Bandura
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- For the article on the Canadian psychologist, see Albert Bandura.
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[edit] Origin of term
The term bandura organologically refers to the Ukrainian plucked-string instruments of two distinct families: the lute and the zither type commonly associated with Ukraine.
In folk usage the term "bandura" can also refer to a number of different ethnic Eastern European regional instruments ranging from a hurdy-gurdy to a guitar. The terms kobza and bandura were at one time used interchangeably, although these terms diverged in the late twentieth century.
А player of the bandura is called a bandurist.
[edit] History
The earliest mention of the term bandura, dates back to a Polish chronicle of 1441, which states that the Polish King Sigismund III had a court bandurist known as Taraszko who was Ukrainian in origin and was also the king's companion in chess. The first use of the term kobza dates back to a 1313 Polish chronicle.
The invention of an instrument combining the elements of lute and psaltery is according to R. Turovsky creditable to Francesco Landini, an Italian lutenist-composer of trecento. Filippo Villani writes in "Liber de civitatis Florentiae": "...(Landini) invented a new sort of instrument, a cross between lute and psaltery, which he called the serena serenarum, an instrument that produces an exquisite sound when its strings are struck." The rare iconographic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/archive/evidence">evidence</a> (Magnasco) points that such instruments were still in use in Italy ca.1700. Similar instruments are documented in Ukraine from the previous century.
The existence of lute-like instruments used by the inhabitants of the lands than now constitute Ukraine date back to 591. However, it is not known what specific terms were used for such instruments as the Turkic word Kobza was only introduced to the Ukrainian language in the twelfth century.
Image:Skilar-Kyiv-Khrakiv.JPEG
The term bandura is thought to have a Latin pedigree (deriving from pandora or pandura via mediaval Polish Barduny (i.e. lute)).
It is known that by the 1700's the instrument had approximately four or five stoppable strings strung along the neck (with or without frets) and up to sixteen treble strings known as prystrunky strung in a diatonic scale across the sound board. The bandura existed in this form relatively unchanged until the end of the nineteenth century.
The unfretted (now referred to as "starosvitska") bandura was thought to have developed later, ca. 1800. This particular type of bandura superseded the frettable type, and became the ancestor of the banduras of our time.
The bandura underwent a rapid change in the twentieth century paralleling the development of Ukrainian ethnic awareness. After the death of the blind kobzar Ostap Veresai in 1890 it was thought that the last kobzar had died. In 1902 at the 12th Archeological Conference six blind traditional kobzars were however found and performed on stage.
In 1902 the sanctions introduced by the Russian government in 1876 banning the playing of the instrument on stage were lifted.
After 1902 the bandura became a cause popular among non-blind student youth. The gut strings were replaced by metal strings and became standard after 1902. The number of strings and size of the instrument also began to grow to accompodate the sound production required for stage performances. In 1912 metal tuning pegs were first introduced. In 1925 additional chromatic strings were introduced on instruments used by the Kyiv Bandurist Capella. In 1931 the first mechanisms were introduced for the rapid retuning of the instrument.
Although workshops for the serial manufacture of banduras were established in Moscow (1908) and Prague (1924), continuous serial manufacture of banduras was started in Ukraine in the 1930's. After WWII two factories dominated the manufacturing of banduras - The Chernihiv musical instrument factory (making over 300,000 instruments from 1954-1991) and the Trembita Musical instrument factory in Lviv (making over 3000 instruments from 1964 to the present day.
[edit] Construction
The back of the traditional bandura is primarilly carved from a solid piece of wood, usually willow, poplar, cherry or maple. Since the 1960's glued back instruments have also become common. In more recent times instruments with fibreglass backs are also becoming more widespread.
The soundboard is made from a type of pine, usually spruce.
The wrest planks and bridge are made from hard woods such as birch.
The instrument was primarilly a diatonic instrument, and despite the addition of chromatic strings in the 1920's continued to be played as a diatonic instrument. Most contemporary concert instruments have a mechanism which allows for the rapid retuning of the instrument into different keys. These mechanisms were first included in concert instruments in the late 1950's.
