(10 )
In the story “Singers,” the author talks about the impression singing makes on a Russian person, and at the same time gives an image of a talented singer from the people’s environment. In the tavern there is a singing competition between the rower from Zhizdra and Yashka the Turk.
The first one begins a cheerful song, full of all sorts of curlicues and clicks; general delight serves as his reward. The second one takes the stage; he begins the mournful song “There was more than one path in the field.” At first he sings timidly, but gradually he becomes inspired, takes control of himself, and his sad Russian song sounds wide, it “smells with something familiar and unimaginably wide, as if the familiar steppe is spreading out before the listeners, going into an endless distance...”
This song has the most amazing effect on listeners: some stand as if numb, others sob; They were influenced by that sincerity, that deep feeling with which the song of the talented Yakov was imbued. In the tavern a kind of tournament is organized between the singers. Here is a rower singing a cheerful, dance song.
He begins to make such curlicues, clicked and drummed his tongue so furiously, played with his throat so furiously that when he let out his last, fading voice, the general united cry of the listeners answered him with a frantic explosion. But then Yakov appears on the stage. He leaned against the wall; his eyes barely flickered through his lowered eyelashes.
He took a deep breath and sang... little by little, warming up and expanding, his mournful song poured out: “More than one path ran through the field...” “He sang, and everyone present felt sweet,” says Turgenev, “both sweet and eerie... His song grew, spread. Jacob, apparently, was overcome by rapture... he gave himself entirely to his happiness. The blood began to boil in my heart and tears rose to my eyes. Muffled, restrained sobs,” Turgenev continues, “struck me... I looked around - the kisser’s wife was crying, leaning her chest against the window...” Yakov finished. The listeners all stood there, speechless. The clerk quietly stood up and went to Yakov. “You... your... you won,” he said with difficulty and rushed out of the room. Yes. It is not prowess or a cheerful song that touches a Russian person, although there is a lot of room for it in him. Russian people need sincerity.”
In “The Singers,” Turgenev depicts the amazing effect of music and song on the most diverse Russian people in their characters. In the unsightly atmosphere of a tavern, a competition between two singers takes place, and the pure spirit of art purifies and enlightens everything around. The soldier from Zhizdra and Yashka the Turk compete, and the audience watches the outcome of the noble struggle with a sinking heart. Yakov turns out to be the winner.
This is how Turgenev describes his singing: “Little by little, warming up and expanding, a mournful song poured out. The listeners responded with all their hearts to the inspired singing: the author felt that “tears began to boil in his heart and rose to his eyes”; he saw that “the kisser’s wife was crying, leaning her chest against the window”; the kisser Nikolai Ivanovich looked down; the frivolous and incongruous Obolduy, an outsider and casual witness of the competition, and the stern “Wild Master” himself were touched.
Yakov's rival, the rower, was the first to admit defeat. Turgenev depicts the Russian soul in “Singers” as sensitive and tenderly responsive to the impressions of art, and the author subtly noticed the folk characteristics, the folk features of the broad and free Russian song.
Ryadchik is one of the heroes of I. S. Turgenev’s story “The Singers”, an urban tradesman from Zhizdra, a rival of Yashka... He appears to be about thirty years old. He is short with lively brown eyes and a thin beard. His face is pockmarked and his hair is curly. It was no accident that he ended up in Nikolai Ivanovich’s tavern. The rower competed in singing with Yashka the Turk, the best singer in the area. By nature, the clerk was a carefree and nimble fellow. When it was time to sing, he performed first and was very nervous. However, his excitement was not caused by the song itself, but by the fact that he was worried whether those present would like him.
His song was cheerful, with endless decorations and transitions. He tried so hard that even the gloomy Wild Master smiled. The others liked him too and were very supportive of him. The clerk's voice was pleasant and sweet, a kind of high falsetto. And how he went out of his way to make sure everyone liked it. When he finished singing, Stupid cried out with confidence that Yashka was far from being a rower. And the rower himself was confident of his victory. However, when everyone heard Yashka’s deep voice, full of passion and sorrow, this confidence quickly disappeared. Yashka, unlike the rower, did not try to please everyone. He simply sang with all his soul, giving himself entirely to his happiness. At the end of the competition, the rower himself admitted defeat.
