Vocal and Instrumental Ensemble (Soviet Union)
Vocal and instrumental ensemble ( Russian Вокально-инструментальный ансамбль , wiss. Transliteration Vokal'no-instrumental'nyj ansambl ' , abbreviated to VIA ) was the official name for professional, state-registered pop music groups in the former Soviet Union . In addition, all popular music ensembles in the Soviet Union were increasingly given the same name, including some foreign groups; eventually the term was also applied to Soviet rock, folk and other musical groups.
Groups registered as vocal and instrumental ensembles had access to the Soviet state media and recording studios and were able to publish records with the Soviet state record label Melodija . On the other hand, they were increasingly subject to the control of the Soviet authorities .
Emergence
The term itself, as well as the musical groups it refers to, developed in the 1960s. During this time, Soviet youth also came into contact with Western beat music in various ways . As a result, the first bands to play this type of music were formed, especially in schools, universities and institutes. When Brezhnev took office , a period of cultural thaw began. The previously defensive stance of the Soviet cultural functionaries changed as they recognized that popular music plays an essential role in the lives of young people. Instead of banning it, it should be steered in an orderly manner and used for its own purposes. In 1969, on the initiative of the KGB, the first Soviet beat club was founded in the Moscow Cafe “Melodie und Rhythmus” . A name had to be found for the bands that were establishing themselves, as both the term beat group and band, as well as later rock group, were inseparable from Western culture and thus had a negative connotation in the eyes of Soviet cultural and youth functionaries. The term “vocal and instrumental ensemble” was therefore introduced for such ensembles.
The first use of the term can be found in May 1966, when a notice by the Philharmonic Society in Donetsk advertised a performance by the group "Avangard". In 1966 the "Wesselyje rebjata" (German "Happy Children") and the "Pojuschtschije gitary" (German "Singing Guitars") were founded in Leningrad and Moscow.
particularities
VIA were put together at various cultural institutions: philharmonics , theaters or similar institutions. VIA were officially registered, and its members were employees of the relevant agency. Detected was formed by the workbook of the musician, which was deposited with the employing position. This status differentiated VIA from the representatives of the bard or the rock musicians, who were considered amateurs. For example, they were forced to officially work in order not to be persecuted for anti-social behavior. In addition to the professional VIA, however, in many cases there were also amateur groups with the respective providers.
Despite their privileged position, VIA were subject to various restrictions in musical practice. It should be noted, however, that these restrictions have changed over time. Due to the diverse, fragmented responsibilities, strict enforcement was hardly possible with the exception of the 1982 to 1985 phase, as the ideological guidelines were implemented differently by the individual responsible bodies and in the individual Soviet republics . Soviet musicians also developed and used a variety of ways to circumvent such restrictions.
The VIA's repertoire consisted mainly of songs by composers and poets who were members of the Association of Composers and the Writers' Association . In the first half of the 1980s there was even the unspoken rule that 80% of the repertoire had to be written by members of the composers' association. Since this has not accepted any new members since 1973 and the average age of its members was 60 in 1983, the range of modern popular music that could be performed was limited. Songs by composers from socialist countries were also allowed to be performed, and the texts were translated into Russian. Many VIA also performed compositions by their members, including instrumentals . In any case, melodies and texts had to be approved by the “Artistic Council” ( Russian Художественный совет ) by 1987 before the performance . The “Artistic Council” was a body set up by the CPSU or the administration at the state or regional level. They consisted of specialists in the respective artistic field. In addition to the conformity with the respective ideological specifications, they also had to assess the artistic execution and reject presentations that were inadequate in terms of style or craftsmanship. These councils thus had a similar function to the classification commissions in the GDR .
Cover versions of Western pieces played a major role in performance practice . In order to obtain approval for these songs, attempts were occasionally made to mask these pieces: the names were changed, the compositions were assigned to members of the Association of Composers, members of the group or even invented composers, or declared as American folk songs .
