The sun., 1892-12-13
RUSSIAN FOLK-SOHGS.
Learned from the Peasants by Nine. Liner;
who Is to Sing Them Here.


The celebrated Russian folk songstrsss,
Nine Eugenie Papritz- Lineff. who has come
to this country to give series OF folk-song
concerts. is II native OF Moscow. and grad
unte OF tho st. katherin institute for Daugh-
tiers of Nobility" 1t may DO said that she was
born and brought up in an atmosphere OF mu-
sic: she began 10 sing while yet she was learn
ing to speak under the training OF her mother.
who was n pupil Of the great Rus
sian composer. Michael Glinka. In her
early Girhood Miss Papritz became q
church chorister in Moscow. and. when
but little over IA years OF age. she
was the superintendent Of q choir OF 100 MEM
bers. She subsequently went to st. Peters,
burg. and afterward to Vienna. where she
spent three years under the training of the
renowned Marchesi. Her debut was at the
farewell concert of Ole Bull in Vienna. and
upon this occasion she received especial
praise from DR.. Haushik. DR.. Schelle. and
other musical critics. Immediately afterward
she became a member of the Hungarian Op-
cratic Company. which she left whom there
came to her from England an offer OF an en-
Eagemcnt as prima-donna contralto in her
MaJcsty's Italian Orera Company. When this
engagement WAS closed she returned to Mos
COW. where she became a member OF the I'M
perial Opera Company. and appeared In tho
concerts OF the Moscow Symphonic Society,
given ny the late Nicholas Nubinstein.
cal enthusiasts in Moscow who had become Q
imbued with u love. OF Russian folk songs and
n desire to study folk lore. She travelled in
the regions OF the Ukraine. where modern In
novations are unknown. md went to out Of
.he.%ay places. ia s, where she lived anon. tn:
Inc ancient folk songs in their primitive
purity. She also marched aioot with pilgrim
women to the holy shrines as to learn the
peculiar melodies OF the wandering psalm
singers. Returning to Moscow. she organized
folk song cloirs among the university stu
dents OF both sexes and directed them for five
seasons. Two years ago she went again to
She maden Old experiment by singing with
out accoppaniment the Russian folk song
L"otchinnwshka.I The listener; were thrilled
name OF its author she replied that the COM :
poser both of the music and the oris was
the Russian people.' and that perhaps lis
existence ran back to a time when London was
Il part OF the Roman empirs.
In the Russian folk songs sung hy Nine.
Iapritz-LneiI IN. snirit and the traits. the
g The Russian pensnntry are brought out.
Tho cradle songs. the maiden and matron
songs. the dance songs. th' sportiye and
singers The social circle l., .nliycned with
song, the tolrr iiGhtens his days with
song. the cnnsrrlpt marches to the barracks
with n singing escort: there are songs for boys
and girls. Tor love Iorn youths. for newly we'd
ded couples. anh for happy households; there
are funereHl songs OF passionate, entisaty.
ments from the times OF pagan antiquity and
others are Of post-' hristian rituallsm; I!nt tho
majority Of those sung by the kh"r3vod sing
or four centuries. and 1t Is these especially
that are tho delight of the peasant, of our
time.
the Kussinn folk songs will hr u novelty TO the
music-ioving people Of the lnited states,