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Music has been produced in Russia and/or byRussians. Russia is a large andculturally diverse country, with manyethnic groups, each with their own locally developed music. Russian music also includes significant contributions fromethnic minorities, who populated theRussian Empire, theSoviet Union andmodern-day Russia. Russian music went through a long history, beginning with ritual folk songs and the sacred music of theRussian Orthodox Church. The 19th century saw the rise of highly acclaimedRussian classical music, and in the 20th century major contributions by various composers such asIgor Stravinsky as well asSoviet composers, while the modern styles of Russian popular music developed, includingRussian rock,Russian hip hop andRussian pop.
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Written documents exist that describe the musical culture of theRus'. The most popular kind of instruments in medieval Russia were thought to have beenstring instruments, such as thegusli orgudok. Archaeologists have uncovered examples of these instruments in the Novgorod region dating as early as 11th century.[1] (Novgorod republic had deep traditions in music; its most popular folk hero and the chief character of several epics wasSadko, a gusli player). Other instruments in common use include flutes (svirel), and percussive instruments such as thetreshchotka and thebuben. The most popular form of music, however was singing.Bylinas (epic ballads) aboutfolk heroes such as Sadko,Ilya Muromets, and others were often sung, sometimes to instrumental accompaniment. The texts of some of these epics have been recorded.
In the time theTsardom of Russia, two major genres formed Russian music: thesacred music of the Orthodox Church and secular music used for entertainment. The sacred music draws its tradition from theByzantine Empire, with key elements being used inRussian Orthodox bell ringing, as well as choral singing.Neumes were developed for musical notation, and as a result several examples of medieval sacred music have survived to this day, among them twostichera composed by TsarIvan IV[2] in the 16th century.
Secular music included the use of musical instruments such asfipple flutes and string instruments, and was usually played on holidays initially byskomorokhs – jesters and minstrels who entertained the nobility. During the reactionary period of theGreat Russian Schism in the 17th century, skomorokhs along with their form of secular music were banned from plying their trade numerous times, their instruments were burned and those who disagree withAlexis of Russia's 1648 law "About the correction of morals and the destruction of superstitions" (Об исправлении нравов и уничтожении суеверий) werepunished physically first and then were to be deported toMalorossia (modernUkraine), but despite these restrictions, some of their traditions survived to the present day.[3][4][5]
Russia was a late starter in developing a native tradition ofclassical music due to its geographic remoteness from Western Europe and the proscription by the Orthodox Church against secular music.[6] Beginning in the reign ofIvan IV, the Imperial Court invited Western composers and musicians to fill this void. By the time ofPeter I, these artists were a regular fixture at Court.[7] While not personally inclined toward music, Peter saw European music as a mark of civilization and a way of Westernizing the country; his establishment of the Western-style city ofSaint Petersburg helped foster its spread to the rest of the upper classes.[8] A craze for Italian opera at Court during the reigns of EmpressesElisabeth andCatherine also helped spread interest in Western music among the aristocracy.[9] This craze became so pervasive that many were not even aware that Russian composers existed.[10]
The focus on European music meant that Russian composers had to write in Western style if they wanted their compositions to be performed. Their success at this was variable due to a lack of familiarity with European rules of composition. Some composers were able to travel abroad for training, usually to Italy, and learned to compose vocal and instrumental works in the Italian Classical tradition popular in the day. These include ethnicUkrainian composersDmitri Bortniansky,Maksim Berezovsky andArtem Vedel.[11]
The first great Russian composer to exploit native Russian music traditions into the realm of secular music wasMikhail Glinka (1804–1857), who composed the early Russian language operasIvan Susanin andRuslan and Lyudmila. They were neither the first operas in the Russian language nor the first by a Russian, but they gained fame for relying on distinctively Russian tunes and themes and being in the vernacular.
Russian folk music became the primary source for the younger generation composers. A group that called itself "The Mighty Five", headed byBalakirev (1837–1910) and includingRimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908),Mussorgsky (1839–81),Borodin (1833–87) andCésar Cui (1835–1918), proclaimed its purpose to compose and popularize Russian national traditions in classical music. Among the Mighty Five's most notable compositions were the operasThe Snow Maiden (Snegurochka),Sadko,Boris Godunov,Prince Igor,Khovanshchina, and symphonic suiteScheherazade. Many of the works by Glinka and the Mighty Five were based on Russian history, folk tales and literature, and are regarded as masterpieces ofromantic nationalism in music.
