

     

Moscow  Nights  is  an  exciting,  versatile  ensemble  of  world-‐recognized,  prize-‐winning  musicians  from  Russia.    They  have  already  established  themselves  as  one  of  the  fastest  rising  folk  groups  in  the  United  States.    These  classically  trained  artists  first  took  Western  Europe  by  storm  and  now  have  brought  their  dazzling,  toe-‐tapping  music  to  North  America.  

     

 Vitaliy  Bezrodnov,  bayan  (accordion)  player  and  director  of  the  ensemble,  began  attending  music  school  at  the  young  age  of  seven.    Around  the  late  1980’s,  he  began  studying  at  the  prestigious  Kaluga  Music  Conservatory  in  Kaluga,  Russia  where    

     Moscow  Nights  was  

initially  formed  under  his  direction.    After  completing  his  conservatory  studies,  he  

attended  the  Musical  Academy  of  Arts  in  Voronezh  and  St.  Petersburg.    During  this  same  time  period  he  was  an  actor  and  musician  for  the  Municipal  Folk  Music  Theatre  Ethno,  the  main  sponsor  and  act  for  the  opening  and  closing  of  the  Good  Will  Games  in  1991.  In  1994  he  came  to  the  United  States  under  a  Cultural  Exchange  program.    The  demand  for  Moscow  Nights  was  so  intense  that  he  made  a  decision  to  bring  the  group  to  the  U.S.  for  a  tour.  The  United  States  is  now  his  home,  and  the  group  continues  to  tour  year-‐round.    

   

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Sergei Pudov, prima balalaika player with Moscow Nights,

was raised in the city of Magnitogorsk, Russia. At the very young age of six, he showed much musical talent and was considered a child prodigy. In addition to his musical talent, he was a dancer – folk and ballet. Before entering college, he was a top dancer for the City of Magnitogorsk and a finalist for the Ural Mountain Award for all of Central Russia and Europe. After studying at the Glinka Music Conservatory, he became a soloist with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Glinka Conservatory Orchestra. He received Laureate awards with the All Russia and International Competitions for the City of Ufa and Orenburg. He then began touring with many companies, one of which was the Ivan & Maria Dance Company who has toured twice in the United States. As a result he crossed paths with Vitaliy Bezrodnov, director of Moscow Nights and became a member of the ensemble.  

Dima Busov, Contra-bass balalaika, has a long history of playing many bass instruments – electric bass, string bass, and now contra- bass balalaika – with many professional groups over the years in St. Petersburg, Russia and now the United States. He is especially known in the Russian circles for his great talent, nice smile, and stylistic rhythms and melodic interpretations. As the newest member of Moscow Nights, he adds verve and spunk to the many melodies of Russian music and song.  

   

 

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Biography  ~  Moscow  Nights/Golden  Gates  

   

In  1993  the  company  Golden  Gates  was  created  in  St.  Petersburg,  Russia.    Drawing  upon  students  from  the  Author’s  Aesthetic  Music  Secondary  School,  these  young  people  became  the  first  members  of  the  group,  and  they  began  performing  at  various  cultural  events,  folk  festivals,  schools,  and  concerts  throughout  Russia  and  Europe.    Ranging  in  ages  thirteen  to  eighteen,  the  company  features  Instrumentals,  Songs  and  dances  from  Russia,  Ukraine,  Kazakhstan,  and  Georgia.    

   

A  typical  school  program  includes  songs,  rituals,  folk  stories,  audience  participation,  and  dances  that  have  been  carefully  researched  and  recreated  in  performance.  The  dancers  will  thrill  your  students  with  their  skillful  virtuosity,  colorful  costumes,  syncopation  of  footwork,  and  gymnastic  leaping  of  foot-‐stomping  ferocity.    

 

 

Moscow  Nights,  an  ensemble  of  talented  Russian  folk  musicians,  tours  with  the  Golden  Gates  every  January/February  and  July/August  in  the  United  States.    Embarking  upon  their  fifteenth  season  across  the  United  Sates  and  performing  in  venues  as  diverse  as  evening  concerts,  arts  councils,  festivals,  and  school  shows,  Golden  Gates  and  Moscow  Nights  are  receiving  rave  reviews  from  across  the  country.    

   

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Background  on  Art  Form      

 The  word  “balalaika”  literally  means  “to  chatter”.    It  is  Tartar  in  origin  reflecting  the  arrival  of  the  Mongols  and  especially  the  great  Ghengis  Khan  who  swept  over  the  territories  of  Northern  Asia  in  the  thirteenth  century.  

                                 The  balalaika,  triangular  in  shape,  is  a  descendent  from  the  domra,  a  three-‐stringed  round-‐bodied  instrument  that  can  be  traced  back  to  the  ninth  century  Tartars.    The  balalaika  originally  had  only  two  strings  attached  to  a  long  neck  with  a  gourd-‐like  sounding  box.    Eventually  this  was  replaced  by  the  triangular  sound-‐box,  the  neck  was  shortened,  and  a  third  string  was  added.      Today  there  are  six  sizes  of  balalaikas  and  four  sizes  of  domras,  and  these  make  up  the  body  of  the  modern  balalaika  orchestra  that  exist  in  Russia,  the  United  States,  and  the  entire  world.  

           

The  “bayan”  is  a  type  of  chromatic  button  accordion  developed  in  Russia  in  the  early  20th  century.      

