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Music of the Tatar People

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If you are wondering where come from those strange melodies you used to hear your granny singing as a child, this CD might answer those questions. Tatarite Kipchaqs used to be widespread accross Eastern Europe but thanks to Stalin many have now been displaced to central asia and siberia along with their ancient cousins. Bashkirs and Volga Tatars along with a few pockets of Karaimi Tatars in Poland Belarus Lithuania Bulgaria Romania Ukraina and a few have returned to Kalin (former Prussia) Lithuania, Ukraine and Crimea since their eviction from Europe after WW2. Some melodies reveal where Borodin may have taken some ideas. Others are similar to Hungarian and others to Mongolian melodies.

Sofia Gubaidulina, a composer from Russia, is considered to be the greatest female composer in the world. She is an ethnic Tatar and grew up listening to Tatar music. Therefore, Tatar music influened many of her works and, through her works, it influenced the world of music at large. Although traditional Tatar music tends to be pentatonic, modern Tatar music also includes pop songs, rock melodies, simphonies and operas. The seemingly simple melodies of Tatar folk songs are easily recognizable in the works of such Russian composers as Borodin, Taneev, Rimsky-Korsakov and Rakhmaninov. That's why it is worthwhile to study and explore Tatar folk music. This CD offers a good opportunity to do so.