STEPPE YARKEY

“STEPPE YARKEY”, Bashkir ethnic song, uzun-kuy. First registered by M.A. Burangulov in the 1930’s in Mryasovo village, Novosergievskiy District, Orenburgskaya region, its variants were published in the “Bashkort khalk yirdary” collection (instru­ mental variant was registered by K.F. Akhmetov from G.G. Ushanov) and in the book titled “Bashkir ethnic art”, 1st v., 1954; the lyrics of the vocal variant were registered by L.N. Lebedinskiy from Salakhetdin Itbayev from Bikbau village, Zianchurinskiy District, BASSR in 1937). The song is epic. According to the legends, Buranbay-sesen is the author of “S.Y.” According to one of the versions, sesen had been hiding in forests from tsar authorities but was recognized by Kagarman Kuvatov, the head of the 9th Bashkir canton. He personally introduced him to V.A. Perovskiy. However, the governor dismissed all the charges as he remembered the military achievements of Yarkey. The song, heard during the first meeting of Kagarman Kuvatov with the sesen, was called “S.Y.”. According to another version registered by Burangulov, after Yarkey’s beloved woman died (see “Salimakay”), he began turning people against the nobles and petty officers; he was captured, but escaped and hid from the authorities. He composed the song during this period. “S.Y.” has a wide range of sounds (approx. 2 octaves) and a moderate tempo. The melody is based on a major pentatonic. There is also a famous naigrysh melody of “S.Y.” which can be characterized by a variable beat and range of an octave; the syncopations can be often noticed in the melodical line. A quaint tone and mixolydian low 7th step in the first sentence and tonic in the second one make the naigrysh melody special.

G.Сh. Khamitova