This period also saw the foundation of theRussian Musical Society (RMS) in 1859, led by composer-pianistsAnton (1829–94) andNikolay Rubinstein (1835–81). The Mighty Five was often presented as the Russian Music Society's rival, with the Five embracing their Russian national identity and the RMS being musically more conservative. However the RMS founded Russia's first Conservatories in St Petersburg and in Moscow: the former trained the great Russian composerPeter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–93), best known for ballets likeSwan Lake,Sleeping Beauty, andThe Nutcracker. He remains Russia's best-known composer outside Russia. Easily the most famous successor in his style isSergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943), who studied at the Moscow Conservatory (where Tchaikovsky himself taught).
The late 19th and early 20th century saw the third wave of Russian classics:Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971),Alexander Scriabin (1872–1915),Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953) andDmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975). They were experimental in style and musical language. Stravinsky was particularly influential on his contemporaries and subsequent generations of composers, both in Russia and across Europe and the United States. Stravinsky permanently emigrated after the Russian revolution. Although Prokofiev also left Russia in 1918, he eventually returned and contributed toSoviet music.
In the late 19th to early 20th centuries, the so-called "romance songs" became very popular. The greatest and most popular singers of the "romances" usually sang in operas at the same time. The most popular wasFyodor Shalyapin. Singers usually composed music and wrote the lyrics, as didAlexander Vertinsky,Konstantin Sokolsky, andPyotr Leshchenko.
After theRussian Revolution, Russian music changed dramatically. The early 1920s were the era ofavant-garde experiments, inspired by the "revolutionary spirit" of the era. New trends in music (like music based onsynthetic chords) were proposed by enthusiastic clubs such asAssociation for Contemporary Music.[12]Arseny Avraamov pioneered thegraphical sound, andLeon Theremin inventedthereminvox, one of the earlyelectronic instruments.
However, in the 1930s, under the regime ofJoseph Stalin, music was forced to be contained within certain boundaries of content and innovation. Classicism was favoured, and experimentation discouraged.[13] (A notable example: Shostakovich'sveristic operaLady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District was denounced inPravda newspaper as "formalism" and soon removed from theatres for years).
The musical patriarchs of the era wereSergei Prokofiev,Dmitri Shostakovich,Aram Khachaturian andAlexander Alexandrov. The latter is best known for composing theAnthem of the Soviet Union and the song "The Sacred War". With time, a wave of younger Soviet composers, such asGeorgy Sviridov,Alfred Schnittke, andSofia Gubaidulina took the forefront due to the rigorousSoviet education system.[12] TheUnion of Soviet Composers was established in 1932 and became the major regulatory body for Soviet music.
Jazz was introduced to Soviet audiences byValentin Parnakh in the 1920s. SingerLeonid Uteosov and film score composerIsaak Dunayevsky helped its popularity, especially with the popular comedy movieJolly Fellows, which featured a jazz soundtrack.Eddie Rosner,Oleg Lundstrem and others contributed to Soviet jazz music.
Film soundtracks produced a significant part of popular Soviet/Russian songs of the time, as well as of orchestral and experimental music. The 1930s saw Prokofiev's scores forSergei Eisenstein's epic movies, and also soundtracks by Isaak Dunayevsky that ranged from classical pieces to popular jazz. Notable film composers from the late Soviet era includedVladimir Dashkevich,Tikhon Khrennikov,Alexander Zatsepin, andGennady Gladkov, among others.
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 Russian pop music of different years |
Among the notable people of Sovietelectronic music wereVyacheslav Mescherin, creator of Electronic Instruments Orchestra, andambient composerEduard Artemiev, best known for his scores forAndrei Tarkovsky's filmsSolaris,Mirror, andStalker.
The 1960s and 1970s saw the beginning of modern Russian pop and rock music. It started with the wave ofVIAs (vocal-instrumental ensembles), a specific sort of music bands performing radio-friendly pop, rock and folk, composed by members of the Union of Composers and approved by censorship. This wave begun withPojuschie Gitary andPesnyary; popular VIA bands also includedTcvety,Zemlyane andVerasy. That period of music also saw individualpop stars such asIosif Kobzon,Sofia Rotaru,Alla Pugacheva,Valery Leontiev,Yuri Antonov. Many of them remain popular to this day. They were the mainstream of Soviet music media, headliners of festivals such asSong of the Year,Sopot, andGolden Orpheus. The year 1977 saw also establishment ofMoskovsky Komsomoletshit parade, the Russia's firstmusic chart.
