Отпусти и забудь

Most of us have seen the famous song from the movie Frozen called "Let it go". Well, Disney decided they were going to make this movie in 25+ different languages. One of those happened to be Russian!! Anna Burturlina, a modern Jazz singer who resides in Moscow, was recruited to sing the song in Russian. 

Anna Burturlina- Let it go

Here is Anna's website

Also, Russia beat Disney in the making of Frozen! Russia's famous film "The Snow Queen" was made in 2012, well over a year before Frozen was put into theaters, and by watching this trailer, you can see the many similarities. 

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/02/09/before-disneys-frozen-russian-snow-queen/

Maslenitsa

Here in America, we celebrate winter coming to into spring simply by throwing all of our heavy clothes to the back of the dresser until the following year. In Russia, the celebration from winter to spring is a week long even known as Maslenitsa. It has both a pagan and christian history; in Pagan, Maslenitsa is celebrated on equinox; in christianity, it is celebrated the week before lent and is in preparation for spring.
In the christian religion, there is merrymaking happening all around, but one also must rid oneself of all meats, dairy, fish and eggs. This time is used to celebrate spiritual life and nothing more.

The Traditional Maslenitsa schedule looks on the line of this:

Monday-  The day of welcoming: The children assemble a Maslenitsa doll that is made of straw and women's clothing. They then place it on a pole and go dancing in khorovods. Afterwards, it is carried up to a snow hill and people then slide back down. "The rich start baking pancakes on this day, while the poor can only afford it doing it on Thursday or Friday. Traditionally, the first pancake goes to beggars to pay the tribute to the memory of deceased relatives. It was a common knowledge that if one doesn’t have as much fun as he or she could during Maslenitsa, they are doomed to grow old in loneliness and misery. Daughters-in-law are sent to their parents’ homes, with their husbands’ families joining them by the end of the day for a substantial holiday meal."

Tuesday- The day of fun and matchmaking: This day is full of fun and mischief. Children play in ice castles and eat tons of pancakes. Men kiss girls on the streets as if it means nothing and single guys rent sleighs to impress all of the beautiful girls. 

Wednesday- Visitation: Sons in law would pay to enjoy their mother in law's pancakes and the mother would then invite other guests over as well to enjoy the visitation. 

Thursday- Anger retreat: On this day, all work and merrymaking ceases and now violence begins. "On this day fist fights traditionally take place. Fist fighting is said to commemorate Russian military history, when soldiers supposedly fought each other in hand-to-hand combat. “Never hit a man when he is down”, states a Russian proverb, and its roots are found in this Maslenitsa."

Friday- Mother's day: Basically another day of family reunions and eating pancakes

Saturday- Sister day: "On this day young wives would invite their sisters-in-law for a feast to cajole them and win their favor. If husbands' sisters are single, young men are expected to attend the party. If they are married, she would invite all her married relatives along and the whole train would travel from one household to another.This ritual was of significance, since the relationship between the young wife and her sister-in-law initially was expected to be rather tense."

Sunday- Forgiveness day: On this day, presents are present to family members and/or sweethearts and forgiveness is asked for from those around them for all sins that had been committed in the year. This day is also when the doll made on Monday is burned and, once it was reduced to ashes, the young generation would walk over it, thus ending the festivities. 

http://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/maslenitsa/

-Brooke Shepko

Russian Christmas Music

Russian Christmas Music- Alfred Reed

Russian Christmas Music by Alfred Reed was a piece that was written in 1944 for symphonic band. Reed was commissioned to write a Russian piece of music for a concert in Colorado. The goal in doing so was to improve Soviet-American relations. Originally Prokofiev's March, Op. 99 was to be preformed but it was soon discovered, 16 days before the premier, that it had already been played within the United States. This is when Reed was asked to write a new piece, and it was premiered on December 12, 1944 on nationally-broadcasted NBC radio. 

Although Russian Christmas Music consists of only one movement, it can be readily divided into four sections:

1. The opening section, Carol of the Little Russian Children (mm. 1–31; approx. 3 minutes), is based on a 16th-century Russian Christmas carol. It is slow throughout; after a quiet opening by the chimes, contrabass clarinet, and string bass, the clarinets carry the melody. The other voices join in, and the section ends with a series of chords.

1. The Antiphonal Chant (mm. 32–85; about 2 minutes) is faster and louder, with the melody initially carried by the trombones, horns, trumpets, and cornets. The woodwinds join in, and the music becomes more and more frenzied until the section ends with a massive cymbal and tam-tam crash.

1. The Village Song (mm. 86–165; about 5 minutes) is much gentler by comparison; the Cor anglais has two solos, with soli in the flutes and a solo in the horns at the end of each. The piece enters a time signature of 6/4; the band plays a series of cantabile two-bar phrases back and forth between the woodwinds and brass, with the string bass playing long strings of eighth-notes, which are passed along to the bells. The song becomes quieter again, and the section ends with another English horn solo.

1. The Cathedral Chorus (mm. 166–249; about 5 minutes) starts quietly, as the end of Village Song, but a crescendo in the trombones andpercussion brings the rest of the band in majestically. The music builds to a climax, but then backs down for a final chorale in the woodwinds; the sound builds once again, and the piece concludes with a thundering chorale marked by liberal use of the chimes and tam-tam as well as soaring horn counterpoint.

The Stetson University Symphonic Band will be playing this piece in the Hall of Fame concert on Sunday, November 17, 2013 at 4:00pm, conducted by Colbert Howell, associate of bands at Vero Beach High School.