Flamenco dance description. Invariable attributes of flamenco dance

Emotional. Passionate. Rhythmic. Flamenco is a path that leads to inner liberation and joy, although outwardly it is saturated with sadness and compassion. With every measure and every movement, flamenco seems to want to get something from the depths of the human spirit, or, on the contrary, to hide it securely…

Wriggling arms, proud posture, rhythmic clatter of heels, piercing eyes, passion and fire… Sensual spanish dance inner liberation, with a clear rhythm and beautiful guitar music - this is flamenco.

To understand the essence of flamenco, it is not enough even to master the technique of dancing and playing the guitar at a professional level, having studied all the shades and features of it. musical styles. You need to be able to feel the spirit of flamenco, this art that has been formed over the centuries and peoples. Few people really realize that the way of flamenco with its special inner values ​​can be religious. And at the heart of this path is an appeal to oneself, to the knowledge that is dormant inside, but can be awakened by a deep experience: a song that comes from the very heart and gives rise to a storm of feelings in the soul, and zapateado - the rhythmic tapping of heels.

In modern flamenco, there are three main components - cante(cante - song, Spanish), bail(baile - dance, Spanish) and toke(toque- musical game, Spanish).

Kante hondo

relentlessly
the guitar is crying
like water through the channels - crying,
like the wind under the snow - crying.
Do not beg her for silence!
So the sunset cries for the dawn,
so an arrow cries without a target,
so hot sand cries
about the cool beauty of camellias.
So the bird says goodbye to life
under the threat of a snake sting ...

The musical and emotional basis of flamenco is kante jondo(cante jondo - deep singing, Spanish) is an ancient Andalusian chant. Nothing compares to the beauty and penetration of these gentle and mostly sad songs. kante jondo is the true art of expressing the inner state, deep experience.

... There is no price for this inheritance, and it matches the name that our people christened it, - kante jondo, deep singing. It is truly deep, deeper than all abysses and seas,
much deeper than the heart in which it sounds and the voice in which it resurrects - it is almost bottomless. It comes from ancient tribes, crossing the cemeteries of centuries and the fall of storms.
Comes from the first cry and the first kiss ...
F. G. Lorca. From the lecture "Kante Jondo"

Traditional occurrence kante jondo associated with the ancient musical systems of India and the gypsies who roamed the world and transferred this knowledge to Spain from Rajasthan (north-west India) in the period from the 9th-14th centuries. This influence can be traced in many versions of the simplest (from the point of view of the tradition of musical notation) melody. Many technical nuances, shades of the sound palette - distinguishing feature"gypsy school". The same reference notes can be performed in an infinite variety of ways. Such a wide variability in the sound of one phrase was an expression of a three-dimensional vision of the world, which makes it possible to correlate knowledge of flamenco with Vedic philosophy. Other characteristic features of this style are polyrhythm, bright, emotional performance, accompanied by cries.

In addition to the gypsies, on the formation of flamenco and kante jondo how its foundations have influenced many other traditions. The emergence and development of this art affects several temporal and cultural layers, each of which we will consider separately.

How it all started

Flamenco arose from the merger of the cultures of the peoples of medieval Andalusia, which united Arabs, Jews, Gypsies, and Christians on their lands under the “patronage” of Muslims who were rather tolerant of other traditions. During this period, the three religions - Christianity, Islam and Judaism - entered into closer and probably more productive interaction with each other than in all subsequent times. It was a period of general search: there was an exchange of knowledge between people of different faiths. Practical experience was at the forefront, but at the same time, human life was considered very symbolically. Spiritual values, although interpreted by different religions in different ways, were respected by all equally. Flamenco as a symbol of the era was formed at the intersection of cultures, absorbed and synthesized the knowledge of various traditions.

Influence of Islam and Sufism. Arabs

Sufism emerged from Islam as a direction for which the independent experience of a person, the search for knowledge within, and not outside, was especially important. The 13th-century Sufi mystic Ibn al-Arabi (1165–1240), having been born in Andalusia and lived there for about 25 years, already in his youth systematized the art of understanding the human spirit and called the human path a mystical experience of living various rhythms, perhaps becoming, without becoming knowing, the main ideologist of flamenco of his time.

He pointed to three journeys made by man: from Allah through different worlds to the earthly world; to Allah - a spiritual journey, ending with a merger with the world essence; in Allah - unlike the first two, this journey is endless. Every journey is guided by feeling. Knowledge about feelings, as well as their correspondence to actions, was the object of study of all Arab alchemists who were looking for ways to transform energy.

At the time of Ibn al-Arabi, intuition, feelings and sensations were almost visible, material, weighty. Modern dance, full of expressiveness and emotionality, has largely become selfish and insensitive, it does not have that inner glow, for the sake of expressing which, in fact, it was created. Flamenco strictly follows the given external rhythm: externally, the rhythm is not free, but in order to achieve internal freedom during its execution, real concentration and tension are necessary. This is the condition of the dance, which makes it possible for a person to live and transform his internal energy during the dance.

So, it can be assumed with a fair degree of certainty that in the art of expressing depth kante jondo the concepts of inner awareness, correspondence, and connections were taken from the Sufi mystics.

In the systematization and development of flamenco, the role of the Persian poet Ziryab (789–845/857), an Arab singer, virtuoso lute player, poet and composer, theorist and teacher, whose name (“Black Bird”) was given to him because of the “dark” color, is great. and the melodiousness of his charming voice. Ziryab became the founder of the first Andalusian school of music and singing. This music center, located in the city of Córdoba, studied the traditions of singing in different cultures. In all likelihood, Ziryab's school should be considered the first basic center of flamenco theory. F. G. Lorca wrote about him at the beginning of the 20th century:

Chu, Malegenya sounds I hear.
Deep singing, I hear the verse.
cante chico is also an art
What is sung under the sun of the south.
No, these lines are not about sweet love.
And not about strong male friendship.
In the southern night, the bird's song is heard -
Birds of the Black, who arrived from the East ...

Ziryab designed musical instruments and created the original model of the lute, improving the al-ud (the Spaniards called it la-ud), adding a fifth string to it, and thus creating a lute, which was later used both in Christian Spain and in North Africa. It is interesting to note that Ziryab laid certain foundations not only in the performance of music, but also in its study. He streamlined the education system, putting an equal sign between performing arts and strengthening the personal qualities of a musician. His attentive attitude to everyday activities and etiquette (it was Ziryab who was the legislator in matters of etiquette for receiving guests, and we also owe him the long-familiar order of serving three dishes: soup for the first, fish for the second, and drinks and dessert for the third) created a whole art of movements and pauses, which can be seen in art kante jondo.

Ziryab's actions intersect with the Muslim mystical art of immersion in a state of ecstatic experience, which allowed the performer not only to represent art more voluminously, but also to be filled with it, that is, to be in a state of ecstatic experience, which in flamenco is expressed in the concept duende(spirit, Spanish).

Influence of Christianity. Templars

An interesting fact in the history of Andalusia is associated with the discovery of traces of the Templars, who formed their order here in 1253-1258. In all likelihood, it was the Templars, as the keepers of Christian secrets and collectors of various knowledge, who deserved the merit of attracting Christian religious rhythms to flamenco.

Dance, as an art form, had a special meaning and performed sacred functions, conveying a certain character of movements, principles of body construction and the internal rhythm of action. The dance was a mirror - an expression and a keeper - of knowledge about the rhythm of living and remained so until the Renaissance, when it became only a part of the aesthetic education of a person.

Islamic Andalusia was a special place for the development of various abilities and knowledge, and their search was one of the tasks of the Templars. The unique form of music and movements aimed at transforming the inner state and experience, of course, could not go unnoticed by them.

One of the secrets of the Templars was the knowledge used by Jesus and Muhammad. They were connected with the rhythm of the syllable of Scripture or prayer. In these rhythms, a microtone was used, which determines the frequency of the sound series. In connection with the use of such rhythms, knowledge about the laws of its construction and influence is clearly visible in flamenco - Rhythmic structures of different frequency and complexity have a corresponding effect on consciousness, determining the “level of rhythmic living”. The use of microtones and semitones creates a form of influence of a special force that can be used both for effective internal comprehension and for conscious influence on external space.

The variety of shades of polyrhythmic flamenco gives the performer the opportunity to change the emotional and energetic content of the dance at any time. Consequently, the dance also becomes deeply personal, because the dancer is required to have real, and not imaginary, technical perfection. Flamenco resembles a game in which you need to learn different rhythms, enter into resonance with them, bringing all participants in the action into a single ecstatic experience.

One of the classic Christian motifs brought by the Templars to flamenco is the Songs of St. Mary (Сantigas Santa Maria, Spanish), which were created in the 13th century for Alfonso X the Wise, King of Castile and León.

Africans. Iberians. Greeks

Africa- the cradle of mankind, the treasury of the rhythms of the Earth, could not but influence the deeply musical, passionate and rhythmic art of flamenco. Representatives of the African continent appeared in Europe during the colonization of Africa by Europeans and Latin America. There is a reasonable assumption that the original African step, which came out of tribal African dances, added fire to sensual flamenco.

