Harp

Gusli - a musical instrument, a variety of which is a harp , kyphar , lyre , psalter , zhetygen . Also with gusli resemble the ancient Greek kifara , the Armenian canon and the Iranian centur ; these include: the Chuvash gusli, the Mari karsh , the clavier- shaped gusli and the gusli, resembling the Finnish kantele , the Latvian kokle and the Lithuanian kankles .

Heroes of the Russian epic epic play on the harp: Sadko , Dobrynya Nikitich , Solovey Budimirovich .

Researchers at the beginning of the 20th century noted the striking similarities of the Chuvash and Mari (Cheremis) gusli of his time with images of this instrument in medieval Russian manuscripts (for example, in the Fourteenth Century Servant , where the man playing the gusli is represented in the capital letter D, and in Makaryevskaya Chetie-Minei 1542 years ). In these images, the performers hold the harp on their knees and hook the strings with their fingers. In exactly the same way, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Chuvash and Mari (Cheremis) played on the gusli. The strings of their gusli were intestinal. Their number was not always the same. Psalter-like gusli is believed to have been brought to Russia by the Greeks, and the Chuvash and Mari (Cheremis) borrowed this instrument from the Russians ^[5] . (Perhaps among the Greeks and Egyptians of their time, the ancient Israelites learned to make stringed instruments. As a result, by the time of David , psalteria had spread in ancient Israel.)

The clavier-shaped gusli, which was also found at the beginning of the 20th century mainly among the Russian clergy , was an improved type of psalter-shaped gusli. This instrument consisted of a rectangular resonance box with a lid, which rested on a table. Several round cutouts — voices — were made on the resonance board, and two concave wooden blocks were attached to it. Iron pegs were screwed into one of them, on which metal strings were wound. The other bar played the role of a prince, that is, it served to attach the strings. The keyboard-shaped harp had a piano system, and the strings corresponding to the black keys were placed below the corresponding white keys on the piano keyboard.

For clavier-shaped gusli, there were notes and a music school created at the beginning of the 19th century by Fedor Kushenov-Dmitrevsky . He compiled the book "School or a self-instruction book for the ghusl."

Recent History

Recently, interest in the harp as a traditional musical instrument has increased. Various performers of the harp game appear, as well as masters involved in the manufacture of various types and forms of this instrument.

Pterygoid (voiced)

They are also referred to as nematodes (from the word sycamore (white maple) - a species of wood from which the gusli body is made, except for the spruce deck of the instrument). Historically the very first species of gusli. As a rule, they are a solo or accompaniment to the singer’s voice instrument. They have a diatonic scale .

Wing-shaped gusli were common in the 19th-20th centuries. in the northwestern regions of Russia, including those bordering the Baltic states, Karelia and Finland, where there are related instruments: Kankles , Kokles , Kantele and Kannel . The largest number of tools was met by researchers in the Pskov and Novgorod regions ^[6] . Wing-shaped gusli have a diverse shape, the strings are stretched fan-like, tapering to the “heel” (the place where the string holder is). Basically, you can select tools with a beveled body, which narrows as you approach the string holder. The thickness of the tool varies from 4 to 6 cm, and the length is not more than 800 mm. A special feature is a thin, about 6-11 mm, opener. During the game, it is used to support the left hand, which quickly gets tired from a fixed overhang over the strings. This type of gusli has from 5 to 17 strings, usually 6-9, tuned along the steps of the diatonic scale (sometimes in the mixolidian fret (lowered 7th step). Also, the lower or upper extreme strings can be configured as bourdon, that is, constantly sounding when There are about 12 different ways to tune the gusli. On the pterygoid gusli they play, as a rule, touching all the strings ("rattling") and jamming unnecessary strings with the fingers of the left hand. This is achieved by setting three (sometimes four) fingers between the strings, which allows you to quickly change acre Usually, the blow goes from top to bottom, but for greater smoothness of sound, strikes of equal strength are often added from bottom to top. Melodies also play (the “stuffing”, “elective”, “tweaking” techniques). Sometimes gusliars use tricks to pluck sounds and with the fingers of the left hand, these are usually the ring and thumb.

Helmet-like (psalter psalter)

Helmet-like or psalter psalter. For a long time, domestic historiography was dominated by the opinion of the ancient Russian origin of this instrument ^{[4] [7]} . Later, there were suggestions about the borrowing of an instrument of this type from the peoples of the Volga region ^{[8] [9]} . At this stage of the study of this issue, the researchers adhere to more cautious views, while pointing to the possible relationship of the psalter with the West European psalterium ^[10] .

