Russian folk choir named after M. Pyatnitsky. State Academic Russian Folk Choir named after M. E. Pyatnitsky State Russian Folk Choir named after Pyatnitsky

Russian folk choir named after M. E. Pyatnitsky

State Academic Russian Folk Choir named after. M. E. Pyatnitsky- Russian musical group performing folk music.

This is exactly what the first posters of the now famous group looked like - the State Academic Russian Folk Choir named after. M.E. Pyatnitsky - back in 1911.

The founder of folk choral singing on the professional stage and the organizer of the first folk choir in Russia was Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky(1864-1927), an expert in the art of singing, a famous “collector” of Russian songs. He traveled to villages and towns in central Russia, listening to folk singers. More than 400 songs recorded on an ancient roller phonograph are preserved in the archives of Mitrofan Pyatnitsky. Pyatnitsky was so captivated by folk performers that he had a dream of showing Russian song on the concert stage in its true form, the way it had sounded for centuries.

The band's first concert took place March 2, 1911 in Moscow on the stage of the Noble Assembly. Singing peasants appeared before the public - straight from the ground, from the plow, from the heap. The initial composition consisted of eighteen people from three central Russian provinces. And until the beginning of the 20s, singers were invited to concerts in Moscow, and then they returned to their villages. Only 10 years later, Mitrofan Pyatnitsky moved the choir members to live in the capital, and they began to perform in a permanent composition.

After Pyatnitsky’s death in 1927, Pyotr Mikhailovich Kazmin became the director of the choir.

In 1962, the choir was headed by the famous composer Valentin Sergeevich Levashov, whose songs became the basis of the group's repertoire. In 1985, he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR. The repertoire was replenished with a new genre of vocal and choreographic composition. These were, first of all, large-scale, epic canvases of folk life in the synthesis of words, music and dance, representing entire cultural and ethnographic sections: Bryansk games, Kaluga busts, Kursk dance with ditties.

Since 1989, the Choir named after. Pyatnitsky is headed by Alexandra Andreevna Permyakova (since 1989 - director, and since 1995 - Artistic Director - Director).

Today, after a rather difficult period in the early - mid-90s, the State Academic Russian Folk Choir named after M. E. Pyatnitsky is again on the rise. 90 percent of its artists are graduates of the Pyatnitsky Choir School-Studio, created 30 years ago. Tatiana Ustinova.

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Founded in 1910 by M. E. Pyatnitsky, since 1927 named after him, since 1968 academic. The choir was composed of peasants from the Ryazan and Smolensk provinces. The first concert took place on March 2, 1911 in Moscow, in the Small Hall of the Noble Assembly. In 1937 the choir became professional... Russian history

State Academic Russian Folk Choir named after. M.E. Pyatnitsky ... Wikipedia

State Academic Russian Folk Choir named after. M.E. Pyatnitsky is a Russian musical group performing folk music. “On Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th at one o’clock in the afternoon there will be a concert of Great Russian peasants, specially ... ... Wikipedia - (academic Russian folk choir of the RSFSR named after M. E. Pyatnitsky) the oldest owl. prof. adv. chorus Organized by M.E. Pyatnitsky in 1910. The first concert of the choir consisting of 18 peasant singers from the Voronezh, Ryazan and Smolensk provinces took place on 2 ...

Music Encyclopedia Russian Federation named after M. E. Pyatnitsky, founded in 1910; organizer and artistic director (until 1927) M. E. Pyatnitsky. Since 1937 the professional collective of the Moscow Philharmonic, since 1940 its modern name, since 1967 academic. Among… …

encyclopedic Dictionary Academic Russian Folk Choir of the Russian Federation named after M.E. Pyatnitsky professional folk choir. Organized in 1910 from peasants of the Voronezh, Ryazan and Smolensk provinces. The first concert in Moscow took place on February 17, 1911 in Maly... ...

Moscow (encyclopedia) Academic Russian Folk Choir of the Russian Federation named after M.E. Pyatnitsky professional folk choir. Organized in 1910 from peasants of the Voronezh, Ryazan and Smolensk provinces. The first concert in Moscow took place on February 17, 1911 in Maly... ...

