The best Russian romances of the 19th century. History of romance

Submarine (submarine, submarine) - a class of warships capable of diving and long time operate underwater. The most important tactical property and advantage of a submarine is stealth. The submarines were intended to destroy important objects on enemy territory, destroy surface combat ships, commercial and transport ships, conduct reconnaissance, land sabotage groups and perform other special tasks. Depending on their purpose, the following types of weapons were used on boats: mine; torpedo; artillery, including anti-aircraft and small arms machine guns. In addition, the submarines differed in size, propulsion systems, hull design, and equipment.

The active use of submarines was already observed during the First World War, when 600 submarines (372 of them were German) of the warring states sank 237 warships with a total displacement of 1 million tons, incl. 55 large warships (battleships and cruisers), 105 destroyers, 33 submarines. The total carrying capacity of sunk merchant ships was about 19 million registered tons, of which 13.2 million tons were sunk by German boats. During the hostilities, 265 submarines were lost.

Studying the experience of using submarines, the leading naval powers did not have a common view on their purpose. Thus, the British saw submarines as weapons of anti-submarine defense and naval blockade, while the Americans considered their main target to be enemy warships - battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers. The Japanese tried to create boats capable of operating as part of squadrons that dominated the sea. Finally, the Germans believed that the enemy merchant fleet would be the main force. By the beginning of World War II, the fleets of the leading maritime countries included almost 800 submarines.

Approximate number of submarines as of 09/01/1939 by country

Submarines rank second after destroyers in terms of the influence of the navy on the course of the Second World War. If in the First World War submarines served as auxiliary vessels in some operations, then in the current one they formed separate fleets and played an independent role. If at the beginning of the twentieth century several countries had submarines, then in the Second World War there were dozens. And this despite the fact that the construction of a submarine was several times more difficult and more expensive than most surface ships. And operating a submarine required highly professional crews. Only the training of the rank and file of the boat took 6-12 months, and the training of officers took several years. It should be noted that the boats built at the beginning of the century in their design and equipment could not be compared with the next generation in all respects: autonomy and cruising range, power plants, weapons, navigation equipment, communications and enemy detection equipment.

The rapid development of the submarine fleet also led to a change in the tactics of using submarines. Instead of single attacks by boats, massive ones began to be used, and instead of basing them in ports, numerous floating bases arose thousands of miles from the coast. Boats of various functional purposes appeared. So, during the war, boats varied in size and displacement: cruising (ocean-going), large submarines, medium-sized (sea), small (coastal), ultra-small (mini boats) and special boats. The boats were also classified according to purpose: monofunctional, multifunctional, special. The submarines differed in both armament and hull design.

During the war years, the shipbuilding industry of the leading maritime countries supplied the military fleets with a little more than 1,700 submarines (excluding midget ones), incl. 1089 boats were built by Germany, 205 by the USA, 154 by Great Britain, 145 by Japan, 92 by the USSR, 27 by Italy.

Due to significant differences in boat types, for full characteristics qualitative composition of the countries' submarine fleets, the number of submarines is given according to the classification of displacement. At the same time, the special category includes boats based on their functional purpose, regardless of size.

Approximate number of submarines used in the war by country and type of boat (excluding captured and transferred/received)

1) Cruising and large

2) Special and ultra-small

The table does not include lost midget submarines.

During the war, the allied countries transferred submarines to each other, both for temporary use and permanently. Thus, Great Britain transferred 5 boats each to Greece and the Netherlands, 3 to Norway, 3 to Poland, 4 to the USSR, 7 to France. The USA transferred 15 to Great Britain, 2 to Turkey, and 1 to Poland. Germany transferred 9 submarines to Italy.

Some countries also used captured boats. Thus, 6 captured boats served in England, 11 in Italy, 7 in the USSR, and 8 in Japan. The German Navy included 4 boats built in foreign shipyards and 16 captured boats. About 20 boats were captured by Germany in Italy, France and other occupied countries in unfinished form. Most of them were completed using German weapons and equipment, with subsequent commissioning as ships of their own construction.

Due to the fact that submarines of the same type were built of several types (modifications), and sometimes several subtypes (series), they differed from each other in tactical and technical characteristics(sometimes for many, sometimes for several positions). Below are the performance characteristics of the best examples of boats of their type.

