A romance is a small piece of poem set to music and performed with a musical instrument, usually a guitar or piano. Its history lasts more than one century, and the genre variety is truly inexhaustible.
Spain became the birthplace of romance. In the 12-14 centuries, itinerant musicians, singers and poets created a new song genre that combined the techniques of recitative and melodic tunes. Unlike church chants sung in Latin, the songs of the Spanish troubadours were sung in their native language, which at that time was called Romance. This is how the name "romance" arose, defining a new type of vocal piece performed to the accompaniment of a musical instrument.
In the 15th century, thanks to the rapid development of court poetry, the first collections of romances, called "romanceros", began to be published in Spain. Gradually, the romance approached the folk song, but retained the specific features of the genre. In contrast to the song performed by both the soloist and the choir, accompanied by musical instruments or without it, the romance was performed by one, less often by two singers with indispensable instrumental accompaniment. At court, romances were sung to the vihuela, among the people - to the Spanish guitar.
In other countries of Western Europe, the romance was initially perceived as a literary, poetic genre, but later entered different cultures and as a piece of music that absorbed the features of national identity.
In the 18th century, romance appeared in Russia. However, professional composers turned to this wonderful genre only in the 19th century, before that romances were mainly written by amateurs. The so-called cruel romance has become a special kind of genre. Its representatives were such famous masters of vocal music as Alexander Varlamov, Alexander Gurilev, Pyotr Bulakhov, who created their works in the Russian folk style, in folk or their own words. At the beginning of the 20th century, composers appeared who managed to combine the intonations of Russian folk songs with the rhythms of gypsy vocals, creating another, very peculiar direction in the art of Russian romance.
In the 21st century, the romance has not lost its popularity. To this day, works are being created that continue the best traditions of classical examples of the genre. Gypsy, "cruel", urban and modern lyrical romances are also written. Many of today's performers, whose passion for vocal art began with gypsy and "cruel" romances, are gradually approaching the best examples of this most accessible and democratic genre of Russian vocal music.
