Songs and Dances of Ukraine
Produced by: Monitor Records, New York, 1957
About the Album
The Bandura (or Bandore)
The Bandura is an Ukrainian folk instrument, first noted in the 16th century. It is closely allied to the ancient Ukrainian instrument called the Kobza. The bandura supplanted the kobza in the 18th century, when the two instruments more or less merged, except that the bandura retained more strings. The bandura has a wide, shallow, cup-like board, with the strings extending from the neck down, touching the finger board when they are played. It is typical of the bandura to have auxiliary or additional strong drawn over the right of the sounding board. The melody is played on the sounding board strings and the bass accompaniment is played on the finger board strings. The sound is obtained by plucking and is basically a “pizzicato” type musical instrument. It can be played either by a pick held in the hand or placed on the fingers. The sounding board is asymmetrical in order to have room for more strings and to attain greater resonance.
It is characteristic of some Ukrainian musical groups that they sing and accompany themselves on the banduras. The ensembles in this album listed as “cappella” groups provide both choral and instrumental elements. The musical groups listed here as “orchestras of folk instruments” include instruments other than the bandura. The careful listener can distinguish balalaikas and domras in the ensemble and compare those with the sounds of the bandura.
Playlist information
1. The Cossacks are Whistling ~ (Ukrainian Folk Song) Ukrainian Cappella Bandura Players, Conductor: Alexander Minkovsky, Tenor: Ivan Kozlovsky. A Cossack joins his comrades-in-arms who are leaving for war at midnight. His sweetheart, Marusia, cries bitterly at the parting. “Do not weep, my darling Marusia,” says the young Cossack. “Better pray to God for the safe return of your lover.” The Cossack’s mother takes tearful leave of her departing son, hoping he will return soon. As the Cossack rides away his horse stumbles at the gate. This is considered a bad omen by the Cossacks and the young man, being superstitious, is disturbed by it.
2. Hutsulka ~ (Ukrainian Folk Dance) Ukrainian State Orchestra of Folk Instruments, Conductor: Hrihori Veriovka.
3. Evening Song ~ Ukrainian State Radio Orchestra of Folk Instruments, Conductor: Nikolai Khivrich, Tenor: Nikolai Fokin. Music by Kiril Stetzenko; text by V. Samoilenko. The sun sets slowly in the mist of the forest and evening shadows fall silently upon the earth. Hast thou, bright sun, tired of shining, or, perhaps thou art angry with us? Please, dear sun, keeping sending your warm rays to us with motherly care. But the sun hides behind the horizon and sends her nightly farewell.
4. The Fifer ~ (Ukrainian Folk Song) Ukrainian Dumka Chorus, Conductor: Alexander Soroka, Arranged by: Nikolai Leontovich. Old Grandpa, the fifer, used to walk down the village street playing his fife. Now he is no more. The fife is silent and nothing remains of his chest of treasures.
5. The Enamored Bandura Player ~ (Ukrainian Folk Song) Ukrainian Cappella Bundura Players, Conductor: Alexander Minkovsky, Bass: Boris Hmiryai. The enamored swain plays his bandura and sings of his love for the bewitchingly charming hazel-eyed maiden. In vain he implores her to accept his love.
6. Do Not Shine, Bright Moon ~ (Ukrainian Folk Song) Ukrainian State Radio Orchestra of Folk Instruments, Conductor: Nikolai Khivrich, Soprano: Halina Sholina. Do not shine, bright moon, for anyone but my beloved when he walks home. But should he fall in love with another girl, then dear moon, hide behind the clouds. The moon, indeed, hides behind the clouds and the heartbroken girl weeps bitterly.
7. Evening in the Country ~ (Ukrainian Folk Song) Bass: Boris Hmirya, Piano: Lev Ostrin. It is evening and the dusk of night is falling. A village lad asks a beautiful girl to meet him under the starry skies where he can gaze into her eyes, embrace and caress her.
8. Curly-Headed Catherine ~ (Ukrainian Folk Song) Ukrainian Cappella Bundura Players, Conductor: Alexander Minkovsky. Curly-headed Catherine clings to Martin. She asks him to marry her. He turns down her proposal as her love does not seem genuine to him. It turns out that all the fellows are after Catherine. Poor Martin becomes the laughing stock of the village.
9. The Setting Sun ~ (Ukrainian Folk Song) Ukrainian Cappella Bandura Players, Conductor: Alexander Minkovsky, Tenor: Ivan Kozlovsky. The sun goes down and the evening shadows fall. A fellow hastens to his beloved. He begs the girl to come out and meet him by the river and not be afraid of the frost.
10. Kazachok ~ (Ukrainian Folk Dance) Ukrainian State Orchestra of Folk Instruments, Conductor: Hrihori Veriovka.
11. Girls, Do not Wink ~ Bundura Trio who sing to their own accompaniment – Nina Pavlenko, Valentina Tretyakova, Tamara Polischuk. Music by Eugene Kozak, text by A. Novitzky. A girl met a fellow from a neighboring village, on a path in a field of swaying rye. When her girl-friends found out about it and saw the handsome lad, they began to wink at him. But he remained true to her. Shall she give up her sweetheart? No, love cannot be sacrificed. Although you girls are very adept, one thing you must understand – all your tricks will not do you any good!
12. About a Young Maiden ~ Bass: Boris Hmirya, Piano: Lev Ostrin. Music by Yuli Meytus; folk text. A peasant lad is madly in love with a beautiful maiden. He sends the elders to her to propose a match. Her rich father opposes her marriage to a poor boy. In despair, the boy plans to drown himself. He changes his mind because the water is too cold and may chill his bones. He no longer thinks of his maiden. He has found ten other girls to help him forget his painful love.
13. Handzia ~ (Ukrainian Folk Song) Ukrainian State Radio Orchestra of Folk Instruments, Conductor: Nikolai Khivrich, Soprano: Elizaveta Chavdar. Is there another maiden in the whole world that can compare with the fairest of all, my Handzia? Her lover has travelled far and wide – but has never seen a more beautiful face than that of Handzia. When she gazes at him with her beautiful bewitching eyes, he heart throbs violently. When she chatters sweetly, he is charmed completely.
14. O, Maiden, the Frost Rustles ~ (Ukrainian Folk Song) Ukrainian Ensemble of Bandura Players, Conductor: Andrei Bobre. A lovesick boy asks a young girl to marry him. But the girl refuses saying that for her to marry him, he must have a hut of his own. He proposes that they shall live temporarily with others, but she turns this plan down. She prefers to live in any kind of hut, rather than be under the same roof with a nagging mother-in-law.
15. Once in a Cherry Orchard ~ (Ukrainian Folk Song) Ukrainian Radio Ensemble of Bandura Players, Conductor: Andrei Bobre, Soprano: Vladlena Yalkut. Once in a cherry orchard where nightingales were sweetly singing, a young Cossack is pleading with a young lass to forget him and to love someone else.
16 At the Little Bridge ~ Children’s Chorus and Orchestra of Kalingrad, Artistic Director: Anatoli Chmerev, Conductor: Yuri Silantiev, Tenor: Ivan Kozlovsky. Music by Arkadi Filipenko, Text by H. Boiko. The children have to cross a little bridge to get to the forest to gather mushrooms. But a grey wolf sits on the bridge, growling and gnashing his teeth. He does not let the children pass. A little goat is also going to the green forest. He tries to scare the wolf by threatening to gore him or trample him with his hooves. Finally, the wolf is chased away from the bridge. The children thank the little goat for helping them get rid of him.
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