Vot Kto-to S Gorochki Spustilsya
From the hill someone has come down; Вот кто-то с горочки спустился
In many sources the Russian composer Boris Terentyev (1913-1989) is said to have written the notes as well as the lyrics for this Russian folk song in the years 1960s, although he never claimed for the authorship of the song himself. He issued then a version which would be called now "cover". The origin of the song is also supposed to be the Ukrainian romance of the 19th century "In The Autumn Garden The Asters Are White" ("В саду осіннім айстри білі"). This song was popular in Ukraine until the 60s of the 20th century, and in 1961 it was published in the collection "Ukrainian Folk Romances", with a preface and notes by Leopold Yashchenko (1928-2016), a Soviet and Ukrainian musicologist, folklorist and conductor.
There is no information available about the authors of this Ukrainian romance. The variants on the song were known even before the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), and were performed at the concerts of the Academic Choir under the leadership of the Soviet conductor and teacher A. Sveshnikov in 1944-1945. Lidia Ruslanova, a famous Soviet folk songstress, performed the song also. |
According to the Russian musicologist Yuri Biryukov, the author of the words of "Vot Kto-to S Gorochki Spustilsya", which was recorded already in 1951, is Valentin Levashov (1915-1994), a Russian composer and choral conductor. In 1951 The USSR Union of Composers organized an expedition across Siberia in order to collect folk music. Two composers, well known Andrei Novikov and young beginning Valentine Levashov. leaded the expedition. Once they came to a village in the Altai region. The elder women gathered for that case and performed the songs which they knew. The song that was to become "Vot Kto-to S Gorochki Sputilsya" seemed very good to Levashov. The melody was fine, melodically rich. But the text was primitive. Levashov claimed, it happened often, that a very good song lost its initial words with time, as it was more easy to remember a fine melody, than the words. And the words were subject to changes by the occasional performers, who finally made them far from the initial sense and artistically poor.
Levashov asked the ladies: "What song do you like most?" They immediately started the song from the movie "The Cossacks of Kuban", singing about meeting the beloved man after the Great Patriotic War. Levashov caught their mood and composed new words to the song in one day. He listened to the renewed song, performed by the same people and felt it sounded were good! For meeting the formal demands of the expedition`s Moscow bosses, he wrote several native inhabitants down as the authors. Afterwards, the song was published in two song collection books called "Siberian Folk Songs". With these words, composed by Levashov, the song is performed up to now.
Levashov asked the ladies: "What song do you like most?" They immediately started the song from the movie "The Cossacks of Kuban", singing about meeting the beloved man after the Great Patriotic War. Levashov caught their mood and composed new words to the song in one day. He listened to the renewed song, performed by the same people and felt it sounded were good! For meeting the formal demands of the expedition`s Moscow bosses, he wrote several native inhabitants down as the authors. Afterwards, the song was published in two song collection books called "Siberian Folk Songs". With these words, composed by Levashov, the song is performed up to now.
It was only since 1960s that the composer Boris Terentyev was referred to as the author of the song. The idea of Terentyev`s authorship was even emphasized
by the occasion when a court was asked to protect his author`s rights to the benefit of his widow. Sergei Pantykin, the son of the famous Ural composer Alexander Pantykin, used the song in his student theater play "The Right Tool", which was performed at the Ekaterinburg Theater Institute. His play suddenly became the reason for a cultural scandal, as Nadezhda Terentyeva, the widow of the deceased composer Terentyev, claimed that several songs, and among them the song "Vot Kto-to S Gorochki Spustilsya", which she pretended to be the work of her husband, had been used without her permission. As being the legal owner of Terentyev's works, she contacted the Legal Department of the Ural Branch of the Russian Author's Society, for a confirmation of her rights. The Russian Author`s Society, acting to her benefit, demanded a huge sum of 600.000 rubles from the Theatrical Institute and the Musical Comedy Theater, as a compensation for the illegal use of the music. |
Anna Litvinenko and Tamara Mushta perform Вот кто-то с горочки спустился
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The court refused to satisfy the claim (the decision) on the reason that no video proof of the play, actually performed, had been presented. However, B. Terentyev is often mentioned in the document as regarded by the Russian Author`s Society to be the author of the song "Vot Kto-to S Gorochki Spustilsya" and several others, claimed to be used in the theater play.
Terentyev himself was born in Kiev, Ukraine, in 1913, and graduated the Kiev Conservatory in 1932. Therefore it is understandable that the composer edited a melody that he could know since his youth, while never wanting to claim the authorship.