The traditional dances of Kenya are built on the tight contact of the feet with the ground. Tanzanian dances, numbering over a hundred types, are also tied to the earth. Practically on the whole continent, the special importance of perceiving the rhythm with the feet is noted. So, in Ugandan ritual dances associated with the initiation of young men are used strong blows feet on the ground, which symbolizes the opening of a new strength, power associated with the formation of masculinity in young people.

Footwork is a special ability to keep in touch with the earth, as if listening to its rhythm. The rhythmic forms of modern flamenco, created by the tapping of feet and heels, called zapoteado, most likely came from Africa and were used mainly by men. Women worked more with their hands. Today, these differences are difficult to identify, as the movements of men and women in the dance have become similar.

Iberian, the ancient population of the Iberian Peninsula, at the end of the second millennium BC. founded the state of Tartessus in Andalusia. Some researchers consider the Iberians to come from Africa, others - the heirs of the knowledge of the pre-Indo-European population of Europe, with whom they interacted in any case. Regardless of the actual origin of the Iberians, probably the oldest layer of knowledge of the art of expressing depth is associated with them - madre del cante(Madre del cante is the mother of singing, Spanish) - the basis of singing, based on the ability to express sound. This tradition goes back to the tribal customs of the Iberians, for whom the sound was correlated with the original effort from which all things came.

Sound is fundamentally the result of man's deepest conscious effort. That is why its impact on the consciousness and even the subconscious of people is so great. But the ability to find this depth and express it is a complex art, which Sufi mystics, Arab alchemists and Christian orders have worked on.

Greeks, who controlled southern Spain before the Celtic invasion, flamenco owes its castanets, which are used to rhythmically accompany the dance. The Greeks called them crotals and were made of metal, which indicates another connection with India and the cult of the god Vishnu, whose adherents to this day accompany ritual kirtans (chanting, Skt.) playing on small metal plates - karatalah.

... And, of course, the gypsies

With the gypsies, a mysterious and restless people, flamenco is perhaps most closely associated. In the Middle Ages, the gypsies migrated from India to Islamic Andalusia, bringing to the emerging living art of flamenco not only the traditions of the Indian vocal school, which had a decisive influence on the formation of the song basis of flamenco kante jondo. The gypsies also showed the special footwork in the dance, which they took from kathaka- a sacred dance of northern India associated with the cult of Vishnu. The dance was an obligatory part of the religious ritual, accompanying the story of Krishna's pastimes. An important feature of this dance is the perception of the body as an instrument for the expression of divine energy. The appearance of the dance component in flamenco, apparently, is connected precisely with kathak. Its elements added inner strength and emotional tension to flamenco, and also introduced a variety of footwork techniques into it.

In passing, we note that in the issue of leg movement for women, there was special knowledge in all mystical systems of the world, because if a woman does not work with her legs correctly, then she violates the physiological and energy functions of the uterus, which accordingly leads to the destruction of not only her personal nature, but also offspring. First of all, the footwork in the dance increases the muscular load, which can interfere with the achievement and expression of inner depth. But since today the dance has become more external than internal, then external effects are perceived naturally.

Kante hondo and Cante flamenco

In its modern, most familiar form to us today, flamenco arose in the 18th century, but already largely lost touch with its original source - kante jondo, the art of deep experience, expressed through singing.

It should be noted that the term kante jondo» Flamenco researchers refer to as an ancient way of deep experience, and the oldest group of styles directly flamenco, indicating their relationship. Thus, there is a double meaning of the concept kante jondo"- one denotes the ancient art of expressing depth, the second - a direction or group of flamenco styles.

It was the ancient flamenco that seriously changed at the end of the 18th century. In dance movements, a special technique of footwork appeared, sharp movements of the lower back, etc. In all likelihood, the plasticity of the dance remained unchanged. A gap arose and began to grow more and more between those who perform flamenco and those who watch it. Actually art cante fell into decay at the end of the 18th century, and a new art was born - flamenco. It was the new that was born, and the old did not come to life, as many believe. The "emergence" of flamenco was accompanied by the development of many musical styles, called in the old fashioned way. cante flamenco, but in reality very different from kante jondo- its ancient, sacred basis.

Flamenco researchers use different principles for classifying numerous styles, but all of them are somehow divided into the oldest kante jondo and everything else". That is, everywhere kante jondo stands out especially as a fundamental and almost independent art.

Styles of modern flamenco

In modern flamenco there are three levels, three directions or, if you like, three genres, reflecting the depth and tonality of the performance. it kante jondo, cante intermedio(intermedia - intermediate, Spanish) and cante chico(chico - small, Spanish).

In ancient times, depth (hondo) was expressed only by singing (cante) without accompaniment, music with dance was added later. For kante jondo as a flamenco genre, dramatic poetry and music are characteristic; the guitar is used as a mean, unadorned accompaniment. This is the level deep singing, music and dance.

In broad daylight
The wind was crying because it was getting dark
In my heart.

cante chico- as opposed to kante jondo- a light and cheerful genre, as far as it can be light and cheerful in the art of flamenco, simple in form and character of images. In styles cante chico the guitar often solos, and the criterion for evaluating the skill of a guitarist is, first of all, technical perfection, and not the ability to open, to point with one’s art to something non-verbal, which one aspires to kante jondo in their best examples. cante chico- the youngest direction of flamenco, its appearance is associated with the changes that have taken place in flamenco over the past centuries.

Dance in front of the people
alone with you.
'Cause the dance is on the waters
and does not burn
on fire.

Kante intermedio- category of intermediate forms between kante jondo and cante chico. The dramatic mood in the cante intermedio can be replaced by fun, and the guitar melodies sound more diverse and move from the nature of the accompaniment to the solo.

Each of the directions includes a group dance styles flamenco, characterized by a special rhythm and manner of performance.

Solea por buleria- one of the main and most popular styles of flamenco. This is a dance in minor colors, which is characterized by slow movements of the arms and body interspersed with fast zapateos and turns, as well as an acceleration of the rhythm at the end of the dance. In Solea por buleria, the song is sung without rhythm.

Buleria- fast dance style. It is characterized by a mixture of syncopated rhythmic patterns expressed in zapateo, clapping hands, knees and chest, and other clear and dynamic movements. It can be performed in both major and minor keys.

Alegrias- cheerful and cheerful dance style. His homeland is the city of Cadiz. The appearance of allegrias is associated with the victory of the Spaniards over Napoleon. The besieged inhabitants of the city came to the aid of the Arragonese and together they managed to defend the city. This event is often narrated by couplets of alegrias. This style of dance is cheerful and at the same time a bit tough, triumphant. Performed in a major key.

Tangos- a cheerful, mobile and most often fast dance style, performed at holidays, fiestas and having a simple but clear rhythm. In tangos, there are often movements of the hips and shoulders, the body and arms are very plastic, which is most likely due to the African origin of this style.

Farruk- male style of dance. Solemn, majestic and proud.

Less known, but no less popular styles of flamenco performance.

Singing tones. It creates a special volume in the performance, as it is sung without a guitar to a given rhythm. This is one of oldest styles flamenco, which is performed at a free pace. This style has a particularly deep experience.

Saeta- flamenco prayer style. Saeta hides the religious mysticism of Islam and Christianity. Saeta- a link between a person and his destiny.

Style debla(goddess, gypsy.) was almost forgotten by the middle of the 19th century, but once it was one of the main styles kante jondo. Along with kanya, it is considered one of the most difficult to perform. Perhaps that is why debla is on the verge of extinction. Debla lies at the base kante jondo and is one branch with martinet and carceleras.

Martinete and carceleras- nature kante jondo. If the martinete is subject to a certain state of everyday life and expresses it accordingly, then carceleras expresses the state of striving for freedom. Actually, he was born in the places of her deprivation. At the same time, both styles represent a certain form of communication that expresses the state of a person.

Nanas- the style of "first birth", representing the original purity, childhood, the communication of a mother with her child.

Style cantes de trilla, or simply trilleras, completes the formation kante jondo. This is a style that corresponds to the end of certain processes and the transition to a different quality. This original style, as it were, switches consciousness, allows you to make internal transformations.

The diverse flamenco styles studied and practiced today not only in Spain but also in other countries of the world, although they are not given enough attention, link modern flamenco to its Andalusian roots. Each of them individually contains the key to comprehending the depth of dance, but together they open access to the spirit of the mystical and beautiful art of flamenco, to what the Spaniards call the word "duende".

... These sounds are a mystery, roots that have grown into the swamp, about which we all know, about which we know nothing, but from which the main thing in art comes to us ... Duende, an angel and a muse are in any art and in any country. But if in Germany the muse almost invariably reigns, in Italy - an angel, then the duende invariably rules Spain ...
F.G. Lorca. From the lecture “Duende. Theme with Variations»

Duende - the spirit of flamenco

Flamenco today is an egregore art, which is formed by the spiritual knowledge and traditions of the various peoples of medieval Andalusia and is oriented:

• to strengthen the spirit through emotional experiences;
• filling with movement, color, sound and sensations;
• unification of various forms of cognition in a single rhythm;
• bringing consciousness to harmony and balance.

And all this is held together by the inner strength of flamenco, its spirit - duende.

