The role of the brass band and the war. Military brass band: the triumph of harmony and strength

⁰

Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

Municipal educational institution

secondary school №30

in history

"Military bands"

Performed

student of 11 "B" class

Aksenova Anastasia Alekseevna

Scientific director

History teacher

Bukharina G.A.

Tver, 2011

Introduction................................................. ............................................... 3

Main part................................................ ....................................... 4

History of military music in Russia.................................................................. ....... 4

Presidential Orchestra .................................................................. ................... 9

Musical instruments of the military band .............................. 10

Genres of military music .............................................................. .................... 14

Repertoire of military music ............................................................... ............... 14

Festivals of military bands .............................................................. .......... 15

"Spasskaya Tower".............................................. ........................... 15

International St. Petersburg Festival of Military Brass Bands.................................................................. ................................................. ............ 18

Conclusion................................................. .......................................... 19

List of references .............................................................................. ... 20

I first met a military band a few years ago...

While visiting a friend in Moscow, I managed to visit the Alexander Garden, where I caught a brilliant performance by the Presidential Orchestra. The performance I saw greatly shocked me, so I wanted to learn more about the history of the creation of military bands and about military music in general.

Music- These are sounds arranged in a certain sequence. It can be pleasing to the ear, harmonious, can convey any mood or idea.

Orchestra A group of performers who play musical instruments together.

Brass band- a group of performers on wind instruments (wooden and brass or only copper - the so-called gang) and percussion instruments. Small structure of D. about. includes 20, large - 40-50 isp. (sometimes 80-100); in the latter, a group of wooden instruments is more widely represented, which allows expanding the repertoire. In Egypt, Persia, Greece, India, from ancient times it served to accompany celebrations and military operations; in Europe - from the 17th century. Music for D. o. wrote J. B. Lully, f. J. Gossec, E. Megyul, G. Berlioz, G. F. Handel, L. Beethoven, R. Wagner, A., A. Alyabiev, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. S. Arensky and others. D . O. it is also used as part of a symphony orchestra (Requiem-Berlioz, Solemn. Overture "1812" by Tchaikovsky), as well as in the opera as a stage orchestra. Most common as a military band.

military band- a brass band, a special full-time military unit designed to perform military music, that is, musical works during drill training of troops, during military rituals, solemn ceremonies, as well as for concert activities. There are homogeneous military bands, consisting of brass and percussion instruments, and mixed ones, which also include a group of woodwind instruments. V. o. are completed from qualified prof. military musicians of extra-long service and from ordinary military service. With many V. o. there are music students. The military orchestra is led by a military conductor who has a higher musical education and is at the same time an officer-commander.

military music- music serving the purposes of patriotic education and combat training of troops. The military m. in the troops also performs the functions of signaling, warning, communications, and control.

In Russia, military combat has long contributed to the formation of high moral and combat qualities of the Russian soldier. During the period of Kievan Rus and later, military campaigns were accompanied by music using trumpets, tambourines, nozzles (wooden pipes), later - nakr, alarms, timpani, as well as siposh, jew's harps, tulumbas.

From the 2nd floor. 16th century and especially to ser. 17th century foreign virtuoso trumpeters and horn players are invited to the royal service, the training of domestic musicians-performers on wind instruments begins, the repertoire is enriched, and performance skills are improved.

Under Ivan IV in 1547, the Order of the Grand Palace was first created to manage the military music of Russia. Since then, military music has remained the tuning fork of the soul of a Russian soldier.

Peter I attached great importance to military music as a means of strengthening military discipline and raising the morale and fighting spirit of the troops. The first military bands arose during the formation of the first Russian regiments - Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky. It was these bands that played at parades in honor of the victory in the Northern War, and the march of the Preobrazhensky Regiment eventually became the unofficial anthem of the Russian Empire. Creation at the beginning of the 18th century. mass regular national army demanded a new organization of military music service in the troops. In the infantry regiments (except for the guards), full-time orchestras were introduced, consisting of 9 "oboe players" (the general name for military musicians) and 16 company drummers (2 per company). The “Military Regulations” (1716, published in St. Petersburg in 1826) and other documents regulated the actions of the troops carried out under the military m. Garrison schools were established in which the children of military personnel (later called cantonists) were taught to read and write, military science, singing sheet music, playing musical instruments. V. m. was used during the wars of Peter I with the Swedes and Turks. It was represented by small instrumental compositions of fanfare-heroic and marching type, close to the salutatory, solemn, counter, table, “vivo” and other cants that became famous under Peter the Great.

During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, regiments that distinguished themselves in battles, along with banners and orders, began to award silver St. George trumpets as symbols of military prowess and glory. This tradition has long been entrenched in the Russian army.

During the reign of Catherine II, there was an increase in the staff of regimental orchestras. The military-patriotic and socio-cultural significance of military music especially increased during the Russian-Turkish wars. The outstanding Russian commander A.V. Suvorov uttered a catchphrase: “Music doubles, triples the army. With unfurled banners and loud music, I took Ishmael.

The development of musical art at the beginning of the 19th century was largely determined by the events of the Patriotic War of 1812-1814. The military marches that sounded during the battles became symbols of the valor of the Russian army. The patriotic impulse, the growth of national self-consciousness, associated with the war of liberation against Napoleon, was clearly manifested in the field of military music. Many heroic and patriotic works appeared, among them marches by O.A. Kozlovsky, N.A. Titov, K.A. Kavos, F. Antonolini, A.A. Derfeld and others.
Russian military music influenced the military repertoire of foreign, in particular German, military bands. Introduced in Russian military bands at the beginning of the 19th century. Technical improvements in brass instruments were then adopted by the English army.