Significant contributions to bandura construction were made by Hnat Khotkevych, Leonid Haydamaka, Peter Honcharenko, Ivan Skliar, Vasyl Herasymenko and William Vetzal.
Currently instruments are serially made by the Chernihiv musical insturents factory and the trembita musical instruments factory in Lviv.
[edit] Types of banduras
Image:Bandura classical.jpg Today there are three main types of bandura:
- Authentic traditional banduras having usually some 20-23 string with wooden pegs tuned diatonically. (Theses instruments are usually hand made, with no two instruments being the same). Often these instruments are refered to as Starosvits'ka, Classical or old-time banduras.
- Academic Kyiv-style banduras with or without mechanisms primarilly manufactured by the Chernihiv musical instruments factory or the Trembita factory in Lviv having 55-65 strings. These instruments are the standard instruments found today in Ukraine.
- Kharkiv style banduras (diatonic with 34-36 strings and chromatic with 61-65 sstrings primarilly made by craftsmen outside of Ukraine, however these instruments are becoming sought after in Ukraine.
[edit] Education
Image:Banduryst Potapenko.jpg The first Primer for the bandura was published in Lviv by Hnat Khotkevych in 1909. It was followed by a number of other primers specifically written for the instrument in 1913-14 by M. Domontovych, V. Shevchenko and V. Ovchynnikov.
The first bandura classes were established in Kyiv at M. Lysenko's music school in 1908 being taught by kobzar I. Kucherenko. This course lasted till 1911. Attempts were made to restablish the courses with Hnat Khotkevyc teaching them but the internal exile of H. Khotkevych this was not possible.
Formal conservatory courses in bandura playing were established after the revolution in Kharkiv in 1926 by Hnat Khotkevych. This was prompted by the establishement of a bandura school in Prague with over 60 students in 1923. Other courses were later established in the Kyiv and Odessa conservatories in 1930. The courses in Ukraine however were all closed in 1932-33.
After WWII and particularly the death of J. Stalin bandura courses were once again established in the Kyiv conservatory under the direction of Volodymyr Kabachok, who had recently been rehabilitated after being arrested in 1934 and spending years digging in a gold mine in Kolyma.
Today all the conservatories of music in Ukraine offer courses majoring in bandura playing. Bandura playing is also taught in all music colleges and most music schools, and it is now possible to get advanced degrees specialising in bandura playing and pedagogy.
[edit] Ensembles
Image:Kyiv1925.jpeg The first documented performance by a bandura ensemble took place in Kharkiv in 1902, at the XIIth Archeological conference held in Kharkiv. Attempts were made to repeat the performacne but permission was not obtained from the Russian authorities. This was a performance organized by Hnat Khotkevych of a number of blind kobzars.
In 1905 we have evidence of the first performance of a bandura quartet of non-blind bandurists performing in Moscow. From 1906 small ensmebles began to form mainly from kobzars who had participated in the Kharkiv performance of 1902 and from non-blind bandurists and hadbecaome insterested in the instumnet. Groups were established by M. Domontovych in Kyiv and V. Shevchenko in Moscow.
What is considered to be the first professional (in the sense of this was their main livelyhood) bandurist ensemble was established by Vasyl Yemetz only in 1918 and became known as the Kyiv Bandurist Capella. Despite periods in which it did not function because of the political turmoil within the country, the ensemble re-established and redefine itself in 1923 and through its concerts stimulated the establishment of many other similar groups. By 1928 there were over 900 bandura ensembles in Ukraine.
Active persecution of bandurists in the 1930's resulted in many players taking the opportunity to seek freedom and emigrating to the West in the period during and after WWII. The Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus was made up of half of the Kyiv Bandurist Capella. It emigrated as a group settling in Detroit in the USA where it actively propagated its art form.
Bandurist choruses, ensembles and capellas were established in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Paraguay, Poland and Venesuella.