Without duende, flamenco loses its deep and subtle content, its inner essence. In the duende one should look for the true art of dance, and not its emotional form. Today, many seek to draw inspiration from dance, but this is the peculiarity of flamenco, that without inspiration you should not even try to dance this dance, because duende is a force, without which the dance becomes only a weak improvisation on the theme of flamenco. If it is not there, then an attempt to find it or imitate it is only an emotional substitute form, and this is the difference true art from fictional art.

How to find the key to understanding the spirit of flamenco? This question stirs the mind and heart of every student of this dance. Any beginner masters dance vocabulary in several stages. First, setting the body, then studying the positions of the arms and legs, carefully practicing the movement of the hands. Then milestone works - staging a strike of the foot and heel, the so-called zapateado (a real flamenco dancer with a heel can extract five different sounds). Particular attention is paid to the positions of the head and gaze, since it is these elements that give the performance proper character. And the dancer will also have to understand the campas (rhythmic patterns characteristic of each form of flamenco) and master the clapping of the haleo. It remains to learn to feel the music and let yourself go into improvisation, weaving together technique and innate temperament.

But this is not enough for the duende! Duende requires a special state of mind, inspiration, which, as you know, is very unpredictable.

Who better than Federico Garcia Lorca - a Spanish poet and musician who grew up on the folk songs of cante jondo, who absorbed the Spanish melancholy and the depth of the sensual experience of the art of flamenco - to know what duende is.

“... Duende, like a blossoming rose, is like a miracle and awakens almost religious delight. In Arabic music, whether it be song, dance or lamentation, the duende is greeted with a frantic “Allah! Allah!” (“God! God!”), and in the Spanish South the appearance of the duende is echoed by the cry of the soul: “God lives!” - a sudden, hot, human feeling of God with all six senses ... "

“Duende sweeps away cozy, hardened geometry, breaks style; it was he who forced Goya, the master of silver, gray and pink overflows of the English school, to rub black var into the canvases with his knees and fists ... ".

In Spain, connoisseurs of flamenco art are very picky spectators. Their exclamation "No tiene duende!" (There is no fire in it!) is akin to a death sentence for a flamenco performer. Lorca loved to tell the story of how dance competition in Jerez de la Frontera “The first prize for young beauties with a body boiling like water was pulled out by an eighty-year-old woman.” She defeated the young beauties with only one thing, with what feeling and inner strength “raised her hands, threw back her head and beat with her heel on the stage.” “But all these muses and angels that smiled and captivated, could not help but yield and yielded to the half-dead duende, barely dragging the rusty blades of its wings.”

"Golden Age" of flamenco

From the end of the 18th century, the art of flamenco began to play an important role in Spanish society, the era of its mass distribution began. From that moment on, flamenco began a new history, within which, having become public, it probably ceased to be a path of internal search and development. At the same time, the loss of the knowledge on which flamenco relied began. 1842 can be called a turning point in the history of dance: the first specialized club was opened in Seville, from which the flamenco industry began to gain momentum.

Mass popularity for the dance came during the so-called "golden age" of flamenco, which fell on late 18th - early XIX century. Its main figure is Silverio Franconetti. On the one hand, this is an extraordinary person who, having plunged into flamenco, presented him as special art. But on the other hand, the problem was that any art must mature in the minds of not only a few, but at least a dozen people. Flamenco was simply doomed to a false development when the followers of Silverio made it a competition, turning the sacred art into a kind of sport, which inevitably had to lead to its downfall.

So the "goldness" of this period is highly doubtful. And although the great cantaors of that time gathered around Silverio, they could no longer reach the former, original depth of flamenco.

Among the cohort of his students, only the appearance of Antonio Chacon can be noted, who surpassed his teacher, creating the conditions for the emergence of many new styles and varieties that enriched, first of all, the external, performing form of flamenco.

Songs began to be divided into accompanying dance ( atras) and just for listening ( alante). But without internal filling, the external form could not last long, and by the middle of the 19th century, flamenco was experiencing another decline. As a business product, it had to undergo certain changes, but as a deep art, it had to wait for new researchers and followers of the original meaning. Business brought an imitation of feelings to flamenco, which made it close only to those who welcomed outwardly understandable forms and were guided by consumer attitudes.

In the homeland of flamenco, in Spain, this dance is not danced everywhere. Rather, they dance everywhere, but they probably live only where traditions are still strong. In any village in southern Spain, no special occasions are needed for a holiday - day or night, morning or evening, alone or in the middle of the central square, in a good mood they just put on costumes and dance. Woman, dancing flamenco, beautiful and graceful, temperamental and seductive, coquettish and impregnable, proud and self-confident.

This dance is deeply individual, sometimes its character borders on irresistible loneliness, a state that actually determines a person's personality, his inner wealth. Flamenco turns to some invisible source and expresses itself emotionally very freely, directly - from crying and screaming to love and some kind of special joy of its own. Flamenco teaches a person to communicate with himself. This experience is not for the sake of external effect. It is feelings that generate that vibration inside the body, which is then reproduced outside.

Judging by the emerging trends, flamenco expects some kind of aesthetic future, a successful external development. But any new external styles will not replace the true experience of ancient flamenco, rooted in the treasure trove of traditions of many peoples and cultures.

In order not only to learn to dance, but know any dance, be it flamenco, Arabic belly dance or hopak, you need to understand its roots, trace its history and rely not on external effects, but on your inner sense of rhythm. And then modern dance will reveal its ancient secret, communicating knowledge about our inner essence, about the real us. ancient art kante jondo expressed the deep feelings of a person and at the same time was a means of maintaining a connection with this depth. This makes flamenco even more valuable, because finding a connection with your inner, real world is especially important today.

The article cites the poems of F.G. Lorca translated by M. Tsvetaeva and A. Geleskul.

Questions and answers

Is Duende a unique spirit or are there situations where a person, say, is forced to manifest this spirit? Is every human action a consequence of an experienced feeling? A. Melnik

Duende is the experience of rhythm; this is the essence, the idea of ​​flamenco, when the dancer goes deep into his nature. Of course, every action of a person is not an experience of feeling, since his consciousness is not taught to control and guide the action. Here you need to look at what level you can operate with your condition. In general, they are divided into rude, low, high and human. In doing so, they create different groups and schemes. Well, in order to manifest a higher experience, you need to learn and develop this. Although, of course, a situation is possible when some action, situation or place reveals us. But all the same, it becomes fleeting, because you still need to be able to operate with it.

Are you familiar with scientific research? works about the sacred essence of flamenco? I would like to know more about this topic. However, the Internet is replete with only invitations to various dance schools and I did not find a more sensible answer to my question than your publication.

Flamenco has a lot of oral tradition. I didn't specifically study flamenco. I just study ancient cultures, which allowed me to form my own view of this dance and my understanding of it. I haven't seen any serious studies and I don't think there will be, because there are few reasonable people in flamenco who can analyze, there are too many emotions.

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Flamenco is the national Spanish dance. But this is too simple and exaggerated definition, because flamenco is passion, fire, vivid emotions and drama. It is enough to see the spectacular and expressive movements of the dancers once to forget about the counting of time. And the music... That's a different story... Let's not bore you - it's time to plunge into the history and specifics of this dance.

The history of flamenco: the pain of the exiled peoples

The official birth date of flamenco is 1785. It was then that Juan Ignacio González del Castillo, a Spanish playwright, first used the word "flamenco". But these are formalities. In fact, the history of this direction has more than 10 centuries, during which the culture of Spain has changed and developed not without the participation of other nationalities. We offer you to feel the atmosphere of the past years in order to better feel the energy and character of the dance.

Our story begins in the distant 711 in ancient Andalusia, located in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula. Now it is an autonomous Spanish community, and then the power on this land belonged to the Visigoths, an ancient Germanic tribe. Tired of the arbitrariness of the ruling elite, the population of Andalusia turned to the Muslims for help. So the peninsula was conquered by the Moors or Arabs who came from North Africa.

For more than 700 years, the territory of ancient Spain was in the hands of the Moors. They managed to turn her into the most beautiful European country. People from all over the continent flocked here to admire the magnificent architecture, join science and understand the sophistication of oriental poetry.

The development of music does not stand aside. Persian motifs begin to take over the minds of the inhabitants of Andalusia, forcing them to change their musical and dance traditions. Abu-al-Hasan-Ali, a Baghdad musician and poet, played a huge role in this. Art critics see in his work the first traces of flamenco and give him the right to be considered the father of Andalusian music.

In the 15th century, Christian states located in the northern part of the peninsula begin to oust the Arabs. Where the Spanish Moors disappeared is a mystery that historians are not yet able to unravel. Despite this, Eastern culture became part of the worldview of the people who inhabited Andalusia. But for the emergence of flamenco, the suffering of another ethnos persecuted around the world is not enough - the gypsies.

Tired of constant wandering, the gypsies came to the peninsula in 1425. These lands seemed to them a paradise, but the local authorities were hostile to strangers and persecuted them. Everything that was connected with the gypsies was recognized as criminal, including dancing and music.

Bloody persecution did not prevent gypsy folklore from uniting with oriental traditions, which by that time had already taken root among the local population of Andalusia. It was from this moment that flamenco began to emerge - at the junction of several cultures.