Music publishing and promotion in the Soviet Union was a state monopoly. To earn money and fame from their talent, Soviet musicians had to assign to the state-owned labelMelodiya. This meant accepting certain boundaries of experimentation, that is, thefamily-friendly performance and politically neutral lyrics favoured by censors. Meanwhile, with the arrival of new sound recording technologies, it became possible for common fans to record and exchange their music viamagnetic tape recorders. This helped underground music subculture (such as bard and rock music) to flourish despite being ignored by the state-owned media.[14]
"Bardic" or "authors' song" (авторская песня) is an umbrella term for the singer-songwriter movement that arose at the early 1960s. It can be compared to the Americanfolk revival movement of the 60s, with their simple single-guitar arrangements and poetical lyrics. Initially ignored by the state media, bards likeVladimir Vysotsky,Bulat Okudzhava,Alexander Galich gained so much popularity that they finished being distributed by the state ownedMelodiya record company. The largest festival of bard music isGrushinsky festival, held annually since 1968.
Rock music came to the Soviet Union in the late 1960s withBeatlemania, and many rock bands arose during the late 1970s, such asMashina Vremeni,Aquarium, andAutograph. Unlike the VIAs, these bands were not allowed to publish their music, and remained underground. The "golden age" ofRussian rock is widely considered to have been the 1980s. Censorship was mitigated, rock clubs opened in Leningrad and Moscow, and soon rock became mainstream.[15] Popular bands of that time includeKino,Alisa,Aria,DDT,Nautilus Pompilius, andGrazhdanskaya Oborona.New wave andpost-punk were the trend in 80s Russian rock.[14]Soviet and Russian conservatories have turned out generations of world-renowned soloists. Among the best known are violinistsDavid Oistrakh andGidon Kremer,[16][17] cellistMstislav Rostropovich,[18] pianistsVladimir Horowitz,[19]Sviatoslav Richter,[20] andEmil Gilels,[21] and vocalistGalina Vishnevskaya.[22]
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Russian pop music is well developed, and enjoys mainstream success via pop music media such asMTV Russia,Muz TV and various radio stations. Right after the fall of the Iron Wall, artists, likeChristian Ray, took an active political stance, supporting the first president Boris Yeltsin. A number of pop artists have broken through in recent years. The Russian duett.A.T.u. is the most successful Russian pop band of its time. They have reached number one in many countries around the world with several of their singles and albums. Other popular artists include theEurovision 2008 winnerDima Bilan, as well asValery Meladze,Grigory Leps,VIA Gra,Nyusha,Vintage,Philipp Kirkorov,Vitas andAlsou. Music producers likeIgor Krutoy,Maxim Fadeev,Ivan Shapovalov,[23]Igor Matvienko, andKonstantin Meladze control a major share of Russia's pop music market, in some ways continuing the Soviet style of artist management. On the other side, some independent acts such asNeoclubber use new-era promo tools[24] to avoid these old-fashioned Soviet ways of reaching their fans.[25] Russian girl trioSerebro are one of the most popular Russian acts to dominate charts outside of the European market. The group's most known single "Mama Lover" placed in the USBillboard Charts, becoming the first Russian act to chart since t.A.T.u.'s single "All About Us".[26]
Russian production companies, such as Hollywood World,[27] have collaborated with western music stars, creating a new, more globalized space for music.
The rock music scene has gradually evolved from the united movement into several different subgenres similar to those found in the West. There are youthpop rock andalternative rock (Mumiy Troll,Zemfira,Splean,Bi-2,Zveri). There are also punk rock, ska and grunge (Korol i Shut,Pilot,Leningrad,Distemper,Elisium). The heavy metal scene has grown substantially, with new bands playing power and progressive metal (Catharsis,Epidemia, Shadow Host,Mechanical Poet), and pagan metal (Arkona,Butterfly Temple, Temnozor).[28]
Rock music media has become prevalent in modern Russia.[citation needed] The most notable isNashe Radio, which promotesclassic rock andpop punk. ItsChart Dozen (Чартова дюжина) is the main rock chart in Russia,[29] and itsNashestvie rock festival attracts around 100,000 fans annually and was dubbed "Russian Woodstock" by the media.[30] Others includeA-One TV channel, specializing in alternative music and hardcore. It has promoted bands likeAmatory,Tracktor Bowling andSlot, and has awarded many of them with its Russian Alternative Music Prize.[citation needed]Radio Maximum broadcasts both Russian and western modern pop and rock.
