Eight Russian Folk Songs by A. K. Lyadov: features of orchestration

The article analyzes A. K. Lyadov’s orchestral cycle Eight Russian Folk Songs to reveal the composer’s orchestral writing techniques that help him create the unique sound of the orchestra. The numbers of the cycle will be compared to the symphonic version and the version presented by the composer in the vocal and piano adaptations of Russian folk songs, which contributes to a better understanding of A. K. Lyadov’s orchestral writing style. This method of analyzing the musical material allowed identifying several approaches to the instrumentalization of songs in the collections. In some cases, the composer accurately follows the imposing ideas from the voice-and-piano version. In others, he adds orchestral elements to enhance the imagery. In the remaining versions, he significantly reinterprets the structure and texture of the song. The study into the details of the orchestral nature, the ratio of instrumental groups, the use of strokes and various sound production techniques allowed concluding on the characteristic fea-tures of the composer’s work on the music score. They include the precision of alternating and connecting instrumental layers; the use of tone painting techniques to convey both the narrative of the text and imitate folk instruments; as well as the careful reasoning of all texture and timbre components. The combination of these components allowed A. K. Lyadov to create a piece of music, in which each part has a unique color and contributes to the overall orchestral atmosphere.