Turgenev’s “Singers” is included in the middle of the cycle of stories “Notes of a Hunter” (“a cycle” this work is called on the basis that the personality of the narrator, in many ways identical to the author himself, is present in all the stories, and also because the writer composed these works, perceiving them as a single whole). It embodies the features of the author’s style that are characteristic of the entire collection, the main of which are rightfully considered to be descriptions of landscapes, the figure of the narrator, psychologism (a way of revealing the characters’ characters) and, of course, close attention to the ordinary Russian man and his fate.
Having become familiar with this work, the reader will undoubtedly be able to form an impression both of the entire cycle of stories and of the prose of Turgenev, the great master of Russian literature, in general. It was thanks to his skill in writing stories that he became famous not only in Russia, but throughout Europe during his lifetime.
“Singers” was written by Turgenev in the midst of work on the collection - in 1850, when the author was already clearly aware of the social and aesthetic significance of the future cycle, within the framework of which he created the stories. This means that each work reflects, to one degree or another, the specifics of “Notes of a Hunter” as a whole, and they must be perceived as a whole, as Turgenev himself did.
This story was created at a time when the majority of peasants existed under the yoke of serfdom (abolished only in 1861 by decree of Alexander II, who, by the way, read “Notes of a Hunter”), in a destructive social and natural environment (remember the ravine around which the village of Kotlotovka is located from "The Singers") The prerequisites for the disintegration of the landlord system of land tenure already existed, echoes of which are also found in this collection.
Genre and direction
“The Singers” by Turgenev is a story. It is characterized by everything that is typical of other examples of the genre: a small number of storylines (in this case, one), characters (in this case, nine), solvable problems (in this case, two, not counting varieties).
Turgenev in “Notes of a Hunter” sought to plausibly and realistically portray the life of the Russian people, first of all - ordinary people. This intention is consistent with what the natural school did.
Composition
- The work begins with an extensive exposition (a part that introduces the reader to the main characters and their surroundings before the plot unfolds). It tells about the landscape specifics of the location of the village of Kolotovka (it is located on a hill divided by a ravine, it divides the village in half), about the heart of the village - a drinking establishment, the owner of which is one of the main characters - Nikolai Ivanovich.
- Then the author moves on to the plot: the narrator comes to the village and finds out that in the tavern there will be a competition between the row singers (this is a profession; employer of workers) and Yashka the Turk, and this piques his interest, so he goes to listen.
- The main part, which consists only of preparations for the competition and the performance of the rower, is expanded by the narrator due to the characteristics of the characters anticipating the performance of the singers in the tavern.
- The climax is Yashka’s amazing performance and victory.
- At the denouement, the narrator leaves the tavern and leaves the village of Kolotovka.
The composition of Turgenev’s story “The Singers” is mirrored: at the beginning main character comes to the village during a scorching day, and finally leaves the village on a cool night (images of day - night, weather conditions of heat - cool, the very actions of the hero at the beginning and at the end of the work are opposite). As with many of the stories in Notes of a Hunter, the writer does not concentrate on the plot; its development occupies a small part of the volume of the work. Most of it is occupied by landscapes and personal characteristics of the characters.
The main characters and their characteristics
The images of singers in Turgenev's story play a key role in the plot plan.
The description of the rower given by the narrator himself is as follows:
As for the clerk, whose fate, I admit, remained unknown to me, he seemed to me a resourceful and lively city tradesman.
Turgenev also reveals his character through his cool and self-confident behavior before the competition.
The narrator reports the following about another singer:
Yakov, nicknamed the Turk because he actually descended from a captive Turkish woman, was like him - an artist in every sense of the word, and by rank - a scooper at a merchant's paper mill.
He, unlike the rower, is exhausted from excitement before the competition and shows uncertainty.
These heroes are contrasted by social status (the rower is rich, Yashka is poor), by their behavior before the performance, one has a name, and the other does not. But the most important difference between them is their singing. The rower sings in such a way that it is interesting to listen to him, but Yakov’s magnificent singing makes the men cry and touches the soul. The line between performers lies in the same place as the line between entertainment and art.