   

                   

   

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Pre/Post  Activities    

     Prepare  (Pre-‐  or  pre-‐performance)    Teachers,  please  read  this  to  your  students.    Today  we’re  going  to  enjoy  a  musical  journey  together  through  a  performance  by  Moscow  Nights  and  Golden  Gates  -‐  a  group  of  professional  musicians  and  dancers.  These  performers  will  introduce  a  variety  of  instrumental  sounds  that  will  help  stir  our  imaginations  and  encourage  our  own  exploration  of  themes  common  within  our  curriculum  and  supportive  of  appreciation  of  the  arts.         Warm Up Questions to set the stage for engaging students and AP Music Students: Compare the balalaika and domra to other stringed instruments with which you are familiar. Describe the differences in tonality, pitches, fret placements, number of strings, and why these differences affect the sound of the instruments. The nature of Russian folk songs and melodies are typically in a minor key, migrating to major in the middle, then transgressing back to the minor. Why? Have you noticed that the prima balalaika is played without a pick? How does this affect the sound? Can songs and music be used for communication—how would this affect the particular region and/or country? What are some ways you could learn to play the balalaika ? How would you describe the differences in the dancing styles represented by Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia? How do these differences reflect the various countries from various viewpoints – politically, culturally, and historically?      Warm Up Questions for “Listening/Speaking/Viewing”: Describe audience etiquette. Why is respect important for the performers and the listeners?

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Reflect  (Post-‐  or  post-‐performance)                                                                                                                              Reflection  activities  may  vary,  but  some  suggestions  include—mapping  some  of  the  places  encountered  in  the  musical  journey;  journaling  about  the  performance  experience;  creating  a  short  in-‐class  performance  of  a  Russian  song;  list  the  names  of  the  instruments  on  the  board  and  match  them  to  their  definitions  or  the  sounds  they  make;  researching  the  history  of  Russian  folk  music  or  allowing  students  to  create  their  own  Russian  percussion  which  explores  their  cultural  background  or  cultures  currently  being  studied;  learning  counts  or  beats  which  mirror  mathematical  concepts;  reading  stories  which  feature  Russian  folk  tales;  challenging  students  to  draw,  or  devise  a  way  to  recreate  their  favorite  Russian  instrument  from  the  show.        Additional  Activities    

• Find  Russia  on  a  map;  discuss  how  far  it  is  from  where  students  live;  what  are  the  major  borders  or  bodies  of  water  

   • Offer  students  a  puzzle  map  of  Russia  and  have  them  put  it  together  individually,  in  cooperative  

large  or  small  groups,  or  in  think-‐pair-‐share;  then  label  the  capital,  cities,  or  major  political  or  geographical  landmarks  

 • Make  a  tambourine  or  create  a  balalaika  from  materials  around  the  classroom.  

 • Ask  students  what  they  know  about  Russian  music  or  history  and  record  it  on  a  graphic  organizer  

for  a  “before-‐and-‐after”  comparison  or  fill  in  a  K-‐W-‐L  Chart  chronicling  What  do  you  KNOW  about  Russian  music  /  What  do  you  WANT  to  learn  /  What  did  you  LEARN  

 • Look  up  information  on  the  Internet  and  create  a  Power  Point  about  the  history  of  Russian  folk  

music  and  dance.    

• Compose  “Fun  Facts”  like  noting  how  at  one  time  in  history  the  balalaika  was  a  one-‐stringed  instrument  that  originated  from  the  ninth  century  Tatars  and  traveled  across  the  continent  of  Asia  to  Russia.  Or,  what  does  the  word  “balalaika”  literally  mean?  

 • Photocopy  photos  or  pictures  of  the  vocabulary  instruments  and  see  if  students  can  match  them  

before  and  after  the  performance  to  their  sounds  or  names  or  the  way  they  looked.    

                   

 

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Vocabulary    Balalaika  –  3-‐stringed  triangular  instrument  that  comes  in  6  sizes  

                                                     

       Domra  -‐  a  3  or  4-‐stringed  round-‐bodied  instrument  that  comes  in  4  sizes  

   

     Bayan  –  Similar  to  an  accordion  with  buttons  on  both  sides.                                                              

                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Loshki  –  Russian  spoons  

     Treshotki  –  Noise  makers            

 Zhaleika  –  New  Year’s  Eve  party  horn          Birch  Bark  Whistle  –  Traditional  whistle  made  from  the  bark  of  the  Birch  Tree  

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Resources  for  Teachers  &  Students    

www.LynnMcConnell.com    

www.russianfolk.com  

www.bdaa.com    (Balalaika  and  Domra  Association  of  America)  

Basic  information  from  Wikipedia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia        

World  Fact  Book  statistics  on  Russia  http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gv.html    

 US  Embassy  in  Russia  http://russia.usembassy.gov/    

Blank  outline  map  of  Russia  http://geography.about.com/library/blank/blxrussia.htm    

   Books  

 Folk  Music  Instruments  of  the  World,  by  A.  Buchner,  Crown  Publishers    Mel  Bay’s  Complete  Balalaika  Book,  by  Bibs  Ekkel,  Mel  Bay  Publishers    A  Russian  Song  Book  by  Michael  Stillman,  Miro  Music  Inc    Russian  Songs  by  Jerry  Silverman,  Oak  Publications      Russian  Songs  by  Henry  Lefkowitch,  Kammen  Music  Co.    

Recordings    

   Feel  Yourself  Russian!      Recorded  by  Moscow  Nights    Osipov  Balalaika  Orchestra,  Melodia  label    Russian  Carousel  and  Standing  Room  Only,  by  the  Troika  Balalaikas    

Videos    

Dollywood  -‐  Festival  of  Nations  with  Moscow  Nights  from  Russia  2014:  

https://vimeo.com/99897795  

https://www.facebook.com/MoscowNightsTrio/videos/vb.318289321579160/444984965514269/?type=2&theater  

Moscow  Nights  and  the  Golden  Gates  Dancers:  

https://vimeo.com/123473693    https://www.facebook.com/russiandance/videos/vb.230671427035187/237307886371541/?type=2&theater