Concertina players in Russia

[Konzertina-123]

It seems that there exists a certain tradition of concertina playing in Russia, for instance this talented player :

http://www.accordion.spb.ru/Valentin_Osipov.htm

 

There are also concertina players of the 1950's-1960's, which are still enjoyed, especially Pavel Rudakov, apparently former clown :

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKbWUxrhVLM

 

Does anyone know further about these ?

[Alan Day]

It seems that there exists a certain tradition of concertina playing in Russia, for instance this talented player :

http://www.accordion.spb.ru/Valentin_Osipov.htm

 

There are also concertina players of the 1950's-1960's, which are still enjoyed, especially Pavel Rudakov, apparently former clown :

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKbWUxrhVLM

 

Does anyone know further about these ?

Thank you for your posting and links. A very interesting subject that we know little about.

I would like to draw your attention to a very interesting article regarding Gregory Matusewitch, written by Eric Matusewitch about his family who were very famous Russian Concertina and accordion players. Gregory moved from Russia in 1923 to America and proved very successful for him in the Music Halls. His success prompted the introduction of Raphael

from the Balkans also a superb player of the English concertina as the examples you posted. It would appear that The English Concertina is the traditional concertina from that area ,only because nobody has ever posted music from that area played on anything other than an English. Raphael and Gregory Matusewich both recorded 78rpm records and both players are featured on English International. The players you posted have a very similar style to these recordings. If you can trace further information about these players I would be very interested. Thanks again

Al

Edited February 5, 2012 by Alan Day

[Konzertina-123]

I know about Matusewitch and Raphael, whose name was Raphael Sonnenberg - both of Russian Jewish origin, as well as another concertinist, Isaak Piroshnikoff who had founded an English concertina orchestra in St Petersburg in the late 1800's and who gave concerts in English-mandate Palestine around this time. Piroshnikoff has recorded some cylinders.

These were concertists whereas the 1960's musicians seem to belong more to the music-hall and comic theatre (and circus ?) world.

 

The musician from who I have my concertina was a clown from Poland, "Bati" was his stage name, he played his Aeola (now mine !) in several circuses including Staniewski, Amar, Medrano and Portier, the later ones in France when he emigrated in the 1930. I believe concertina players from East Europe were not rare at this time.

But I was surprised to see that in Russia this tradition was still alive. In France (where I live) the last ones to play the concertina were Annie Fratellini and Raymond Devos, both passed away.

[Alan Day]

I know about Matusewitch and Raphael, whose name was Raphael Sonnenberg - both of Russian Jewish origin, as well as another concertinist, Isaak Piroshnikoff who had founded an English concertina orchestra in St Petersburg in the late 1800's and who gave concerts in English-mandate Palestine around this time. Piroshnikoff has recorded some cylinders.

These were concertists whereas the 1960's musicians seem to belong more to the music-hall and comic theatre (and circus ?) world.

 

The musician from who I have my concertina was a clown from Poland, "Bati" was his stage name, he played his Aeola (now mine !) in several circuses including Staniewski, Amar, Medrano and Portier, the later ones in France when he emigrated in the 1930. I believe concertina players from East Europe were not rare at this time.

But I was surprised to see that in Russia this tradition was still alive. In France (where I live) the last ones to play the concertina were Annie Fratellini and Raymond Devos, both passed away.

Thank you for that information on Raphael and others. I understand that he may have possibly gone to America with his band, I wonder if it was the Concertina Orchestra of St Pittsburg that you mention.

Al

[SteveS]

I recall being at the Victory Day parade and celebration in Moscow about 15 years ago. One of the acts on stage that day was a couple of comedians - and very talented musicians - one of whom played an EC, and a decent Wheatstone at that. I got chatting to him afterwards, after blagging my way past the guards: turned out that he'd played both in his current act as well as some serious music. Unfortunately I dont recall his name. I mentioned my surprise at seeing concertina in Russia - I recall him saying that concertina was not entirely unknown, and was apparently popular in polite society in pre-revolution days.

Edited February 5, 2012 by SteveS

[Konzertina-123]

Interesting./

In relation with Piroshnikoff, here is what I found :

http://archive.jta.org/article/1933/06/16/2800926/isaac-piroshnikoff-dies-popular-concertina-artist

Isaac Piroshnikoff, well-known concertina artist, died here Wednesday at his home, 461 Fort Washington Ave., of a heart attack.

 

Piroshnikoff was born in the Ukraine on May 8, 1859. He was the founder of the Warsaw Conservatory and later became military bandleader at Vilna. He was also conductor of the orchestra at the Teachers' Institute there. His method of concertina instruction, which made it easy for beginners to grasp the fundamentals, was introduce# into many Russian teacher's institutes.

