Odinokaya Garmon;
The Lonely Harmonics; Одинокая гармонь
This wellknown song was composed in 1946 by the Russian composer Boris Mokrousov (1909-1968). The verse that formed the basis for "The Lonely Harmonics" had been written already in 1945, during the first postwar months, by the poet Mikhail Isakovskiy (1900-1973).
Originally the last two stanzas of the verse differed from the final form:
|
In his final version, however, Isakovskiy adapted these two stanzas, thereafter he showed the poem to the composer Zakharov, who wrote the music to it, which he called "Garmonist". Zakharov performed it with the State Academic Russian Folk Choir (the Pyanitsky Choir), that he headed since 1931. The song was not successful though.
In 1946 the text of Zakharov's poem was published in "October", a monthly literary and art magazine since 1924, where it was discovered by Boris Mokrousov. The composer wrote a new music to it and called the song "The Lonely Harmonics". In June 1946 it was published by "Muzfond" with the scanty circulation of no more than 500 copies, but soon it gained a nation-wide popularity. During the years 1946-1947 it spread all over the country, assisted by the radio recording. In 1948 Boris Mokrousov was awarded the Stalin Prize for his songs: "The Lonely Harmonics", "The Cherished Stone", "Song Of The Native Land", and "In Spring The Flowers Are Good In The Garden". In 1949 the song was recorded by Georgiy Abramov with the orchestra under the direction of Victor Knushevizkiy. The arrangement made by Knushevizkiy also boosted the song`s popularity.
In 1946 the text of Zakharov's poem was published in "October", a monthly literary and art magazine since 1924, where it was discovered by Boris Mokrousov. The composer wrote a new music to it and called the song "The Lonely Harmonics". In June 1946 it was published by "Muzfond" with the scanty circulation of no more than 500 copies, but soon it gained a nation-wide popularity. During the years 1946-1947 it spread all over the country, assisted by the radio recording. In 1948 Boris Mokrousov was awarded the Stalin Prize for his songs: "The Lonely Harmonics", "The Cherished Stone", "Song Of The Native Land", and "In Spring The Flowers Are Good In The Garden". In 1949 the song was recorded by Georgiy Abramov with the orchestra under the direction of Victor Knushevizkiy. The arrangement made by Knushevizkiy also boosted the song`s popularity.
In 1963 the French singer Yves Montand (1921-1991) went on tour in the USSR. During this event he sang two songs of Boris Mokrousov that were translated into French: "Dalekiy Drug" (A Far Friend), and "Odinokaya Garmon'" (The Lonely Harmonics). It was Francis Lemarque (1917-2002), a French poet and composer, who translated "A Far Friend", giving it the name "Un Lointain Ami", and wrote the new words for "The Lonely Harmonics, calling it "Joli Mai". This name was not chosen by chance, but the song`s words clearly referred to the French documentary film by Chris Market "Le Joli Mai", that was shot in 1962, after the signing of the Evian agreements that put an end to the seven-year Algerian war, and released in 1963. The film, consisting of two parts, had an intermission, in which Yves Montand performed the song "Joli Mai". For this documentary Yves Montand also had filled in the narrating voice.
|
|
At first glance the French variant on "The Lonely Harmonics" could make us believe that it is all about a person who loves May. May disappears and will not come back, and that is about all. But having a closer look at the song, it becomes clear that there are some clear allegories!
"Sur son coeur il portait la rosette, la légion du bonheur" (On his heart he wore the rosette, the legion of happiness) clearly refers to the ribbon of the French Legion of Honor, the most important French National Award.
"Sur son coeur il portait la rosette, la légion du bonheur" (On his heart he wore the rosette, the legion of happiness) clearly refers to the ribbon of the French Legion of Honor, the most important French National Award.
The word "Histoire" is written with a capital letter, referring to the history of France, not to a history of love.
"Le soleil met du plomb dans les rêves" (the sun puts lead into dreams). In this phrase the "lead" most probably stands for the lead of the bullets that were shot during war, putting an end to people's dreams. "Ton foulard sur les yeux du mensonge" (your scarf before the eyes of the lie) must refer to the scarf that was tied to the eyes in case of an execution. Yves Montand, and Francis Lemarque, did not make a love song of "The Lonely Harmonics", but, as it happens with the Russian songs also, they used the song to tell about their history. |
|
"The Lonely Harmonics" was sung by Georg Ots, Sergey Lemeshev, Efrem Flax, Georgy Abramov, Victor Vuyachich, Valentina Tolkunova, Eduard Khil, Vladimir Troshin, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Iosif Kobzon , Gennady Kamenny
The song was also used in several movies: "Voroshilovsky shooter" ( Ворошиловский стрелок) 1999, "Delo Rumyantseva" ( Дело Румянцева ) 1954, Spring on the Zarechnaya Street 1956.
The contemporary performers like the song also: Oleg Pogudin, Evgeny Kungurov, Dmitri Hvorostovskiy, Igor Rasteryaev, Elena Bikkulova, Dima Bilan, Tatyana Bulanova, and many others.
The song is extremely popular among the accordion players in Russia and other former USSR republics. It can be also called a folk one: as it is easy to sing and to remember, it is very well known among the ordinary people.
SCORE FOR ACCORDION
The song was also used in several movies: "Voroshilovsky shooter" ( Ворошиловский стрелок) 1999, "Delo Rumyantseva" ( Дело Румянцева ) 1954, Spring on the Zarechnaya Street 1956.