In the second quarter of the 19th century in Russia, the talents of A.S. Dargomyzhsky, M.I. Glinka, A.A. Alyabyev and other composers began to flourish. At this time, the first steps were taken towards the creation of original works for brass bands. The popular expression of that period has been preserved: "The military band is the calling card of the regiment."

The activities of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov as an inspector of the “military musical choirs” of the Naval Department had a special influence on the development of military orchestral music. The reforms carried out by him in the navy in the composition of military bands and the organization of training for them served as an excellent example to follow when carrying out similar reforms in the army.

In the second half of the 19th century, the use of military music in combat became limited due to the increase in the density of fire and the maneuverability of troops, which occurred as a result of the development of military equipment and weapons.

In 1882, the first military band in Russia was created in St. Petersburg, whose duties included not only providing military rituals, but also participating in protocol state ceremonies. The musicians of the orchestra successfully played in palaces and during the receptions of foreign ambassadors and events held in the highest presence.

During the wars with Turkey, Russian military musicians were introduced to Turkish or "Janissary music", which was incorporated into Russian military bands; after Russia, it was introduced into their military bands and other European countries. In turn, some Russified foreign musicians contributed to the development of Russian classical music (V. I. Glachach, V. V. Wurm, A. and A. D. Derfelt, F. B. Haase, and others).

During the Russo-Japanese and World War I, military bands took an active part in military operations. Many domestic military musicians fell on the battlefields, and military units that distinguished themselves were often awarded silver St. George trumpets. On peaceful days, military bands continued to participate in combat training of troops, in numerous parades, and in the musical arrangement of military rituals.
After the Great October Socialist Revolution, V. m. is saturated with new content; it brings to the masses the melodies of the Marseillaise, the Internationale, revolutionary songs and militant patriotic marches. From a simple attribute of the military system, training and combat, it turns into an important tool for mass political work, the education of the Red Army and the civilian population in a revolutionary spirit. M. V. Frunze, K. E. Voroshilov, S. M. Budyonny, G. I. Kotovsky, I. A. Shchors, S. G Lazo and other celebrated heroes of the Civil War personally contributed to the development of Soviet military orchestral art. From the first days of the creation of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army, the Soviet state paid great attention to the organization of the military orchestra service.

The post-revolutionary years of the 20th century became a period of spontaneous emergence of military bands, most of them incapable of meeting the tasks facing them. For the centralized management of the activities of military bands, the Bureau of Military Bands of the Red Army and Navy was created in 1919. It was during this period that the "Kremlin musical team" of the Moscow Kremlin garrison was created, which eventually became a professional team - the Presidential Orchestra of Russia.

The increase in the size of the Red Army in the 1930s dictated an increase in the need for military musicians. Therefore, during this period, the network of military educational institutions increased significantly, among which the military faculty of the Moscow State Conservatory was created. In the same period, military bands were involved in work on the radio, recording records and music for films.

During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, military equipment was sometimes used in combat operations (breaking the blockade of Leningrad, decisive assaults in battles for settlements, etc.). Concerts of military-patriotic music abroad for the population of liberated cities, as a rule, spontaneously developed into rallies, the participants of which expressed high feelings of gratitude to the Land of Socialism and its mighty Armed Forces.

During the Great Patriotic War, military bands gave concerts on the radio and on the front lines, raising the morale of the soldiers. The repertoires of military bands were dominated by works by Russian composers, as well as folk music, but marches remained the basis of the repertoire.

In the postwar years, brass music, along with mass song, remained at the forefront of national culture.

The circle of military rituals, the daily performing practice of military bands has noticeably expanded: the musical arrangement of solemn events and parades, combat training of troops, military maneuvers and reviews. Contests, holidays and festivals of military music have become traditional.

At the same time, its importance in the education of troops has noticeably increased, its social organizing functions have increased during various solemn and ceremonial events and folk festivals. Its cultural and educational role as a specific variety of Soviet musical art as a whole has intensified. Depending on the tasks and conditions of use, the expressive means of the military m. and its main varieties were determined: signal, drill, public-ceremonial, entertaining, and concert V. m. Charters of the Sov. The armies have greatly simplified the signal service in all branches of the armed forces, freeing it from obsolete signals, drum beats and marches that have lost their significance in battle, formation and military life.

Since the 60s. In the 20th century, the army and navy bands of our country become regular participants in international wind music festivals and begin to travel to foreign countries.

Due to the high level of performing skills and creativity, military musicians have played a significant role in the development of Russian musical art.

In the modern period, military bands provide not only the conduct of military rituals, but also take an active part in all significant public events, carry out great concert and educational work.

Since 2005, on the initiative of the Presidential Orchestra of Russia, brass bands have been performing in the summer at the grotto in the Alexander Garden. This initiative was supported by the Government of Moscow, many cultural organizations, and now almost all the well-known military musical groups in the capital perform at the grotto in the Alexander Garden.

The possibility of free formation of the repertoire allowed military conductors to create pop groups on the basis of orchestras and fruitfully cooperate with composers in the field of wind music.

At the moment, military bands, being the bearers of musical culture, preserve and increase the glorious traditions of Russian military music.

This is the main musical group during official events of national importance, including the inauguration of the President of the Russian Federation. Included in the structure of the Federal Security Service. The team consists of 140 professional musicians.