However, in comparison with other characters (Obalduy, Morgach, Nikolai Ivanovich, Wild Master), the narrator reports very little about these two, without delving into their biography. Turgenev in “Notes of a Hunter” wanted, first of all, to show the nobles (only they read him) that simple Russian peasants also have complex, sometimes unusual characters, have a soul, that they are the same people as Turgenev’s readers, who make up a single Russian people.
Topics and issues
The most significant theme of the story is the theme of music or, more broadly, the theme of art, revealed by a plot collision. Accordingly, the following issues are associated with it:
- The influence of music on a person- when Yakov sings, he touches the subtlest strings of the souls of his listeners, gives them the opportunity to feel, experience beauty (this problem can be reformulated: the influence of art on a person, the influence of beauty on others);
- The problem of genius— Yakov is poor, has a low social status, but has something more significant - the ability to influence people’s emotions by singing (the role of talent in the life of society).
the main idea
The idea of Turgenev’s story “The Singers”: there is a clear line separating beauty from ordinary entertainment. Yakov’s performance not only surpassed that of the rower, it was fundamentally different in that it directly affected the souls of those around him, it was not just a pleasant sight, it was truly beautiful.
The meaning of Turgenev’s story “The Singers”: beauty is a light flicker in the darkness of everyday life, and after contact with beauty it is painful for a person to return to the stuffy darkness of life. This is exactly what the narrator feels after the performance, so he leaves the tavern before Yakov and other men begin to celebrate and get drunk, that is, before Yakov turns from a translator of the inexpressible back into a scooper, Yashka the Turk.
Means of artistic expression
Turgenev's skill as a storyteller lies in depicting refined landscapes and psychologism (revealing the inner world of characters through speech and behavior). The author seeks to understand the essence of the described phenomenon. It was this desire to display the smallest details of the life depicted that made him a great writer.
Turgenev's style in The Singers is characterized by an abundance of epithets and comparisons.
The landscape, the landscape of a village divided in half by a ravine, seems to symbolize the wound that the narrator felt when returning from the depths of his soul to everyday existence.
Interesting? Save it on your wall!Yashka the Turk is the hero of the work “The Singers” by I.S. Turgenev. "Singers" is part of the series of stories "Notes of a Hunter." Yashka has an incomparable voice, surprising listeners with its excellent timbre. The author of the story tells about the talent of a hero who wins his rival in a competition.
The hero’s mother is Turkish: she was brought as a captive from Turkey. For this reason, the character received his nickname. There is a rumor about Yashka as one of the best singers in the village of Kotlovka. The hero is about twenty-three years old, he is thin, of a slender build, gray-eyed, and his hair is curly and light brown. Yashka’s face seems impressionable and passionate to the author. The hero works as a scooper in a paper factory owned by a noble merchant. In his soul, Yashka feels like an artist and a creative person.
The author shares his impressions of meeting Yashka. The narrator had a chance to visit the “Prytynny” tavern one July day, where the whole village had gathered to listen to the beautiful voices of the clerk and Yashka. The rower sang a dance song: he managed to light up the audience and lift their spirits. Most of the spectators were confident that the victory in the competition would belong to the rower from Zhizdra.
Then Yashka the Turk began to sing, looking like a dashing factory fellow, appearing before the audience in a blue caftan. The hero was very worried. At first, out of excitement, he covered his face with his hand, then he collected himself, took a deep breath and sang. His singing was mesmerizing. The author notes the deep passion, youth and strength in Yashka’s voice. The audience especially liked the fascinating, carefree, sad notes in his performance. In Yashka’s singing, people caught the touching notes of the Russian soul, so extraordinary, mysterious and sad. The people, mesmerized by Yashka’s voice, froze, and some had tears on their faces. Even the Wild Master, stingy with emotions, was touched.
Yashka the Turk did not strive to please the public, unlike the rower. He simply sang for people with all his heart. Surprised by the talent of his opponent, the rower realized that he had lost the competition. In the evening the whole village celebrated the victory of Yashka the Turk.
With his mastery of performance, the hero won the heart of the storyteller and gave the residents of Kotlovka great pleasure. Performing a sad song in which Russian melancholy is felt, Yashka touched the deepest strings of the author’s soul.
Several interesting essays
- Analysis of the story Sign of Trouble by Bykov
In the center of the events we see an elderly couple who live near the village, where the German occupiers come and occupy their house. At first, Petrok obeys them and does everything they order.