The contemporary performers like the song also: Oleg Pogudin, Evgeny Kungurov, Dmitri Hvorostovskiy, Igor Rasteryaev, Elena Bikkulova, Dima Bilan, Tatyana Bulanova, and many others.
The song is extremely popular among the accordion players in Russia and other former USSR republics. It can be also called a folk one: as it is easy to sing and to remember, it is very well known among the ordinary people.
SCORE FOR ACCORDION
Russian text
Снова замерло все до рассвета, Дверь не скрипнет, не вспыхнет огонь. Только слышно на улице где-то: Одинокая бродит гармонь. То пойдет на поля, за ворота, То обратно вернется опять. Словно ищет в потемках кого-то И не может никак отыскать. Веет с поля ночная прохлада, С яблонь цвет облетает густой… Ты признайся, кого тебе надо, Ты скажи, гармонист молодой. Может, радость твоя недалеко, Да не знает – ее ли ты ждешь… Что ж ты бродишь всю ночь одиноко, Что ж ты девушкам спать не даешь?! |
Transliteration
Snova zamerlo vse do rassveta, Dver' ne skripnet, ne vspykhnet ogon'. Tol'ko slyshno na ulitse gde-to: odinokaya brodit garmon'. To poydet na polya, za vorota, To obratno vernetsya opyat' Slovno ishchet v potemkach kogo-to I ne mozhet nikak otyskat'. Veyet s polya nochnaya prokhlada, S yablon' tsvet obletayet gustoy... Ty prisnaysya, kogo tebe nado, Ty skazhi, garmonist molodoy. Mozhet, radost' tvoya nedaleko, Da ne znayet - eye li ty zhdesh'... Chto zh ty brodish' vsyu noch' odinoko, Chto zh ty debushkam spat' ne dayesh'?! |
English text:
The hush dominates till the dawn`s near Neither doors creak, nor windows light. From somewhere one only can hear: A harmonics, alone in the night. First it walks to the fields through the wicket, Then again back it goes in kind. As if looking for somebody as yet And in no way able to find. From the field the soft night coolness blows, The thick bloom falls from the apple tree... You confess, who you seek on the roads, The young man, tell, who you wanna see. Unaware you wait for her only, Very near your dear can dwell... Why do you wander the whole night lonely? Why don`t you let the lasses sleep well? Translation by accordeonworld |
Joli Mai, Yves Montand
Joli mai, c'était tous les jours fête
Il était né coiffé de muguet
Sur son cœur il portait la rosette
La légion du bonheur joli mai
Sur son cœur il portait la rosette
La légion du bonheur joli mai.
On l'a gardé le temps de le croire
Il est parti pendant qu'on dormait
Emportant la clé de notre Histoire
Joli mai ne reviendra jamais
Emportant la clé de notre Histoire
Joli mai ne reviendra jamais.
Joli mai, notre amour était brève
L'été vient qui mûrit le regret
Le soleil met du plomb dans les rêves
Sur la lune, on affiche complet
Le soleil met du plomb dans les rêves
Sur la lune, on affiche complet.
Joli mai, tu as laissé tes songes
Dans Paris pour les enraciner
Ton foulard sur les yeux des mensonges,
Et ton rouge dans la gorge de l'année
Ton foulard sur les yeux des mensonges,
Et ton rouge dans la gorge de l'année
Joli mai, c'était tous les jours fête
Il était né coiffé de muguet
Sur son cœur il portait la rosette
La légion du bonheur joli mai
Sur son cœur il portait la rosette
La légion du bonheur joli mai.
On l'a gardé le temps de le croire
Il est parti pendant qu'on dormait
Emportant la clé de notre Histoire
Joli mai ne reviendra jamais
Emportant la clé de notre Histoire
Joli mai ne reviendra jamais.
Joli mai, notre amour était brève
L'été vient qui mûrit le regret
Le soleil met du plomb dans les rêves
Sur la lune, on affiche complet
Le soleil met du plomb dans les rêves
Sur la lune, on affiche complet.
Joli mai, tu as laissé tes songes
Dans Paris pour les enraciner
Ton foulard sur les yeux des mensonges,
Et ton rouge dans la gorge de l'année
Ton foulard sur les yeux des mensonges,
Et ton rouge dans la gorge de l'année
Sources:
http://naiwen.livejournal.com/737740.html ; http://www.sovmusic.ru/forum/c_read.php?fname=odgarmon ;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Одинокая_гармонь ; https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Montand ;
https://obiskusstve.com/1154798870143699776/iv-montan-poyot-prekrasnyj-maj-nashaodinokaya-garmon/ ;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Государственный_академический_русский_народный_хор_имени_М._Е._Пятницкого ;
http://www.tanki-media.ru/bp_07_musica/texts_rodina/odinokaya_garmon_h.html ; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038417/ ;
http://www.parolesmania.com/paroles_yves_montand_1746/paroles_joli_mai_1485904.html ;
http://naiwen.livejournal.com/737740.html ; http://www.sovmusic.ru/forum/c_read.php?fname=odgarmon ;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Одинокая_гармонь ; https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Montand ;
https://obiskusstve.com/1154798870143699776/iv-montan-poyot-prekrasnyj-maj-nashaodinokaya-garmon/ ;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Государственный_академический_русский_народный_хор_имени_М._Е._Пятницкого ;
http://www.tanki-media.ru/bp_07_musica/texts_rodina/odinokaya_garmon_h.html ; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038417/ ;
http://www.parolesmania.com/paroles_yves_montand_1746/paroles_joli_mai_1485904.html ;