The orchestra was created on September 11, 1938 in the management structure of the commandant of the Moscow Kremlin. Over the years, it had the following names: the orchestra of the commandant's office of the Moscow Kremlin, the exemplary orchestra of the commandant's office of the Moscow Kremlin, the Kremlin orchestra. The name "Presidential Orchestra" was given to the team on September 11, 1993.

Since 2004, the artistic director and chief conductor of the orchestra has been Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Anton Orlov.

The musical group is a participant in high-ranking state ceremonies, in particular, it accompanies visits to Russia by heads of state and government. The soloists of this group know the anthems of most countries of the world. In addition, the orchestra participates in receptions dedicated to public holidays, memorable dates, and in events with the participation of the head of state. The number and composition of the group depends on the type of such events: a brass band works at meetings, farewells, during state visits, and a symphony band accompanies receptions, award ceremonies, and dinners. The Presidential Orchestra of Russia is one of the few military orchestras in the world that has a symphony staff.

Tambourine- a percussion musical instrument of indefinite pitch, consisting of a leather membrane stretched over a wooden rim. Some varieties of tambourines have metal bells suspended from them, which begin to ring when the performer strikes the membrane of the tambourine, rubs it, or shakes the entire instrument.

Currently, there are two main types of tambourines:

- Folk or ethnic, wooden rim with stretched leather membrane. Depending on the purpose, tambourines come in various sizes. Tools of this type are used for ritual purposes by indigenous shamans. In their design, there may be small bells tied to a wire stretched under the membrane.

- Orchestral tambourine, the most common option, with a leather or plastic membrane and metal plates, reinforced in special slots on the rim. The instrument has firmly established itself in professional music, becoming one of the main percussion instruments of the symphony orchestra.

timpani(ital. timpani, fr. timbales, German Pauken, English kettle drums) is a percussion musical instrument with a certain pitch. They are a system of two or more (up to seven) metal cauldron-shaped bowls, the open side of which is covered with leather or plastic, and the lower part has a hole.

The timpani is an instrument of very ancient origin. In Europe, timpani, close in form to modern ones, but with a constant system, became known already in the 15th century, and since the 17th century, timpani have been part of orchestras. Subsequently, a tension screw mechanism appeared, which made it possible to rebuild the timpani. In military affairs, they were used in heavy cavalry, where they were used as a transmission of combat control signals, in particular, to control the formation of cavalrymen. Modern timpani can be tuned to a specific pitch using a special pedal.

Dudka- Russian folk musical wind instrument, consisting of an elder reed or reed and having several side holes, and a mouthpiece for blowing. There are double pipes: two folded pipes are blown through one common mouthpiece.

Clarinet(ital. clarinetto, fr. clarinette, German Clarinette, English clarinet or clarionet listen)) is a woodwind musical instrument with a single reed. It was invented around 1700 in Nuremberg, and has been actively used in music since the second half of the 18th century. It is used in a wide variety of musical genres and compositions: as a solo instrument, in chamber ensembles, symphony and brass bands, folk music, on the stage and in jazz. The clarinet has a wide range, warm, soft timbre and provides the performer with a wide range of expressive possibilities.

The appearance of the clarinet in Russia dates back to the middle of the 18th century. The first clarinetists were German and Czech musicians invited to serve in the Imperial Chapel: Christoph Lankammer, Karl Companion, Josef Grimm (1750-1831), Georg Brunner (1750-1826), Karl Manstein. Since 1764, the first Russian clarinetist Fyodor Ladunka has been a clarinetist in the court orchestra. For 10 years (1782-1792), at the invitation of Catherine II, the outstanding German virtuoso clarinetist Johann Josef Behr (1744-1812) worked in Russia.

At the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, the largest European clarinetists came to Russia with tours - the Austrian Anton Stadler, the Swede Bernhard Henrik Krusell, later (in 1822 and 1832) the German Heinrich Josef Berman (1784-1847) and his son Karl (1810-1885 ), Belgian Arnold Joseph Blaise (1814-1892). Among the Russian clarinetists of this period, one should note the soloist of the Imperial Theater Orchestra in Moscow P. I. Titov (1796-1860), who actively gave concerts until the middle of the 19th century, and the Petersburger Mikhail Tushinsky (1817-1852).

Sergey Rozanov - the founder of the national school of playing the clarinet

Vladimir Sokolov - one of the best Soviet clarinetists

French horn(from him. Waldhorn- "forest horn", Italian. corno, English French horn, fr. cor) is a brass musical instrument of the bass-tenor register. Derived from a hunting signal horn, it entered the orchestra in the middle of the 17th century. Until the 1830s, like other brass instruments, it did not have valves and was a natural instrument with a limited scale (the so-called “natural horn”, which was used by Beethoven). The French horn is used in symphony and brass bands, as well as an ensemble and solo instrument. The timbre of the instrument is somewhat rough in the lower register, soft and melodious on the piano, light and bright on the forte - in the middle and upper.

Pipe(ital. thrombus, fr. trompette, German Trompete, English trumpet) is a brass musical instrument of the alto-soprano register, the highest in sound among brass wind instruments. The natural trumpet has been used as a signaling instrument since ancient times, and from about the 17th century it became part of the orchestra. With the invention of the valve mechanism, the trumpet received a full chromatic scale and from the middle of the 19th century became a full-fledged instrument of classical music. The instrument has a bright, brilliant timbre and is used as a solo instrument, in symphony and brass bands, as well as in jazz and other genres.

Drum- a percussion instrument, which is a hollow bowl or cylinder, on which the skin is stretched. The sound is created by vibrations of the skin either under the palms of the performer, or produced by mallets or sticks.