Where does the story take us next? In Spanish taverns and pubs. It is here that the local population begins to perform a sensual dance, attracting more and more curious eyes to it. So far, flamenco exists only for a narrow circle of people. But around the middle of the 19th century, the style takes to the streets. Street performances or fiestas are no longer complete without passionate and emotional flamenco dance moves.

And then the dance is waiting for a professional stage. Flamencologists note that the peak of the genre falls on the second half of the 19th century, when the Spanish population was crazy about the work of the singer Silverio Franconetti. But the age of dance was fleeting. By the end of the century, flamenco had become a regular entertainment in the eyes of young people. The history of dance, filled with suffering and pain of various nationalities, has remained in the background.

The musician Federico Garcia Lorca and the poet Manuel de Falla did not allow flamenco to be equated with a low-grade art, to allow the genre to leave the cozy streets of Spain forever. With their light suggestion, in 1922 the first Andalusian festival took place. folk singing, where the melodies loved by many Spaniards sounded.

A year earlier, flamenco became part of the Russian ballet thanks to Sergei Diaghilev. He organized a performance for the Parisian public, which helped the style to go beyond Spain.

What is flamenco now? An infinite number of varieties in which you can see the features of jazz, rumba, cha-cha-cha and others dance directions. The desire to unite different cultures has not disappeared, as well as the basis of flamenco - sensuality and passion.

What is flamenco?

Flamenco is an art in which three components are of equal importance: dance (baile), song (cante) and guitar accompaniment (tok). These parts are inseparable from each other if we are talking about the dramatic variety of style.

Why exactly guitar became the main musical instrument? Because it was played well by the gypsies, whose traditions have become an integral part of Spanish culture. A flamenco guitar is very similar to a classical guitar, although it weighs less and looks more compact. Due to this, the sound is sharper and more rhythmic, which is required for a real flamenco performance.

What comes first in this style, baile or cante, dance or song? Those who are barely familiar with flamenco will say bailé. In fact, the main role is played by the song, which obeys clear musical rules. The dance acts as a frame. It complements the sensual component of the melody, helps to retell the story with the help of body language.

Is it difficult to learn how to dance flamenco? Watching videos where girls spectacularly wave their hands, rhythmically tap their heels, it seems that everything is simple. But in order to master the basic movements of the genre, a person without proper physical preparation will have to make efforts. The hands are very tired, and there are difficulties in maintaining balance.

What's interesting: flamenco dance is pure improvisation. The performer is simply trying to keep the rhythm of the music, performing various choreographic elements. To learn how to dance flamenco, you need to feel the culture of Spain.

We list the characteristic movements that will not allow you to confuse flamenco with any dance direction:

expressive plasticity of the hands, especially the hands;

fraction heels;

sharp lunges and turns;

clapping and snapping fingers, which makes the music even more rhythmic and energetic.

Interesting Facts

• There is a whole science to the study of flamenco. It's called flamencology. We owe its appearance to Gonzalez Clement, who in 1955 published the book of the same name. And two years later, a department of flamencology was opened in the Spanish city of Jerez de la Frontera.

The six-string guitar is the national Spanish instrument, without which flamenco performance is unthinkable.

The traditional women's costume of a flamenco performer is a long floor-length dress or bata de cola. Its obligatory elements are a tight-fitting bodice, a lot of frills and frills along the edge of the skirt and sleeves. Due to the peculiarities of the cut, spectacular movements are obtained during the dance. Doesn't it remind you of anything? Clothing was borrowed from gypsies and became a symbol of femininity and attractiveness.

Flamenco is involuntarily associated with the color red. But professional dancers see this as just a national stereotype. Where did the myth of the dance dyed red come from? From the name of the style. Translated from the Latin "flamma" means flame, fire. These concepts are invariably associated with shades of red. Also, parallels are drawn with flamingos, whose name is so consonant with a passionate dance.

Another stereotype is associated with castanets. This is a percussion instrument in the form of two concave plates, which is worn on the hands. Yes, their sound is clearly audible during the dance. Yes, dancers use them. But in traditional flamenco girls' hands should be free. Where did the tradition of dancing with castanets come from then? Thanks to the audience, which enthusiastically accepted the use of this musical instrument.

The nature of the style largely determines the shoes of the dancers. The toe and heel of the shoes are specially studded with small carnations to get a characteristic sound during the performance of the fraction. No wonder flamenco is considered the prototype tap dance.

The Spanish city of Seville is considered one of the most significant in the development of flamenco. There is a museum dedicated to this dance here. It was opened by Christina Hoyos, a famous dancer. This city is also popular thanks to literary characters: Don Quixote and Carmen.

Which dancers are associated with flamenco? These are, of course, Antonia Merce i Luca, Carmen Amaya, Mercedes Ruiz and Magdalena Seda.

Popular melodies in flamenco rhythms

Como El Agua performed by Camarón de la Isla. This Spanish singer with gypsy roots is considered the most famous flamenco performer, so it is impossible to bypass his work. The presented song was recorded in the early 80s of the last century and won the love of the public love lyrics and the emotionally intense voice of Camaron.

"Como El Agua" (listen)

Macarena or known to many "Macarena" - another bright "representative" of the flamenco genre, although the song was originally presented as a rumba. The composition belongs to the work of the Spanish duo Los del Río, who presented it to the public in 1993. After dance music originated the dance of the same name. By the way, the name of the song is the name of the daughter of Antonio Romero, one of the duet members.

"Macarena" (listen)

"Entre dos aguas" is a story told with a guitar. No words, just music. Its creator is Paco de Lucia, a famous virtuoso guitarist in whose hands the traditional Spanish instrument began to sound especially melodic and beautiful. The composition was recorded in the 70s and has not lost its relevance among fans of the genre so far. Some admit that they were inspired by flamenco thanks to the work of Paco.

"Entre dos aguas" (listen)

"Quando te beso" is a bright and incendiary song performed by no less bright Spaniard Nina Pastori. The woman began to sing at the age of 4 and since that moment she has not parted with music and flamenco, not being afraid to combine the genre with modern rhythms.

Cuando te beso (listen)

Pokito a Poko- one of the famous compositions of the Spanish group Chambao. What is remarkable about their work? Its members combined flamenco with electronic music, and this ensured the popularity of the trio. The presented song captivates with beautiful vocals, light and exciting melody and passionate dances, which are presented in the video.

"Pokito a Poko" (listen)

flamenco and cinema

Interested in learning more about the art of flamenco? We suggest setting aside a few evenings to watch films in which the main role belongs to this dance.

Flamenco (2010) tells the history of the style through the eyes of famous dancers. The film was shot in the documentary genre.

Lola (2007) tells the story of Lola Flores, who is remembered by the public for her passion for performing flamenco.

Snow White (2012) is a black and white silent film where all the drama is expressed through dance.

Flamenco harmony combines features of both modality and classical-romantic tonality. The two most recognizable modalisms in flamenco are the Phrygian turnover and the Gypsy scale (otherwise called the "Arabian scale"). Phrygian turnover, for example, is found in soleares, in most bulerias, sigiriyas, tangos and tientos, gypsy gamma - in saet.

The typical chord progression, called the Andalusian cadenza in Spain, is a local variety of the Phrygian turnover, for example, Am-G-F-E. The pitch system based on the use of such a cadence is called in the flamenco literature the "Andalusian", "Phrygian", or "Dorian" mode (it should not be identified with the monodic Phrygian and Dorian modes in ancient and medieval music). According to the famous flamenist guitarist Manolo Sanlúcar, in this mode the chord E(E major) is the tonic, F(F major) has harmonic function dominants, while Am(A minor) and G(G major) play the role of subdominant and mediant, respectively. According to another (more common) point of view, the tonic in this case is the A minor chord, and the dominant chord is the E major chord. In connection with the typical disposition of consonances in flamenco forms, the dominant chord turns out to be metrically strongest (“strong” because ends period), hence the alternative name for this type of pitch structure is the dominant mode.

Guitarists use two main fingering variations of the Andalusian cadenza - "por arriba" ("above") and "por medio" ("in the middle"). The capo is widely used for transposition. The "por arriba" variant corresponds (when played without a capo) to a chord progression Am-G-F-E, variant "por medio": Dm-C-B-A. Modern guitarists, such as Ramón Montoya, have come to use other fingering variants of the Andalusian cadence. So Montoya started using variations: Hm-A-G-F# for rams, Em-D-C-H for granadins (granaines) and C#m-H-A-G# for miners. Montoya also created a new genre of flamenco for solo guitar, rondenha, with cadence F#m-E-D-C#, performed with scordatura (6th string: re; 3rd: f sharp). These variants include, as additional constructive elements, the sound of open strings on non-chord steps, which has become a specific feature of flamenco harmony in general. Later guitarists continued to expand the range of fingering variants and scordatura used.

Some styles of flamenco use the major scale of the harmonic key, this cantinha and alegria, guajira, some buleria and tones, as well as bondage(variety sigiriya). The minor scale is associated with farruka, milonga, some styles tango and buleria. In general, traditional major-minor styles are limited in harmony to the use of two-chord (root-dominant) or three-chord (root-sub-dominant-dominant) sequences. However, modern guitarists have introduced the practice of replacing chords (Eng. Chord substitution ), transitional chords, and even modulation.