It should be noted that when comparing the main performance characteristics of submarines, which have approximately the same parameters (usually recorded in reference books), it is necessary to evaluate a number of other supporting indicators.

These include: seaworthiness, unsinkability, sinking speed, engine noise, radar, sonar, navigation equipment and its quality, shock resistance of instruments and mechanisms, quality of torpedo weapons and communications equipment, volume of reserves and composition of emergency equipment. These parameters of the submarines, as well as the degree of training of the crews, directly influenced the effectiveness of the submarines.

Cruising (oceanic, squadron) submarine- a boat with powerful artillery and/or torpedo weapons, with a long range and autonomy. It had a hull length of 80 meters or more, an underwater displacement of 2-5 thousand tons, a cruising range at an average speed of 12-30 thousand miles, and a diving depth of up to 300 m. As a rule, the boat was intended for autonomous operations in the ocean and had better living conditions for the crew. The boat was also supposed to operate as part of a squadron of large surface ships. Cruiser boats were built by 5 countries: Great Britain (3 boats), USSR (11 boats), USA (222 boats of 8 types), France (1 boat), Japan (88 boats of 22 types + 5 submarine aircraft carriers).

Performance characteristics of the best examples of cruising submarines

A large submarine is a boat with medium artillery and enhanced anti-aircraft weapons, as well as an increased cruising range. It had a hull length of up to 80 meters, an underwater displacement of up to 2 thousand tons, a cruising range at an average speed of up to 12 thousand miles, and a diving depth of up to 200 m. The boat could operate both in the sea and in the ocean. Large boats were built by 12 countries: Great Britain (69 boats of 9 types), Germany (313 boats of 3 types), Italy (60 boats of 14 types), USA (66 boats of 3 types), Japan (42 boats of 4 types). Moreover, the USA and Japan are outdated pre-war boats.

Performance characteristics of the best examples of large submarines

The medium submarine is a versatile sea boat with an increased diving depth. It had a hull length of up to 70 meters, an underwater displacement of up to 1 thousand tons, a cruising range at an average speed of up to 9 thousand miles, and a maximum diving depth of 200 m. Boats of this type were the most numerous and most effective in combat operations. The boats were built by 20 countries.

Performance characteristics of the best models of medium submarines

Small submarine - intended for short-range defense of coastlines and naval bases. It had a hull length of up to 50 meters, an underwater displacement of up to 500 tons, a cruising range at an average speed of up to 5 thousand miles, and a maximum diving depth of 150 m. Small boats were built by 5 countries: Great Britain (9 boats), Germany (110 boats of 5 types), USSR (104 boats of 5 types), Sweden (9 boats) and Japan (18 transport boats of 3 types). In addition, 78 submarines were built by Britain, which were smaller than medium submarines but larger than small submarines. Small boats from all countries turned out to be unsuccessful, representing more of a technical echo of the First World War. Due to their small size, they were poorly armed and had low seaworthiness. At the same time, comparatively big size And low speed made them easily detected by the enemy. As a result, submarines of this class did not achieve any significant results in the war.

Performance characteristics of the best examples of small submarines

Ultra-small (mini-submarine) - a boat with a displacement of up to 60 tons and a crew of 1-5 people. It was intended to penetrate enemy bays, bases and ports for the purpose of reconnaissance, sabotage or delivery of explosives for remote detonation. The boat had limited navigation autonomy and was delivered to the area of ​​operation, as a rule, with the help of a carrier. The blast wave from the depth charges did not cause damage to the submarines, but threw them aside. Unlike large submarines, which are instantly direction-finding and destroyed by enemy aircraft and navy, mini-submarines, due to their small size, managed to remain unnoticed and successfully carry out tasks in conditions of complete enemy dominance at sea and in the air. Ultra-small boats were built by 4 countries: Great Britain (131 boats of 3 types), Germany (908 boats of 4 types), Italy (16 boats of 3 types) and Japan (405 boats of 4 types). Despite the significant number of boats built, the damage they caused did not cover the costs of their production and did not have any impact on the course of the war.