Dishes is an example of percussion instruments. Cymbals have been played since ancient times and have been used in many parts of the world. Sounds are made by striking one cymbal against another.

Saxophone was invented by Adolph Sax in the 40s. nineteenth century Saxophones are made of metal, they have a pipe (like a clarinet). They belong to wind reed instruments. There are seven varieties of saxophone - from a small sopranino to a baritone that produces the lowest notes. It is to this instrument that jazz music owes partly its success.

The main genre of military music is the combat march. Its varieties are marching, or “ambulance”, front, or “for solemn passage”, column, fanfare, oncoming, funeral, and also a march of the end. type.

Repertoire V. o. consists of plays for service purposes (marching, oncoming, funeral marches, military ceremonial music - evening dawn, guards), conc. plays and entertaining music (dances, light pieces, so-called garden music, fantasy music, rhapsodies, medleys, overtures).

Many marches, waltzes, polkas, mazurkas and other plays were dedicated to specific combat episodes of military history, reflected patriotic ideas in generalized heroic or lyrical images and had conditional names - mottos, Russian marches: “Entering Paris”, “Battle of Liaoyang” , "Mukden", "Geok-Tepe" (a fortress conquered by M. D. Skobelev), "Hero", "Triumph of the Winners", "Longing for the Motherland", "Comrades in Arms", "Farewell of the Slav"; waltzes: "On the hills of Manchuria", "Amur waves", mazurka "Uhlans", etc. A number of marches bear the name of the military units or branches of service to which they are dedicated: Preobrazhensky March, March of the Pechora Regiment, Column March of the 14th Grenadier (Georgian) Regiment, Jaeger March. Concert music, which is less rich in original pieces for wind ensembles, assimilates works of symphonic, operatic, choral, and vocal music, especially those of a military-heroic battle character. Developing the progressive national traditions of Russian musical music and filling them with new content, Soviet composers are actively working in the field of musical music. (“March of the Red Army”, 1924), S. N. Vasilenko (“Marching march of the Red Army”, 1929), M. M. Ippolitov-Ivanov, N. Ya. Myaskovsky (“Marching solemn march” and “Dramatic march”, 1931) , D. D. Shostakovich (“The Solemn March”, 1940), S. S. Prokofiev (March op. 99) and others. Along with marching compositions of a concert nature, marches were created (works by N. P. Ivanov-Radkevich, Yu. A. Khait, V. S. Runov, S. A. Chernetsky and others). Many marches were written on the national themes of the peoples of the USSR (the marches of A. I. Khachaturian, A. V. Zatayevich, A. M. Satyan, N. K. Chemberdzhi, D. F. Saliman-Vladimirov, and others). Soviet composers created a significant number of large-scale works for brass bands (19th symphony and Myaskovsky's Dramatic Overture, 5th symphony by Ivanov-Radkevich, 4 symphonies by Kozhevnikov, Passacaglia and Makarov's fugue, "The Poem of the Battle of Stalingrad" and Dzegelenko's "Courage" symphony , Red Army suites by Kruchinin, concert overtures, rhapsodies, fantasies, suites by various composers). Significant development has been given to concert literature for individual wind instruments. The repertoire of modern military brass bands includes transcriptions of symphonies and symphonic works by D. D. Shostakovich, S. S. Prokofiev, A. I. Khachaturian, D. B. Kabalevsky and others, as well as fragments from classical and modern operas and ballets. The modern military brass band of the middle composition in the army provides a truly artistic disclosure of major works. The complexity of the repertoire of modern military orchestras, the high demands placed on its performance, necessitated the training of military conductors on the basis of higher musical education (Military Faculty at the Moscow Conservatory), as well as special training of military musicians.

Every year in early September, Moscow's Red Square hosts the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival - a parade of honorary guards of the heads of state and the best Russian and foreign military bands.

The Spasskaya Tower Festival is held in accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation and under the patronage of the Public Council, headed by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation A.D. Zhukov.

The festival is traditionally held during the celebration of the Day of the City of Moscow and lasts five days.

Spasskaya Tower is the largest project ever implemented on Moscow's Red Square and one of the brightest events in the cultural life of Russia.

Thanks to the Festival, military musicians representing the entire diversity of national, creative and military traditions of the planet become ambassadors of peace.

The Spasskaya Tower Festival is a breathtaking musical and theatrical performance. This is a grandiose "battle" of the orchestras of the armies of different countries for the love and delight of the audience, which unfolds against the backdrop of the majestic walls of the Kremlin. An organic combination of military, classical, folk and pop music, parade defiles of military bands and dance shows, demonstration performances with weapons, laser and pyrotechnic effects - all this makes the festival one of the brightest and most memorable spectacles of the year.

But Spasskaya Tower is not only a dazzling show. It is a carefully "tuned" instrument of international cultural exchange. The festival brings together the best creative and musical groups from various countries. Each of them, possessing a unique national color peculiar only to him, contributes to mutual understanding between nations in the universal language of music. It is symbolic that thanks to the festival, it is military musicians who represent the entire diversity of national, creative and army traditions of the planet, becoming ambassadors of peace and mutual respect between peoples.

Many of these traditions go back centuries. Therefore, the festival inevitably finds itself in the context of History, first of all, the history of military music and the victories inspired by it. The repertoire of the festival includes magnificent examples of marching music, with which the most important pages of national and world history are inextricably linked.

The festival reveals and presents the huge historical role of this music, which from the first notes causes a surge of genuine pride in the listeners for their homeland.