Vocal and instrumental ensembles had easier access to the Soviet state media and to recordings compared to Soviet rock groups . VIA recordings were regularly played on radio and television, while other music groups only had occasional access to the media , particularly around the 1980 Moscow Olympics . Records were only released in the Soviet Union by the Melodija label . It was relatively easy for VIA - taking into account the above-mentioned repertoire restrictions - to produce records, and sales reached considerable proportions. For example, a single from “Wesselyje rebjata” with two cover versions of Beatles pieces sold almost 16 million copies in four years; however, the musicians received a total of only 40 rubles for these recordings . The LP "U nas, molodych" ( Russian "У нас, молодых" , German "With us young") by VIA "Samozwety" (German "Gemstones"), which was published several times between 1975 and 1979, achieved sales of 2 , 5 million copies.
Appearances on radio and television as well as recordings led to a great popularity of the VIA, which resulted in corresponding attendance at concerts. Concerts were also subject to restrictions in the Soviet Union. Concerts were only allowed to be held by authorized organizers; In addition to philharmonic orchestras and theaters, these were primarily clubhouses, hotels and rest homes, but also restaurants. Official promoters were not allowed to hold concerts with unregistered bands. Even if these regulations were circumvented in a variety of ways, it drastically restricted the opportunities for unregistered Soviet rock bands to perform and more or less forced them into illegality. Given the low proceeds from recordings, the concerts were the VIA's main source of income and were promoted accordingly. The approved annual plan for the “Wesselyje rebjata” provided for up to 500 concerts a year. The popularity reached such a level that a VIA could perform for a whole week in a medium-sized city; two concerts were played on weekdays and three to four concerts on weekends. The licensing authorities also determined what remuneration the VIA could demand for their appearances. The fees ranged from 90 to 140 rubles per concert. The artistic director had to submit the setlist for the planned concerts to the authorities for approval, the approval was valid for one month and could be revoked at any time. Each vocal and instrumental ensemble had a musical director who represented the group vis-à-vis the organizers or the authorities. One of the musicians in the group could also take on this role.
Since concerts had to be approved, their approval could also be revoked. Due to the distribution of responsibilities, the consequences were complex and not immediately recognizable. In 1982, in a letter to the editor of the Soviet military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda, a concert by the VIA "Golubyje gitary" in front of Soviet troops in Afghanistan was sharply criticized. As a result, not only were the group's international guest appearances canceled, the concerts in Moscow that had already been announced were also canceled.
Differentiation from Soviet rock music
The borders to Soviet rock music are fluid, both musically and personally. Many Soviet rock musicians occasionally played with recognized vocal and instrumental ensembles. For them it was a way of securing a livelihood, but also a way of circumventing bans on performing. For example, Yevgeny Margilus , who was prohibited from performing across the Union from 1982, played for Aerobus for a while . The band "Zwety" (German "Flowers") was a recognized VIA for a long time, but was banned by a decree of the Soviet Ministry of Culture in 1975, as was the name of the group, which was "Propaganda of the Western ideology of the hippies ". Stas Namin managed to re-found the group under his name and to produce two singles and an LP, but in 1985 the group was accused of propaganda for the Pentagon and "unauthorized contacts with foreigners" in an official statement by the Soviet Ministry of Culture . In addition to Namin, “Zwety” later played such well-known and influential musicians as Konstantin Nikolski and Andrei Sapunow , who later became part of the unregistered rock group “Woskressenije”. Since they performed more or less underground, the Soviet rock bands were also called the “secret” or “illegal” ( Russian подпольные ).
