Original Russian musical instruments are a thing of the past, giving way to new ones. Few where today you can hear the balalaika, even less common is domra. Domra is the progenitor of balalaika and is considered to be a Russian folk instrument.
Instruction manual
1
Domra has existed in Russia since ancient times, its image can be seen on popular prints. It is curious that this tool has become truly international, under various names domra is used by many nationalities. Kalmyks have domr, Tatars have dombra, or Dunbur.
2
By its sound, domra is divided into several types: piccolo, mezzo-soprano and viola domra. This plucked instrument is a wooden case construction, on the bottom of which a shield is attached. In the upper part is a neck with pegs. The strings are attached to the shield and with the help of pegs are pulled on the neck.
3
Domra's body is made of seven parts of dry wood, which are glued in a certain sequence. The vulture is glued from solid wood, and the fibers of the tree are arranged along.
4
Initially, domra was made from a piece of wood, hollowing out a hemispherical cavity, then a bar was fastened, on which strings made from animal veins were pulled. In the seventeenth century, the church, concerned about the rapid development of secular culture, began the persecution of "demonic instruments", to which the domra was also attributed.
5
Under pressure from churchmen, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in 1648 issued a decree banning the use of domra as a musical instrument. Skomorokh musicians were forbidden to play domra, and the instruments themselves were subject to destruction. Not a single musical instrument experienced such a tragic fate. After the seventeenth century, not a single written mention of domra was left.
6
The revival of the instrument began with V. Andreev, a talented musician. In 1896, he found a dilapidated instrument, which, according to Andreev, was domra. Together with the famous violin master S. Nalimov, Andreev developed and implemented a completely new concept in the manufacture of domra. A round hemispherical body was glued together from several types of wood, a neck with three strings. So the new domra began to look.
7
By the time of the revival of domra, Andreev already led the balalaika orchestra. Andreev was captured by the idea of creating an orchestra of Russian folk instruments. To realize his idea, Andreev needed a group of instruments that could create a cross-cutting melodic theme in the overall sound of the orchestra. The revived domra was very suitable for this. The domr group was created and included in the orchestra.
8
In 1948, a school for playing the three-stringed domra was opened at the Gnessin Institute in the department of folk instruments. Domra became a full member of each orchestra of Russian folk instruments.