According to the historian A. A. Novoselsky , in Russia this species of gusli was borrowed from Western European peoples: this is indicated by the external similarity and name of the gusli-psalter with the psalterium musical instrument ( lat. Psalterium ^[11] ). The helmet-shaped gusli appeared in Russia in the XIV century ^[12] .

In Veliky Novgorod, on all five finds with the image of musical instruments, there is an image of a musician (buzzer) with an instrument such as helmet-shaped gusli ^[13] .

The psalter psalter has the shape of a helmet or a hill and from 10 to 26 strings are the same settings as the pterygoids (lowered seventh step). The harp is placed in the same way as the pterygoid, vertically on the musician’s lap. The right hand plucks the melody on the upper strings, using all the fingers, and the left hand chords, usually in a fifth or quart on the lower. You can also meet the technique of playing with both hands in an octave at the Mari (Cheremis).

Lyre-shaped

They are also called a harp with a game window. They were spread in the territory of Ancient Russia and Poland in the XI-XIII centuries ( Novgorod , Staraya Russa , Gdansk and Opole ). The earliest finds come from Novgorod and the Polish city of Opole , which dates from the 11th century ^{[14] [15] [16]} .

The harp with a game window has an opening in the upper part of the instrument (game window). This feature makes this tool related to other lyre-shaped instruments. Probably, the musician's left hand was placed in the game window and the fingers were manipulated with strings (jammed / plucked). With his right hand, the musician struck the strings closer to the string holder. The instrument was held vertically during the game, resting the lower end against the knee or the waist. When playing on the go or standing, he could rest on the thigh.

Stationary

Also clavier-like, rectangular ^[17] and table- shaped ^[7] . They have a chromatic scale . The tool was created in the XVI — XVII centuries. based on goslings voiced and helmet-shaped. It also existed as a portable tool, which lay horizontally on the lap of a hussler. Basically, it was distributed as a stationary tool with the number of strings 55–66. Such gusli was used in the Russian houses of prosperous citizens, including among the clergy, which is why such gusli were also called priests ^[18] .

Plucked

Pinched and keyboard harp can also be called academic or concert . The structure and sound range of the plucked gusli is the same as that of the keyboard gusli, but the game technique is more complicated. Stringing is done with both hands: the left one creates the accompaniment for the melody played by the right hand. The strings are stretched in two planes: in the upper there is the gamma in A major , and in the lower there are other sounds.

Keyboard

Created by N.P. Fomin in 1905 on the basis of rectangular gusli ^[17] . They are used in folk instrument orchestras mainly as an accompanying instrument for playing chords. With his left hand, the performer presses the keys, and with his right hand he plucks the strings with the help of a leather pick , or, sometimes, without it.

The main technique of the game is arpeggiato from the lower sound to the upper ^[19] . The sound range is 4–6 octaves : for example, for 4 octave gusli from La Big Octave to La Third; for the 5-octave from La controctava to La third; for the 6-octave from La Controctava to La Fourth. The number of keys 13 corresponds to a sound range of one octave, usually from To to a note Until the next octave. Pressing a key opens the strings corresponding to it in tone in different octaves ^{[20] [18]} Also, the instrument has a special key that lifts dampers above all strings for the possibility of performing chromatic glissando .

Usually made from an already processed board, sometimes from a wooden deck, which is split to the desired size. Manufacturing technology is quite simple. First, the master picks up wood. It can be pine and spruce, sometimes cedar. Previously, they also used, and sometimes now, an apple tree and maple sycamore. Then, at the board, which is split and properly dried, the boards are marked with the shape, the opener and the nut for chopping are cut down, if they are wooden. After that, the master, usually manually, selects wood from behind, in front or from the end (a rare way), creating a resonating void. Then the master cuts through the voice box (resonator hole) or burns out several small holes. In place, from which the master began to choose the instrument, set the voice board (deck). Sometimes it is embedded in the body, and sometimes it is laid on top. It can be fixed with both nails and glue. ^[21]

Ringed harp

On the harp they play sitting or standing. When playing while sitting, the harp is placed on its knees with an edge, slightly tilted to the body.

The musical repertoire for gusli is diverse. Playing songs is characterized by smooth strokes. A game of dance, on the contrary.

1. for 9-string gusli (Pskov region) Sol-do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-si flat-do;
2. for 9-string gusli (Novgorod, Pskov oblasts) B flat-do re-mi-fa-sol-la-si flat-do;
3. for 12-string gusli (Novosibirsk region) Do-do-sol-do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-si flat-do-do;
4. for 5-stringed gusli (17th century Belgian musicologist Dr. Gutry) (Leningrad Oblast) Do-fa-sol-s flat-do;
5. South Russian system (Voronezh, Kursk, Orel provinces) Sol-si flat-do-re-mi.