[edit] Persecution
In the 1930's attempts were made to control the rapid uncontroled growth in Ukrainian culture and specifically in interest in the bandura which was viewed by the Soviet authorities as uncontrolled nationalism. Various sanctions were introduced to retard this sudden growth and interest. When the sanctions did not work, bandurists often fell under harsh persecution from the Soviet authorities, many being arrested and some executed or sent to Gulag labour camps.
There were rumours and now some evidence has come to light that an ethnographic conference for bandurists, specifically for blind kobzars and lirnyks, was organised in Kharkiv in 1934 where approximately 300 bandurists were murdered. A monument now stands in the main park to mark the solemn event
Persecution of non-blind bandurist continued in the 1930's with many bandurists being arrested, tortured and shot. At one time the official state Bandurist Capella in Kyiv was changing artistic directors every 2 weeks because of these arrests and shooting.
After the death of Joseph Stalin severe persecution of bandurists stopped. Many bandurists who had been shot or sent off to labour camps were rehabilitated. Conservatory courses were once again re-established as was the serial manufacture of instruments by instrument factories in Chernihiv and Lviv.
[edit] Music
In 1910 the first composition for the bandura was published in Kyiv by Hnat Khotkevych. Despite numerous compositions being composed for the instrument in the late 1920's and ealy 30's Ukrainian composers only started writting seriously for the instrument after WWII. Composers such as M. Dermliuha, A. Kolomiyetz, Y. Oliynyk and K. Miaskov have apart from short pieces written complex works such as sonatas, suites, and concerti for the instrument. In recent times more Ukrainian composers have started to incorporate the bandura in their orchestral works with Ukrainian folk operas such as Natalka Poltavka being rescored with the bandura
[edit] Performers
Prominent contemporary performers in Ukraine include bandurist Kost Novytsky, Volodymyr Kushpet, Roman Hrynkiv, Oleh Sozansky, Taras Lazurkevych, Volodymyr Voit and Oksana Herasymenko.
Prominent contemporary exponents of the instrument in the West include Victor Mishalow, Julian Kytasty, Ken Bloom and Ola Herasymenko-Oliynyk.
In the West numerous performers who had emigrated from Ukraine because of its political turmoil have left a significant impact on bandurists throughout the world. These include Leonid Haydamaka, Hryhory Kytasty, Zinoviy Shtokalko and Volodymyr Luciv.
[edit] Literature
- Haydamaka, L. – Kobza-bandura – National Ukrainian Musical Instrument // “Guitar Review” №33, Summer 1970 (С.13-18)
- Mizynec, V. Folk Instruments of Ukraine - Bayda Books, Melbourne, Australia, 1987 - 48с.
- Mishalow, V. A Brief Description of the Zinkiv Method of Bandura Playing //Bandura, 1982, №2/6, - С.23-26
- Mishalow, V. The Kharkiv style #1 – Bandura 1982, №6, - С.15-22 #2 – Bandura 1985, №13-14, - С.20-23 #3 – Bandura 1988, №23-24, - С.31-34 #4 – Bandura 1987, №19-20, - С.31-34 #5 – Bandura 1987, №21-22, - С.34-35
- Mishalow, V. A Short History of the Bandura // East European Meetings in Ethnomusicology 1999, Romanian Society for Ethnomusicology, Volume 6, - С.69-86
- Hornjatkevyc A. J., Nichols T. R. - The Bandura – Canada crafts, April/May, 1979 p.28-29
- Horniatkevyc, A. – The book of Kodnia and the three Bandurists #11-12, 1985
- Diakowsky, M. “A Note on the History of the Bandura” // The Annals of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the U.S. - 4, 3-4 №1419, N.Y. 1958 - С.21-22
- Diakowsky, M. J. The Bandura // The Ukrainian Trend, 1958, №I, - С.18-36
- Diakowsky, M. – Anyone can make a bandura – I did // The Ukrainian Trend, Volume 6
[edit] External links
The article about another related Ukrainian lute called torban or teorban discusses kobza and bandura organological issues in depth: http://www.polyhymnion.org/torban
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