Russian chanson

[A.Smith]

There is a good article on  "russkij shanson" located at this site:
http://www.sem40.ru/culture/music/14771/

It explains that this unusually named genre is rooted in Russian urban folk
songs;  many of these songs are defined as "zhestokij romans".
Although most performers of "Russkii Shanson" are male performers (who often
imitate Vladimir Vysotsky's semi-criminal songs), there are some female
performers, too. They  write songs about night clubs, women rebels, drinking
and despair, etc. Golitsyna is a good example of this female version of "R.
Shanson". 
The above mentioned article  rightly states that rhythm and melody are more
important than verbal expression in "Russkii shanson" songs. In this respect
the genre is different from the tradition that has an umbrella name
--"avtorskaia pesnia" -- performed by Russian bards in the style of
Okudzhava.
Certainly, the cabaret-like French-oriented style of performances offered by
singers and actors  associated with Elena Kamburova's theatre in Moscow is
more comparable to the French tradition than the "Russian shanson" genre.
It seems to me that Pugacheva's song "Madam Broshkina" was inspired by the
Russkii shanson tradition to a great extent....


Alexandra Smith 

Lecturer in Russian
University of Sheffield

Alexandra.Smith at sheffield.ac.uk

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