Professional folk choir. Organized by M.E. Pyatnitsky in 1910 from the peasants of the Voronezh, Ryazan and Smolensk provinces. The first concert in Moscow took place on February 17, 1911 in the Small Hall of the Noble Assembly. The art of the choir was admired... ... State Academic Folk Choir named after. Pyatnitsky Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

This article is about the choir as a singing group. See also other meanings of this word. Choir (ancient Greek: χορός crowd) choral group, singing group, musical ensemble consisting of singers (choristers, choir artists); joint sound... ... Wikipedia

A word about the creative team

Choir named after Pyatnitsky. The team, born among the people and raised by them, is rightfully considered the oldest and faithful promoter of folk songs. On February 17, 1911 in Moscow, in the Small Hall of the Noble Assembly, they were performed for the first time by him. Voronezh musician and passionate song collector Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky brought groups of singers from villages to Moscow and organized peasant concerts here. According to the story of one of the choir leaders, P. M. Kazmin, the basis of the choir from the moment of its founding was made up of three groups of singers: Voronezh, Ryazan and Smolensk. The group of Voronezh singers included fellow villagers of M.E. Pyatnitsky. At the first concerts, each of these groups performed separately, but then the best songs began to be performed by the whole group.

It should be noted that the activities of the choir were already marked by the intense, creative work of its participants, who, after a hard day of work, went to a rehearsal, to Pyatnitsky’s apartment or to the outskirts of the Novodevichy Convent, and spent hours perfecting the performance of each song. Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky sought first of all to preserve the folk style of performance, so that the singers could fully convey the richness of Russian song to listeners. “Sing like you sing in your own village and in round dances,” he demanded. The original ancient outfits in which the choir members performed were also supposed to convey the charm of Russian song.

The program of the first concert included 27 songs from different regions of Russia. Some of them were performed with accompaniment. Usually they accompanied the singers on zhaleikas. Already in the first concert, works appeared that gained enormous popularity among lovers of folk music. The songs “Mountains Vorobyovskie”, “My Stripe, Stripe”, performed on a February evening in the Small Hall of the Noble Assembly, and are now included in the repertoire of the group, are a great success among listeners.
A year later, Pyatnitsky’s choir performed again in Moscow. This time his program was more organized, combined into three completed paintings: “Evening outside the outskirts”, “Festive day after mass”, “Wedding ceremony”. The choir's performance in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory was attended by Rachmaninov and Chaliapin, who responded warmly to the concert.
Peasant concerts were repeated over the next three years. They brought people the best traditions of Russian song but, unfortunately, were not accessible to a wide circle of listeners. A peculiar result of the first years of the choir’s work was summed up by the release in 1914 of the collection “Concerts of M. E. Pyatnitsky with Peasants,” where 20 of the most popular songs from the choir’s repertoire were published.

Despite the enthusiasm and persistence with which M.E. Pyatnitsky took up the collection and promotion of Russian folk songs, before the revolution he could not fully realize his creative plans. And it is no coincidence that the true flowering of the choir begins after the Great October Revolution. The possibility of mass performances appeared, and with the expansion of the audience the repertoire was enriched. The choir performed in factories, factories, and villages. The Soviet government even then attached great importance to his activities. On September 22, 1918, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin attended a choir concert in the Kremlin. He was interested in the work of the group (the “Kremlin” program of the choir included the films “Evening Outside the Outskirts,” “Gatherings,” “Wedding” and the film “Liberated Russia” created on modern material). The next day, Lenin received Pyatnitsky in the Kremlin. In a conversation with him, Vladimir Ilyich emphasized the importance of promoting Russian folk art and pointed out the need to expand the activities of the choir.
The team, inspired by Lenin’s attention and his kind parting words, began to work with even greater enthusiasm. In 1923, for his energetic and fruitful work, he was awarded a diploma from the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition, where he gave a number of concerts, and in the year of his twenty-fifth anniversary he was awarded the title of Honored Band of the Republic.

In 1927, M.E. Pyatnitsky passed away. After his death, the team was headed by Pyotr Mikhailovich Kazmin, nephew of Mitrofan Efimovich, literary critic and folklorist.
1936 - opens a new stage in the creative biography of the group. The choir becomes professional. He has the opportunity to work more thoughtfully and thoroughly on song material. During these years, a radical restructuring of the choir's work was carried out. A significant contribution to the improvement of his performing skills belongs to the composer Vladimir Grigorievich Zakharov, who, together with P. M. Kazmin, has been leading the team since 1931. The appearance of the choir is changing. He becomes more festive and elegant. The repertoire, along with ancient ones, increasingly includes modern songs about the life of Soviet people. Among them are the works of V. G. Zakharov himself. The restructuring of the collective ends with the creation of special groups of musicians and dancers. The wonderful dance master Tatyana Alekseevna Ustinova and the famous musician Vasily Vasilyevich Khvatov join the team.
The songs performed by the choir receive truly national recognition, this applies primarily to the songs “Seeing Off”, “Along the Village”, “And Who Knows Him”, “Green Spaces”.