Performance characteristics of the best examples of midget submarines

Special submarines They are not classified by size and displacement, but due to the specificity of the functions they perform, they should be considered separately. Such boats included: submarine aircraft carriers and air transports, underwater minelayers, transport boats, and fuel tankers. Such boats either performed a specific, narrow combat mission, or ensured its implementation by other units. Among the effective actions, it should be noted the laying of minefields by German minelayers in the coastal sea fairways and the supply of cargo and fuel by Japanese transport boats to their expeditionary troops and ships.

Of course, in addition to the technical parameters of submarines, the tactics of their use also influenced the effectiveness of their actions. The crews of US and German submarines were intensively engaged in combat and tactical training throughout the war and had a relatively high level of preparedness, unlike Italian, Soviet and Japanese sailors. The submarines of Germany and the United States were controlled by the commanders of the submarine forces of the fleets, as a rule, former submariners. They also supervised the combat and tactical training of submarines. German and American boats could act in harmony in large groups at a great distance from bases and resist convoys or formations of surface ships.

The tactics of the boats were determined by the tasks they solved, the geographical location of the area in which they operated, the state of the equipment and the level of preparedness for combat operations of themselves and the objects of their actions. Therefore, boat tactics were different in different fleets. But there was a lot in common.

For example, almost all boats at the beginning of the war operated on the surface both day and night. They dived only when attacking surface combat ships, heavily guarded convoys, and when evading attacks from anti-submarine forces. Convoy attacks were usually carried out at night for several days in a row.

To solve anti-submarine missions, the boats maneuvered at periscope depth during the day and on the surface at night, charging batteries. Observation was carried out through a periscope and using hydroacoustic stations. In most cases, combat clashes under water were inconclusive, since torpedoes had a running depth of no more than 14 meters, and hydroacoustic stations had short ranges and direction-finding accuracy. To increase the success of attacks, firing a salvo of several torpedoes was practiced. In addition to torpedoes, mines were used to combat submarines.

Almost every fleet used its own tactics. Thus, Germany used the “wolf pack” tactic, which consisted of pursuing enemy ships with submarines in order to wait for superiority in position or numbers. The attack took place simultaneously with as many submarines as possible. At the same time, the anti-submarine forces of the convoy were forced to react to several boats at once, to disperse, thereby not jointly threatening any one of them, which allowed most of the boats to attack repeatedly. Was attacked a large number of ships, which subsequently required the organization of a large volume of rescue work and partly distracted the escort ships from pursuing the submarines.

In practice, this tactic was carried out as follows. The submarines were lined up in a screen (300-500 miles) so that at least one of them could detect a passing enemy convoy. The submarine that discovered the convoy transmitted a message about this to the center and followed in a surface position parallel to the convoy at a considerable distance from it (beyond the horizon), watching for smoke. The center guided the remaining submarines to the target. The "flock" could consist of 20 - 60 boats. As a rule, attacks were carried out at night and from the surface. The boats sank only if they were escaping pursuit. During the day, the “flock” overtook the convoy ships, taking advantage of the advantage in surface speed, and took up a position for a new attack at night.

The action of “wolf packs” in coastal, cramped and heavily protected areas turned out to be very difficult. Therefore, the Germans used single boats, during the day they lay on the ground at a depth of 50-100 meters several miles from the transport routes, at dusk they walked to the shore under water, and at night they surfaced to attack.

There was no unified command of the submarine forces in the English fleet. Since the outbreak of war, submarines have been widely used for anti-submarine warfare near their ports and bases. In addition, they conducted anti-submarine operations along the passage routes of German submarines. However, the main task at the beginning of the war was considered to be the fight against German surface raiders, who seemed to the British the main threat to their shipping. During the war, British boats were used to cover convoys and formations of surface ships from attacks by enemy forces. There were no cases of them sinking enemy boats. Underwater combat clashes were most often inconclusive due to the imperfection of sonar stations and the lack of anti-submarine torpedoes.

Italian submarines solved the same problems as German ones. However, they acted differently. They launched the attack alone and only underwater; they did not pursue the convoys. Submarine commanders did not know how to operate in groups and screens, attack the enemy while on the surface, break through the guards of a convoy moving on alternating courses, and pursue a detected enemy for a long time.

