Shar(f) Goluboy
The Blue Scarf (Ball) ; Шар(ф) голубой
"The Blue Scarf", Шарф голубой, originally was a romance, written in 1830 by the Russian composer Nikolai Titov (1800-1875), with verses by the poet Mikhail Markov. The composer Mikhail Glinka liked the song. He said that the melody of the romance was so good, that "changing something in it means to spoil it". He suggested "nothing more touching" and "correcting the bass in the accompaniment". As a result two versions of the romance were published: the first by Peetz in 1830, and the second, with Glinka's amendments, was published in Stellowski in 1835. It is this second version of Glinka that still is being performed nowadays.
The romance gained such popularity, that the blue scarf became an indispensable attribute of any fashionable young lady. Everybody considered it necessary to walk the streets wearing a blue scarf, that was swelling in the wind, spinning-turning over the head. |
In the same years a romance of A. Varlamov and F. Koni "Akh You, The Blue Scarf!" appeared, indicating the popularity of the theme.
It did not take long before such a fashionable romance was answered by the people, and soon another song appeared: "Крутится-вертится шарф голубой", "The spinning-turning blue Scarf", which gained popularity, not less, but even more than the initial romance. After a while it even completely overshadowed the original romance, written by Titov. A Soviet and Kazakh musicologist, composer and literary critic, Naum Shafer (1931- ), does indicate in his foreword to "Кирпичики" ("Bricks"), the Anthology of the Urban Russian Songs for 100 Years, Fedor Sadowski as the author of this new folk song, but this is not known for sure.
It did not take long before such a fashionable romance was answered by the people, and soon another song appeared: "Крутится-вертится шарф голубой", "The spinning-turning blue Scarf", which gained popularity, not less, but even more than the initial romance. After a while it even completely overshadowed the original romance, written by Titov. A Soviet and Kazakh musicologist, composer and literary critic, Naum Shafer (1931- ), does indicate in his foreword to "Кирпичики" ("Bricks"), the Anthology of the Urban Russian Songs for 100 Years, Fedor Sadowski as the author of this new folk song, but this is not known for sure.
As it always happens with folk songs, the original words are or unknown, or they got forgotten, while they change depending on the circumstances in which the song is being performed. And this is what also happened with "The spinning-turning Blue Scarf". Even more, as the Russian word "шарф" (sharf), has the deaf consonant "f" at the end, which someone could not hear, the "f" was thrown away, and "шарф" became "шар", that means "ball". This caused the song's title to change into "The spinning-turning Blue Ball", "Крутится-вертится шар голубой", that became a hit on the eve of the WWI, and regained its popularity in 1934 due to the film "Maxim's Youth", from the cine trilogy about Maxim, directed by Grigory Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg. The Russian author Boris Chirkov (1901-1982) played the role of the young worker Maxim, in the film "Maxim's Youth". During the shooting of the film it was suddenly realized that Maxim had not been given a song.
|
Inna Subbotina performs "The Blue Scarf"
|
Maxim had lyricism, cheerfulness, humor, but there was no song. He needed a song that would help him live, in which his mood would poor out, in which he would reflect on his fate. Maxim needed a song, not for the listeners, but for himself, in which his attitude to life would be reflected.
Boris Chirkov performs "Spinning, turning blue Ball"
|
According to Boris Chirkov, he was told to perform something for this reason, whatever came into his mind, and he remembered an old and famous city folk song. The words he had heard many times, but they were long time forgotten, and so he started to sing: "It spins and turns, the blue glittering ball". Chirkov, however, with the comrades who joined in the course of shooting, sang not all, but only a couple of verses of the song, and in this form it entered the movie, and in this form it stayed with the audience forever, while the rest of the song began to be forgotten. D. Shostakovitch, who composed the music for the film, agreed with the song and left it sounding.
Later the song would sound in two other scenes of the trilogy: "The Return Of Maxim" (1937), and "The Vyborg Side" (1938). |
Though according to the previous history, and to Naum Shiffer's statement in his foreword to "Bricks", the song "The Blue Scarf" is a Russian folk song, the same motive sounds in other languages. There is a variant in Polish "Szla Dzie Weczka", there is "Vu is Dos Gesele" in Yiddish, there is in English "Where is the small lane, where is the chamber?", and the Italian "Talijanska". In all these songs the authorship is not established, which is very frequent evidence of the borrowing of this musical piece.
