BAYAN - Russian button accordion

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BAYAN - Russian button accordion history

The bayan is a type of chromatic button accordion developed in Russia in the early 20th century.

It was in Petersburg from the 1770's to the 1790's where Kratzenstein, Kirsnik, and Vogler were inspired to build the first free-reed instruments. It was in Tula where mass production of accordions began in the 1830's. It was in Vyatskaya in the 1840's where the first double-action accordion was built. It was in Tula where the first chromatic three-row button accordion was built in 1870 by the Russian musician N.I. Beloborodov. It was in Kiev where the first conservatory program in bayan was established in 1927. It was in the U.S.S.R. where the first two concerti for bayan were written in 1937 by Rubtsov and Sotnikov.

The word bayan was taken after the name of the ninth/tenth-century poet, artist and musician (The Bayan) who first appeared in a troubadour poem, The Story of the Igoreve Regiment. At first the name was used to refer to the ancestor of the modern bayan, the Russian harmonica. The instrument developed with the addition of bellows, register stops, a left-hand manual which later became standardized to include both stradella and free-bass (convertor), and a right-hand manual which increased the number of button rows from three to five... read more

BAYAN - Russian button accordion - differs from western chromatic button accordions in some details of construction: Reeds are broader and rectangular. Reeds are often attached in large groups to a common plate (rather than in pairs); the plates are screwed to the reed block (rather than attached with wax). The melody-side keyboard is attached near the middle of the body (rather than at the rear). Reeds are generally not tuned with tremolo. Register switches may be operated with the chin on some larger models. The diminished seventh chord row is shifted, so that the diminished seventh G chord is where one would expect the diminished seventh C chord in the Stradella bass system. Converter switches to go from standard pre-set chords to free bass (individual bass notes) are common on the larger instruments. Newer instruments may feature a register, where every tone played actually produces a perfect fifth. The differences in internal construction give the bayan a different tone color from western instruments, especially the bass has a much fuller sound. Because of their range and purity of tone, bayans are often the instrument of choice for accordion virtuosi who perform classical and contemporary classical music.

Russian dance and music ensemble Barynya from New York and bayan virtuoso Gennady Gutkin videoclips from various performances.

Bayan virtuoso Victor Danilochkin and New York based ensemble Barynya performers: Alex Siniavski, Leonid Bruk, Sergey Ryabtsev and Irina Zagornova.

My Darling lives in high-rise Живёт моя отрада в высоком терему

We were riding a small boat Мы на лодочке катались

Victor Danilochkin performes with New York based Cossack song, music and dance during the concert in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, June 23, 2007.

Bayan virtuoso Victor Danilochkin 2 min 8 sec on Google Video

Russian bayan solo 1 min 55 sec YouTube

Cossack Song "Yagodka Krasna" 42 sec Google Video

Cossack Song "Pchyolochka Zlataia" 2 min Google Video

Russian Cossack dance solo 56 sec Google Video

Cossack folk song "Dorozhka" 41 sec Google Video

Russian Cossack song "Babochka" 1 min 48 sec on YouTube

Russian table song "Kakim Ty Byl" 55 sec YouTube

Cossack Song "Iz-Za Gorochki" 1 min 10 sec YouTube

Cossack song "Vo Sadu-Sadochku" 35 sec YouTube

Russian folk button accordion GARMOSHKA video

director of Russian dance and music ensemble Barynya Mikhail Smirnov performes Russian folk song Korobushka on Russian folk accordion GARMOSHKA.

Russian button accordion BAYAN performers

Musician who plays BAYAN called in Russia "BAYANIST"

Russian bayan virtuoso Victor Danilochkin from New York

bayanist and singer Vitali Baganov from New York City

Bayan virtuoso Gennady Gutkin from Brooklyn, New York

Ukrainian singer, musician from San Fransisco, California Nina Tritenichenko

Russian garmoshka player Misha Smirnov available in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania

more Russian, Ukrainian, Gypsy, Klezmer musicians, singers, dancers, ensembles

RELATED LINKS
Bayan - Russian button accordion
Bayan virtuoso Gennady Gutkin from Brooklyn, New York
Russian garmoshka player and singer Mikhail Smirnov from New Jersey
Russian singer, bayanist and actor Vitali Baganov from New York City
Bayan virtuoso Andrey Shelyganov from Moscow, Russia
Bayan virtuoso Victor Danilochkin from New York
Bayanist and singer from San Fransisco, California Nina Tritenichenko
Bayan virtuoso Arkady Pevchin from Chicago, Illinous
Bayan virtuoso Yan Khmel from Brooklyn, New York