Isä pillinä piteli
Vello kantõ kantõlõna
Pantu pilli piina päälle
Katõlõ kammari ovele
(П. Аристэ. Водские песни и их язык. На водском и эстонском языках Таллинн. 1986. Стр. 35. 14.11.)
Up to now most of the reseach on Votic music has concentrated on studying song traditions so istrumental music remains a bit of a mystery. Unlike the songs, it was seldom recorded by field collectors. Although the stories about folk instruments were recorded, the tuning and melodies played on them were not. There are just two articles written by I. Tynurist in which two Votic instruments are described.
Ethnographic research conducted at the end of 18th century gives somewhat contradicting information about Votic musical instruments. F. Tumanskiy, who described St.Petersburg region population in 1789, states that Votic people weren't accustomed to playing musical instruments so the music was sung and people danced to it at weddings. Only on some occasions an Estonian piper was invited to a festival.
On the other hand, F.R Trefurt (On the Chud, Riga, 1783) writes that the pipes were played at the Spring festival dedicated to the first catch as well as at Hlarin festival (Frol and Lavr) and at weddings "where people eat, drink and dance to the pipes".
L.Tsetreus gives a name for the Votic bagpipes - rakkopill- in his study dedicated to Votic wedding based on the field expedition materials collected by him in the 1780s and published by a Finnish historian C.H. Portan in 1802. M. Gutri gives a detailed description of the bagpipes called pilias and used by the Finnish people living by the Baltic Sea in his "Diesertations sur les antiquities de Russe" (St.Petersburg, 1795).
In this article we will attempt a description of all Votic musical instruments based on the written sources, the field research by P. Ariste, E. Erntz, N. Kirsanov, M. Muslimov and on the information collected by the Votic Cultural society enthusiasts from the Votic people during the last few years.
In this article we will attempt a description of all Votic musical instruments based on the written sources, the field research by P. Ariste, E. Erntz, N. Kirsanov, M. Muslimov and on the information collected by the Votic Cultural society enthusiasts from the Votic people during the last few years.
Kannõl, kantel’, kannõla, kannõlõ,kantõlõ - this is how the Votic people called kantele – the legendary instrument of the Finnish epics Kalevala. It was made from different kinds of wood – pine, fir-tree, birch or aspen - and constucted in many different ways – from one piece of wood made hollow from the top, bottom or side, and them covered by a thin piece of wood. On one side the stings were tied to the wooden tuning pegs and on the other – to a metal rod nailed to the body or inserted into the wooden sides. Old instruments had 5-6 strings, later ones – 7,8 or even 9. According to the field recording of K.Yefimov made by Erntz in 1981, Votic kantele had one base string. Strings were either bought or made from pleated copper wire. There often was a hole for the cord in the intrument's wide end while the holes in the sound board along with various decorations differed in postion and appearance.
There isn't much information about the technique of playing. It is thought that chords tecnique was used – fingers of the left hand were placed on the strings to prevent some of them from making sound, while the fingers of the right hand stummed them vigourously. The instrument was held horisontally either on the lap or on a table with the short side facing the player.
Votic kantele could have been viewed in the Votic museum display prior to the second fire. It had 7 single strings and two doulbe base ones. It was constucted in the way when the wood was cut out from the side, unlike kanteles from the Baltic countries, but very similar to Veps and Karelian instruments. This exhibit was donated to the museum by Andrey Leyman. Earler it belonged to the Yakovlev family nicknamed karabulli (yellow water lily) who lived in Krakolye – it was found in the attic in their house.
Аркаша Боранов (водский ансамбль "Линнуд" из школы д.Краколье) играет на кантеле. д.Лужицы. 2005.
It is supposed that the instrument also had an older name. Vasiliy Krisanorov, a kantele player from Luzhitsy, had a nickname "Krizya" (from which his surname originated) which is similar to an existing name for an Udmurtian version of the istrument – krez.
At the beginning of 20th century 7 kantele players lived in Luzhisty. M. Tsarkova, a local of Luzhitsy, said that their end of the village had five kantele players and the Clay end had two, but only one accordion player. The best players were Kronni Nikon (Nikon Mironov), Krizya Vazya's (VasiliyKrisanorov) nephew Ivo Vole and Ivo's sister Fedoska. Every kantele player had to make his own instrument.
Some locals stated that kantele was never played at the dances or singing sessions. E. Dorohova from Peski said that in the old days when the music was played, there was no singing, but people danced quadrille and lancers. Social gatherings where young people played kantele and sung were common in Luzhitsy. M.Tsarkova mentioned that runes and church hymns were sung accompanied by kantele. Besides, she played in a kantele band which consisted of 4 players and practised in her courtyard.
Kantele was regarded as a family instrument and was kept at home. It was considered sacred, made by God himself and therefore it had magic powers, as both P.Yemelyanova nd M.Tsarkova stated. The latter aslo said: "we should play kantele to make the devil leave". Kantele was hung on a living room wall or beside the door for protection.
