Hey y’all!  Dav here with another guest blog from Neal!  Huzzah! Roma Choirs and Roma Musical Aristocracy  The beginning of the process of settling “Gypsies” in the big towns of the Russian Empire was closely related to the famous “Gypsy choirs”. The first such mixed (men and women) choir was founded by Count Alexei Orlov in 1775, in his estate at Pushkino, near Moscow. The conductor was Ivan Sokolov (succeeded by his nephew Ilya  Sokolov), and the members of the choir were serfs. At the beginning of the 19th century the choir members were freed from serfdom and moved to live and work in Moscow. In 1812, they made big donations towards the needs of the army during the war against Napoleon, part of them were volunteers and took part in army action (for instance at the battle of Borodino).  Count Orlov’s Gypsy choir was very popular among the Russian aristocracy. Other similar choirs were founded, many generations of famous “Gypsy” musicians grew up. “Gypsy” musicians began to move to Moscow, and subsequently to St. Petersburg and other larger towns. In Moscow, from 1807 to the middle of the 19th century, “Gypsy” musicians enjoyed a kind of self-government – they elected their own “burmistr” (mayor), who was responsible to the municipal administration for the gathering of taxes (Roma were registered as “meshchane”), maintained contact with the authorities, resolved petty conflicts within the community etc.  After several generations Roma musicians and actors in large towns (chiefly Moscow and St. Petersburg) became special social stratum (separated to a certain extent even from other Roma), comprising famous artist dynasties, such as the Sokolov, Shishkin, Panin, Khlebnikov, Dulkevich, Pankov families, with a high social position. Roma musicians regularly met the highest circles in the Russian Empire – the aristocracy, rich merchants, famous poets, writers, musicians etc. There were even mixed marriages with the high society: Feodor Tolstoy, (a close relative of the writer Lev Tolstoy), the brother of the writer Sergei Tolstoy and his son Lev L. Tolstoy, Prince F. P. Masalskii, Prince Witgenstein, the millionaire from the Ural Nechaev, Anenkov, the rich landowner, Ledwik, the publisher of “Borsovie vedomosti”, and others, all married Roma girls.  The first complete “Gypsy” performances by “Gypsy” musicians and actors were staged towards the end of the 19th century. On March 20, 1888, the musical comedy “Chave adro vesha” (Children in the forest) was performed at the Malyi Theater in St. Petersburg. The music, primarily “Gypsy” songs and romances, was an arrangement by Nikolai Shishkin. The play was continously shown up to 1906. 1892 saw the premiere of N. Shishkin’s new operetta “Gypsy Life”.  Source: Project Education of Roma Children in Europe  (photo courtesy Wikipedia)

Hey y’all!  Dav here with another guest blog from Neal!  Huzzah!

Roma Choirs and Roma Musical Aristocracy 

The beginning of the process of settling “Gypsies” in the big towns of the Russian Empire was closely related to the famous “Gypsy choirs”. The first such mixed (men and women) choir was founded by Count Alexei Orlov in 1775, in his estate at Pushkino, near Moscow. The conductor was Ivan Sokolov (succeeded by his nephew Ilya  Sokolov), and the members of the choir were serfs. At the beginning of the 19th century the choir members were freed from serfdom and moved to live and work in Moscow. In 1812, they made big donations towards the needs of the army during the war against Napoleon, part of them were volunteers and took part in army action (for instance at the battle of Borodino). 

Count Orlov’s Gypsy choir was very popular among the Russian aristocracy. Other similar choirs were founded, many generations of famous “Gypsy” musicians grew up. “Gypsy” musicians began to move to Moscow, and subsequently to St. Petersburg and other larger towns. In Moscow, from 1807 to the middle of the 19th century, “Gypsy” musicians enjoyed a kind of self-government – they elected their own “burmistr” (mayor), who was responsible to the municipal administration for the gathering of taxes (Roma were registered as “meshchane”), maintained contact with the authorities, resolved petty conflicts within the community etc. 

After several generations Roma musicians and actors in large towns (chiefly Moscow and St. Petersburg) became special social stratum (separated to a certain extent even from other Roma), comprising famous artist dynasties, such as the Sokolov, Shishkin, Panin, Khlebnikov, Dulkevich, Pankov families, with a high social position. Roma musicians regularly met the highest circles in the Russian Empire – the aristocracy, rich merchants, famous poets, writers, musicians etc. There were even mixed marriages with the high society: Feodor Tolstoy, (a close relative of the writer Lev Tolstoy), the brother of the writer Sergei Tolstoy and his son Lev L. Tolstoy, Prince F. P. Masalskii, Prince Witgenstein, the millionaire from the Ural Nechaev, Anenkov, the rich landowner, Ledwik, the publisher of “Borsovie vedomosti”, and others, all married Roma girls. 

The first complete “Gypsy” performances by “Gypsy” musicians and actors were staged towards the end of the 19th century. On March 20, 1888, the musical comedy “Chave adro vesha” (Children in the forest) was performed at the Malyi Theater in St. Petersburg. The music, primarily “Gypsy” songs and romances, was an arrangement by Nikolai Shishkin. The play was continously shown up to 1906. 1892 saw the premiere of N. Shishkin’s new operetta “Gypsy Life”. 

Source: Project Education of Roma Children in Europe 

(photo courtesy Wikipedia)

2 years ago
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