• “Reading the Crowd”. The Numerous Voices in the Stories of I. F. Gorbunov and V. F.Lebedev

DOI: 10.35852/2588-0144-2021-3-154-165

Full text (PDF): Download

Elena A. Sarieva

Cand. Sc. in Art Studies, Senior Researcher, Mass Media Arts Department
State Institute for Art Studies
Moscow, Russia
E-mail: easarieva@mail.ru

“Reading the Crowd”. The Numerous Voices in the Stories of I. F. Gorbunov and V. F.Lebedev

Abstract

“Everyday story” in the classical Russian literature is a dynamically developing genre throughout the 19th century. As a rule, this is a short scene including the conversation of several characters. The first to write such stories and also performing them was I.F. Gorbunov. Analyzing several scenes-stories of Gorbunov, the author comes to the conclusion that their plot is deliberately minimized. The scenes were written according the performance potential, in order to amaze the audience with a variety of intonations, precision of gestures and the use of speech characteristic to create a picture “in faces”. The stylistic and plot means of literary texts were directly related to Gorbunov’s performing style, based on the skill of speech transformation and improvisation. The successor of Gorbunov’s traditions in this genre was V.F.Lebedev, the actor of the Maly Theatre. At the beginning of the twentieth century he was performing both Gorbunov’s stories and his own. He presented “sounding pictures” vividly, expressively and figuratively. The comic sides of life were intertwined with the tragic ones, and the actor conveyed various voices and speaking peculiarities in detail. According to the author, the happy combination of the author and the performer in one person is very important for presenting such scenes. “Everyday stories” and comic monologues of Gorbunov and Lebedev largely determined the style of Russian and Soviet Estrada actors of the 20th century conversational genre.

Keywords

Estrada, theatre, I. F. Gorbunov, V. F. Lebedev, storytelling, everyday story, sketch scene.

For citation

Sarieva E.А. “Reading the Crowd”. The Numerous Voices in the Stories of I. F. Gorbunov and V. F.Lebedev. In: Theatre. Fine Arts. Cinema. Music. 2021, no. 3, pp. 154–165.