Fandango and its derivative styles such as malaguena, taranta and cartagenera use two modes: the guitar introduction is in Phrygian mode, while the introductory chant is in major, with a transition back to Phrygian towards the end.

Singing

Flamenco singing is characterized by the following features:

1. Vividly dramatic, often tragic character (in most styles).
2. Melodic improvisation based on a relatively small set of traditional melodic types.
3. Extremely rich ornamentation (melismatics).
4. The use of microintervals, i.e. intervals smaller in magnitude than a semitone.
5. Portamento: Often the transition from one note to the next takes place using a small, smooth "approach" to the next note, i.e. the notes are not played immediately exactly (in terms of pitch).
6. Narrow tessitura: Most traditional flamenco songs are limited to a sixth (four and a half tones) range. Melodic diversity is achieved by singers through the use of various timbre and dynamic shades, microintervals, melismatic variation, etc.
7. Persistent repetition of one note and the notes adjacent to it in the chromatic scale (also used in guitar playing).
8. The lack of a stable regular meter of the vocal part, especially in the genres kante jondo, such as sigiriya and others (at the same time, a non-metric vocal melody can be superimposed on a metric instrumental accompaniment).
9. Decrease in intensity from the beginning to the end of a vocal phrase.
10. In many styles, such as solea or sigiriya, the melody tends to follow nearby steps. Jumps through a step or more are much less common (however, in fandango and styles derived from it, there are often jumps through three or four steps, especially at the beginning of each line of the song, which presumably indicates an earlier origin of the songs of this style, which was influenced by Castilian music).

Compass

The most famous palos - tone, solea, saeta and sigiriya (toná, soleá, fandango, seguiriya) - belong to the category of cante jondo (cante jondo, or cante grande - the historical core of flamenco, the oldest musical and poetic tradition of Andalusia). The opposite category is [cante chico] (cante chico), or cante flamenco (cante flamenco); it includes, for example, the genres of alegria (alegría), buleria (bulería), farruca (farruca). Both categories (hondo and chico) include singing, dancing, and playing the guitar as the main trinity, however, the most ancient forms of flamenco are sung without instrumental accompaniment, and in its most modern versions, many instruments have been introduced, from violin and double bass to exotic percussion instruments of the East and Latin America, such as cajon, darbuka, bongo, etc.

Flamenco has had a great influence on many dance and musical directions all over the world. In recent decades, mixed varieties of flamenco and other genres have appeared: flamenco pop, flamenco jazz, flamenco rock, flamenco fusion, gypsy rumba and others.

There are adherents of flamenco who honor its traditions, which has both positive and negative sides. Strict adherence to tradition makes it impossible to deeply understand flamenco. Flamenco genres (singing, dancing, melody) are like a living organism, which requires their constant development, and without development there is no life. But along with the developing flamenco, there is also a scientific direction "flamencology"(a book under this title was written by Gonzalez Clement in 1955 and gave its name to this section of art history), flamenco scholars are studying the origin of flamenco and its “true” style, traditions, etc. Until now, on a par with supporters of the purity of the flamenco style ( purists) there are also adherents of its new forms and sounds.

Confession

Flamenco festivals

Among the most significant cities where flamenco exists today are Cadiz, Jerez, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Barcelona and Madrid. Each of these cities has its own musical specificity, their traditions and peculiarities.

In Spain

One of the most respected, the largest flamenco festival in Spain takes place every two years in Seville under the name " ". This festival was founded in 1980 . True lovers of flamenco come here from all over the world to see the best artists: bailors, cantaors and guitarists.

Cordoba hosts an annual International Guitar Festival " GUITARRA”, with a performance at which the glory of talented young guitarists Vicente Amigo and Paco Serrano began.

Annual cante grande festivals, cante flamenco festivals and others take place all over Spain.

In Russia

International Flamenco Festival "¡VIVA ESPAÑA!". The largest flamenco festival in Russia, held in Moscow (since 2001).

1- Russian Flamenco Festival (unavailable link since 23-05-2013 (2141 days)) "- is held for the first time in 2011. The festival will bring together only the world's outstanding flamenco stars.

Petersburg is taking place annual festival called "Northern Flamenco". In addition, the Cana Flamenca festival takes place twice a year.

In the world of modern guitar music in Kaluga, since 1997, the annual festival "Guitar World" has been operating, the participants of which are various flamenco groups from Russia and Spain, and many bright names of foreign guitarists, from world famous ones, such as Al di Meola (2004), Ivan Smirnov ("talisman" of the festival), Vicente Amigo (2006), Paco de Lucia (2007) and others.

In 2011, the Flamenqueria House of Flamenco was opened in Moscow - the first flamenco school in Russia with permanent Spanish teachers.

In other countries

Every year, since 2004, the Flamenco Festival in London has been held in February. One of the largest flamenco festivals outside of Spain has been taking place in the American city of Albuquerque, New Mexico for over 20 years. In Ukraine, flamenco was represented by festivals in Kyiv (until 2006), Odessa (Festival of Flamenco and Latin American Culture in 2011) and Lviv (since 2010). Flamenco is widely represented at the Nelly Supure invites festivals, which have been held since 2010 in Kyiv, Sevastopol, Sauvignon.

Notable flamenco artists

• Niña de los Peines, Lola Flores , Fosforito, Niña de La Puebla,
• Ramon Montoya Sr. Ramon Montoya), Paco de Lucia ( Paco de Lucia), Vicente Amigo ( Vicente Amigo), Manolo Sanlucar ( Manolo Sanlucar), R. Rikeni ( R. Riqueni), Paco Serrano ( Paco Serrano), Rafael Cortes ( Rafael Cortes)(guitar)
• Antonio Gades and Mario Maia ( Mario Maya) (dance)
• Camaron de la Isla ( Camaron de la Isla) and Enrique Morente (singing)
• Blanca del Rey Blanca Del Rey)
• Antonio Canales ( Antonio Canales)
• Antonio el Pipa, Javier Martos (dance)
• Maria Moya (dance)
• Gipsy Kings, Manzanita (guitar, singing)
• Santa Esmeralda (disco, plus guitar)
• Eva La Yerbabuena ( Eva La Yerbabuena)
• Estrella Morente
• Marina Heredia

• Flamenco dancer Joaquín Cortés is the Roma Ambassador to the European Union.
• "Duende" - the soul of flamenco, also translated from Spanish as "fire", "magic" or "feeling". “Only one duende is not capable - to repeat. Duende does not repeat itself, like the appearance of a stormy sea.
• Until the second half of the 19th century, gypsies performed barefoot flamenco.

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An excerpt characterizing Flamenco

Any conclusion of history, without the slightest effort on the part of criticism, falls apart like dust, leaving nothing behind, only as a result of the fact that criticism chooses a larger or smaller discontinuous unit as the object of observation; to which it always has the right, since the historical unit taken is always arbitrary.
Only by allowing an infinitely small unit for observation - the differential of history, that is, the homogeneous drives of people, and having achieved the art of integrating (taking the sums of these infinitesimal ones), can we hope to comprehend the laws of history.
The first fifteen years of the nineteenth century in Europe represent an extraordinary movement of millions of people. People leave their usual occupations, rush from one side of Europe to the other, rob, kill one another, triumph and despair, and the whole course of life changes for several years and represents an intensified movement, which at first goes on increasing, then weakening. What is the reason for this movement or according to what laws did it occur? asks the human mind.
Historians, answering this question, describe to us the deeds and speeches of several dozen people in one of the buildings of the city of Paris, calling these deeds and speeches the word revolution; then they give a detailed biography of Napoleon and some sympathetic and hostile people, talk about the influence of some of these people on others, and say: this is why this movement came about, and these are its laws.
But the human mind not only refuses to believe in this explanation, but directly says that the method of explanation is not correct, because in this explanation the weakest phenomenon is taken as the cause of the strongest. The sum of human arbitrariness made both the revolution and Napoleon, and only the sum of these arbitrariness endured and destroyed them.
“But whenever there were conquests, there were conquerors; whenever there were coups in the state, there were great people,” says history. Indeed, whenever there were conquerors, there were also wars, the human mind replies, but this does not prove that the conquerors were the causes of wars and that it was possible to find the laws of war in the personal activity of one person. Whenever, looking at my watch, I see that the hand has approached ten, I hear that the evangelization is beginning in the neighboring church, but from the fact that every time the hand comes to ten o'clock when the evangelization begins, I I have no right to conclude that the position of the arrow is the cause of the movement of the bells.
Every time I see a locomotive move, I hear a whistle sound, I see a valve opening and wheels moving; but from this I have no right to conclude that the whistling and the movement of the wheels are the causes of the movement of the locomotive.
The peasants say that a cold wind blows in late spring because the oak bud unfolds, and indeed, every spring a cold wind blows when the oak unfolds. But although I do not know the cause of the cold wind blowing during the unfolding of the oak, I cannot agree with the peasants that the cause of the cold wind is the unfolding of the bud of the oak, simply because the force of the wind is beyond the influence of the bud. I see only the coincidence of those conditions that exist in every life phenomenon, and I see that, no matter how much and no matter how detailed I observe the hand of the clock, the valve and wheels of the steam locomotive and the bud of the oak, I will not know the cause of the blagovest, the movement of the steam locomotive and the spring wind. . To do this, I must completely change my point of observation and study the laws of motion of steam, bells and wind. History should do the same. And attempts to do so have already been made.
In order to study the laws of history, we must completely change the object of observation, leave the kings, ministers and generals alone, and study the homogeneous, infinitesimal elements that guide the masses. No one can say how far it is given to a person to achieve understanding of the laws of history by this way; but it is obvious that on this path only lies the possibility of capturing historical laws, and that on this path the human mind has not yet put one millionth of the effort that historians put into describing the deeds of various kings, generals and ministers and to presenting their considerations on the occasion of these deeds. .

