I. Kozlov

Historical Evolution of a Four-stringed Domra

In the present article, the author examines the existing versions of the origin of the domra, a folk string-plucked instrument. Such stages as creating its modern model, attempts of expanding the range, constructive transformations as well as the creation of the four-stringed domra tuned in perfect fifths are arranged in the historical context. The article also deals with establishing the ownership of the domra to the Ukrainian folk instrument kobza together with the continuity of the former in eastern musical instruments of the 4th-5th centuries AD. The importance of the subsequent search for relics, fine and written monuments about kobza and domra in the territories of modern Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, and other neighboring countries is underlined. The author of the article develops the idea of probable renaming the domra in the balalaika based on co-existing instruments and specific design features established in historical documents of the seventeenth century. The article touches upon the issue of the transformation directly by local crafters of the musical instruments that came to them from the territories of the contiguous western and eastern states. Rivalry between V. Andreev and G. Lyubimov is represented as an impetus to developing the domra art by means of creating orchestras and an original repertoire as well as to making an academic path for the instrument. The article contains examples and images for detailing the instruments.

Key words

folk instruments, four-stringed domra, kobza, academic path for artistic performance.

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