The war did not interrupt the creative activity of the choir. Performing on the front stage, on the radio, the artists of the Pyatnitsky choir inspired Soviet soldiers to fight for the happiness and freedom of the Motherland. V. Zakharov’s songs “Oh, my mists”, “White Snow” become truly folk. During the war years, another fundamentally new feature appeared in the creative style of the team. Its performers now not only sing or dance, they act on stage. In 1943, the choir performed a program that included “Scenes of a Russian Folk Wedding.” Wedding songs are part of everyday pictures presented by artists on stage. The text of “Scenes of a Russian Folk Wedding” was compiled by P. M. Kazmin, using authentic folklore material. Songs, ditties, folk customs and rituals, dances, round dances - all this sounded organically in the wedding scenes. In 1944, a large group of choir artists were awarded orders and medals for new creative achievements; V. G. Zakharov was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR, and P. M. Kazmin was awarded the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR.

The post-war period of the choir's activities is marked by new songs by V. G. Zakharov. Their themes are the Motherland, Russia, the return of the soldiers who defended the Fatherland to peaceful labor, and of course, new collective farm lyrics (“Song about Russia”, “Glory to the Soviet Power”, “How the guys came back from the war”, “There is no better color than this” .). The orchestra’s repertoire was enriched by V. V. Khvatov’s plays “Carousel”, “Wedding Tunes”, and the dance group’s repertoire was enriched by the dances “Timonya”, “Gusachok”, “Girls’ Round Dance”. The staging of the folk scenes “Beyond the Outskirts,” the plot and text of which was written by P. M. Kazmin, should also be considered a major work of the choir.
In the post-war years, the group began its foreign tours. In 1948 he traveled to Czechoslovakia, then to Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, East Germany, and Finland. And everywhere his performances meet with great interest and enjoy constant success. This good tradition is preserved by the team to this day.
A new level of the choir’s mastery was its work on folk songs “Fires are Burning”, “Steppe and Steppe All Around”, “There is a Cliff on the Volga”, as well as on V. G. Zakharov’s song “Our Strength is in Righteous Deeds”, in which the theme is resolved the struggle for peace, and the songs and dances of a collective farm wedding (text of songs by A. Tvardovsky, music by V. Zakharov).

In the 50s-60s, the team was led by P. M. Kazmin and Marian Viktorovich Koval, and since 1963 by composer Valentin Sergeevich Levashov. The arrival of composer V. S. Levashov to the team is associated with new creative searches. This is evidenced by the choir’s programs “Russian Land”, “Blossoms, Russia”, “Morning of Russia”. Without breaking with the traditions of Russian folk art, V. S. Levashov boldly introduces elements of modernity into the performing style of the choir. The choir eagerly responds to the needs of the people, its performances are distinguished by their relevance and political focus.
The choral and dance groups and orchestra of the group were rebuilt.
“At the present time,” says the director of the Pyatnitsky choir V.S. Levashov, “the peculiarity of our group is that the female group of singers is divided into four parts, and not into three, as was previously the case; the male group of singers is divided into three parts rather than two. The orchestra widely uses four-string domras, balalaikas, button accordions, original folk wind instruments, harmonicas, and percussion instruments. The dance group has been enlarged, which allows for the staging of mass dances and dances. The chief choirmaster Galina Vladimirovna Fufaeva, the head of the dance group Tatyana Alekseevna Ustinova, and the director of the orchestra Alexander Semenovich Shirokov work a lot with the team.”