The setting of the gusli of the academic school (folk instrument orchestras) is the same as that of the Baltic (kokle, kankles) and Finno-Ugric instruments (kantele, kannel, sankvyltap , nars-yukh), without lowering the seventh step: Do-re-mi-fa sol la ci do .

A short list of performers and other figures who have made a significant contribution to the history of gusli:

See Category: Guslars

• Gusli in the form described above is, in essence, a purely Russian phenomenon. Many Slavic peoples have musical instruments with similar names: gusle - for Serbs and Bulgarians, gusle, guzla, gusli - for Croats, gosle - for Slovenes, guslic - for Poles, housle ('violin') y Czechs . However, these instruments are quite diverse, and many of them are bowed (for example, guzla, which has only one horsehair string).
• The five-stringed gusli with a game window, found in Novgorod at the Trinity Excavation in 1975 in layers of the middle of the 11th century , has the Cyrillic inscription “Slovisha” ^[23] .
• On the five-stringed gusli from Gdansk, found in 1949 during excavations of a medieval manor in the layers of 1225–1275, there is an ornament in the form of a wicker ^[24] .
• In the 1980-1990s, during the frontal work of the folklore expeditions of the St. Petersburg (Leningrad) State Conservatory , led by Anatoly Mikhailovich Mehnetsov (1936-2008), the remains of the archaic tradition of the track game in the Novgorod and Pskov regions were revealed ^{[25] [26 ] [26 ] ] [27]} .
• In translations of the Bible into Russian, kinnor was called a gusli.

• Bandura is a Ukrainian instrument.
• Gusle - bow instrument of the southern Slavs.
• Guslya is a character in the books of Nikolai Nosov about Dunno; a musician named after the gusli.
• Ukulele

• Gusli // Big Russian Encyclopedia . Volume 8. - M. , 2007 .-- S. 184.
• Gusli (p. 178-181). Gusli table (pp. 181-183) // Musical instruments. Encyclopedia. - M .: Deka-VS, 2008 .-- 786 p.
• Vasiliev Yu. A., Shirokov A. S. Stories about Russian folk instruments. - M .: Soviet composer, 1986. - S. 38-45. - 88 p.
• Vertkov K. A. Russian folk musical instruments. - L .: Music, 1975 .-- S. 71-80. - 280 p.
• Beetle L. Ya. The art of playing the harp. - M .: RAM them. Gnesins , 1998 .-- 188 p.
• Maksimov E.I.O.U. Smolensky // Russian musicians-nuggets. - M .: Soviet composer, 1987. - S. 119-143. - 200 p.
• Maksimov E.I. Chorus of the Gdovskikh gusliarov O.U. Smolensky // Orchestras and ensembles of Russian folk instruments. - M .: Soviet composer, 1983. - S. 58-72. - 152 p.
• Mehnetsov A.M. Russian gusli and guselny game. - SPb. : Russian Folklore and Ethnographic Center, 2006. - 88 p.
• Novoselsky A.A. Essays on the history of Russian folk musical instruments. - M .: Muzgiz, 1931. - S. 28-31. - 47 p.
• Povetkin V.I. The riddle of the psalter psalter // Almanac "Chelo" 1 (10). - 1997.
• Sokolov F. Gusli voiced: Collection of folk goose tunes. - M., 1959.
• Tikhomirov D.P. History of the gusli: Essays. - Tartu, 1962 .-- 92 p.: Ill., Sheet music. - (Scientific notes of Tartu State University. Issue 116).
• Famintsyn A. S. Gusli: Russian folk musical instrument. - SPb. , 1890. - S. 1-8, 101-102.
• Findeisen N.F. Essays on the history of music in Russia. Volume 1, issue 2 . - M.-L.: State Publishing House, 1928. - S. 217–222. - 236 p.
• Gusli, musical instrument // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Jurgenson B.P. Gusli // Musical Dictionary : in 3 volumes / comp. H. Riemann ; add. Russian department with staff. P. Weimarn and others; per. and all ext. under the editorship of Yu. D. Engel . - Per. from the 5th of it. ed. - Moscow — Leipzig: ed. B.P. Jurgenson , 1904 .
• Banin A. A. Russian instrumental music of folk tradition / M-culture of the Russian Federation. Gos. rep. center rus. folklore. - M. , 1997 .-- 248 p. - ISBN 5-86132-023-3 .

Video:

• Transmission "Gingerbread House" TV channel "Culture", vol. " Gusli-voiced ", 2014.
• The program “Craft” of the Zagorodnaya Zhizn television channel, vol. 58 Gusli , 2011. Participants in the program: Ilya Akhrameev and Boris Efremov.
• Doc the film " Living Strings ", 1984.

Broadcasts:

• Leningrad branch of the checkpoint of the USSR Music Fund: Gusli (1979).