My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point

Subject: RE: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 Dec 15 - 03:53 AM

Hi Rob - Don't know if it is any good to you but I posted lots of Russian Folk Songs here on Mudcat some years back.

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: Will Fly
Date: 16 Dec 15 - 03:52 AM

I can recommend the Spike Jones version of Очи чёрные as a role model...

Subject: RE: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 16 Dec 15 - 03:45 AM

Artful...yes, I think I'll stick to just the Russian lyrics. I've been asked by a young friend in Russia to learn yet another song Очи чёрные (Black Eyes). Younger people in Russia seem quite fond of old "cabaret" and "gypsy style" songs (as well as rap and garage music).

If this goes on my Russian repertoire by the middle of next year will be bigger than my English one :-)

Subject: RE: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: Artful Codger
Date: 14 Dec 15 - 11:59 PM

"Those Were the Days" bears almost no relation to the Russian text, so I only sing the Russian; otherwise it's like a mash-up, and not the good kind. (TWtD also lacks the wryness of the Russian. I find it just saccharine.) I also hear no appreciable difference in the tune—whether the guy copyrighted his "arrangement" is another story: everyone since the Carter Family does that; gotta grab those ASCAP royalties.

Subject: RE: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: Mr Red
Date: 14 Dec 15 - 04:32 AM

try your Russian out on Mr Red's русский язык FAQ page it should be OK translated by a colleague and a Ruskie corrected it.

Subject: RE: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: Will Fly
Date: 14 Dec 15 - 04:06 AM

I think you ought to sing Калинка to us at Ditchling, Rob - always good fun, getting faster and faster - or Подмосковные вечера

Subject: RE: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: Jack Campin
Date: 13 Dec 15 - 07:36 PM

A quick google finds versions in French, Slovenian, Swedish, Dutch and Finnish. In fact a choice of three versions in Finnish. Why restrict yourself?

Hawaiian ought to sound good.

Subject: RE: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 13 Dec 15 - 06:12 PM

I was aware of that, keberoxu. I believe the guy who wrote the English lyrics changed a couple of notes and copyrighted the tune as well as they lyrics.

The next Russian song I learn will be the original (Дорогой длинною"). Trying to work out whether to stick and English version chorus in there or leave it as pure Russian.

Subject: RE: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: keberoxu
Date: 13 Dec 15 - 03:15 PM

The late great Theodor Bikel sang, of course, in many languages. You know the hit song, "Those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd never end"? That was Russian before it was English. Bikel recorded a bang-up version of the Russian. The original makes much of a Troika.

Subject: RE: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: Jack Campin
Date: 13 Dec 15 - 06:47 AM

Our klezmer group did a pub gig last week with a bunch of Russian songs mixed in with the Yiddish.

We did a rehearsal in the library of a Russian cultural centre. They had a copy of this on the shelves:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1553037.Dictionary_of_Russian_Obscenities

Dunno how many of them featured in the songs.

Subject: RE: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 13 Dec 15 - 06:10 AM

Will, yes, that's the same one, but I think a bit better done this time (from my own subjective viewpoint). I have a couple more Russian songs in the pipeline too, but not ready for public consumption yet. Hopefully when I go back to Russia next year I'll be able to do a mixed set of Russian and western songs in the pub there.

Yes, I'll be coming to the next Ditchling session. Missed you at the last one: it was a good one (they usually are!).

Subject: RE: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: Will Fly
Date: 13 Dec 15 - 04:10 AM

Rob - is this the one you sang at the Ditchling session last month but one? If so, well done!

Coming to December's (which will probably be on the Monday, as it's a Bank Holiday weekend)?

Subject: My Russian Has Finally Reached The Point
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 13 Dec 15 - 03:50 AM

.....where I feel reasonably comfortable singing in it! This song is one recommended by my teacher as giving a great insight into use of the Genitive case in Russian:
Yesli Oo Vas Nyetu Tyoti

It's a bit strange playing Russian songs to audiences in the UK, but I heed to practice my repertoire before (hopefully) surprising my Russian friends when I go back there next year. I've got away with it 3 times so far though. :-)