Songs performed by the Pyatnitsky Choir have been heard for more than half a century. His services are highly appreciated by the people, the party, and the Soviet government. On the day of its fiftieth anniversary, the choir was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, and in 1968 the choir became Academic.
A. Vladimirov

ORCHESTRA COMPOSITION

Domras: Piccolo, Prims, Tenor, Bass, Contrabass
Bayans: I, II, double bass
Winds: Vladimir horns, (trumpets) - soprano, altos Keychain, zhaleika, flute
Drums: Triangle Tambourine
Snare drum, Cymbals, Bass drum, Box, Spoons, Brushes, Ratchets, Bell, Xylophone
Keyboard gusli
Voiced gusli: prims, altos, basses
Balalaikas: Prims, Seconds, Violas, Bass, Double bass
Note: wind instrument parts can be performed on the button accordion.

• Works for choir and orchestra
  • 1. Motherland, Lenin, Party. Music Anat. Novikov, words by A. Sobolev
  • 2. Song about Russia. Music by V. Zakharov, words by M. Isakovsky and A. Surkov.
  • 3. About the rocket. Music by S. Tulikov, lyrics by V. Alferov
  • 4. Three girls the same age. Music by M. Koval, lyrics by M. Isakovsky.
  • 5. Russian open spaces. Music by V. Levashov, lyrics by V. Kharitonov.
  • 6. Oh, since last night, since midnight. Russian folk song. Arranged by V. Khvatov
  • 7. Autumn dream. Ancient waltz. Arranged by V. Levashov. Words by V. Lebedev-Kumach
  • 8. Peddlers. Russian folk song. Arranged by A. Shirokov. Words by N. Nekrasov
• Works for soloists and orchestra
  • 9. Serious tractor driver. Music by V. Levashov, lyrics by V. Orlovskaya
  • 10. The good fellow walked and walked. Russian folk song. Arranged by V. Voronkov.
  • 11. I sow, I winnow. Russian folk song. Arranged by A. Shirokov.
  • 12. I got up at dawn. Russian folk song. Arranged by V. Zakharov
• Music for dancing
  • 13. V. Poponov. Round dance
  • 14. A. Shirokov. Dance of combine operators.
  • 15. M. Magidenko. Russian round dance

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The collective traces its history back to March 2, 1911, when the first concert of a peasant choir under the direction of Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky took place on the small stage of the Noble Assembly. The program of the first concert included 27 songs from the Voronezh, Ryazan and Smolensk regions of Russia. Sergei Rachmaninov, Fyodor Chaliapin, Ivan Bunin were shocked by the pristine and inspired singing art of the peasants and gave the highest praise to the peasant singers and musicians. This assessment greatly contributed to the formation of the team as a creative unit of the Russian stage of those years. Until 1917, the team was “amateur”. After the October Revolution, the activities of the choir were supported by the Soviet government. All participants move to Moscow for permanent residence. And since the beginning of the 20s, the choir has been conducting extensive concert activities not only in Moscow, but throughout the country.

From the beginning of the 30s, the collective was headed as a musical director by People's Artist of the USSR, State Prize laureate V. G. Zakharov, whose original songs “And Who Knows Him,” “Along the Village,” “Russian Beauty” glorified the Pyatnitsky Choir at the whole country.

At the end of the 30s, orchestral and dance groups were created in the choir, headed by People's Artist of the Russian Federation V.V. Khvatov and People's Artist of the USSR, State Prize laureate, Professor T.A. Ustinova. This made it possible to significantly expand expressive stage means, and this structural basis has been preserved to this day and many State groups have been created in this image.

During the Second World War, the M.E. Pyatnitsky Choir conducted extensive concert activities as part of front-line concert brigades. And the song “Oh, fogs” by V.G. Zakharova became the anthem of the partisan movement. On May 9, 1945, the choir was one of the main groups in the celebrations of the Great Victory in Moscow. In addition, he was one of the first teams that was entrusted with representing the country abroad. Throughout the subsequent decades, the M.E. Pyatnitsky Choir conducted enormous touring and concert activities. He introduced his art to every corner of the country and visited more than 40 countries around the world. The team created masterpieces of world folk art.

A significant page in the history of the group is the work of the People's Artist of the USSR, State Prize laureate, composer V.S. Levashov. V.S. Levashov’s songs “Take your overcoat - let’s go home”, “My dear Moscow region” - and today they are an adornment of the modern singing stage.

Feature films and documentaries have been created about the choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky, such as “Singing Russia”, “Russian Fantasy”, “All Life in Dance”, “You, My Russia”, Books have been published about the choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky “State Russian Folk Choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky”, “Memories of V.G. Zakharov”, “Russian folk dances”; a huge number of musical collections “From the repertoire of the choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky”, newspaper and magazine publications, and many records were released.

