An Episode from the History of Crimean Musical Folklore: a Collection of Crimean Tatar Songs by N. Borovko and M. Krasev

Abstract

Research objectives: To outline the activities of Nina Borovko-Langlet as a collector and performer of folk songs of the Crimean Tatars and to introduce into scientific use a collection of Crimean Tatar songs and dances, prepared by her in collaboration with the composer M.I. Krasev. Research materials: The collection of Nina Borovko and Mikhail Krasev “Crimean Tatar Songs,” published in Stockholm in 1925, and little-known Russian and foreign journal articles served as additional material. As comparative material, the publications of Crimean folklore texts of the 1920s and 1930s were used. Results and novelty of the research: For many decades, the name of Nina Borovko-Langlet was forgotten in the history of Russian musical folklore. The materials presented in the article highlight the role of N. N. Borovko-Langlet in Crimean folklore studies of the 1920s and 1930s. She contributed largely to the popularization of Crimean Tatar music, and her concerts introduced Swedish audiences to the originality of Crimean Tatar folk songs and dances. The article reveals the existence of the collection “Crimean Tatar Songs,” containing six Crimean Tatar songs with translations into Russian, Swedish, and German, as well as a musical notation of two dance songs. It can serve as a valuable source for further comparative study of variants of Crimean songs. The paper also touches on some aspects of N.N. Borovko-Langlet’s collaboration with M.I. Krasev and describes the range of musical publications of the Soviet composer related to the Crimean theme.