The festival revives another tradition - the tradition of open performances of brass bands. Truly festive and inspiring music performed by world stars sounds during the days of the festival in the squares and streets of the Russian capital. Thanks to the large charity program of the festival, no one remains aloof from the holiday.

The history of the international St. Petersburg Festival dates back to 1996. Then the orchestras performed in the Alexander Hall of the State Hermitage, in the Summer Garden, in the parks of Pushkin's Catherine Palace, opening the season of fountains in Peterhof. The performances of these orchestras are truly worthy of the Guinness Book of Records - 1,500 musicians marched along Nevsky Prospekt and performed on Palace Square. The holiday was a success! In the days of the Festival, the city rang with silver trumpets and sparkled with polished instruments. Military musicians showed the highest level of performing culture, which, however, has always distinguished the representatives of the St. Petersburg school. Music of various genres sounded on the squares and streets of the city. The musicians and all the guests of the Festival saw with their own eyes that the music of brass bands is still widely popular, resonates in the hearts of the modern listener, regardless of age and social status.

The main feature of the Festival of Military Brass Bands is the beauty and grandeur of the show, as well as the original repertoire. At the festival, in addition to traditional marches, songs of the past years are heard.

The festival is an unforgettable musical celebration for citizens and guests of the city, with delightful concerts in the open areas of the historical center of the city, with a grandiose procession along Nevsky Prospekt and final enchanting gala concerts in sports complexes and concert halls of St. Petersburg. This is a unique musical show that brings together representatives of many countries on one stage, excellent technique and amazing performance skills create a special holiday atmosphere for St. Petersburg residents and guests of the city. The festival attracts the attention of various circles of the population and contributes to the education of patriotic feelings and respect for one of the most important social institutions of the state - the Armed Forces.

For several years, orchestras from Austria, England, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Finland, Switzerland, Moldova, Ukraine and other countries have taken part in the Military Brass Band Festivals. Along with foreign orchestras, the leading military brass bands of Moscow and St. Petersburg annually participated in the Festival.

Military music has a long history. It has come a very long way of development from pagan dances to a modern military band with many rules and laws. Military music and military bands perform the most important function in the life of the country and the army: they support the morale of the soldiers, unite the team, and give hope. Festivals are a real holiday for people and an opportunity for soldiers to show their skills.

Created in the army and for the army, the military music of Russia has become a unique phenomenon in the musical culture of the country.

1. Gubarev I., Brass band, M., 1963

2. Matveev V., Russian military orchestra, M.-L, 1965

3. Musical encyclopedic dictionary, 1990

4. "Military Music of Russia", Military Publishing House, 2007, Moscow

5. OXFORD The Great Encyclopedia of a Schoolchild, Rosman, 2001

6. http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_page

7. http://www.kremlin-military-tattoo.ru/

8. http://marsches.zbord.ru/viewforum.php?f=1

Silver St. George silver trumpets

Some types of troops (for example, artillery or sappers) did not have banners. On the other hand, trumpets, horns and drums served as a necessary accessory for almost all military units, with which signals were given during campaigns. And so a custom arose to reward units that distinguished themselves in battles with silver trumpets, which later became known as St. George's silver trumpets. In 1762, Catherine II, having received the throne of the Russian Empire and wanting to win over the army, ordered to make silver pipes for the regiments that distinguished themselves during the capture of Berlin. An inscription was made on them: “The capture of the city of Berlin by haste and courage. September 28th, 1760."

St. George's silver trumpets appeared in 1805. Both of them were wrapped around with St. George's ribbon with tassels of silver thread, and on the bell of the St. George's pipes, the sign of the Order of St. George was also strengthened. Most of the pipes had inscriptions, sometimes quite lengthy. The last inscription of the overseas Russian campaign army on the pipe of the 33rd Chasseurs Regiment was the following: "Distinction during the assault on Montmartre on March 18, 1814."

Gradually, a certain order was established in obtaining award pipes. In the cavalry, silver pipes were long and straight, and in the infantry they were figured and bent several times. The infantry received two trumpets per regiment, and the cavalry had one in each squadron and one for the headquarters trumpeter.

A brass band is a group of performers on wind and percussion instruments, one of the mass performing groups. A similar composition is typical for military bands. Used in many countries of the world since ancient times.

Brass Band Instruments

Main brass group

The basis of the brass band is copper wide-scale conical bore wind instruments:

cornets
flugelhorns
euphoniums
violas
tenor
baritones

Another group is made up copper narrow gauge tools with a cylindrical channel:

pipes
trombones
French horns

Woodwind group:

labial reeds

flutes

lingual reed

clarinets
saxophones
oboes
bassoons

Group of main percussion instruments:

big drum
snare drum
dishes

Group of minor percussion instruments:

triangle
tambourine
timpani

Also used jazz and Latin American drums:

rhythm cymbals
congo and bongo
tom-toms
claves
tartaruga
agogo
maracas
castanets
pandeira etc.

The main groups of the orchestra, their role and capabilities

The basis of the brass band is a group of instruments that exists under the general name "saxhorns". They are named after Adolf Saks who invented them in the 40s of the XIX century. Saxhorns are distinguished by uniform scale and shape.

At first, the saxhorn family consisted of seven, and then nine varieties: from sopranino to subcontrabass. In musical practice, three varieties of conventional brass instruments are often called:

tenor
baritone

Saxhorns were an improved type of instrument called byugley (byugelgornov). At present, this group is usually referred to as the main copper group.

