Orchestral Wind Instruments Performance in Slobozhanshchyna in the Middle of the XIX and Early XX Centuries
Authors: Hladkykh A. , Shchepakin V. 
Published: March 2023

The history of the development of academic orchestral wind instruments performance in Slobozhanshchyna in the XIX — early XX century has many bright pages that have entered the annals of unique artistic events of the city, as well as those that have not yet been analyzed in modern musicology, but significantly enrich the overall picture of the cultural life of the capital of Sloboda Ukraine. References to publications on the pages of the local newspapers “Kharkovskie gubernskie vedomosti” and “Yuzhny kray” significantly supplement certain lacunae that still exist in the understanding of the multi-vector process of formation of the domestic instrumental wind tradition.

The purpose of the article: demonstrate the facts of the introduction of orchestral performance on wind instruments in Slobozhanshchyna, not yet used in scientific circulation, and reflecting the perception of these numerous creative actions by the local cultural community.

The methodology is based on the principles of a comparative analysis of the principles of activity in Slobozhanshchyna region, and in particular, in Kharkiv region, of serf, military and amateur brass bands, as well as the application of the induction method, which made it possible to generalize the principles of the existence of these collectives in the local cultural space and their contribution to artistic life of Slobozhanshchyna, Kharkiv and other cities of the region in the middle of the XIX and early XX centuries. The musical and local history method was also applied, which contributed to the analysis of the specifics of the musical and cultural preferences of Kharkiv residents.

The results. The given examples of the active activity of serf bands, military and amateur student brass bands on the territory of Kharkiv and Kharkiv region testify to their prevalence in the XIX and early XX centuries among different strata of the Kharkiv community and in general a favorable attitude towards such orchestras by both local music lovers and the average public.

After the gradual decline of serf orchestras in the 1840s and 1850s on the territory of Slobozhanshchyna in the second half of the XIX century, they were replaced by the performances of the so-called “trumpet choirs” — brass bands of military units stationed in Kharkiv, or specially arrived for the summer season at the invitation of the directorate of recreation gardens. The popularity of wind music in the city led to the emergence of a number of similar amateur student groups at the turn of the XIX and XX centuries, which existed until the time of the national liberation struggles of 1917–1921.

Along with the introduction of wind instrument lessons at the music school of the Kharkiv branch of the Imperial Russian Music Society and the performances of young brass musicians in student concerts and the participation of many professional wind instrument performers in theater and opera orchestras. Their activities are analyzed in the works of V. Bogdanov and A. Ovchar. These serf, later military and amateur wind music orchestras, often led by talented conductors, formed a powerful general cultural foundation of Kharkiv and Slobozhanshchyna as a whole.

Prospects for further research. Study the possibility of further thorough work in the Kharkiv archives to provide a more complete and detailed panorama of the spread of wind instruments performance in our region.