Песните на панаирджийските певци Парушеви
The Songs of the Paruschev Fair-singers

Summary/Abstract: The repertoire of Marin and Parush Parushev who were singers at fairs is very interesting from a musicological point of view. The article presents an attempt at analyzing the musical structure of their songs, the quality of the melodies and the texts, and at establishing the link between their personal songs and traditional folklore. There appears to be no essential difference between the folksongs and the personal songs created in the spirit of the peasant folksong tradition as far as musical features go – modal, melodic and rhythmic build, structure of the musical stanza, as well as of the versification. In all probability the Parushevs most often made use of folk melodies or parts of these, adapting them to the newly composed text. These singers came from Thrace and the greater part of their melodies are completely in the style of the Thracian epic recitative. They performed ballads and other songs, which were known all-over the country. The study of the melodic patterns proves the close relation of the Parushevs’ own songs to peasant folklore, as well as their organic pertinence to the all-Bulgarian folksong style. This, for its part, accounts for their being accepted in various folklore regions. The Parushevs introduced but insignificant changes in the traditional songs they performed and the material under investigation reveals no sign of distortion or vulgarization. A certain part of the repertoire of Marin and Parush Parushev consists of city songs popular at the time. As far as music is concerned these songs bear the characteristic features of the city song – major or minor modal base, large tonal volume, square structure of the form, rhymed lines having the pattern of a stanza, etc. Characteristic features of the folksong and the city song intertwine in some of the Parushevs’ own songs. Marin Parushev and his son Parush are the initiators of the professional singing at fairs. At this early stage of the development of the latter the singers stuck very close with the original source – the traditional peasant lore. Hence they followed this tradition in their own songs as well.

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