The main tasks of the USSR submarine fleet were determined to be: the destruction of enemy transports and warships and the restriction of their navigation; conducting reconnaissance in order to identify the tension and nature of the enemy’s communications, the system and organization of its anti-submarine defense, patrol, navigation fences and fairways. In combat activities, the boats used the positional method, then they began to use cruising in limited areas. As the war progressed, submarines switched to group operations. From firing single torpedoes, submariners switched to firing several torpedoes at time intervals, and subsequently to firing in a “fan” salvo. Often, submarines, unable to use torpedoes, surfaced and engaged in artillery combat with enemy ships.

Submarines: Over 300 submarines from all over the world

Per. from English A. Nikolaeva. - M.: OOO "ACT Publishing House", 2001. - 352 p., ill. - (Encyclopedia of military equipment).

The illustrated encyclopedia covers the entire history of submarine shipbuilding - from American Bushnell's Turtle, created during the War of Independence of the United States, to modern nuclear missile submarines. Information is also provided on the main models of modern underwater weapons - torpedoes, mines, anti-ship and ballistic missiles. Tactics technical data of submarines has been supplemented and corrected. The text of the book is provided with detailed comments, and a brief summary of the evolution of submarines is given.

The appearance of submarines upended all previously established ideas about the strategy and tactics of warfare at sea. These ships could conduct effective fighting straight from the depths of the sea, while remaining invisible to the enemy. They've passed long haul development from primitive steam boats of times Civil War in the USA to silent nuclear submarines that can not surface for months and are equipped with intercontinental missiles with multiple nuclear warheads.

The idea of ​​​​creating underwater weapons arose several centuries ago. In 1634, two French priests, Mersenne and Fournier, developed a detailed design for an armed submarine. In 1648, John Wilkins, the son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell, discussed the possibility of creating an "Underwater Ark". During the American Revolutionary War, submarines took part in combat for the first time. The first underwater foray in history was undertaken in September 1776. American soldier Ezra Lee, piloting the submarine Turtle 1, tried to attach a mine to the bottom of the English frigate Eagle, which was stationed on the Hudson River. However, this boat has not yet been in in every sense words underwater. The entire hull of the Turtle was under water, but a tiny conning tower with glass portholes rose above the surface. Ezra Lee was unable to attach a mine to the hull of the enemy ship, and the English frigate remained unharmed. The submarine was subsequently lost when the ship carrying it ran aground.

During Napoleonic Wars Several submarines were used, built according to the design of the American inventor Robert Fulton. His work did not arouse interest in America, and in 1797 Fulton moved to France, where he was finally able to realize his ideas. The world's first submarine built by government order was the Nautilus, launched in 1800. During testing in the port of Le Havre, the Nautilus remained underwater at a depth of 7.6 meters for one hour. After the French stopped funding the project, Fulton went to England and got Prime Minister William Pitt to create a special commission to evaluate his submarine design. But the commission considered the construction of such ships inappropriate. The attitude of the British Admiralty to Fulton's ideas was best summed up by Lord St. Vincent, who told Pitt: "For a country that rules the seas, to support the development of such a weapon would be the greatest folly, since its successful development would deprive us of our command of the sea."

The British submarine M-2 was launched in October 1918 and did not participate in hostilities. In April 1928, she was converted to transport a seaplane, and in 1932, the boat sank in Portland.

After the defeat of Napoleon, peace came, and until the American Civil War, inventors did not think about submarines, since there was no need for them 2. However, with the outbreak of the war between North and South, keen interest in this type of weapon was revived again. However, the submarines created during this period can rather be classified as suicide weapons. These ships were armed with the so-called “pole mine” - an explosive charge mounted on a long pole. The world's first submarine to successfully attack an enemy ship was the H.L. Han-li”3, named after its creator. On February 17, 1864, she sank the Northern ship Houstonik with her mine, but at the same time she was pulled to the bottom by a stream of water that poured into a hole in the side of the sinking ship. Many years later, the submarine was discovered at the bottom of the sea. The skeletons of eight crew members were still at their combat posts 4.