Boris Chirkov
|
The Russian song, however, did not end its life with the poems about the young ladies: new poems appeared for the same melody and a special surge of new songs appeared on the well-known motive at the time of the Great Patriotic War. On the eve of World War II the version of the song in the film "The Cinema Concert of 1941", was performed by laureates of the All-Union Contest of variety M. Kharitonov and N. Tiberga, accompanied by a jazz orchestra of the Central Palace of Culture of Railway Workers headed by Dm. and Dan. Pokrass. In this theme the railway theme was played out. Also during the time of the Great Patriotic War various versions of the song were distributed. In particular the poem of the poet Mikhail Isakovsky, composed in 1942, became widely known, and Boris Chirkov too sang a song in one of the novels of war cinematography "Victory For Us" of the Mosfilm studio. The collection was opened with the final scene from the film "The Vyborg Side", where the Chirkov`s personage sent farewell greetings to his audience. In the military compilation, however, instead of saying goodbye, Chirkov said "comrades", and began a conversation with his audience. The poet Vasily Lebedev-Kumach, was the author of these verses.
|
Also modern verses of the song do exist and new words for the same melody continue to appear. Also in the different languages, the new variations on this famous melody are being sung. "Krutitsya-vertitsya shar(f) goluboy" has been performed by Leonid Utyosov, Elena Vaenga, Ludmila Rumina, Olga Arefieva, Inna Subbotina, Zemfira, Alla Pugacheva, Galina Khomchik. Among the foreign performers: David Medoff, The Barry Sisters .
The song has become also a virtuoso accordion piece, the most known arrangements are by Yury Shakhnov and by Valery Arafailov. The motive is widely cited in different instrumental pieces, the verse is cited in the Russian literature, for example, by the famous Russian writer Alexander Green (1880-1932).
SCORE FOR ACCORDION
The song has become also a virtuoso accordion piece, the most known arrangements are by Yury Shakhnov and by Valery Arafailov. The motive is widely cited in different instrumental pieces, the verse is cited in the Russian literature, for example, by the famous Russian writer Alexander Green (1880-1932).
SCORE FOR ACCORDION
Russian lyrics (Old version)
В Москве проживала блондинка, На Сретенке, в доме шестом, Была хороша, как картинка, И нежная очень притом. ПРИПЕВ: Крутится, вертится шарф голубой, Крутится, вертится над головой, Крутится, вертится, хочет упасть. Кавалер барышню хочет украсть. Таких прехорошеньких ручек Не видел на свете никто. Ходил к ней кудрявый поручик В нарядном и светлом пальто. ПРИПЕВ: Где эта улица, где этот дом? Где эта барышня, что я влюблён? Вот эта улица, вот этот дом, Вот эта барышня, что я влюблён. Но вскоре то счастье пропало На самый ужасный манер. Поручику стряпка сказала, Что «стал к ней ходить анжанер». ПРИПЕВ Поручик на скетинге-ринге Увидел красотку в окне. Он к ней подошёл и блондинке Хватил кулаком по спине. ПРИПЕВ Всегда так на свете бывает. Окончился этот роман. Мужчина от страсти пылает, А женское сердце — обман. Крутится, вертится шарф голубой, Крутится, вертится над головой, Крутится, вертится, хочет упасть. Кавалер барышню хочет украсть. Russian lyrics (New version) Крутится, вертится шар голубой, Крутится, вертится над головой, Крутится, вертится, хочет упасть, Кавалер барышню хочет украсть. Крутится, вертится шар голубой, Крутится, вертится над головой, Крутится, вертится, как заводной, Что ж это, где ж это, Боже ж ты мой Матушка родная, как же мне быть, Мне эту барышню не разлюбить. В сердце огнём разгорается страсть, Барышню видно придётся украсть. Крутятся улицы, церковь, дома Кругом крутится моя голова. Крутятся лавка, трактир и базар, Крутится вихрем весенний угар. Крутится, крутится, крутится шар, Душу кидает, то в холод, то в жар. Хочет, он хочет, он хочет упасть. Кавалер барышню хочет украсть. Где эта улица, где этот дом, Где эта барышня, что я влюблён, Вот эта улица, вот этот дом, Вот эта барышня, что я влюблён. Щас подойду, обниму, украду, Щас подойду, если не упаду, К сердцу прижму, закручу, заверчу, И с этой барышней в небо взлечу. Крутится, вертится шар голубой, Крутится, вертится над головой, Крутится шар, как безумный летит, Кавалер барышню в вихре кружит. |
Transliteration
