Swan Kumach Vasily Ivanovich

Swan Kumach, Vasily Ivanovich (cf.. name Lebedev) (1898-1949), Russian poet. Born July 27 (8 August) 1898 in Moscow in the family cobbler. He wrote poems in 13 years, to publish them in 1916. In 1919-1921 he worked in the Bureau of Printing Management and the Revolutionary Military Council in the military department 'AgitROSTA', while he studied at the historical-philological faculty of Moscow State University. Wrote stories, . Article, . feuilleton, . Limericks for the front-line newspapers, . slogans for agitation trains, . composing couplets, . scenes, . songs for the stage, . displaying artistic flexibility, . poetic imagination and a rare ability to combine singing melody with oratorical fervor, . artistic freshness with propaganda and biased speech naturalness of political verbal 'cliche',
. Since 1922 he has collaborated with the 'Working paper', . 'And Peasants' newspaper', . newspaper 'Whistle', . magazines 'Red Army', . 'Crocodile' (where he worked for 12 years), . creating a set of literary parodies, . satirical stories and satirical articles on the topic of economic and cultural construction (collections of "Divorce", . "Tea leaves in a saucer, . Both 1925, . "With all the townships", . 1926, . "Little people, and business affairs", . "The sad smile", . both 1927), . a plot marked by acute, . topicality, . Household and psychological observation,
. In 1929 Lebedev-Kumach participated in the creation of theater reviews for 'Blue Blouse' and workers' initiative groups (the play "Last year the year", "Kiryushkina victory", both 1926, "Wife zavmaga, 1946, etc.). In 1934 in collaboration with the composer IO Dunayevsky composed "March of cheerful children" for the movie "Jolly Fellows", which brought Lebedev-Kumach widely recognized and determined his future path songwriter.

Truly international, extremely sensitive towards the rhythms, vocabulary, aesthetic tastes and attitudes of time has led to numerous lyrics Lebedev-Kumach, written mostly in 1936-1937: youth, sports, military, etc.. marches - "Sport march" ( 'Come, . sun, . brighter bryzni, . / Golden rays alight! "), . "Come, . go, . gay friends ", . patriotic songs "Song of the Motherland" ( "Broad is my native land ... ', . songs about everyday life and work of compatriots Oh you horses, . you have horses, steel ..., . "Song of the Volga" ( 'We have shifted and the mountains, . rivers and ...'),


. That sounds cheerful, . 'boosting', . almost mandatory appeal ( 'Come on girls! / Well, . beauties / Let us sing about the country! ", . 'Be prepared, . always ready! / When the hour comes to strike the enemies of ...'), . is thoughtfully, . almost confessional, . Similar letters or favorite conversation with one another ( 'Since then, . As we saw with you, . / In the heart of joy and hope I wear,
. / Differently and I live and breathe ..., . 'How many beautiful girls, . / How many affectionate names! "), . a mischievous, . full of genuine humor ( "The amazing question: / Why do I water carrier? / Because without water / And no amplitude, . nor syudy ... ', . 'Hab brave captain ...', . its winged became a refrain: 'Captain, . Captain, . Smile! / After all, a smile - is the flag ship,
. / Captain, . Captain, . tighten! / Only a brave sea obey! "), . is permeated with masculine lyricism ('... If wounding another - / bind girlfriend / Hot wounds him '), . song texts Lebedev-Kumach always evoked the romantic and bright sense of beauty and 'correctness' of life, . young fervor and anticipation of happiness, . organically blend with music, . easy and unaffected, . if born folklore, . lay down on the memory of simple and accurate words, . energetic and well-constructed sentences,


. Against the background of a number of not very successful cheers and patriotic texts ( "Song of Youth", . "We do not touch", . "Soviet common man", etc.) identifies those civic poetry Lebedev-Kumach, . that sincere force, . lyrical and majestic at the same time, . expressed their deep love and respect for their country, . became the basis for the classic songs of owls,
. repertoire, is still not forgotten the people ( "Song of the Motherland" - 'wide is my native land ..., Moscow in May -' Morning paints delicate color / walls of the ancient Kremlin ...'). Less successful were the experiments of the poet in the difficult genre of 'productive' songs ( "Song of tractor" - "Our strength is always kept pace, / And when young people will sing, / All the wheat in the fields of echoes, / echoes the high rye ').

Songs to words by Lebedev-Kumach performed on radio and concerts, they willingly sang and the people. The true symbol of the struggle, . formidable resistance, and confidence in victory was gimnicheski-marching song Lebedev-Kumach to the music Alexandrov 'holy war' ( 'Rise, . huge country, . / Get up to the death ...'; text published in the newspaper Izvestia in 2 days after the war, . June 24, 1941),
. A rich palette of moods, . intonations, . rhythmic pattern show songs on poems Lebedev-Kumachevo "Moon Waltz" ( 'In the rhythm of waltz floats all ...'), . "Youth" ( 'winding golden haze, . Roadsides ...'), . "Chaika" ( "Seagull boldly / flew / Above the gray wave ...'),
. Many of the songs were first heard of the poet with a movie screen (comedy "Jolly Fellows", "Circus", 1936, "Children of Captain Grant", 1936, "Volga-Volga", 1937, mus. IO Dunayevsky)

. During the Great Patriotic War Lebedev-Kumach, . served in the Navy, . wrote a lot of mass songs and poems, . who called for the battle (collections of "Singing, . Comrades, . sing! ", . "In the battle for the Motherland!", . "We'll fight until victory", . all 1941; "Forward to victory!", . "The Komsomol-mariners", . both 1943),
. Author of poetry The Book of Songs, "my constituents" (both 1938), "My calendar. Newspaper poems, 1938 ". (1939), "Songs" (1939, 1947), "Prickly Poems" (1945), "Poems for Variety" (1948), poems, addressed to children ( "Petina shop," 1927; "Pro clever little animals", 1939; "Under the Red Star", 1941)

. One of the recognized literary masters and creators of the Soviet mass songs, . seduced power, . State Prize winner (1941), . Lebedev-Kumach, . Judging by the end of the memoir publications 1990, . experienced periods of acute disappointment in them wholeheartedly praised the Soviet reality, and especially its leader Stalin,
. But it did not affect the creation of the poet life-affirming song mythology of contemporary society.

Died Lebedev-Kumach in Moscow on Feb. 20, 1949.