“AND DAMMIT, NOT ENGLISH WEAPONS”

At the turn of the 20th century, the United States took the lead in the creation of submarines. The development and construction of submarines here was led by Irish-American John II. Holland. His first successful creation was the boat “Holland No. 1”; this miniature vessel, like its predecessors, was propelled by the muscular power of the crew. But by using the newly invented 4 hp Brayton kerosene engine, Holland was able to create a more advanced model of the submarine. "Holland No. 1" was built at the Albany Iron Works and was tested in 1878. This boat is now kept in the Patterson Museum in the United States. Holland's belief in the prospects of using the engine internal combustion speaks of his rare flair for technical innovations. After all, the rest of the submarines of that time as driving force still used steam.

The first American submarine to have a “modern” design was the Holland No. 6. It was equipped with a gasoline engine and an electric motor with a battery.

“In cramped conditions, but don’t be offended”, interior view of the English submarine “Graf” (formerly German U 570 5)

This ship served as a prototype for later British and Japanese submarines. "Holland No. 6" was purchased by the American Navy and in 1900 became part of it under the name "Holland"6. The American press literally sang the praises of Holland’s submarine, calling it a “monster fighting fish” and the like sonorous names, but in essence this ship was still very, very primitive 6.

Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson in 1899 irritably referred to submarines as “mean, dishonest, and damned un-English” weapons. His statement clearly demonstrates how the British Admiralty tried to turn a blind eye to the existence of this type of naval weapons. But Her Majesty's fleet was alarmed rapid growth the number of submarines in the French and American fleets. And by the beginning of the 20th century, the British submarine designers themselves had already achieved certain results. Maritime budget for 1901 - 1902 fiscal year Funds were allocated for the construction of five improved Holland-type boats to evaluate their combat qualities. The first five submarines of the British fleet were built under license from Vickers at the Barrow-in-Furness engineering plant. Under the leadership of the newly appointed Chief Inspector of Submarines of the British Navy, Captain Reginald Bacon, the company made a number of improvements and additions to the American design, so that when the first Royal Navy submarine was launched on November 2, 1902, it was no longer recognizable as its American predecessor.

In March 1904, all five A-class boats (as the series became known) took part in a practice attack on the cruiser Juneau near Portsmouth. The attack was successful, but the A-1 boat rammed the passenger liner and sank with its entire crew. A total of thirteen A-series submarines were built, followed by eleven B-series submarines and thirty-eight C-series submarines. From now on, submarines became one of the most important weapons in the British fleet.

By 1914, America, England, France, Italy and Russia already had impressive submarine fleets. Germany initially lagged behind, but during the First World War its submarine fleet continuously grew and improved. As a result, by the end of 1916, submarines had become the main attack weapon of the German Navy. The appearance in the German fleet of “cruising” submarines, which were of considerable size and had a long cruising range, caught the Allies by surprise and almost became the reason for their defeat. German boats caused enormous damage to English merchant ships, which made voyages one by one. By April 1917, the total tonnage of “merchants” sunk by the German submarine fleet was 907,000 tons, of which 564,000 tons were English ships. The Allied commercial fleet was saved only by the belated introduction of the convoy system.

"I remember wonderful moment...»

“I remember a wonderful moment...” - one of the most famous poems Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, written in 1825 and addressed to Anna Kern. A significant contribution to the popularization of these lines was made by the famous Russian composer Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, who in 1840, inspired by the beauty of his beloved Catherine (ironically, who turned out to be the daughter of Anna Kern), wrote music to these poems, which gave the romance a new impetus and allowed it to gain fame in wide circles.

"Nightingale"

The romance “The Nightingale” was written in the 1820s by the famous Russian poet and publisher - Baron Anton Antonovich Delvig and the popular composer, pianist and conductor - Alexander Alexandrovich Alyabyev. The unprecedented popularity of the romance is determined primarily by the fact that the poems and music were written in the genre of Russian songs, which gave reason to perceive it as folk song. Nowadays, “The Nightingale” is one of the most famous Russian romances, occupying an honorable place in the collection of classics of Russian culture.