Saxhorn group:

high tessitura tools: saxhorn-sopranino (cornet in Es), saxhorn-soprano (cornet inB);
middle register instruments: alto, tenor, baritone;
low register instruments: saxhorn-bass and saxhorn-double bass (tuba Es, Bb)

The other two groups of the orchestra are woodwind and percussion instruments.

The group of saxhorns actually forms a small brass composition of a brass band. With the addition of woodwinds to this group, as well as horn, pipes, trombones And percussion- form a small mixed and a large mixed compositions.

In general, a group of saxhorns with a conical tube and a wide scale characteristic of these instruments have a fairly large, strong sound and rich technical capabilities. This applies especially to cornets, instruments of great technical mobility and bright, expressive sound. First of all, they are entrusted with the main melodic material of the work.

Medium register instruments (altos, tenors, baritones) perform two important tasks in a brass band:

Firstly, they fill the harmonic "middle", that is, they perform the main voices of harmony, in a wide variety of types of presentation (in the form of sustained sounds, figuration, repeated notes, etc.).
Secondly, they interact with other groups of the orchestra, primarily with the cornet (one of the usual combinations is the performance of the theme by cornets and tenors in an octave), as well as with basses, which are often "helped" by a baritone.

wooden group

An important addition to the main brass composition of a brass band is a group of woodwinds:

flutes
clarinets (with their main varieties)

in large numbers also:

oboes
bassoons
saxophones

The introduction of wooden instruments (flutes and clarinets) into the orchestra makes it possible to significantly expand its range, for example: the melody (as well as the harmony) played by cornets, trumpets, and tenors can be doubled one or two octaves up.

strike group

Finally, it is necessary to emphasize the special importance of the percussion group in the brass band. Basic percussion instruments:

big drum
snare drum
dishes

With a very peculiar specificity of a brass band and, above all, a high density, massiveness of sound, as well as frequent cases of playing outdoors, on a hike, with a significant predominance of marching and dance music in the repertoire, the organizing role of percussion rhythm is especially important.

Therefore, a brass band, in comparison with a symphony one, is characterized by a somewhat forced, emphasized sound of the percussion group. When we hear the sounds of a brass band coming from afar, then, first of all, we perceive precisely the rhythmic beats of the bass drum, and then we begin to hear all the other voices.

Small mixed brass band

The decisive difference between small copper And small mixed the orchestra is pitch factor: thanks to participation flutes And clarinets with their varieties, the orchestra gains access to the "zone" of the high register. Consequently, the overall volume of the sound changes, which is of great importance, since the fullness of the sound of the orchestra depends not so much on the absolute strength, but on the register latitude, the volume of the arrangement.

In addition, there are opportunities to compare the sound of a brass orchestra with a contrasting wooden group. Hence a certain reduction in the boundaries of the "activity" of the brass group itself, which to a certain extent loses the universality that is natural in a small brass orchestra.

Due to the presence of the wood group as well as the characteristic copper ( horns and trumpets), it becomes possible to introduce new timbres arising from the mixing of colors both in the wooden and copper groups, and in the wooden group itself.

Thanks to the great technical possibilities wooden "copper" unloaded from technical forcing, the overall sound of the orchestra becomes lighter, it does not feel the “viscosity” typical for the technique of brass instruments.

All this taken together makes it possible to expand the boundaries of the repertoire: a small mixed orchestra has access to a wider range of works of various genres.

Thus, a small mixed brass band is a more perfect performing group, and this, in turn, imposes broader responsibilities both on the orchestra players themselves (technics and ensemble coherence) and on the leader (conducting technique and selection of repertoire).

Large mixed brass band

The highest form of a brass band is a large mixed brass band, which can perform works of considerable complexity.

This composition is characterized, first of all, by the introduction trombones, three or four (to contrast trombones with a "soft" group of saxhorns), three parts pipes, four batches horn.

In addition, a large orchestra has a much more complete woodwind group, which consists of three flutes(two full and piccolo), two oboes(with the replacement of the second oboe by an English horn or with its independent part), large clarinet groups with their varieties (clarinet "A", "C" and bass clarinet), two bassoons(sometimes with contrabassoon) and saxophones.

In a large orchestra, bass instruments - tubes, can be replaced sousaphones or helicons(their system, principles of playing, fingering are the same as those of the tuba), and sometimes a double bass or bass guitar is added.

The strike group is compacted timpani(usually three):

big
average
small

It's clear that large orchestra in comparison with the small one, it has much greater colorful and dynamic possibilities. It is typical for him to use more diverse playing techniques - the widespread use of the technical capabilities of wooden ones, the use of "closed" sounds (mutes) in the copper group, a wide variety of timbre and harmonic combinations of instruments.

IN large orchestra especially expedient is the opposition of trumpets and cornets, as well as the widespread use of techniques divisi (duplication of the general part) clarinets and cornets, and the division of each group can be brought up to 4-5 voices.

It is natural that large mixed orchestra significantly exceeds small ensembles in terms of the number of musicians (if a small brass orchestra is 10-12 people, a small mixed orchestra is 25-30 people, then a large mixed one includes 40-50 musicians or more).

Brass band. Brief essay.
I. Gubarev
Soviet composer, 1963

MILITARY ORCHESTRA - spirit. an orchestra, which is a regular unit of a military unit (see Brass band). In the Sov. Army V. o. exist in combat units and formations (in regiments, divisions, on ships), with military. educational institutions and the military. academies, at the headquarters of the military. districts.

