The Russian musical tradition has a very long history, starting with vocal folk songs that were a part of daily village life. Non-vocal music was banned for quite a long time, because the Orthodox church believed that musical instruments were an invention of the Devil. Russian composers do seem to have a knack for unforgettable melodies (often inspired by folk tunes) that are easy to sing and hard to get out of your head. No wonder they gave the world some of the greatest symphonies, operas and ballets.