V. Chuevsky
"Burn, burn, my star"

The romance “Shine, Shine, My Star” was written in 1846 by Moscow State University student Vladimir Chuevsky and the famous composer Pyotr Bulakhov ( on the picture) for the 700th anniversary of Moscow. The romance gained its greatest popularity during the First World War, but people did not have time to fully enjoy the patriotic motives, because after the revolution, the Bolsheviks, dubbing the romance White Guard, banned it from being performed, but by the end of the 1950s the ban was lifted, although they deprived Chuevsky and Bulakhov of authorship, crediting the people as the creators of the song, which in turn gave rise to many legends in the USSR about the true authors of the romance.

« evening call, evening Bell»

The romance “Evening Bells” was written in the mid-20s XIX century famous Russian poet and translator of the Romantic era Ivan Ivanovich Kozlov and composer Alexander Alexandrovich Alyabyev. Oddly enough, one of the most famous and widely loved romances among the people, considered Russian folk, is not actually such; the fact is that Ivan Kozlov simply translated into Russian the song of the Irish poet Thomas Moore - “Those evening Bells” . Over the entire period of its existence, the text of the romance has changed many musical accompaniments, but the most beloved and popular is still its classical version.

"Black eyes"

“Black Eyes” is one of the most famous Russian romances not only in Russia, but also in the world. Written in the first half of the 19th century Ukrainian poet and the writer - Evgeniy Pavlovich Grebenka, as a dedication to future wife- Rastenberg to Maria Vasilievna. As a romance, the poem “Black Eyes” became popular only in the 1880s. Originally performed to waltz music German composer Florian Hermann, but gained the greatest popularity thanks to music Italian composer- Ferrari. The most famous performer, so far, is legendary singer Fyodor Chaliapin, who, having included it in his repertoire, raised the romance to world fame.

On a separate line:

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Romance is a very definite term. In Spain (the birthplace of this genre), this was the name for a special kind of composition, intended primarily for solo performance to the accompaniment of a viol or guitar. As a rule, a romance is based on a small lyric poem love genre.

Origins of Russian romance

This genre was brought to Russia from France by aristocrats of the second half of the XVIII century and was immediately accepted fertile soil Soviet poetry. However, Russian romances, the list of which is known today to every lover of classical song, began to emerge somewhat later, when the Spanish shell began to be filled with truly Russian feelings and melodies.

Into the fabric new song The traditions of folk art, which was still represented exclusively by anonymous authors, were organically intertwined. Romances were re-sung, passing from mouth to mouth, lines were altered and “polished.” TO early XIX centuries, the first collectors of songs began to appear, driven by the idea of ​​preserving ancient Russian romances (the list of them by that time was already quite large).

Often these enthusiasts added to the collected texts, giving the lines depth and poetic power. The collectors themselves were academically educated people, and therefore, when going on folklore expeditions, they pursued not only aesthetic, but also scientific goals.

Evolution of the genre

Starting from the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, the artistic content of romance lyrics became increasingly filled with deep personal feelings. The hero’s individual world was given the opportunity for bright, sincere expression. The combination of a high syllable with simple and lively Russian vocabulary made the romance truly popular and accessible to both the nobleman and his peasant.

The vocal genre has finally been reborn and mid-19th century has become an integral part of a social evening within the framework of the “languid” home music playing, beloved by all young ladies. The first romances also appeared. The list that made up their song repertoire included more and more original works.

The most famous in the first half of the 19th century were such famous composers as A. Alyabyev and A. Gurilev, who played an invaluable role in the development of Russian romance and its popularization.

City and gypsy romances

Urban romance has absorbed the greatest amount folklore motifs Russia XIX-XX centuries. Being an author's song, such a song, in its freedom of existence, resembled and was distinguished by its characteristic features:

• the magic of details;
• clearly defined images;
• step composition;
• powerful reflection of the main character;
• the image of ever-eluding love.

The characteristic features of urban romance from a musical point of view are the harmonic construction of the composition with minor tones, as well as its inherent sequence.

The gypsy romance was born as a tribute to Russian composers and poets in the manner of performance of the same name, beloved by many. Its basis was the ordinary lyrical song. However, its lyrics and melody included characteristic artistic expressions and techniques that were in use among the gypsies. It’s not surprising to recognize such a romance today. Its main theme, as a rule, is love experience in various gradations (from tenderness to carnal passion), and the most noticeable detail is “green eyes”.