«В целом бездонная пропасть лежала между профессиональными ВИА, даже если они робко пытались пискнуть что-то со сцены в своё оправдание, ВИА самодеятельными, бравшими с них пример, и группами. Это, однако, не переходило в конфронтацию. Все понимали, что так устроен мир. Пойти, например, работать в ансамбль «Весёлые ребята» к Слободкину так и называлось - «продать. Это компенсировалось спокойной жизнью без цепляний, милиции, хорошей аппаратурой и и и и и им и и и и кокойной жизнью без цепляний, милиции, хорошей аппаратурой и и и и и и и кокойной жизнью. «Чесали» тогда ребята по три - по четыре (концерта) в день. Было ясно, что эти суровые условия диктует сама жизнь, и никто из "подпольных" "продавшимся." Ве свелинся.
“In general, there was a bottomless chasm between the professional VIA, even if they shyly tried to screech something off the stage to justify them, the amateur VIA, who followed them, and the (rock) groups. However, that did not lead to confrontation. Everyone understood that this is how the world works. For example, if you went to Slobdkin's 'Wesselyje rebjata', it was called 'selling yourself into slavery'. This was offset by a quiet life with no clasps, no militia , good equipment and regular, high income at the time. Then the boys 'combed' three to four (concerts) a day. It was clear that these harsh conditions were dictated by life itself and that none of the 'secret' spit in the back of the 'sold' people. "
Other Soviet rock bands, such as Maschina Wremeni , achieved official recognition in the early 1980s and were thus able to step out of the underground. However, this did not rid them of all problems; For example, some songs by Maschina Wremeni were positively discussed in the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper and included in their monthly hit parade , but were not allowed to be performed by the band at concerts. In principle, this gave these groups the same performance opportunities as the VIA, but they also had to submit to their restrictions. Despite this overlap, there were clear differences, especially in musical terms.
music
Vocal and instrumental ensembles performed in bulk with a classic line-up of guitars, drums, and keyboards. VIA often reached a size of 6 to 10 people. In some cases the line-up was supplemented by brass sections and, especially in folklore -oriented groups, by typical national instruments. In contrast to rock and jazz , longer solos or improvisations were frowned upon, as were loud or expressive singing. While in rock groups the singer or singers usually still played instruments, in VIA there were predominantly one or more vocal soloists. Sometimes the VIA also appeared as an accompanying ensemble of popular solo artists, such as the "Wesselyje rebjata" for Alla Pugacheva or Aerobus for Juri Antonow . In the 1970s, the musical spectrum ranged from classic hits to the Soviet Estrada to folk , disco and synth pop , always paying attention to a pleasing performance that avoided extremes. Numerous VIA, such as "Jalla", took up more or less elements of national folklore. Musically, the excursions into the field of rock music were limited to what would be called classic or adult oriented rock today. Styles such as art rock or psychedelic rock were rather rare, and punk or new wave , which emerged in the late 1970s, were not accepted by the VIA until 1984. Cover versions of western titles took up a large part of the repertoire.
Texts
As in Soviet rock music, vocal and instrumental ensembles placed great emphasis on texts. However, texts here had almost exclusively positive connotations and did not deal with the everyday problems of the listeners. They offered the audience an ideal, socialist world. Topics were both patriotic songs, lyrical love songs, the romance of work, joke songs , romances and folk songs . When Western pieces were covered, they were usually provided with a new Russian text, the content of which hardly had any reference to the original, but sounded phonetically similar.
Performance practice
There were hardly any visual accents during performances. The musicians usually wore blazers or, if they felt more indebted to folklore, appropriate costumes. Active movements on the stage - and also during television recordings - were not common, the musicians stayed in their places during the entire performance, only the performing vocal soloist moved under certain circumstances measured during television recordings. Movements on stage became more daring in the late 1970s, but usually followed a rehearsed choreography . It was common for different songs to be performed by different soloists. The musicians usually had a musical university degree and / or many years of professional experience. Due to the training and the admission regulations, the lecture was usually of a high level. Unusual hairstyles, tattoos, riveted leather clothes, metal accessories and other things were not seen during the performances.
Development in the 1980s
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The development in the 1980s was marked by sudden and drastic changes.