- Essay: How I skated for the first time, 7th grade
Winter is the most wonderful time of the year. Snow, holidays, New Year and, of course, gifts. During the winter holidays we always go to the village to visit our grandmother. It’s a long way, of course, one hundred and eighty kilometers from the city, but it was worth it.
- Stepmother in the fairy tale 12 months of Marshak essay
In Marshak's fairy tale "The Twelve Months" the image of the stepmother is well expressed. However, more often the author uses the word “old woman” to show the reader the age and badness of the woman.
- Essay Easter in my family
Easter is the main holiday of Christians around the world. It is celebrated in the spring, after Lent. On this day, about two thousand years ago, God's son, Jesus Christ, was resurrected after he was crucified due to the betrayal of Judas.
- Essay based on Vasnetsov’s painting Northern Territory
The painting “Northern Region” was painted by Aivazovsky in 1899. Inspired by a trip to the Urals, and filled with memories of his native Vyatka region, the master creates this work.
The small village of Kolotovka lies on the slope of a bare hill, dissected by a deep ravine that winds through the very middle of the street. A few steps from the beginning of the ravine there is a small quadrangular hut, covered with straw. This is the “Pritynny” tavern. It is visited much more willingly than other establishments, and the reason for this is the kisser Nikolai Ivanovich. This unusually fat, gray-haired man with a swollen face and slyly good-natured eyes has been living in Kolotovka for more than 20 years. Not being particularly polite or talkative, he has the gift of attracting guests and knows a lot about everything that is interesting to a Russian person. He knows about everything that happens in the area, but he never spills the beans.
Nikolai Ivanovich enjoys respect and influence among his neighbors. He is married and has children. His wife is a lively, sharp-nosed, quick-eyed bourgeois, Nikolai Ivanovich relies on her for everything, and the loud-mouthed drunkards are afraid of her. Nikolai Ivanovich's children took after their parents - smart and healthy guys.
It was a hot July day when, tormented by thirst, I approached the Pritynny tavern. Suddenly, a tall, gray-haired man appeared on the threshold of the tavern and began to call someone, waving his hands. A short, fat and lame man with a sly expression on his face, nicknamed Morgach, responded to him. From the conversation between Morgach and his friend Obolduy, I understood that a singing competition was being started in the tavern. The best singer in the area, Yashka Turok, will show his skills.
Quite a lot of people had already gathered in the tavern, including Yashka, a thin and slender man of about 23 years old with large gray eyes and light brown curls. Standing next to him was a broad-shouldered man of about 40 with black shiny hair and a fierce, thoughtful expression on his Tatar face. His name was Wild Master. Opposite him sat Yashka's rival - a clerk from Zhizdra, a stocky, short man of about 30, pockmarked and curly-haired, with a blunt nose, brown eyes and a thin beard. The Wild Master was in charge of the action.
Before describing the competition, I want to say a few words about those gathered in the tavern. Evgraf Ivanov, or Stunned, was a bachelor on a spree. He could neither sing nor dance, but not a single drinking party was complete without him - his presence was endured as a necessary evil. Morgach's past was unclear, they only knew that he was a coachman for a lady, became a clerk, was released and became rich. This is an experienced person with his own mind, neither good nor evil. His entire family consists of a son who took after his father. Yakov, who was descended from a captured Turkish woman, was an artist at heart, and by rank he was a scooper at a paper factory. No one knew where the Wild Master (Perevlesov) came from and how he lived. This gloomy man lived without needing anyone and enjoyed enormous influence. He did not drink wine, did not date women, and was passionate about singing.
The clerk was the first to sing. He sang a dance song with endless decorations and transitions, which brought a smile from the Wild Master and the stormy approval of the rest of the listeners. Yakov began with excitement. In his voice there was deep passion, and youth, and strength, and sweetness, and fascinatingly carefree, sad grief. The Russian soul sounded in him and grabbed his heart. Tears appeared in everyone's eyes. The rower himself admitted defeat.
I left the tavern, so as not to spoil the impression, got to the hayloft and fell fast asleep. In the evening, when I woke up, the tavern was already celebrating Yashka’s victory with might and main. I turned away and began to walk down the hill on which Kolotovka lies.