 

In 1900 Piroshnikoff opened a publishing business in Vilna, printing a series of 24 booklets of famous stories about Russian and other European writers, several Yiddish and Hebrew textbooks, a collection of Jewish proverbs, and several Jewish ceremonial books with Russian translations.

 

Piroshnikoff, who came to this country in 1912, organized the Workmen's Circle chorus, the Paterson Jewish chorus and several children's choruses.

[Kautilya]

You comrades need to keep PC (politcally concertinaed)and up to date on these things.... or you could be heading for the cold wastes.

I am sure I already alerted you to some Big Names two years ago and you have clearly forgotten.

and you will see the influence of a box from the other side here ( Chinese infiltration perhaps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7oBv4LItNs&feature=related

[Konzertina-123]

I just add this text I found on Internet about the same subject so I will not loose it. It gives names of famous Concertina players in the beginning of 20th Century in Russia :

 

Среди наиболее известных русских концертинистов с 70-х годов XIX века выделялась музыкальная труппа семьи Юровых, особенно отец и сын Юровы –Дмитрий Иванович (1862 – 1936) и Пантелеймон Дмитриевич (1901 – 1967). Несколько позже появляются и другие исполнители, такие как Станислав Михайлович Длусский (1853 – ок. 1920), Б. И. Ящинский, А. В. Ротштейн, И. А.Пирожников и др. Помимо множества бытовых песен и танцев в их репертуаре были «Серенада» Э Грига, «Соловей» А. А. АЛябьева, сочинения П. И. Чайковского, Р. Леонковалло, Р. Вагнера.

[Konzertina-123]

And this text too, which, by the way, refers to the invetion of the bizarre Odessa duet found some years ago by Stephen Chambers :

 

Концертина. Еще один вид гармоники — концертина — был сконструирован в 1829 году англичанином Чарлзом Уитстоном (1802 — 1875). О Ч. Уитстоне и английской концертине см. более подробно в работах А. Мирека [69, с. 29 — 30; 70, с. 34 — 35]. В России широкая публика познакомилась с этим инструментом в середине XIX века. В знаменитом саду «Минеральных вод» И. Излера в Петербурге на открытии сезона 20 мая 1853 года, судя по программе, играл уже «дуэт на концертино». С 1873 года на Педагогических курсах в Петербурге обучение на концертине было введено как обязательный предмет. Вел преподавание известный концертинист Б. И. Ящинский. Как писалось в те годы, «этот инструмент действительно удобнее всех других при обучении пению в элементарной школе» [88, с. 300 — 304]. Об успешном применении его в школе рассказывает много интересного в своих книгах известный русский педагог, основатель и редактор журнала «Учитель», автор многих учебников Иосиф Иванович Паульсон (1825 — 1898) [881. Сам Паульсон отлично играл на концертине. В 1887 году в Петербурге было даже основано Общество любителей игры на английских концертинах, а затем начинается их отечественное производство: на севере изготовлял концертины мастер И. Ф. Сунцов, на юге, в Одессе, — мастера И. Ф. Благин и Е. В. Николаев. Иван Федорович Сунцов, крестьянин из деревни Заполицы, находящейся в 12 км от Вятки по Казанскому тракту, был отличным мастером, делавшим высококачественные сложные модели гармоник. «Главной же заслугой его в гармонном производстве является то, что он первым положил основу выработки концертин, которые по строю и технике были значительно лучше английских», — подчеркивает М. Н. Шатров [120, с. 38 — 42]. В Вятке Сунцов однажды увидел маленькую шестигранную гармонику-концертину английской работы, приобретенную учителем Капустиным в Москве у Циммермана. Певучий звук, чистый строй покорили мастера, и он в 1898 году едет в Москву для ознакомления с производством концертин. В фирме Циммермана производился только ремонт и подстройка концертин. Замечания Сунцова относительно недостаточно чистой их настройки произвели впечатление на директора, который предложил мастеру показать свою работу. Сунцов за две недели произвел доводку в настройке имевшихся на складе концертин и, попросив разрешения разобрать один инструмент, прибывший из Англии, попробовал сделать такой же. Месяц понадобился Сунцову, чтобы изготовить новую концертину, «которая по проверке в консерватории была признана лучше английской». Вернувшись в Вятку, Сунцов получил заказ от Земской управы на 100 концертин для местных школ, где «при обучении пению они заменяют скрипки и фисгармонии». В 1900 году «земство решило принять участие в Парижской всемирной выставке, куда вместе с разными кустарными изделиями было послано несколько штук концертин...» [120, с. 39]. Качество русских инструментов оказалось выше английских; но зарубежная фирма отказала в дальнейшей поставке деталей. Тогда Сунцов «решил все станки и штампы для частей сделать сам». С помощью Вятской ремесленной школы он создал необходимое оборудование и наладил производство концертин, которое продолжалось около тридцати лет. Одесские мастера Благин и Николаев сталей изготовлять небольшие инструменты, но не шестигранной, а прямоугольной формы, которые назывались «мелогармоника» (изобретена инспектором народных училищ Л. П. Шпановским), типа обычных гармоник. На выносных грифах с обеих сторон располагались кнопки в хроматической последовательности, по принципу фортепианной клавиатуры. Левая сторона имела диапазон от соль малой октавы до соль первой, а правая являлась ее прямым продолжением: от соль-диез первой до второй. Эти инструменты, получившие название русской концертины, были вдвое дешевле английских, клавиатура проще для пользования, и применяли их обычно при работе с хором (играли на этих гармониках профессиональные учителя пения и регенты), к сольной и ансамблевой игре они мало приспособлены (в отличие от русских концертин вятского образца) Однако и с ними выступали на эстрадах. Например, гармонии С. Коломенский играл в Москве на русской концертине аккомпанементом рояля и имел успех у публики. Большой спрос на двух- и трехрядные гармоники в конце XIX — начале XX века отразился и на гармонном производстве. Двухрядные венки стали изготовлять отдельные кустари, ранее выпускавшие более простые модели. Но, главное, на них обратили внимание владельцы гармонных фабрик, для которых выпуск этих гармоник был выгоден из-за простоты конструкции и технологии (основные детали стандартизированы, просты в сборке, взаимозаменяемы). В 90-х годах владельцы крупных фабрик (Воронцовы, Доброхотов, Барымов, Киселевы и другие) постепенно осваивают выпуск двух- и трехрядных гармоник.