Modern choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky is a complex creative organism, consisting of choral, orchestral, ballet groups with an artistic and administrative apparatus.

Source - http://www.pyatnitsky.ru/action/page/id/1194/?sub=kolektiv

State Academic Russian Folk Choir named after M. E. Pyatnitsky was founded in 1911 by the outstanding researcher, collector and promoter of Russian folk art Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky, who for the first time showed the traditional Russian song in the form in which it had been performed by the people for centuries. Looking for talented folk singers, he sought to acquaint wide circles of the urban public with their inspired skill, to make them feel the full artistic value of Russian folk song.

The choir's first performance took place on March 2, 1911 on the small stage of the Moscow Noble Assembly. This concert was highly appreciated by S. Rachmaninov, F. Chaliapin, I. Bunin. After enthusiastic publications in print publications of those years, the popularity of the choir increased year by year. In 1918, by order of V.I. Lenin, all members of the peasant choir were transported to Moscow. In the 1920s The team has already toured many regions of the country.

After the death in 1927 of M. E. Pyatnitsky, who left more than 400 songs he collected as a creative legacy, the choir was led by philologist and folklorist P. M. Kazmin, People's Artist of the RSFSR, laureate of State Prizes. In the same year, the choir received the name of M. E. Pyatnitsky.

In 1929, with the beginning of collectivization, a campaign was launched against the Choir under the slogan “We don’t need a choir with songs from the kulak village. New village - new songs." The “crisis” allowed the arrival of a talented composer, People’s Artist of the USSR V. G. Zakharov in the Choir in 1931, who headed the group until 1956. During this period, original songs appeared in the choir’s repertoire, including those glorifying the beginning of collectivization and electrification and industrialization. Vladimir Zakharov’s songs “And Who Knows Him,” “Russian Beauty,” and “Along the Village” became famous throughout the country. In 1936, the team was given State status.

In 1938, two new professional choir groups were created - dance and orchestral, thanks to which the expressive stage means of the group expanded significantly. The founder and leader of the dance group for 60 years was People's Artist of the USSR T. A. Ustinova. The founder of the orchestral group is People's Artist of the RSFSR V.V. Khvatov.

During the Great Patriotic War, the M.E. Pyatnitsky Choir performed as part of front-line concert brigades, and Vladimir Zakharov’s song to the words of Mikhail Isakovsky “Oh, my mists” became the anthem of the partisan movement. The choir was one of the few groups that took part in the celebration of the great Victory on May 9, 1945 on Red Square.

In the post-war years, the group actively toured the country and was one of the first entrusted to represent Russia abroad. Spectators from more than 40 countries around the world have become acquainted with his art, and the Choir still actively and successfully tours abroad. In 1961, the team was headed by the famous composer, People's Artist of Russia, State Prize laureate V. S. Levashov. The choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1961), the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1986). In 1968 he was awarded the title “Academic”.

From 1989 to the present, the Choir named after M. E. Pyatnitsky has been headed by People's Artist of Russia, Laureate of the Government Prize of the Russian Federation, Professor A. A. Permyakova.

Rethinking the creative heritage of the Pyatnitsky Choir has made it possible to make its stage art modern and relevant for audiences of the 21st century. Such concert programs as “I am proud of you, country”, “Russia is my Motherland”, “Mother Russia”, “...Unconquered Rus', Righteous Rus'...” meet the high criteria of spirituality and morality of the Russian people and are extremely popular among spectators and in significantly contribute to the education of Russians in the spirit of love for their Fatherland.

Feature and documentary films “Singing Russia”, “Russian Fantasy”, “All Life in Dance”, “You, My Russia” have been created about the choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky; the books “State Russian Folk Choir named after Pyatnitsky”, “Memories of V. G. Zakharov”, “Russian Folk Dances” were written; a huge number of musical collections “From the repertoire of the choir named after M. E. Pyatnitsky”, newspaper and magazine publications have been published; Many records and discs have been released.

In 2001, a personal star was laid in honor of the team on the “Walk of Stars” in Moscow. In 2007, the M.E. Pyatnitsky Choir was awarded the “Patriot of Russia” medal of the Government of the Russian Federation, and in 2008 it became a laureate of the “National Treasure of the Country” award.