Other types of music include folk rock (Melnitsa), trip hop (Linda) and reggae (Jah Division). Hip hop/rap is represented byBad Balance,Kasta,Ligalize,Mnogotochie,KREC and others. An experimentalrapcore scene is headlined byDolphin andKirpichi, whileMoscow Death Brigade is a relevanttechno /rap/punk band, well known for its stance against racism, sexism and homophobia. Other bands like Siberian Meat Grinder shares an experimental style of music.
A specific, exclusively Russian kind of music has emerged, which mixes criminal songs, bard and romance music. It is labelled "Russian chanson" (a neologism popularized by its main promoter, Radio Chanson). Its main artists includeMikhail Krug,Mikhail Shufutinsky, andAlexander Rosenbaum. With lyrics about daily life and society, and frequent romanticisation of the criminal underworld, chanson is especially popular among adult males of the lower social class.[31][32]
Electronic music in modern Russia is underdeveloped in comparison to other genres.[citation needed] This is mostly due to a lack of promotion.[33] There are some independent underground acts performingIDM,downtempo,house,trance anddark psytrance (includingtracker music scene), and broadcasting their work viainternet radio. They include Parasense,Fungus Funk, Kindzadza, Lesnikov-16, Yolochnye Igrushki, Messer Für Frau Müller andZedd (Russian-German artist). Of the few artists that have broken through to the mainstream media, there arePPK[34] andDJ Groove,[35] that exploit Soviet movie soundtracks for theirdance remixes. In the 2000s theDarkwave andIndustrial scene, closely related toGoth subculture, has become prevalent, with such artists asDvar,Otto Dix,Stillife,Theodor Bastard,Roman Rain,Shmeli andBiopsyhoz. Hardbass, an offshoot of UK Hard House originating in Russia in the late 1990s, has spread internationally via the internet, with acts such as Hard Bass School, & XS Project amassing significant followings.
The profile of classical or concert hall music has to a considerable degree been eclipsed by on one hand the rise of commercial popular music in Russia, and on the other its own lack of promotion since the collapse of the USSR.[36] Yet a number of composers born in the 1950s and later have made some impact, notablyLeonid Desyatnikov, who became the first composer in decades to have a new opera commissioned by theBolshoi Theatre (The Children of Rosenthal, 2005), and whose music has been championed byGidon Kremer andRoman Mints. Meanwhile, Gubaidulina, amongst several former-Soviet composers of her generation, continues to maintain a high profile outside Russia composing several prestigious and well-received works including "In tempus praesens" (2007) for the violinistAnne-Sophie Mutter.
The early 2000s saw a boom of musicals in Russia.Notre-Dame de Paris,Nord-Ost,Roméo et Juliette, andWe Will Rock You were constantly performed in Moscow theatres at the time. The popularity of musicals was hampered by the 2002Moscow theater hostage crisis and was only revived at the end of the decade.
2010s saw the rise of popularity ofRussian hip hop, especiallyrap battles on the internet by artists likeOxxxymiron andGnoyny, among others.
Russia today is a multi-ethnic state with over 100 ethnicities. Some of these ethnic groups has their own indigenous folk, sacred and in some cases art music, which can loosely be categorized together under the guise of ethnic roots music, or folk music. This category can further be broken down into folkloric (modern adaptations of folk material, and authentic presentations of ethnic music).
In recent years,Adygea has seen the formation of a number of new musical institutions. These include two orchestras, one of which (Russkaya Udal) uses folk instruments, and a chamber music theater.
Adygea'snational anthem was written by Iskhak Shumafovich Mashbash with music by Umar Khatsitsovich Tkhabisimov.
Altay is a Central Asian region, known for traditional epics and a number of folk instruments.
The first major study ofBashkir music appeared in 1897, when ethnographerRybakov S.G. wroteMusic and Songs of the Ural's Muslims and Studies of Their Way of Life. Later,Lebedinskiy L.N. collected numerous folk songs inBashkortostan beginning in 1930. The 1968 foundation of theUfa State Institute of Arts sponsored research in the field.
Thekurai is the most important instrument in the Bashkir ensemble.
TheBuryats of the far east is known for distinctive folk music which uses the two-stringed horsehead fiddle, ormorin khuur. The style has nopolyphony and has littlemelodic innovation. Narrative structures are very common, many of them long epics which claim to be the last song of a famous hero, such as in the "Last Song of Rinchin Dorzhin". Modern Buryat musicians include the bandUragsha, which uniquely combines Siberian and Russian language lyrics with rock and Buryat folk songs, andNamgar, who is firmly rooted in the folk tradition but also explores connections to other musical cultures.