Olympic games
At the Olympic Games in Moscow, the Soviet Union wanted to present itself as modern and cosmopolitan. This supported the efforts of cultural and youth functionaries towards a liberalization of the Soviet music scene. Domestic and foreign popular music was increasingly played in the Soviet media. According to the memory of Alexei Romanov, the founder of the group “Voskressenije”, there was no censorship. The relaxation even went so far that “Woskressenije” was able to record a video clip for Soviet television.
For the vocal and instrumental ensembles, this development was definitely double-edged. On the one hand, many of the previous restrictions were removed, on the other hand, they were increasingly exposed to competition from domestic and foreign pop music. Soviet rock music, although located in the semi-legal zone, enjoyed enormous popularity. In the meantime, the Magnitisdat albums by Soviet rock groups that were traded on the black market had even surpassed the copies of foreign pop groups. With their non-conformist attitude and the texts that expressed the attitude towards life of the Soviet youth, they appealed to young listeners more than the established VIA, which was considered to be adapted in every respect. Some rock groups managed to get an official registration during this time, which put them on an equal footing with the VIA. On the other hand, the Soviet youth now got to know musical styles such as disco or new wave to a greater extent , which also differed significantly in the dynamics of the performances of their interpreters from the style previously cultivated in the Soviet Union. Occasionally there were even guest performances by Western pop groups in the USSR, such as Boney M 1978 or Elton John 1979. Against this background, the repertoire of many Soviet ensembles was perceived as ordinary and old-fashioned. The Soviet youth turned to other musical styles such as rock music, disco, new wave and electronic music. Part of the VIA disbanded during this time, while the actors partly founded new groups and tried to get closer to the zeitgeist and the taste of the audience.
Fight against rock
However, this development only lasted for a short time. After Yuri Andropov after the death of Brezhnev as general secretary of the CPSU Central Committee was elected, intensified the pressure on the music scene of the USSR considerably. There were two reasons for this: on the one hand, thanks also to Andropov's taste in music, the hardliners were able to prevail once again, who viewed pop music as an expression of the decadent western way of life and a means of disintegrating Soviet society by western secret services. These fears were not entirely unfounded, as the West more or less openly used art and culture for its purposes during the Cold War . On the other hand, the liberalization had led to a collapse in the revenues of the state concert organizers, since the market was now clearly dominated by the Soviet rock groups. As long as the repression was handled more loosely, unregistered rock groups also organized corporate tours. The income from these was lost to the state concert organizers and was not taxed.
As a result, the censorship measures against the rock bands were strictly enforced and action was taken increasingly against unofficial concerts that had meanwhile been more or less tolerated in a gray area. Rock groups that were already registered had to play again in front of the relevant bodies to extend their registration, but mostly lost their approval under the new ideological guidelines. This battle of the authorities against Soviet rock music eliminated this competition from the VIA, but did not solve the problems behind it. Some of the VIA tried to get a second chance by adapting their repertoire and performances. This was made easier by the fact that, due to the repression, rock musicians such as Konstantin Nikolski , Andrei Saounow , Sergei Kawagoe or Margulis became members of vocal and instrumental ensembles, which gave them new impulses.
Perestroika
With the perestroika that began under Gorbachev , the framework conditions changed radically. Due to the economic reforms, music groups broke away from their previous sponsors and organized themselves privately. From 1987 on, private concert organizers established themselves on the basis of the changed legal situation. At the same time, the advances in electronics made musical instruments and equipment available in the Soviet Union , which enabled the production of popular music without the orchestras and recording studios previously required. This led to the founding of a large number of music groups that cultivated a wide variety of styles. Access to the media has also been made easier. From 1984 Soviet rock got its own TV format with the music program “Musykalny ring” on Leningrad television. With the emergence of the first private radio stations and record companies, the previous monopolies began to dissolve. At the same time, there was an increasing number of guest performances by music groups from the socialist countries that had already picked up on new trends such as New Wave or the New German Wave . From 1988 on, established western rock bands such as the Scorpions appeared in the USSR.