[CrP]

I have a modest amount of research on players in Russia (and E. Europe -- but let's leave that for another thread), being a student of Russian music (strictly amateur) and Russian language & lit (as an academic) starting waaay back in college in the 60s. I can't lay my hands on my previous stuff, but I can send some beginnings here.

 

For instance, there's this that appeared a couple of months ago on a musicians' list called Forum: "Russian accordion", written by Viktor Livanov:

 

>>On it [concertina] there are all of a few people who play [these days]. In Moscow I know of one guy with an English and two with anglos and that, in all likelihood, is all. In Petersburg, nobody plays anglo any more at all or it's really unlikely.<<

 

Then, there's Nikolai Bandurin, a specialist in chastushki (very hard to describe; it's kind of like vaudeville/music hall or a major specifically Russian urban folk tradition involving improvised (or seemingly improvised on the spot) satirical verse commentary on -- well, you name it -- with concertina riffs or choruses or show-off brief interludes between the jokes/verses. Often done by a pair of comedian-musicians.

See: http://www.nikolaybandurin.ru/news/index.php/2009/08/13/intervyu-zhurnalu-oficery-rossii.html

 

More later, if there seems to be interest, since this is kind of out of the mainstream (speaking, I admit, from a Western-centric viewpoint).

[SteveS]

Then, there's Nikolai Bandurin, a specialist in chastushki (very hard to describe; it's kind of like vaudeville/music hall or a major specifically Russian urban folk tradition involving improvised (or seemingly improvised on the spot) satirical verse commentary on -- well, you name it -- with concertina riffs or choruses or show-off brief interludes between the jokes/verses. Often done by a pair of comedian-musicians.

See: http://www.nikolaybandurin.ru/news/index.php/2009/08/13/intervyu-zhurnalu-oficery-rossii.html

 

Thanks for this - having seen his picture, I'm sure that it was Nikolai Bandurin I met at the Moscow Victory Day parade all those years ago.

[Konzertina-123]

There are too some Bandurin videos on Youtube. It seems he is not truly a talented player, rather using the instrument as a funny item in his shows ; whereas Pavel Rudakov did true music. Chastushki with free-reed instrument was Peter Nevsky's speciality one century ago, and it seems he also mastered English concertina, besides other types of Russian garmoshkas.

As for the virtuoso Isaac Piroshnikov, he did at least 6 recordings in Russia around 1910 as a solist and tens of other ones with his concertina band. I have listened only to his solo rendition of Zigeunerweisen and, on the reverse side of the 78', As once in better days by Popper.