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In their joint work, Viktor Belyaev calls as “archaeological” Viktor Uspensky’s approach to folk song. He believes that the “old professionals”, who keep the purity of the national tradition in tune, are the keepers of archaeological music value.
The enthusiasm, sensitivity and ability to quickly get in touch with folk performers, and, of course, Viktor Uspensky’s human warmth immediately received sympathy from the performers who have shown interest and desire to cooperate with him. It is stated in the letter of professional ethnographer Nikolai Yomudsky to Uspensky: “... Quite by chance I had to be a direct witness to your work in the study and recording of melodies and music of the indigenous people of Turkestan, and in particular Turkmen; I saw the love, knowledge, and most importantly, delicacy, when you start to work with locals; I saw how sensitive you are to all the soul movements of our musicians-performers... ”
Viktor Belyaev assisted in the theoretical research and generalization of this rich material collected. Captured by Uspensky’s enthusiasm and passion, and inspired by the material itself, he quickly copes with the work and the next year he is preparing matrials for publication a book that includes samples of notes and a research article.
Having taken a kind of supervising over the musical and ethnographic activities of Viktor Uspensky in Central Asia, Belyaev constantly assists him with advice and deed, never refuses consultation and support in all endeavors. Many times, he makes presentations and reports on the collecting and scientific work of Uspensky.
The list of folk musicians comprised of 250 names, many biographical facts and dates and compiled by Belyaev based on the materials of both volumes is becoming a valuable source of information on the history of Turkmen culture.
The research of Belyaev – the only work he worked on in collaboration with Uspensky – determined the main direction of all further scientific activity of the scientist, immediately putting him in the ranks of the most renowed national experts in the field of musical folklore. In 1930, he wrote to Uspensky: “Suddenly it turned out that, oddly enough, I am the greatest specialist in folk music.”
The first volume of the book by Uspensky was the result of a visit to Southern and Northern Turkmenistan in 1925-1926, while the second volume was based on notes made by him during his subsequent trips to East (1927) and West Turkmenistan (1927-1928). These expeditions were aimed to not only visit the districts and record the music of the Turkmen tribes, but also clarify the influence of neighboring nations on the music of the Turkmen people.
The first volume of the “The Turkmen music” was praised a lot. Lines from letters received by the authors prove the prevailing attitude towards this capital work. The Soviet orientalist, Iranianist and Turkologist Yevgeny Bertels wrote to Belyaev: “I can say with a completely calm conscience that for the first time I finally saw such a book that I had long dreamed of. This is what Oriental studies have long been waiting for, the first scientific development of oriental music, which really can be called quite scientific.”
Composer Erich Moritz von Hornbostel: “... it seems, the tuning of the Turkmen dutar is a Pythagorean and is based on descending fifths (ascending quarts) of the highest tone of the soundcharge. ... You gave us a great and laying foundation for future work, the continuation of which I looking forward to.”
The famous English music writer and translator Samuel Pring, having expressed his intention to immediately begin translation of “The Turkmen music” into English, wrote: “... I do not want anyone to translate it before me”, and asked to send him a special copy of the book as soon as possible.
Talking about the achievements and difficulties with which the authors were faced while recordings the Turkmen music, and evaluating the contribution of Uspensky and Belyaev to the musical culture of the Turkmen people, we should mention that these wonderful musicians were friends and they were connected by sincere and fruitful relations that became the basis of their many years of creative cooperation.
Their work has long been became the integral part of the culture of Turkmenistan. It seemed to be involved in life; its fate was intertwined with the fate of many people who were somehow involved in the creation of the book. It remains a monument to a difficult time, when the foundations of a multinational musical culture were laid, which gathered the best that was preserved in the musical memory of different peoples and time.
Turkmen music with its harmony and unique value, masterfully fixed on the notes, spread throughout all corners of the country and many countries. And a copy of the first volume of the book “The Turkmen Music” in English is carefully stored at Harvard University.
