Stravinsky's ballet Petrouchka contains authentic Russian folk melodies. Five can be identified based on counterparts in four Russian folk song collections (listed in a bibliography). Ironically, the familiar composers Tchaikovsky, Balakirev, and Rimsky-Korsakov produced less authentic folk song anthologies than did scholars such as Melgunov, Istomin and Diutsch, and Lineva, since the composers were tempted to "improve" on the originals. Stravinsky did not necessarily consult these collections, but these models facilitate understanding and acknowledgment of borrowings. The songs Stravinksy used come from both Christian and pagan traditions. The "Song of the Volochebniki," traditionally sung at Easter, occurs in the first and fourth tableaux and is found in the Rimsky-Korsakov collection. The rare "Song for St. John's Eve," from the Istomin and Diutsch collection, occurs in the first tableau. The fourth tableau also contains "Ia vechor moloda," a popular dance song found in the Rimsky-Korsakov collection, as well as "O Snow Now Thaws" (about soup and love) from the Prokunin-Tchaikovsky collection and "Akh vy sieni, moi sieni" (about a happy bride) from the Swerkoff collection.

Works: Stravinsky: Petrushka.

Index Classifications: 1900s

Contributed by: Brian Phillips, Daniel Bertram