V.'s basis about. is a copper spirit group. instruments - saxhorns. It includes cornets in B, altos in Es, tenors and baritones in B, basses in Es and in B (in some V. o. altos are replaced by horns in Es). In addition, the typical composition of the regimental band of Sov. The army (the so-called medium mixed composition) includes a group of wooden spirits. instruments: flute, clarinets in B, as well as horns in Es or in F, trumpets in B, trombones, percussion instruments, snare and bass drums and cymbals. In larger orchestras (the so-called large mixed composition) there are, in addition, oboes, bassoons, clarinet in Es, timpani, sometimes saxophones and strings. double basses, and the group of horns, trumpets and trombones is represented by a large number of instruments.

Unlike symphony. orchestra, compositions of V. o. not completely unified; in the armies of different countries are used diff. combinations of the above tools. In French orchestras armies have long been dominated by the wooden spirit. tools in it. armies - copper, in the orchestras of the Amer. army means. place is occupied by saxophones.

V. o. Owls. The Army and the Navy are staffed with qualified prof. military musicians of extra-long service and from ordinary military service. With many V. o. there are music pupils. At the head of V. o. worth the military. conductor with a degree in music. education and being at the same time an officer-in-command.

Among V. about. Owls. Army a lot of highly professional. groups (Exemplary Orchestra of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, Exemplary Orchestra of the Naval Fleet, exemplary orchestras of the Military Air Engineering Academy named after H. E. Zhukovsky and the Military Academy named after M. V. Frunze, headquarters of Moscow, Leningrad, etc. military districts).

Literature: Matveev V., Russian military orchestra, M.-L., 1965; Saro J. H., Instrumentationslehre für Militärmusik, B., 1883; Kalkbrenner A., Die Organization der Militärmusikchöre aller Länder, Hannover, 1884; Parés G., Traité d "instrumentation et d" orchestratration a l "usage des musiques militaires ..., P.-Bruss., 1898; Laaser C. A., Gedrängte theoretisch-praktische Instrumentationstabelle für Militär-Infanterie-Musik, Lpz., 1913 ; Vessella A., La banda dalle origini fino ai nostri giorni, Mil., 1939; Adkins H. E., Treatise on the military band, L., 1958.

P. I. Apostolov

A list of them will be given in this article. It also contains information about the types of wind instruments and the principle of extracting sound from them.

wind instruments

These are pipes that can be made of wood, metal or any other material. They have a different shape and produce musical sounds of different timbre, which are extracted through the air flow. The timbre of the "voice" of a wind instrument depends on its size. The larger it is, the more air passes through it, from which the frequency of its oscillation is lower, and the sound produced is low.

There are two ways to change the type emitted by the instrument:

adjusting the air volume with fingers, using the wings, valves, gates, and so on, depending on the type of instrument;
an increase in the force of blowing the air column into the pipe.

The sound is completely dependent on the flow of air, hence the name - wind instruments. A list of them will be given below.

Varieties of wind instruments

There are two main types - copper and wood. Initially, they were classified in this way, depending on what material they were made from. Now, to a greater extent, the type of instrument depends on the way in which the sound is extracted from it. For example, the flute is considered a woodwind instrument. At the same time, it can be made of wood, metal or glass. The saxophone is always produced only in metal, but belongs to the class of woodwinds. Copper tools can be made from various metals: copper, silver, brass, and so on. There is a special variety - keyboard wind instruments. Their list is not so great. These include harmonium, organ, accordion, melody, button accordion. Air enters them thanks to special furs.

What instruments are wind instruments

Let's list the wind instruments. Their list is as follows:

pipe;
clarinet;
trombone;
accordion;
flute;
saxophone;
organ;
zurna;
oboe;
harmonium;
balaban;
accordion;
French horn;
bassoon;
tuba;
bagpipes;
duduk;
harmonica;
Macedonian guide;
shakuhachi;
ocarina;
serpent;
horn;
helicon;
didgeridoo;
kurai;
trembita.

There are other similar tools that can be mentioned.

Brass

Wind brass musical instruments, as mentioned above, are made of various metals, although in the Middle Ages there were those that were made of wood. The sound is extracted from them by strengthening or weakening the blown air, as well as by changing the position of the musician's lips. Initially, brass wind instruments were reproduced only in the 30s of the 19th century, valves appeared on them. This allowed such instruments to reproduce the chromatic scale. The trombone has a retractable rocker for this purpose.

Brass instruments (list):

pipe;
trombone;
French horn;
tuba;
serpent;
helicon.

Woodwinds

Musical instruments of this type were originally made exclusively from wood. To date, this material is practically not used for their production. The name reflects the principle of sound extraction - there is a wooden cane inside the tube. These musical instruments are equipped with holes on the body, located at a strictly defined distance from each other. The musician, while playing, opens and closes them with his fingers. This results in a certain sound. Woodwind instruments sound like this. The names (list) included in this group are as follows:

clarinet;
zurna;
oboe;
balaban;
flute;
bassoon.

reed musical instruments

There is another type of wind - reed. They sound thanks to a flexible vibrating plate (tongue) located inside. Sound is extracted by exposing it to air, or by pulling and pinching. On this basis, you can make a separate list of tools. Wind reeds are divided into several types. They are classified according to the way the sound is extracted. It depends on the type of reed, which can be metal (as in organ pipes, for example), free-swinging (as in jew's harp and harmonicas), or striking or reed, as in reed woodwinds.

List of tools of this type:

harmonica;
jew's harp;
clarinet;
accordion;
bassoon;
saxophone;
kalimba;
harmonic;
oboe;
hulus.