The awarding of the Grant from the President of the Russian Federation allowed the team to preserve all the best created by its predecessors, ensure continuity and rejuvenate the team, and attract the best young performing forces in Russia. Many choir artists are laureates of regional, all-Russian and international competitions for young performers.

The M.E. Pyatnitsky Choir is an indispensable participant in all festive events and concerts of national importance. It is the base team of the All-Russian festivals: “All-Russian Festival of National Culture”, “Cossack Circle”, “Days of Slavic Literature and Culture”, the annual ceremony of presenting the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation “Soul of Russia”.

The choir is honored to represent our country at the highest level abroad within the framework of meetings of heads of state and Russian Culture Days.

The choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky retains its unique creative identity, remaining a scientific center of professional folk art. Each performance of the choir is a high achievement and a standard of harmony in stage folk art.

History of the creation of the choir

Back in 1902, Pyatnitsky began creating a folk song ensemble. In 1910, Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky created a choir of folk singers from the Voronezh, Smolensk and Ryazan provinces. On March 2, 1911, the choir performed for the first time in the hall of the Moscow Noble Assembly.
The hall was full. The curtain slowly parted, and an ordinary village hut appeared before the surprised spectators, along the log walls of which there were roughly built benches. A Russian stove, cast iron pots, a poker, grips, a cradle, a spinning wheel, a dowry chest... Eighteen peasants took the stage.
The concert was held to deafening applause from the audience. It was something completely new, combining folk song and theatrical performance. That first concert of the choir showed the beauty of Russian folk song and opened the way to the concert stage for its performers - ordinary Russian peasants.

“Nothing has expressed the life and entire way of life of the Russian people so vividly as in song. In it he poured out his hopeless sadness, and joy, and fun. He spoke with nature, sang of the spring flower, the boundless steppes, the blue sea and the steep mountains. The soul of a Russian person is entirely reflected in the song, as in a mirror. That’s why I invited peasant singers to Moscow to show Russian songs in a truly unspoiled performance,”- said Mitrofan Efimovich.

Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky: “Folk song - this artistic chronicle of people’s life, unfortunately, is dying out every day... The village begins to forget its beautiful songs... Folk song is disappearing, and it must be saved.”

Pyatnitsky Mitrofan Efimovich

Mitrofan Pyatnitsky was born in 1864 in the village of Aleksandrovka, Voronezh province, in the large family of sexton Efim Petrovich Pyatnitsky. They lived poorly. Her mother raised geese and chickens, and her sisters helped her with housework. The brothers were destined for one road - to the seminary.
Mitrofan's father was one of the best singers in the church, and the boy loved listening to spiritual chants more than anything in the world. He stood for hours tirelessly in a small village temple, warmed by candles, saturated with the sweet smell of incense. It seemed that Mitrofan was giving himself up to prayer with all his soul. None of the sexton’s sons wanted to go to the seminary, and only for Mitrofan alone the parents were calm: the Lord himself directed him on the right path!
The Lord really directed Mitrofan on a special path, but it was not the path of church service.
After parish school, Mitrofan entered the theological school at the Voronezh seminary. His training ended sadly. Mitrofan Pyatnitsky secretly bought a collection of folk songs at the market and learned them in the evenings. They reported on him. He went home. In the summer of 1876, twelve-year-old Mitrofan suffered a nervous breakdown, accompanied by a seizure and fever, which in those days was called “brain fever.”
After recovery, he did not return to the theological school, studied to be a mechanic, went to work in the city, then got a job as a clerk in the control chamber in Voronezh, and then, having studied accounting, entered the housekeeper... in the same theological school, where he was so afraid to go again.
Mitrofan dreamed of singing in opera. He began to study, put on a voice. And he succeeded in his studies so much that in the spring of 1896 he managed to achieve the almost impossible: he was auditioned at the conservatory and agreed to accept him to study. And this, despite age and lack of proper preparatory school! True, there was one condition: Pyatnitsky had to take the position of housekeeper in the new building of the conservatory, and under very unfavorable living and payment conditions. But Mitrofan was ready to do anything to become a singer. Classes were supposed to start in the fall. Inspired by dreams of the future, he came to Voronezh for the summer...
But there, due to unrequited love, he develops an illness and ends up in a hospital for the mentally ill in Moscow. Chaliapin, who warmly sympathized with him, often visited him in the hospital. They walked together in the park, talked, and Fyodor Ivanovich became more and more imbued with sympathy for him. It was Chaliapin who gave Mitrofan Efimovich the most important advice in his life: to leave vocals and rather do what his soul is most passionate about - collecting Russian songs.