The forces of the twelve languages ​​of Europe broke into Russia. The Russian army and the population retreat, avoiding a collision, to Smolensk and from Smolensk to Borodino. The French army, with an ever-increasing strength of swiftness, rushes towards Moscow, towards the goal of its movement. The strength of its swiftness, approaching the target, increases like an increase in the speed of a falling body as it approaches the earth. Behind a thousand miles of a hungry, hostile country; dozens of miles ahead, separating from the goal. This is felt by every soldier of the Napoleonic army, and the invasion is advancing of itself, by the force of swiftness alone.
As the Russian army retreats, the spirit of anger against the enemy flares up more and more: retreating back, it concentrates and grows. A collision occurs near Borodino. Neither army disintegrates, but the Russian army immediately after the collision retreats just as necessarily as a ball rolls necessarily, colliding with another ball rushing at it with greater swiftness; and just as necessary (although having lost all its strength in the collision), the rapidly scattered ball of invasion rolls over some more space.
The Russians retreat a hundred and twenty miles - beyond Moscow, the French reach Moscow and stop there. For five weeks after that there is not a single battle. The French don't move. Like a mortally wounded beast, which, bleeding to death, licks its wounds, they remain in Moscow for five weeks without doing anything, and suddenly, for no new reason, they run back: they rush to the Kaluga road (and after the victory, since again the battlefield remained behind them near Maloyaroslavets), without entering into a single serious battle, they flee even faster back to Smolensk, beyond Smolensk, beyond Vilna, beyond the Berezina and beyond.
On the evening of August 26, both Kutuzov and the entire Russian army were sure that battle of Borodino won. Kutuzov wrote to the sovereign in this way. Kutuzov ordered to prepare for a new battle in order to finish off the enemy, not because he wanted to deceive anyone, but because he knew that the enemy was defeated, just as each of the participants in the battle knew this.
But that same evening and the next day, news began to come, one after another, of unheard-of losses, of the loss of half of the army, and a new battle turned out to be physically impossible.
It was impossible to fight when information had not yet been collected, the wounded had not been removed, the shells had not been replenished, the dead had not been counted, new commanders had not been appointed to the places of the dead, people had not eaten and had not slept.
But at the same time, immediately after the battle, on the next morning, the French army (according to that impetuous force of movement, now increased, as it were, in the inverse ratio of the squares of distances) was already advancing of itself on the Russian army. Kutuzov wanted to attack the next day, and the whole army wanted it. But in order to attack, the desire to do so is not enough; It is necessary that there was an opportunity to do this, but there was no such opportunity. It was impossible not to retreat one march, then just as it was impossible not to retreat to another and a third march, and finally on September 1, when the army approached Moscow, despite all the strength of the rising feeling in the ranks of the troops, the force of things demanded in order for these troops to go beyond Moscow. And the troops retreated one more, to the last crossing and gave Moscow to the enemy.
For those people who are accustomed to thinking that plans for wars and battles are drawn up by generals in the same way that each of us, sitting in his office over a map, makes considerations about how and how he would order in such and such a battle, questions arise why Kutuzov did not do this and that during the retreat, why he did not take a position before Filey, why he did not immediately retreat to the Kaluga road, left Moscow, etc. People who are used to thinking this way forget or do not know those inevitable conditions in which the activity of any commander-in-chief always takes place. The activity of a commander has not the slightest resemblance to the activity that we imagine sitting freely in an office, analyzing some campaign on the map with a known number of troops, on either side, and in a certain area, and starting our considerations from what some famous moment. The Commander-in-Chief is never in those conditions of the beginning of some kind of event, in which we always consider the event. The Commander-in-Chief is always in the middle of a moving series of events, and in such a way that he is never, at any moment, in a position to consider the full significance of an ongoing event. The event is imperceptibly, moment by moment, cut into its meaning, and at every moment of this consistent, continuous cutting out of the event, the commander-in-chief is at the center of the most complex game, intrigues, worries, dependence, power, projects, advice, threats, deceptions, is constantly in the need to respond to the innumerable number of questions put to him, always contradicting one another.
We are seriously told by military scientists that Kutuzov, much earlier than Filey, had to move troops to the Kaluga road, that even someone proposed such a project. But in front of the commander in chief, especially in difficult times, there is not one project, but always dozens at the same time. And each of these projects, based on strategy and tactics, contradicts one another. The business of the commander-in-chief, it would seem, is only to choose one of these projects. But he cannot do that either. Events and time do not wait. He was offered, let's say, on the 28th, to go to the Kaluga road, but at that time Miloradovich's adjutant jumps up and asks whether to start a deal with the French now or retreat. He needs now, this minute, to give the order. And the order to retreat knocks us off the turn onto the Kaluga road. And following the adjutant, the quartermaster asks where to take provisions, and the head of hospitals - where to take the wounded; and a courier from St. Petersburg brings a letter from the sovereign, which does not allow the possibility of leaving Moscow, and the rival of the commander-in-chief, the one who undermines him (there are always such, and not one, but several), proposes a new project, diametrically opposed to the plan for entering the Kaluga road; and the forces of the commander-in-chief himself require sleep and reinforcements; and the venerable general, who has been bypassed by the award, comes to complain, and the inhabitants plead for protection; an officer sent to inspect the area arrives and reports the exact opposite of what the sent officer said before him; and the scout, the prisoner, and the reconnaissance general all describe the position of the enemy army in different ways. People who are accustomed to not understanding or forgetting these necessary conditions for the activity of any commander in chief present us, for example, the position of the troops in Fili and at the same time assume that the commander in chief could completely freely resolve the issue of abandoning or defending Moscow on September 1, whereas with the position of the Russian army five versts from Moscow, this question could not have arisen. When was this issue resolved? And near Drissa, and near Smolensk, and most palpably on the 24th near Shevardin, and on the 26th near Borodin, and every day, and hour, and minute of the retreat from Borodino to Fili.

Russian troops, retreating from Borodin, stood at Filey. Yermolov, who had traveled to inspect the position, drove up to the field marshal.
“There is no way to fight in this position,” he said. Kutuzov looked at him in surprise and made him repeat the words he had said. When he spoke, Kutuzov held out his hand to him.
“Give me your hand,” he said, and turning it so as to feel his pulse, he said: “You are not well, my dear. Think what you are saying.
Kutuzov, on Poklonnaya Gora, six versts from the Dorogomilovskaya outpost, got out of the carriage and sat down on a bench on the edge of the road. A huge crowd of generals gathered around him. Count Rostopchin, having arrived from Moscow, joined them. All this brilliant society, divided into several circles, talked among themselves about the advantages and disadvantages of the position, about the position of the troops, about the proposed plans, about the state of Moscow, and in general about military questions. Everyone felt that although they were not called to the fact that although it was not called that, but that it was a council of war. The conversations were all kept in the area of ​​general questions. If anyone reported or learned personal news, then it was said in a whisper, and immediately turned again to general questions: no jokes, no laughter, no smiles were even noticeable between all these people. Everyone, obviously, with an effort, tried to keep to the height of the situation. And all the groups, talking among themselves, tried to keep close to the commander-in-chief (whose shop was the center of these circles) and spoke so that he could hear them. The commander-in-chief listened and sometimes asked again what was said around him, but he himself did not enter into a conversation and did not express any opinion. For the most part After listening to the conversation of some circle, he turned away with an air of disappointment - as if they were talking about something completely different from what he wanted to know. Some spoke about the chosen position, criticizing not so much the position itself as mental capacity those who chose her; others argued that the mistake had been made earlier, that it was necessary to accept the battle on the third day; still others talked about the battle of Salamanca, about which the Frenchman Crosar, who had just arrived, in a Spanish uniform, spoke about. (This Frenchman, together with one of the German princes who served in the Russian army, sorted out the siege of Saragossa, foreseeing the opportunity to defend Moscow in the same way.) In the fourth circle, Count Rostopchin said that he and the Moscow squad were ready to die under the walls of the capital, but that everything nevertheless, he cannot but regret the uncertainty in which he was left, and that if he had known this before, it would have been different ... The Fifths, showing the depth of their strategic considerations, spoke about the direction that the troops would have to take. The sixth spoke complete nonsense. Kutuzov's face became more preoccupied and sadder. Of all the conversations of these Kutuzov, he saw one thing: there was no physical possibility to defend Moscow in the full meaning of these words, that is, to such an extent it was not possible that if some crazy commander in chief gave the order to give battle, then there would be confusion and battles all it wouldn't have happened; it would not be because all the top leaders not only recognized this position as impossible, but in their conversations discussed only what would happen after the undoubted abandonment of this position. How could the commanders lead their troops on the battlefield, which they considered impossible? The lower commanders, even the soldiers (who also reason), also recognized the position as impossible and therefore could not go to fight with the certainty of defeat. If Bennigsen insisted on defending this position and others were still discussing it, then this question no longer mattered in itself, but mattered only as a pretext for dispute and intrigue. Kutuzov understood this.
Benigsen, choosing a position, ardently exposing his Russian patriotism (which Kutuzov could not listen to without wincing), insisted on defending Moscow. Kutuzov clearly saw Benigsen's goal as clear as day: in case of failure of the defense, to shift the blame on Kutuzov, who brought the troops without a battle to Sparrow Hills, and in case of success, to attribute it to himself; in case of refusal, to purge oneself of the crime of leaving Moscow. But this question of intrigue did not occupy the old man now. One terrible question occupied him. And to this question, he did not hear an answer from anyone. The only question for him now was: “Is it possible that I allowed Napoleon to reach Moscow, and when did I do this? When was it decided? Was it really yesterday, when I sent the order to Platov to retreat, or on the evening of the third day, when I dozed off and ordered Benigsen to give orders? Or even before?.. but when, when was this terrible thing decided? Moscow must be abandoned. The troops must retreat, and this order must be given. To give this terrible order seemed to him one and the same thing as to refuse command of the army. And not only did he love power, got used to it (the honor given to Prince Prozorovsky, under whom he was in Turkey, teased him), he was convinced that the salvation of Russia was destined for him and that because only, against the will of the sovereign and according to the will of the people, he was elected commander in chief. He was convinced that he alone and under these difficult conditions could keep at the head of the army, that he alone in the whole world was able without horror to know the invincible Napoleon as his opponent; and he was horrified at the thought of the command he was to give. But it was necessary to decide something, it was necessary to stop these conversations around him, which were beginning to take on a too free character.
He called the senior generals to him.
- Ma tete fut elle bonne ou mauvaise, n "a qu" a s "aider d" elle meme, [Is my head good, bad, but there is no one else to rely on,] - he said, getting up from the bench, and went to Fili, where his crews stood.