Alongside the Chechen rebellion of the 1990s came a resurgence in Chechen national identity, of which music is a major part. People likeSaid Khachukayev became prominent promoting Chechen music.
The Chechennational anthem is said to be "Death or Freedom", an ancient song of uncertain origin.
In April 2024, it was reported that Minister of Culture Musa Dadayev had been instructed by head of ChechnyaRamzan Kadyrov to restrict music to specifictempos to "conform to the Chechen mentality and sense of rhythm" by 1 June, banning any vocal, musical, or choreographic works not composed between 80 and 116 beats per minute (BPM).[37][38] Dadayev later stated that this was meant to be guidance for the performance of traditional melodies, and was not meant to be an outright ban.[39]
Dagestan's most famous composer may beGotfrid Hasanov, who is said to be the first professional composer from Dagestan. He wrote the first Dagestani opera,Khochbar, in 1945 and recorded a great deal of folk music from all the peoples of Dagestan.
Karelians are Finnish, and so much of their music is the same asFinnish music. TheKalevala is a very important part of traditional music; it is a recitation of Finnish legends, and is considered an integral part of the Finnish folk identity.
TheKarelian Folk Music Ensemble is a prominent folk group.
Ossetians are people of the Caucasian Region, and thus Ossetian music and dance[40] have similar themes to the music of Chechnya and the music of Dagestan.
Archeology and direct evidence show a variety ofmusical instruments in ancient Russia. Authentic folk instruments include theLivenka (accordion) and woodwinds likezhaleika,svirel andkugikli, as well as numerous percussion instruments:buben,bubenci,kokshnik,korobochka [ru],lozhki, rubel,treschyotka, vertushka andzvonchalka.[citation needed]
Chastushkas are a kind of Russian folk song with a long history. They are typically humorous or satiric.
During the 19th century,Count Uvarov led a campaign of national revival which initiated the first professional orchestra with traditional instruments, beginning withVasily Andreyev, who used thebalalaika in an orchestra late in the century.[citation needed] Just after the dawn of the 20th century,Mitrofan Pyatnitsky founded thePyatnitsky Choir, which used rural peasant singers and traditional sounds.
Shamanism remains an important cultural practice of theethnic groups of Siberia andSakhalin, where several dozen groups live. TheYakuts are the largest, and are known for theirolonkho songs and thekhomus, ajaw harp.
Tatar folk music has rhythmic peculiarities and pentatonic intonation in common with nations of theVolga area, who are ethnicallyFinno-Ugric andTurkic. Singing girls, renowned for their subtlety and grace, are a prominent component of Tatar folk music. Instruments include thekubyz (violin),quray (flute) andtalianka (accordion).
Tuvan throat singing, or xoomii, is famous worldwide, primarily for its novelty. The style is highly unusual and foreign to most listeners, who typically find it inaccessible and amelodic. In throat singing, the natural harmonic resonances of the lips and mouth are tuned to select certainovertones. The style was first recorded byTed Levin, who helped catalogue a number of different styles. These includeborbannadir (which is compared to the sound of a flowing river),sygyt (similar towhistling),xoomii,chylandyk (likened to chirpingcrickets) andezengileer (like a horse's trotting). Of particular international fame are the groupHuun-Huur-Tu and master throat singerKongar-ool Ondar.
AlthoughUkraine is an independent country since 1991,Ukrainians constitute the second-largest ethnic minority in Russia. Thebandura is the most important and distinctive instrument of the Ukrainian folk tradition, and was used by court musicians in the various Tsarist courts. Thekobzars, a kind of wandering performers who composeddumy, or folkepics.
Hardbass or hard bass (Russian: хардбасс, tr. hardbass, IPA: [xɐrdˈbas]) is a subgenre of electronic music which originated from Russia during the late 1990s, drawing inspiration from UK hard house, bouncy techno and hardstyle. Hardbass is characterized by its fast tempo (usually 150–175 BPM), donks, distinctive basslines (commonly known as "hard bounce"), distorted sounds, heavy kicks and occasional rapping. Hardbass has become a central stereotype of the gopnik subculture. In several European countries, so-called "hardbass scenes" have sprung up,[1] which are events related to the genre that involve multiple people dancing in public while masked, sometimes with moshing involved.
From 2015 onward, hardbass has also appeared as an Internet meme, depicting Slavic and Russian subcultures with the premiere of the video "Cheeki Breeki Hardbass Anthem", based on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series of games from GSC game world.[2]
Everyone knows about the witch hunt ofInquisition times, but only few people aware that in 17th century Russia there were burning balalaikas for the same purpose