Wind instruments with a freely slipping tongue include: button accordion, lip. In them, air is blown in by blowing the musician's mouth, or with bellows. The airflow causes the reeds to vibrate and thus the sound is extracted from the instrument. The jew's harp also belongs to this type. But his tongue oscillates not under the influence of the air column, but with the help of the hands of the musician, by pinching and pulling it. Oboe, bassoon, saxophone and clarinet are of a different type. In them, the tongue is beating, and it is called a cane. The musician blows air into the instrument. As a result of this, the tongue vibrates and sound is extracted.

Where are wind instruments used?

Wind instruments, the list of which was presented in this article, are used in orchestras of various composition. For example: military, brass, symphonic, pop, jazz. And also occasionally they can perform as part of a chamber ensemble. Very rarely they are soloists.

Flute

This is the list related to this was given above.

The flute is one of the oldest musical instruments. It does not use a reed like other woodwinds. Here the air is cut against the edge of the instrument itself, due to which the sound is formed. There are several types of flutes.

Syringa - a single-barreled or multi-barreled instrument of Ancient Greece. Its name comes from the name of the bird's vocal organ. The multi-barreled syringa later became known as the Pan flute. Peasants and shepherds played this instrument in ancient times. In ancient Rome, the syringa accompanied performances on stage.

The recorder is a wooden instrument belonging to the whistle family. Close to it are the flute, flute and whistle. It differs from other woodwinds in that on its back there is an octave valve, that is, a hole for closing with a finger, on which the height of other sounds depends. They are removed by blowing in air and closing the 7 holes on the front side with the fingers of the musician. This type of flute was most popular between the 16th and 18th centuries. Its timbre is soft, melodious, warm, but at the same time its possibilities are limited. Such great composers as Antonia Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel and others used the recorder in many of their works. The sound of this instrument is weak, and gradually its popularity has declined. This happened after the transverse flute appeared, which is by far the most used. Nowadays, the recorder is used mainly as a teaching instrument. Beginning flutists first master it, only then they move on to the longitudinal one.

The piccolo flute is a kind of transverse flute. She has the highest timbre of all wind instruments. Its sound is whistling and piercing. Piccolo is two times shorter than usual. Her range is from “re” second to “do” fifth.

Other types of flutes: transverse, panflute, di, Irish, kena, pipe, pyzhatka, whistle, ocarina.

Trombone

This is a brass wind instrument (a list of members of this family was presented in this article above). The word "trombone" is translated from Italian as "big trumpet". It has existed since the 15th century. The trombone differs from other instruments of this group in that it has a backstage - a tube with which the musician extracts sounds by changing the volume of air flow inside the instrument. There are several varieties of trombone: tenor (the most common), bass and alto (less commonly used), contrabass and soprano (practically not used).

Hulus

This is a Chinese reed wind instrument with additional pipes. Its other name is bilandao. He has three or four pipes in total - one main (melodic) and several bourdon (low-sounding). The sound of this instrument is soft, melodic. Most often, hulus are used for solo performance, very rarely - in an ensemble. Traditionally, this instrument was played by men, declaring their love to a woman.

Barely hearing the sound of a military band...

What emotions does instrumental music evoke in you? Most likely positive. What do you feel when you hear solemn drum sounds and brass instruments? Undoubtedly, cheerfulness, gaiety, high spirits. The role of the military orchestra in the life of every person is amazing and irreplaceable. In childhood, admiring boys run after mustachioed trumpeters, dreaming of being like them; in adulthood, not a single marriage ceremony takes place without the famous March Mendelssohn, at the end of life orchestra sounds accompany the deceased on his final journey. If you think about it music performed by the military brass band accompanies us everywhere. Moscow railway stations, hospitably meeting and seeing off passengers, are filled with a variety of sounds: loudspeakers, the voice of dispatchers, screams, noise, din. But there is one song that immediately comes to mind if you remember the crush on the platform and the train giving the last horns. Yes, this is the March “Farewell of the Slav”, again performed by a military wind musical group. In Russia, historically, such orchestras have played an important role in society. After the decree of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, who in 1547 ordered the creation of the first court military brass band, it was difficult to imagine any significant event without a march in a vast country. Remember, the Soviet film “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession”, the troops leave the capital city on the orders of the tsar under the famous “Marusya”, since then they went to war with music and came back from the war to the sounds of percussion and brass.

Today, in peacetime, any military band song evokes emotions among contemporaries, because it is associated with the events of the recent past - the Great Patriotic War. Annually 9th May in every city of the country, trumpeters and drummers in beautiful military uniforms walk along the avenues, boulevards, parks and stadiums. solemn sounds trombones, trumpets, horns, clarinets, saxophones, drums and timpani are carried through the city streets, announcing the inhabitants that they need to celebrate, rejoice, remember the exploits and live peacefully today.
In the modern world, a brass band performs military marches not only during parades, parades, special events that need to be given a certain flavor. Nowadays, orchestra players are invited to weddings, anniversaries, such a service as ordering a military orchestra for corporate events and large-scale city holidays is popular. Their repertoire includes music from different times and genres, do not be surprised if you hear the song “Yesterday” by the legendary The Beatles from a military band or some jazz composition at the wedding ceremony.
In European countries, people are creative in their own way, they invite groups of trumpeters and drummers to discharge a newborn from a maternity hospital, to graduation from schools and colleges, on Youtube military bands videos are presented in various versions, you can admire these bright and unusual performances.
If you also came up with the idea to decorate your holiday, give solemnity to some event, add a musical zest to the evening, invite a military band. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Samara, Vladivostok - let high-quality live music thunder in all cities of Russia, let every event be held on an unprecedented scale.