In the spacious, best hut of the peasant Andrey Savostyanov, a council met at two o'clock. The peasants, women and children of the large peasant family crowded into the black hut across the canopy. Only Andrei's granddaughter, Malasha, a six-year-old girl, to whom the brightest, after caressing her, gave a piece of sugar for tea, remained on the stove in a large hut. Malasha timidly and joyfully looked from the stove at the faces, uniforms and crosses of the generals, one after another entering the hut and taking seats in the red corner, on the wide benches under the icons. Grandfather himself, as Malasha Kutuzova internally called him, sat separately from them, in a dark corner behind the stove. He sat sank deep into a folding chair, and incessantly grunted and straightened the collar of his coat, which, although unbuttoned, still seemed to pinch his neck. One by one, those who entered approached the field marshal; to some he shook hands, to others he nodded his head. Adjutant Kaisarov wanted to draw back the curtain in the window against Kutuzov, but Kutuzov angrily waved his hand at him, and Kaisarov realized that his Serene Highness did not want to be seen on his face.
So many people gathered around the peasant's spruce table, on which lay maps, plans, pencils, papers, that the batmen brought another bench and put it at the table. The newcomers sat on this bench: Yermolov, Kaisarov and Tol. Under the very images, in the first place, he sat with George on his neck, with a pale sickly face and with his high forehead merging with a bare head, Barclay de Tolly. For the second day already, he was tormented by a fever, and at that very time he was shivering and breaking down. Uvarov was sitting next to him, and in a low voice (as everyone else said), he was telling Barclay something, making quick gestures. Small, round Dokhturov, raising his eyebrows and folding his hands on his stomach, listened attentively. On the other side, Count Osterman Tolstoy, leaning his broad head with bold features and sparkling eyes, leaned on his arm, seemed lost in his own thoughts. Raevsky, with an expression of impatience, curling his black hair at his temples forward with a habitual gesture, glanced first at Kutuzov, then at the front door. Konovnitsyn's firm, handsome and kind face shone with a gentle and sly smile. He met Malasha's gaze and made signs to her that made the girl smile.
Everyone was waiting for Bennigsen, who was finishing his delicious dinner under the pretext of a new inspection of the position. They waited for him from four to six hours, and during all this time they did not start the meeting and carried on extraneous conversations in low voices.

There are many styles of flamenco. There are the most popular and constantly used, there are those that few people know about - experts in this art.

It is believed that three types of songs first appeared - tona(tones), seguirilla(segiriya) and solea(solea). They later became the basis for the basic styles of flamenco. Tona is performed a cappella, segiriya and solea - under guitar accompaniment. Each style of singing had its own special rhythmic structure (compass).

All major flamenco styles are divided into 10 groups.

SOLEA (SOLEA)

The solea group includes bulerías por soleá, bulerías, caña y polo, jaleos, alboreá, bambera, romances, giliana. The styles in this group have a 12 beat compass with downbeats at 3-6-8-12 for solea and 12-3-6 for buleria. These are works of a tragic mood.

Solea- one of the main flamenco styles, possibly originating from the vicinity of Cadiz or Seville. In the genre classification, flamenco belongs to the class of cante jondo. Traditionally, soleares are performed to the accompaniment of one guitar.

Solea is one of the palo flamenco with the largest number of traditional songs, which is especially appreciated by the listeners.

The solea compass (rhythm) has 12 beats and is most widely used in flamenco. Some palos get their rhythmic pattern from the solea, such as bulerias por solea, palo type Cantiñas: alegrias, romeras, mirabras, caracoles and to some extent bulerias. The solea's rhythmic pattern is formed by groups of two and three beats, but the strong beats are located at the ends of the groups, and not at the beginning, as is customary in Western music.

Compass solea (with a strong beat on 3,6,8,10,12):

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

However, this is only the main structure (foundation), which is not actually heard in "palms"(clapping), at the guitar, or at the dancer's feet. It is a kind of grid in which flamenco performers themselves create a rhythm that can change. There are many patterns of soleares rhythmic pattern (from very simple to very intricate). Rhythm depends on the mood the artist wants to convey, or the purpose of the song (for a solo performance or for a dance).

Unlike bulerias or cantinhas, which are played in the same tempo, solea is usually played in rubato, which means the tempo slows down and speeds up. In such cases, try not to use claps or percussion instruments.

Solea has many varieties associated with the origin of a particular area of ​​Andalusia. These are the soleares from Alcala, the soleares from Triana, from Cadiz, from Jerez, from Lebrija or Utrera.

CANTINAS

This group includes alegrias, cantiñas, caracoles, mirabrás, romeras. These are 12-beat rhythms with strong beats on 12-3-6-8-10 , with a cheerful mood of the works.

ALEGRÍ AS (ALEGRIAS)

It's palo by rit it looks like salta. The name of the style literally translates as "joy". Cheerful, cheerful dance. The birthplace of alegrias is the city of Cadiz, the time of appearance is the beginning of the 19th century. The impetus for the emergence of this style was the victory of the Spaniards and Aragonese over the troops of Napoleon. Cadiz was one of the few cities in Andalusia that, thanks to its geographic location it was hard to win. Often couplets of alegrias tell about this event. The dance often uses movements from the national Aragonese jota.

Compass alegrias (with a strong beat at 3,6,8,10,12):

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

This style is part of the Cantiñas group (Spanish: folk songs) and is usually performed at a fast pace (120-170 beats per minute). Melodies with a similar tempo are generally used for dancing, while slow alegrias melodies are more preferred for singing.

BULERIAS

Boo leria is “the living grace of the gypsy south of Andalusia”. This style gives the performer the greatest freedom to improvise. In bulerias there is an echo of all the songs of Andalusia. Here you can hear allegrias, and fandanguillo, and even soleares. These songs are lively, cheerful and full of stormy emotions, but plaintive notes, typical of solea, also slip through them. It is believed that buleria originated on the Mediterranean coast, their sound is reminiscent of the sound of the sea - sometimes serene and calm, sometimes stormy and dangerous. In buleria you can meet all the emotions that the human soul is capable of experiencing. This music sounds every time in a new way, while always recognizable. It is based on improvisation, but, nevertheless, there are quite rigid rhythmic limits. Other features of buleria are the bright individuality of the guitar when performing songs, buleria is called the basis of flamenco guitar playing. At first, the only purpose of singing was to accompany the dance, and it obeyed a strict rhythm. Later, the cantaors complicated the buleria and gave it greater rhythmic flexibility. A feature of the buleriya dance - the buleriya of the fiesta - is the semicircle formed by the participants, from which they come out one after another to perform the solo dance part.

Buleria is one of the youngest styles. It first appeared on the stages of theaters and cantante cafes at the end of the 19th century and was performed as a "dessert" after a tense performance of dramatic cante jondo songs. In the 20s of the XX century, it was already formed and recognized along with other styles. Now it is one of the most beloved and frequently performed styles of flamenco.

The buleria compass consists of 12 beats, begins with a non-accented note:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Other options:

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 2

12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

TANGOS(TANGOS) and TIENTOS (TIENTOS)

This group includes : tangos, garrotín, tientos, marianas, farruca, tanguillo y zapateado, zambra. The styles of this group have a 4-beat compass, although it is more correct to count the tangos in 8 beats, as the Spaniards do.