After all, this can be done professionally! And Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin brought Pyatnitsky to a meeting of the musical and ethnographic commission at the university Society of Natural History, Anthropology and Ethnography. Very soon Pyatnitsky got comfortable here, and in 1903 he became a full member of the commission.
His creative journey began - Mitrofan Efimovich traveled to villages, collecting songs. In 1904, at his own expense, he published a thin book “12 songs of the Voronezh province of Bobrovsky district.” This book brought him fame. Pyatnitsky was increasingly invited not only to charity evenings, but also to folklore classes with students. Soon he was able to buy himself a phonograph to record folk songs. His second book, “Pearls of the Ancient Song of Great Rus',” already enjoyed incredible popularity. He also recorded himself, and we can now hear Pyatnitsky’s voice - he had a pleasant soft baritone.
In 1910, Pyatnitsky met his “muse” - a seventy-year-old peasant woman Arinushka Kolobaeva, who had a magnificent voice and knew a huge number of songs. Arinushka performed with her two daughters and granddaughter Matryona. Gradually, other singers joined in, and in February 1911, the first two concerts of peasant singers took place under the direction of Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky. They performed on the Small Stage of the Noble Assembly. Success came immediately.
In 1914, the choir experienced a disaster - Arinushka Kolobaeva died. Before they had time to mourn the death of the soloist, the war began. Many choristers were drafted into the active army.
However, Pyatnitsky did not give up. He tried to “drag” the surviving choristers to Moscow, got them jobs, and rehearsed them in the evenings. His good friend, sculptor Sergei Konenkov, recalled: “Being a soft, kind and affectionate person, he always communicated smoothly with his choristers, delved into the little things of their lives and often took them to opera performances at the Bolshoi Theater.”
For twenty-four years he worked in one of the Moscow hospitals, while taking singing lessons. Then, also in parallel with his work, he began performing at concerts, singing folk songs.
In 1919, he again took up the formation of a choir, uniting around himself performers and experts in folk songs who had moved to Moscow from remote villages and hamlets.
Who was not in the revived Pyatnitsky choir! Workers and labourers, janitors and watchmen - natural singers who had no musical education, but had excellent hearing, vocal abilities and musical memory. We rehearsed at Pyatnitsky’s apartment, and he gave many free vocal lessons. He even managed to get some of the most talented choristers exempt from conscription into the Red Army.
From 1921 to 1925, Pyatnitsky taught singing at the Third Judge of the Moscow Art Theater (now the E.B. Vakhtangov Theater).
Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky died in 1927 and was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery. Before his death, he handed over the choir to his nephew, folklorist Pyotr Mikhailovich Kazmin, instructing him:

“Don't sing in restaurants; hold fast the banner of authentic folk song. And if the choir goes to work in a restaurant, then do not associate my name with this choir.”