DOI: 10.35852/2588-0144-2021-3-154-165

References

  1. Ardov A.E.Razgovornye zhanry estrady i cirka. Zametki pisatelja [Conversational genres of variety and circus. Writer’s Notes]. Moscow: Iskusstvo Publ., 1968, 186 p. 
  2. Maksimov S.V.Nepodrazhaemyj rasskazchik [Inimitable storyteller]. In: Sochinenija I.F.Gorbunova v 3 t. T. 3 [Gorbunov I.F. Works in 3 vol. V. 3]. St. Petersburg: T-vo R.Golike i A.Vilborg Publ., 1907. 594 p. 
  3. Chaliapin F. I. Stranicy iz moej zhizni [Pages from my life]. Moscow: Knizhnaja palata Publ., 1990. 464 p. 
  4. Gorbunov I.F. U kvartalnogo nadziratelja [At the quarterly overseer]. In: Sochinenija I. F. Gorbunova v 3 t. T. 1 [Gorbunov I.F. Works in 3 vol. V. 2]. St. Petersburg: T-vo R. Golike i A.Vilborg Publ., 1904, pp. 32–39. 
  5. Gorbunov I.F. Masterovoj [Artisan]. In: Sochinenija I. F. Gorbunova v 3 t. T. 1. [Gorbunov I.F. Works in 3 vol. V. 1]. St.Petersburg: T-vo R. Golike i A.Vilborg Publ., 1904. pp. 30–31.
  6. Gorbunov I.F. Scena u pushki [Scene at the cannon]. In: Sochinenija I. F. Gorbunova v 3 t. T. 1 [Gorbunov I.F. Works in 3 vol. V. 1]. St. Petersburg: T-vo R. Golike i A.Vilborg Publ., 1904, pp. 28–29. 
  7. Iz literaturnogo mira [From the literary world]. In: Knizhnaja nedelja, 1895, no. 12. RGALI. Fund 191 (Efremov Petr Aleksandrovich). Op.1. Ed. hr. 1916. 53 l. 
  8. I. F. Gorbunov [I.F. Gorbunov]. In: Russkoe obozrenie 1895. RGALI. Fund 191 (Efremov Petr Aleksandrovich). Op. 1, Ed. hr. 1916. 53 l. 
  9.  Chaliapin F. I. Maska i dusha [Mask and soul]. Moscow: Vagrius Publ., 1997. 320 p. 
  10. Gorbunov I.F. Gromom ubilo [Thunder killed]. In: Sochinenija I. F. Gorbunova v 3 t. T. 1 [Gorbunov I.F. Works in 3 vol. V. 1]. St. Petersburg: T-vo R. Golike i A.Vilborg Publ., 1904, pp. 277–279. 
  11. Gorbunov I.F. Utoplennik [Drowned]. In: Sochinenija I. F. Gorbunova v 3 t. T. 1 [Gorbunov I.F. Works in 3 vol. V. 1]. St. Petersburg: T-vo R. Golike i A.Vilborg Publ., 1904, pp. 280–291. 
  12. Gorbunov I.F.Zabytyj dom [Forgotten house]. In: Sochinenija I. F. Gorbunova v 3 t. T. 2. [Gorbunov I.F. Works in 3 vol. V. 2]. St. Petersburg: T-vo R. Golike i A.Vilborg Publ., 1904, pp. 43–72. 
  13. Sheremetev P.Gr.Otzvuki rasskazov Gorbunova [Echoes of Gorbunov’s stories]. In: Sochinenija I.F.Gorbunova v 3 t. T. 3 [Gorbunov I.F.Works in 3 vol. V. 3]. St. Petersburg: T-vo R.Golike i A.Vilborg Publ., 1907. 593 p. 
  14. Gorbunov I.F.Zatmenie solnca [Eclipse of the sun]. In: Sochinenija I. F. Gorbunova v 3 t. T. 1 [Gorbunov I.F. Works in 3 vol. V. 1]. St. Petersburg: T-vo R. Golike i A.Vilborg Publ., 1904, pp. 21–24. 
  15. Gorbunov I.F.Vozduhoplavatel’ [Balloonist]. In: Sochinenija I. F. Gorbunova v 3 t. T. 1. [Gorbunov I.F. Works in 3 vol. V. 1]. St. Petersburg: T-vo R. Golike i A.Vilborg Publ., 1904, pp. 25–27.
  16. A. F.Koni ob I. F. Gorbunove [A.F. Koni about I.F. Gorbunov]. [Gazetnaja vyrezka]. RGALI. Fund. 191 (Efremov Petr Aleksandrovich). Op. 1. Ed. hr. 1916. 53 l. 
  17. Kuznetzov E.M. Ivan Fedorovich Gorbunov [Ivan Fedorovich Gorbunov]. Leningrad: VTO Publ., 1947. 112 p. 
  18. Gorbunov I.F. Obshhee sobranie obshhestva prikosnovenija k chuzhoj sobstvennosti [General meeting of the Society touching someone else’s property]. In: Sochinenija I. F. Gorbunova v 3 t. T. 1 [Gorbunov I.F. Works in 3 vol. V. 1]. St. Petersburg: T-vo R. Golike i A.Vilborg Publ., 1904, pp. 249–252. 
  19. Zakushnjak V. J.Vechera rasskaza [Storytelling evening]. Moscow; Leningrad: Iskusstvo Publ., 1940. 392 p. 
  20. Vecher rasskazov (improvizatsii V. F. Lebedeva) [An evening of stories (improvisation by V.F.Lebedev)]. In: Novaya zhizn [New life]. Harbin, 1913. 4 June. No. 142. 
  21. Durylin S.N.Vladimir Fedorovich Lebedev. Ocherk tvorchestva [Essay on the work of Vladimir Fedorovich Lebedev]. In: RGALI. Fund. 2980. Op. 2. Ed. hr. 65. 101 l. 
  22. Vecher rasskazov artista Imperatorsko Malogo teatra V. F.Lebedeva [Storytelling evening by artist of the Imperial Maly Theatre V.F.Lebedeva]. Moscow: Direkcija M.M.Volskogo Publ., 1913. 12 p.

Received: 24.06.2021

Accepted: 12.08.2021