TANGOS(TANGOS)

The name "tangos" comes from "tanga" - a booming sound, the noise of a blow, also means swaying. Perhaps another origin - from the verb "tangir", i.e. play a musical instrument. The word has come to be used to refer to different styles of dance on both sides of the Atlantic, making it difficult to find the roots of the dance, although it is not difficult to identify common forms with Argentine tango. Obviously, American music influenced its development - the result of contacts with Cuban music affected, although this dance originates in Cadiz. Here we should talk about the lively, rhythmic percussive style of dance, which, together with bulerias, forms the basis of flamenco. It was performed in elegant and graceful movements, quickly and mischievously. Its rhythm is easy to remember, the dance allows for variability in postures and improvisation. In its simplest form, without the complex movements of the pros, tangos can be performed by almost anyone.

The tangos follows the Andalusian key, although there are variants, especially in Triana or Granada, that stick to major or minor. Tangos and rumba have now become quite similar, although the main differences (in guitar playing) have been preserved. Tango is characterized by the selection of chords, the designation of a couple by a sharp plucking of the strings. In the case of rumba, the guitar sounds continuously. The main keys: la - si flat, mi-fa. Tangos is one of the main styles of flamenco, as well as one of the most ancient.

There are many different types tangosa, depending on the place of its origin - Cadiz, Seville, Jerez or Malaga, but almost always it is singing accompanied by dancing.

Tango Compass:

The first beat is unstressed, the next three are percussion.

AMERIKANOS (AMERIKANOS)

A separate place is occupied by the americanos style group. These include: guajiras, colombianas, peteneras, rumbas, milonga y vidalita, that is, everything that appeared under the influence of the culture of Latin America. These styles have a 4 beat compass.

RUMBAS(RUMBA)

The rumba dance has two sources - Spanish and African: Spanish melodies and African rhythms. The mood is festive.

On the one hand, in melodic terms, rumba is similar to models of the Cuban character guarachero, on the other hand, flamenco dance has found in rumba one of the most sensual rhythms in the list of flamenco styles. The movement of the hips, as well as the provocative swaying of the shoulders, turned the dance performance of the rumba into an extravagance of the dancer's sensuality in the purest Cuban style, which contributed to the rapid spread of flamenco rumba as a style for a large number of spectators.

The Spanish rumba is very lively and festive, it is rhythmic and constantly allows for improvisation. Perhaps that is why it was the rumba that became the symbol of flamenco as a free, free dance.

Rumba compass:

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

GUAJIRA (GUAJIRA)

This dance and song come from Cuba. "Guajiro" in translation means: a peasant, folk song, very common in Cuba.

Guajira, as a dance, originates from the first half of the 20th century, as an accompaniment to the singing of the same name. He leads his rhythm and harmony from the Cuban punto (punto cubano), a style borrowed in his time in Cuba and transferred to the Canaries, where there was a mixture with local dances. According to many experts, this style should be defined as Cuban punto. The richness of its melody guajira owes to the famous cantaor Pepe Marchena, who evolved his guajira into an instrumental style and a very beautiful melody "Contigo me caso indiana". In the 1930s and 1940s, this style was very popular, accompanying the dance of the same name, which has now practically disappeared. These are flamenco songs based on Cuban folklore. Her couplets relate mainly to Havana and its inhabitants, the dominant themes are about love and nostalgia. Couplets of 10 eight-syllable verses. By nature, the guajira is very cheerful and rhythmic. It is characterized by softness and has a salon character. The game is on only in major. In the traditional version, the duration of the game is short, because as soon as the sound of heels begins, the accompaniment ceases to be melodic and only clearly sets the rhythm for the dancer. On the contrary, instrumental variations on the guajira theme, which appeared later than the original version, are very melodic and replete with lyrical digressions. An indispensable attribute of the dance is the use of a fan; a shawl is also sometimes used.
Guajira compass twelve-lobed. Unlike the styles of the soloa group, the compass begins with a downbeat (downbeat at the beginning of the bar):

12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Other styles (information in progress)

G ENEROS de FOLKLORE

These are folk "near-flamenco" or folklore styles: campanilleros, zambra del Sacromonte, nanas, panaderos, pregón, sevillanas, villancicos, zorongos. We have the most common Sevillana.

F ANDANGOS

This group includes fandangos of all genera and species - fandangos naturales, fandangos por soleá, fandangos por bulerías, fandangos atarantados, fandangos comarcales (de Huelva: de Alosno, de Rebollo, del Cerro etc).

MALAGUENAS

These styles come from the city of Malaga: verdiales, malagueñas, jabera, rondeña, granaína y media granaína. Compass 6-part and 12-part.

(Information taken from El Monte Andi's book "Flamenco. Secrets of Forgotten Legends")

This dance-music style originated in the most passionate country in the world - Spain.

It includes more than fifty varieties, each of which has its own unique features and characteristics.

Most often, flamenco songs and dances are accompanied by a guitar or percussion: playing the percussion box, rhythmic clapping, and sometimes castanets. Each flamenco performer has his own designation, for example, singers are called "cantaors", dancers "bailaors", and guitarists "tocaors".

History of the origin of flamenco

The origins of this incendiary passionate dance should be sought among the elements of the Mauritanian musical culture, however, in addition to it, one can single out a significant influence of gypsy melodies, as well as movements inherent in this particular nomadic people.

Back in the 15th century, gypsies arrived from Byzantium, which at that moment was going through a period of collapse, and began to create their new home on the southern coast of the country, in the province of Andalusia.

In accordance with their customs, they began to adopt and rethink musical preferences and traditions. local residents. In addition to bringing their own elements of culture, travelers also managed to harmoniously combine Jewish, Moorish and Spanish traditions to end up with a charming, mysterious, energetic and passionate style - flamenco.

For a long time this direction was considered “closed”, because the gypsies preferred to spend time in their isolated groups, but at the end of the 18th century the persecution of the nomadic people stopped, and flamenco gained true freedom, conquering the stage of cafes and taverns.

And now, at the end of the 20th century, flamenco began to gradually absorb incendiary Cuban motifs and jazz melodies. In addition, the dance "intercepted" the most beautiful elements of classical ballet.

The founder of flamenco as a separate, independent direction is considered to be Joaquin Cortes, who brought a special “live” note to this dance, transforming it into a full-fledged art form.

Complex rhythm, specific technique, as well as freedom for creativity and improvisation make flamenco an unusual, exciting style, but quite difficult to perform. In order not to lose the original sound and not to waste all the knowledge and techniques accumulated over the centuries, most often, even in our time, all masters try to pass them on to the most talented and devoted students who are ready to devote their lives to honing their skills and teaching a new generation of dancers.

A little about the classification of styles

If we consider the styles of flamenco, based on their individual characteristics, then we can, first of all, point out that they differ from each other in a unique rhythmic pattern. The most popular drawings, today, are deservedly considered:

Solea;
Tona;
Fandango and Seguiriya.

Of course, flamenco had a huge impact to many music and dance styles of the world. During the last decades, completely new directions of this rhythmic, passionate dance have appeared, which were created as a result of the interaction of traditional Spanish culture with various melodies. For example:

flamenco rock;
flamenco pop;
flamenco jazz;
gypsy rumba and more. others

However, there are still true connoisseurs of the "original" dance, who strictly follow all the traditions and laws, which has two sides - positive and negative. In fact, it is impossible to get hung up on only one technique, even if it is dominant, because it is impossible to know the true essence of this bewitching, alluring dance that continues to win the hearts of people around the world. Flamenco is like a living organism that needs to constantly develop in order not to lose its charm, and “stopping” this process is the same as going against nature.

There is even a special direction in history called "flamencology" - it studies flamenco - its appearance, development and interaction with other cultures. Also, its goal is to preserve traditions so that future generations can enjoy this enchanting art, despite the development of technological progress and the decline in the popularity of classical dances.

Invariable attributes of flamenco dance

By far the most important element of every flamenco dancer's appearance is the long, traditional dress called "bata de cola", which is a "floor-length" dress, most often made of multi-colored material in small patterns or polka dots, which is richly decorated with frills. and frills. The progenitors of this dress were the outfits worn by gypsies. And, perhaps, the main highlight of the dance is a kind of “game” with the hem, during which a charming woman must make complex, original, harmonious figures, which, in fact, are not so easy to come up with.

If we talk about the traditional form of clothing for a male balayor, then it should include dark trousers, a white shirt with loose sleeves, a short bolero vest, and a bright wide belt.

Another of the classic elements of flamenco attire is a beautiful Spanish shawl with long tassels - it either twists around the dancer's body, emphasizing the feminine features of her silhouette, or falls from her shoulders and forms, in a way, "wings" of a large, fabulous, excellent bird.

Also, often a lady takes with her a large Spanish fan or castanets. Despite the fact that they are, by all accounts, an indispensable part of the accompaniment for dancers, most often the rhythm is beaten off with the snapping of fingers or tapping of the heel. In fact, castanets are more of a hindrance than a useful attribute, because they occupy the hands and significantly “cut down” the possibility of expressive, passionate playing of fingers and hands.