Formation of a new look for the choir

“Russian songs are wonderful and wonderful, with soulful melodies and deep thoughts in the text. Really, sometimes you don’t know who to give preference to: the genius of the composer or the poet? For centuries they have been arranging their native song, like a bride to the crown, so that she, desired, will see the light of God.”– Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky, the creator of the choir, wrote excitedly.
Time passed. Dozens of singing groups have become history. Many great singers were forced to emigrate. Perhaps the same fate was in store for Pyatnitsky’s choir, if not for chance. Once, it was in 1918, the choir was invited to perform for Red Army soldiers leaving for the front. It was absolutely impossible to refuse. It so happened that Lenin himself heard that concert. He was so moved by the singing of simple illiterate peasants that he ordered “to provide talented nuggets with all possible support.” Immediately after this, the choir was finally transferred to Moscow. For rehearsals and accommodation of the artists, a fairly large mansion was allocated on Bozhaninovka.
After the death of Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky, the choir received his name. At the same time, a new look for the choir began to take shape, which by the end of the 1930s became the standard for Soviet professional and amateur folk choirs.
In 1929, a controversy arose around the Pyatnitsky choir about whether modern Russia needed it. “We don’t need a choir with songs from the kulak village. New village - new songs." The newspapers wrote that the choir, which sings the songs of the old village, has outlived its usefulness and the country needs new songs. A forced response to this was the creation by the new choir director, Vladimir Grigorievich Zakharov, of songs about collectivization, “Take us for a ride, Petrusha, on a tractor,” and electrification, “Along the village from hut to hut.” These, of course, were not folk songs, but each era has its own artistic works, and thanks to the highest creative skill of the performers, these numbers were received with a bang. Together with them, vocal works created in the folklore spirit, “And who knows,” “Oh, my fogs, foggy,” became national property and songs that were sung by the entire Soviet people.
Since 1938, the Pyatnitsky Choir has been divided into two groups - dance and orchestral. For more than 60 years, the dance group was led by its founder, People's Artist of the USSR Tatyana Ustinova. The orchestral group was founded and led by People's Artist of the RSFSR Vyacheslav Khvatov. The Pyatnitsky Choir has turned into a group of the highest level, without which state events would not be possible.
During the Great Patriotic War, the choir, like many other Soviet artists, performed their concerts on the front line, without stopping their concert activities for a single day. His song “Oh, my mists” became the anthem of the partisan movement (words by Mikhail Isakovsky, music by Vladimir Zakharov). On May 9, 1945, the choir was one of the few groups that sang in Moscow on Red Square in front of the victors of fascism. Documentary footage filmed on Red Square has been preserved, where you can see caps, caps and caps flying into the air to greet the choir. The Pyatnitsky Choir has become one of the brightest national symbols of the Soviet state. His tour was seen by audiences in more than forty countries around the world.
The costumes of the choir members changed over different periods. There were also obvious excesses of “village life” - so in the early 50s, performers showed off on stage in fashionable dresses of the time and with six-month perms on their heads, and dancers sported double-breasted jackets and bell-bottoms. Later there were huge kokoshniks and even dresses with rhinestones.
Since 1962, the team has been headed by the famous composer and People's Artist of Russia Valentin Levashov. From 1989 to the present, the group has been headed by People's Artist of Russia Alexandra Permyakova. She returned the choir to its folk roots, to what the founder of the choir, Mitrofan Efimovich Pyatnitsky, promoted in his work. And a miracle happened - the costumes of the choir from Pyatnitsky’s time - simple Russian sundresses, sweaters, modest scarves - returned the choir from a matryoshka, decorated rhinestone-velvet-brocade pseudo-folk group to the modern peasant choir of Mitrofan Pyatnitsky.
He began again to perform authentic Russian folk songs and dances from different regions of our homeland, such as: “Quadrille of the Prelensky Coachmen”, “Kasimovskaya Dance”, “Saratov Karachanka”.

Today, all the advantages of the folk choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky is revealed by his bright and rich program, which includes songs, dances, ditties and spiritual singing

Currently, performances of the Pyatnitsky Choir can not often be seen on the TV screen. The “format” of Russian TV channels is filled with pop music, and the country’s leaders sing along with visiting foreign stars. But, despite this, the anniversary concert of the Pyatnitsky Choir in the State Kremlin Palace, which accommodates almost 6.5 thousand spectators, was overcrowded. Although the average age of the choir artists is only 19 years, among them there are 47 laureates of regional and all-Russian vocal competitions, representing 30 regions of Russia.
The director of the choir, People's Artist of Russia Alexandra Permyakova: “...The current composition of the Russian folk choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky was formed in the early 90s. Now we can talk about this frankly: by the beginning of that decade, Pyatnitsky’s choir practically did not exist. The participants scattered to joint ventures, leisure centers and the like... And the cry was thrown across all of Russia... Now the team includes representatives of 30 regions of the country. These are the best singing forces in our country.
Today's choir concerts take place non-stop. They ask me - what kind of form is this? And why did you come to this? We didn’t really invent anything. If you look at the first programs of 1911–1912 of the Pyatnitsky peasant choir, we see the same thing that we are doing now. It is with great joy that I note that in recent years interest in Russian folk song, dance, and music has been growing and growing. If in the 90s at the concert of the Pyatnitsky choir in Moscow there were more people on stage than in the hall, now everything is completely different. Pop stars don't gather the entire Kremlin Palace - we did. Now I say with full responsibility that the team is a people’s team. Because the basis of the repertoire is authentic folk songs from different regions of Russia. I am responsible to the people for the safety of this archive.”