Unfortunately the original instrument from the Votic museum was destroyed in the second fire on 16 September 2006. There is a replica made by V. Marayev, a restorer from St.Petersburg.
Rakkopilli (rakko – bubble, pilli – pipe) - the bagpipes.
The bagpipes consisted of a bag, blowpipe and a chanter made from willow or reeds. The exact number of holes in the chanter is not known. Some sources say there were four holes at the front and two at the back. Tynurist claims that the bag was made from a pig's bladder or dog's skin and that there weren't any drones. Gutri gives a picture of the bagpipes with one drone. There is some evidence that a piper, while playing the pipes, could also use the bag filled with peas as a percussion. The was a version of rakkopilli used as a percussion only – A. Chornaya (Filatova) remembers that when she was a young girl, her father, Nikolay Filatov, used to make percussion out of a pig's bladder filled with peas and tied to a stick, which he called rakkopilli.
The pipes were widely played for rituals, at weddings, dances and festivals. In 1942 S. Kuzmina mentioned the pipes being played at Trinity.
На видео - совместное исполнение кадрили из д.Лужицы на водской волынке rakkopilli (Е.Кузнецова) и эстонской torupill (Л.Барбо) волынках и бубне (А.Соколов).
Волынка была распространена как обрядовый инструмент, используемый на свадьбах и для исполнения танцевальных мелодий на праздниках и гуляньях. С.Кузьмина в 1942 г. сообщала, что в водских деревнях играли на волынках на Троицу. Согласно Ф.Туманскому, описавшему население Петербургской губернии в 1789 г., у води не было принято играть на музыкальных инструментах, а свадьбы сопровождались песнями и плясками под голос; только в некоторых случаях звали на праздник эстонца с волынкой. Ф.Р.Трефурт в своем труде «Von den Tschuden» («О чуди», Рига, 1783), напротив, пишет, что на волынке играли весной во время праздника в честь первого улова, а также на праздник Хларина (Фрола и Лавра) и на свадьбу «где угощаются, пьют и танцуют под волынку». Л.Цетреус в своих материалах о водской свадьбе, собранных им в 1780-х г.г. и опубликованных финским историком Х.Г.Портаном в 1802 г., приводит название водской волынки – rakkopill, а М.Гютри в «Diesertations sur les antiquites de Russie» (Спб, 1795) дает довольно подробное описание волынки, бытующей у финского населения берега Балтийского моря и называемой pilias.
Rookopilli (rooko – reeds) – a whistle made from reeds or rashes that had a mouth piece and a few holes.
Pajupilli (paju – willow) – a flute made from willow bark. This is a seasonal instrument made in spring when the sap is moving actively inside the trees and the bark can be easily obtained. A branch slightly longer than the required lengths was cut and the wood inside removed by hitting it lightly to make the bark come off. A plug was made out of the wood and placed back into the pipe to form a mouth piece, and then the window for the whistle and two ot three finger holes were cut out. Pajupilli is considerd to be an instrument for children.
Kukkupilli, pillikukko, savvipilli (kukkua – to crow, kukko – cockerel , savi – clay)
- children's pottery ocarina shaped as a bird. There was an ocarina without finger holes on display in the Votic museum in Luzhitsy.
Puupilli (ruu – moorhen) – hunting bird caller. There isn't much information about the way it was made.
Sarvipilli, sarvi – herding horn made from a hollow cowhorn which may have had a few finger holes.
Druba, truba – herding horn made from juniper trunk by splitting it in half. Embouchure hole cut in the narrower end of the horn was about the same size as 5-10 rubles Soviet coin, according to the natives. There were two varieties – original and the one with finger holes, one of them being at the back. Sometimes a bell was attached to the oppostite side to add more "voice".
Tolo, dolo, drolli (Votic tolotta, drolisa – to ring) – a wooden bell or gong. There were two varieties. First was just a piece of wood, wooden or tin bell, with or without a tongue. Later it was replaced by a piece of metal rail that was hung on a post or a thick tree branch. This "gong" was used to call villagers together. The second was a small tin bell with tongue on a string tied around cattle's neck.
Kolotuška – a small wooden gong used by the night guard. It was made from a piece of wood of about 15 cm in length with a handle and was sounded with a help of a wooden ball or just a small piece of wood attached to the gong with a rope or a bracket.
Garmon’i, garmoška – harmonica (small accordion) made commercially or by instrument makers. Gaurila Agafonov, who lived in Luzhitsy in the 1920s, was an accordion maker and the first accordion teacher of the local lads. Old Saratov piano accordions with bells used to be played, but nowadays Tula or Vologda chromatic accordions are preferred, especially the latter ones. Bigger (piano) accordions are also popular. Russian button key accordions aren't used as often. Accordions were very often played at festivals for dances and as a back up for songs. P.Yemelyanov said: " In the old days people used to say that kantele is God's instrument, but accordion is different". Nowadays it's the accordion that's the most popular instrument in Votic villages.
There is evidence that other commercially manufactured instruments, such as fiddles, balalaikas, mandolins and guitars were played. These were bought in St.Petersburg or Narva. Trummu – military drum – was also used.