These developments led to a diversification of public tastes. Many of the established vocal and instrumental ensembles could not keep up with the emerging competition, either musically or lyrically or in terms of their stage presence. Not economically viable without the state monopoly organizations, they could not adapt quickly enough artistically. While the VIA's unique selling proposition - the official registration - had proven to be obsolete with the economic reforms, falling demand led to the dissolution of numerous vocal and instrumental ensembles. However, some of their actors started solo careers or founded new music groups. For example, in 1984 the VIA “Pojuschtschije serdza” formed both the jazz rock band “Eremitage” and the heavy metal band Arija . Many of the established Russian pop musicians were members of VIA in the 1980s.
aftermath
Regardless of this, some of the best-known vocal and instrumental ensembles still exist today, albeit in a very different way. Some groups were also re-established in the 1990s as part of the emerging wave of nostalgia . The repertoire consists largely of new recordings of old successes; Sometimes there are also new compositions that are stylistically based on the 1970s / 1980s. Occasionally, the increased popularity in the 1990s led to several successor groups with the same name but different line-ups for individual VIAs. Today, vocal and instrumental ensembles are primarily aimed at an older audience and convey an atmosphere of nostalgia.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Georgi Tolstiakov: Russian rock music in the 80s . Soviet Union Today, No. 8 (August 1985)
- ↑ Frederick Starr: The Rock Inundation in The Wilson Quarterly , No. 4 (Fall 1983), pp. 65 f.
- ↑ Евгений Ясенов: Здесь начинались ВИА . In: donjetsk.com . (Russian)
- ↑ a b c d e f g Pedro Ramet, Sergei Zamascikov: The Soviet Rock Scene . In: Wilson Center . 1987. (PDF; English)
- ↑ Андрей Макаревич о религии "Битлз", рок-фанатах и Окуджаве (Russian)
- ↑ Sergey Grechishkin: Everything is Normal: The Life and Times of a Soviet Kid , Inkshares, 2018, ISBN 1942645902 , p. 127 (English)
- ↑ a b «Веселые ребята, до и после антракта» . In: YouTube . Film about the "Wesselyje rebjata" (Russian)
- ↑ 50 культовых пластинок фирмы «Мелодия» // Серебряный дождь. 2014 (Russian)
- ↑ Статья о ВИА "Самоцветы" из газеты "Труд" 1979 года (Russian)
- ↑ Concert poster of the VIA "Tscherwona Ruta" for the performances in Protvino from June 27 to July 7, 1975 (Russian)
- ↑ Vlastimir Nesic: Rock u SSSR-u . Reporter (Belgrade), No. 947, June 14, 1985, p. 40.
- ↑ Радио Маяк «Шоу" По-Большому "» . In: radiomajak.ru . (Russian)
- ↑ Постановление коллегии Министерства Культуры РСФСР N261 от 08/12/1985 г. (Russian)
- ↑ Андрей Макаревич: "Было, есть, будет…", Эксмо, Moscow 2015, ISBN 978-5-699-75838-8 , p. 47. (Russian)
- ↑ Воскресение - Стань самим собой (Лето) Woskressenije: Stan samym coboy - recording from June 1980 . In: YouTube .
- ↑ Crooker, Matthew R., "Cool Notes in an Invisible War: The Use of Radio and Music in the Cold War from 1953 to 1968 , 2019. (English)
- ↑ Закон СССР от 19.11.1986 «Об индивидуальной трудовой деятельности» (Russian)
- ↑ Постановление Совета Министров СССР от 05.02.1987 № 162 «О создании кооперативов по производству производству новерловеноверловенгерловеновер in Russian.
- ↑ Komsomolskaya Pravda . In: kp.ru . March 3, 2005 (Russian)