Folklore of Yesterday and Today - The Kalinka Orchestra | VDE-GALLO

Folklore of Yesterday and Today – The Kalinka Orchestra

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Traditional: Danse ukrainienne – Tschastuchki – Je vous ai rencontrée – Karavode – Dmitri KABALEVSKI: Les clowns – Vasily Vasilievich ANDREYEV: Polonaise No. 1 – Traditional: Le petit arbre dans la tempète – Gopatchoc – Modest MUSSORGSKY: Gopak – Traditional: Soir de Moscou (Le temps du muguet) – Petite pomme – J’étais dans le verger – Fantaisie pour domra – Nikolai BUDASHKIN: Je suis seul – Traditional: Trépak – Bessarabianca.

The Kalinka Orchestra


THE KALINKA ORCHESTRA

The Kalinka Orchestra is probably the only ensemble of popular Russian instruments whose members have no direct or distant ties to Slavic countries. Nonetheless, the technical and musical prowess of its musicians has elevated this small group to the ranks of the finest ensembles in the Western world. The Kalinka Orchestra has performed on shows like the Hit Parade alongside artists such as Nana Mouskouri and Marcel Amont, and had the privilege of accompanying Soviet soloists on Western tours, including the virtuoso balalaika player Nicolai Prochko from Minsk.

Unlike other Russian folk ensembles in the West, Kalinka’s musicians are all professionals who have received higher-level musical training.

The domra, the Russian cousin of the mandolin, is played by Danielle Meyer, who is also a soloist in the National Orchestra of Plectrum Instruments and regularly performs with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the Chamber Orchestra of Lausanne for mandolin parts.

The balalaika is played by Pierre Glardon, a student of Nicolai Prochko. In addition to conducting the Kalinka Orchestra, he divides his time between choral conducting, music teaching, and completing his own studies.

Yves Pointet plays the bayan (accordion) and is regarded as one of the top specialists in the instrument today. Among his many achievements is his victory at the International Competition in Lisbon in 1974.

The guitar is played by Pierre-Alain Magni, a pupil and assistant to the renowned guitar master Dagoberto Linhares.

Finally, the bass is played by Patrick Zemp, a talented student of M. Marcellin, who is currently preparing for his final certification.


The Traditional Instruments of the Kalinka Orchestra

The Domra

The domra was originally a rudimentary lute introduced from Asia by the Kirghiz peoples. The body of the instrument resembles a pear sliced in two. Its three strings are tuned in fourths and are struck with a plectrum. During the 16th century, this instrument gradually disappeared, being replaced by the balalaika. However, it reappeared in the 19th century in a considerably improved form, influenced by the design of the mandolin.

The Balalaika

The balalaika is the result of the popularization of the domra among the Russian masses. Village instrument-makers, lacking the skill to craft oval soundboxes, substituted triangular ones. Unlike the domra, the strings of the balalaika are played with the fingers.

The Guitar

The guitar arrived much later in Russian popular music, having been introduced through the salons. While a seven-string version exists, the more popular and fashionable choice has been the western six-string guitar.

The Baian

The baian is the most common instrument in contemporary Russian folk music. Introduced into Russia shortly after its development in the 1840s, this sophisticated chromatic accordion is named after Baian, a legendary bard.

The Percussion

Percussion instruments are fairly simple in this context. In the few pieces where they are used, one can recognize the tambourine and the “spoons” — wooden pieces held in the hand and struck together.


The domra, balalaika, and guitar played by the musicians of the Kalinka orchestra are handcrafted by the German instrument-maker Walter J. Vogt.


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