V Moskve prozhivala blondinka, Na Sretenke, v dome shestom, Byla khorosha, kak kartinka, I nezhnaya ochen' pritom. PRIPEV: Krutitsya, vertitsya sharf goluboy, Krutitsya, vertitsya nad golovoy, Krutitsya, vertitsya, khochet upast'. Kavaler baryshnyu khochet ukrast'. Takikh prekhoroshen'kikh ruchek Ne videl na svete nikto. Khodil k ney kudryavyy poruchik V naryadnom i svetlom pal'to. PRIPEV: Gde eta ulitsa, gde etot dom? Gde eta baryshnya, chto ya vlyublon? Vot eta ulitsa, vot etot dom, Vot eta baryshnya, chto ya vlyublon. No vskore to schast'ye propalo Na samyy uzhasnyy maner. Poruchiku stryapka skazala, Chto «stal k ney khodit' anzhaner». PRIPEV Poruchik na sketinge-ringe Uvidel krasotku v okne. On k ney podoshol i blondinke Khvatil kulakom po spine. PRIPEV Vsegda tak na svete byvayet. Okonchilsya etot roman. Muzhchina ot strasti pylayet, A zhenskoye serdtse — obman. Krutitsya, vertitsya sharf goluboy, Krutitsya, vertitsya nad golovoy, Krutitsya, vertitsya, khochet upast'. Kavaler baryshnyu khochet ukrast'. Transliteration Krutitsya, vertitsya shar goluboy, Krutitsya, vertitsya nad golovoy, Krutitsya, vertitsya khochet upast', Kavaler baryshnyu khochet ukrast'. Krutitsya, vertitsya shar goluboy, Krutitsya, vertitsya nad golovoy, Krutitsya, vertitsya, kak zavodnoy, Chto zh eto, gde zh eto, Bozhe zh ty moy Matushka rodnaya, kak zhe mne byt', Mne etu baryshnyu ne razlyubit'. V serdtse ognom razgorayetsya strast', Baryshnyu vidno pridotsya ukrast'. Krutyatsya ulitsy, tserkov', doma Krugom krutitsya moya golova. Krutyatsya lavka, traktir i bazar, Krutitsya vikhrem vesenniy ugar. Krutitsya, krutitsya, krutitsya shar, Dushu kidayet, to v kholod, to v zhar. Khochet, on khochet, on khochet upast'. Kavaler baryshnyu khochet ukrast'. Gde eta ulitsa, gde etot dom, Gde eta baryshnya chto ya vlyublon, Vot eta ulitsa, vot etot dom, Vot eta baryshnya chto ya vlyublon. Shchas podoydu, obnimu, ukradu Shchas podoydu, esli ne upadu, K serdtsu prizhmu, zakruchu, zaverchu, I s etoy baryshney v nebo vzlechu. Krutitsya, vertitsya shar goluboy, Krutitsya, vertitsya nad golovoy, Krutitsya shar, kak bezumnyy letit, Kavaler baryshnyu v vikhre kruzhit. |
English translation
In Moscow a blonde was living, In Sretenka`s house, marked "four", As nice as a picture, believe me, She was very gentle withal. Refrain: The blue scarf spins, in the air widespread, The blue scarf dances and waves overhead, Spinning and turning, the scarf wants to fall, The cavalier dreams that the blonde he stole. Such lovely arms being like a daydream, No one in the world could have seen. A curly lieutenant, I saw him, Went to her, being dressed smart and clean. Refrain: What`s the address, the right house and street? Where`s my ladylove I want to meet? Here are them both, the house, the street, Here`s my ladylove I want to meet. But soon all that happiness faded The worst of the possible ways. A kitchen maid told the lieutenant That "visits an ungineer pays". Refrain: In the skating rink, the lieutenant Saw that the girl carefree sat. He came to the blonde, he ill-mannered, And hit very strong on her back. Refrain: It happens, as usual, the same way. That romance did come to its end: A man`s heart that lets passions strong play, An always untrue lady friend. The blue scarf spins, in the air widespread, The blue scarf dances and waves overhead, Spinning and turning, the scarf wants to fall, The cavalier dreams that the blonde he stole. Translation by accordeonworld.weebly.com English translation It spins and turns, the blue glittering ball It spins and turns overhead, seeming small, Spinning and turning, the ball wants to fall, The cavalier dreams that the blonde he stole. It spins and turns, the blue glittering ball It spins and turns overhead, seeming small, It spins and turns being in the nonstop drive, What is it, where is it? Lord alive! Good gracious! How can I choose my path, This nice young lady I can`t cease to love. The passion flames up to such a degree, That I must steal the young lady, I see. The streets, the church and the houses spin, My head is spinning around, therein. The tavern, the bazaar and the shop spin, The heat of passion does banish the spleen. The ball is spinning and spinning again, My soul fevers and gets more insane. It wants, the ball wants, the ball wants to fall, The cavalier dreams that the blonde he stole. What`s the address, the right house and street? Where`s my ladylove I want to meet? Here are them both, the house, the street, Here`s my ladylove I want to meet. I will approach, embrace her and steal, I will approach, though dizzy I feel, I will clasp her to my heart, raise her high, Flying up with her into the blue sky. It spins and turns, the blue glittering ball It spins and turns overhead, seeming small, The blue ball spins, like a reckless one, flies, The cavalier whirls the blonde in the skies. Translation by Alexander |
Sources:
http://a-pesni.org/romans/titov/charfgol.htm ; http://cyclowiki.org/wiki/Крутится-вертится_шарф_голубой_(песня) ;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Крутится,_вертится_шар_голубой ;
http://www.historyonesong.com/2010/03/sharf_goluboi_1/; https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Шафер,_Наум_Григорьевич ;
http://cyclowiki.org/wiki/Шарф_голубой_(романс) ; http://a-pesni.org/dvor/krutvert.php ;
http://textpesni2.ru/textpesni.php?songlyrics=15271448
http://a-pesni.org/romans/titov/charfgol.htm ; http://cyclowiki.org/wiki/Крутится-вертится_шарф_голубой_(песня) ;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Крутится,_вертится_шар_голубой ;
http://www.historyonesong.com/2010/03/sharf_goluboi_1/; https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Шафер,_Наум_Григорьевич ;
http://cyclowiki.org/wiki/Шарф_голубой_(романс) ; http://a-pesni.org/dvor/krutvert.php ;
http://textpesni2.ru/textpesni.php?songlyrics=15271448