Its biggest popularity came to the song when a well-known Soviet songstress, Valentina Tolkunova, included it in her repertoire in 1973. It was Terentyev`s cover, with an indication to the folk origin of the music and the words. Her performance remains the best up to now.
The performers: Valentina Tolkunova, Nadezhda Babkina, Nadezhda Kadysheva, Voronezh Russian Folk Choir, Natasha Koroleva & Lada Dance & Alena Apina, Marina Devyatova, and some others. The song is also performed in Chinese
Terentyev himself was born in Kiev, Ukraine, in 1913, and graduated the Kiev Conservatory in 1932. Therefore it is understandable that the composer edited a melody that he could know since his youth, while never wanting to claim the authorship.
Its biggest popularity came to the song when a well-known Soviet songstress, Valentina Tolkunova, included it in her repertoire in 1973. It was Terentyev`s cover, with an indication to the folk origin of the music and the words. Her performance remains the best up to now.
The performers: Valentina Tolkunova, Nadezhda Babkina, Nadezhda Kadysheva, Voronezh Russian Folk Choir, Natasha Koroleva & Lada Dance & Alena Apina, Marina Devyatova, and some others. The song is also performed in Chinese
Russian text
Вот кто-то с горочки спустился. Наверно, милый мой идет. На нем защитна гимнастерка, Она с ума меня сведет. На нем погоны золотые И яркий орден на груди. Зачем, зачем я повстречала Его на жизненном пути! Зачем, когда проходит мимо, С улыбкой машет мне рукой, Зачем он в наш колхоз приехал, Зачем встревожил мой покой! Его увижу - сердце сразу В моей волнуется груди... Зачем, зачем я повстречала Его на жизненном пути! |
Transliteration
Vot kto-to s gorochki spustilsya. Naverno, milyy moy idet. Na nem zashchitna gimnasterka, Ona s uma menya svedet. Na nem pogony zolotyye I yarkiy orden na grudi. Zachem, zachem ya povstrechala Yego na zhiznennom puti! Zachem, kogda prokhodit mimo, S ulybkoy mashet mne rukoy, Zachem on v nash kolkhoz priyekhal, Zachem vstrevozhil moy pokoy! Yego uvizhu - serdtse srazu V moyey volnuyetsya grudi... Zachem, zachem ya povstrechala Yego na zhiznennom puti! |
English text
From the hill someone has come down. That, probably, my dear comes, Dressed in a military gown, Which drives me mad on his strong arms. The golden shoulder straps he wears, A medal brightly decks his chest. Why did, why did we meet somewhere On the life path, thus quaintly blessed! Why does he wave his hand to me and Smile at me when he passes by? He came to this collective farm land, Having disturbed my calm, but why? The moment I see his blond hair, My heart starts worrying in the chest... Why did, why did we meet somewhere On the life path, thus quaintly blessed! Translation by Accordeonworld |
Sources:
https://www.ural.kp.ru/daily/25976.2/2911022/ ; https://shkolazhizni.ru/authors/theodorbuckie/posts/29522/ ;
http://tunnel.ru/post-pokhozhdeniya-russkojj-narodnojj-pesni ; http://www.pesni.net/text/Zastolnye-pesni/Vot-kto-to-s-gorochki-spustilsya ;
http://a-pesni.org/drugije/votktotosgor.htm ; http://vtolkunova.com/med/fon/pesni/ppnp/v/106-vot-kto-to-s-gorochki-spustilsya
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Левашов,_Валентин_Сергеевич ; https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/В_саду_осеннем_астры_белые ;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ященко,_Леопольд_Иванович ; https://ok.ru/group/57470544052279/topic/66379282492215 ;
https://www.ural.kp.ru/daily/25976.2/2911022/ ; https://shkolazhizni.ru/authors/theodorbuckie/posts/29522/ ;
http://tunnel.ru/post-pokhozhdeniya-russkojj-narodnojj-pesni ; http://www.pesni.net/text/Zastolnye-pesni/Vot-kto-to-s-gorochki-spustilsya ;
http://a-pesni.org/drugije/votktotosgor.htm ; http://vtolkunova.com/med/fon/pesni/ppnp/v/106-vot-kto-to-s-gorochki-spustilsya
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Левашов,_Валентин_Сергеевич ; https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/В_саду_осеннем_астры_белые ;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ященко,_Леопольд_Иванович ; https://ok.ru/group/57470544052279/topic/66379282492215 ;