Cruel and Cossack romances

There is no academic definition for these terms. However, their character traits described in the literature quite fully. The peculiarity of cruel romance is a very organic combination of the principles of ballad, lyrical song and romance. TO individual traits it is attributed to the abundance of main plots, differing only in the causes of the tragedy. The result of the whole story is usually death in the form of murder, suicide or from mental anguish.

Homeland Cossack romance is Don, who gave lovers of folk poetry legendary song unknown author“Spring will not come for me...” History also does not know the exact authorship of most highly artistic works that can be described as “classical Russian romances.” Their list includes songs such as: “Dear Long”, “Only Once”, “Eh, Friend Guitar”, “Come Back”, “We Only Acquaintances” and others, written in the first third of the 20th century.

Russian romances: list and their authors

According to one of the main versions, Russian romances, the list of which was given above, belong to the pen of the most popular at the beginning last century songwriters: Boris Fomin, Samuil Pokrass, Yuli Khait and others.

The most devoted connoisseur of classical romance in the 20th century was Valery Agafonov, who was the first to declare high value cultural baggage leaving the Soviet listener. Russian romances, the list of which Agafonov compiled, owed their revival on new soil to the return to their homeland of their legendary performers - Alexander Vertinsky and Alla Bayanova.

Romance is chamber vocal piece, which is characterized by a poetic form and lyrical content of love themes. In other words, this poetic works for singing with instrumental accompaniment.

The form of a romance is close to a song, only with a limited theme of a love-lyrical nature. The romance is usually performed accompanied by one instrument, most often. The main emphasis in works of this kind is on melody and semantic load.

The birth of romance

The term “romance” itself originated in Spain, where it was used to name secular songs on Spanish, which had to be separated from the religious hymns sung in Latin. The Spanish word “romance” or the late Latin “romanice” is translated as “in Romance” or “in Spanish,” which is actually the same thing. The term “romance” has taken root in many languages ​​in parallel with the term “song,” although in German and English these two concepts are still not separated, denoting them with the same word (German Lied and English Song).

So, romance is a type of song that took shape in the period of the 15th-19th centuries.

Western European romance

From the middle of the 18th century, romance gained particular popularity in Germany and France and became a separate genre on the verge of music and poetry. The poetic basis for the romances of this era were poems by such great poets as Heine and Goethe.

Already in the 19th century, Germany, Austria, France and Russia formed national schools romance. During this period, they were created famous romances the Austrians Schumann, Brahms and Schubert, the French Berlioz, Bizet and Gounod.

It was also typical for European schools to combine romances into entire vocal cycles. The first such cycle, “To a Distant Beloved,” was created by Beethoven. His example was followed by Schubert (the romance cycles “Winterreise” and “The Beautiful Miller’s Wife”), Schumann, Brahms, Wolf... From the mid-19th century and in the 20th century, national schools of romance were formed in the Czech Republic, Poland, Norway, Finland.

Gradually, in addition to the classical chamber form of romance, a genre such as everyday romance is developing. It was designed for non-professional singers and was widely popular in society.

Russian romance

The Russian school of romance arose under the influence of romantic sentiments in art and was finally formed by the mid-19th century. Its founders are considered to be Alyabyeva, Gurilev, Varlamova, who often turned to gypsy themes in their work.

Alexander Alyabyev

Later, separate trends were formed in the genre of Russian romance - salon romance, cruel romance... Russian romance experienced its apogee of development at the beginning of the 20th century, during the era of the creativity of Vertinsky and Vyaltseva, Plevitskaya and Panina. The traditions laid down by these brilliant musicians were successfully continued by Alla Bayanova and Pyotr Leshchenko, and already in the era of the Soviet Union by Vadim Kozin, Tamara Tsereteli, Isabella Yuryeva.

Unfortunately, in Soviet era The romance genre was not welcomed by the party leadership, since it was considered a non-proletarian genre, a relic of tsarism. and performers of romances were subjected to persecution and repression.

Only in the 70s. In the 20th century, romance experienced a revival when romances performed by Valentina Ponomareva and Nani Bregvadze, Nikolai Slichenko and Valentin Baglaenko gained popularity.