Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff
Encyclopedia
The Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff was a men's chorus
of exiled Russian
Cossack
s founded in 1921
by Serge Jaroff
and conducted for almost sixty years by him.
, many Cossacks ended up in the diaspora.
In 1921 it was with these very Russian refugees that Serge Jaroff set about forming a choir in the Turkish internment camp Çilingir, near Constantinopel. The Cossacks began to accompany their own church services, and later left for the Greek island of Lemnos
. To improve the situation, they started giving open-air concerts, which were especially populair with the British.
The Cossack lieutenant, Serge Jaroff worked hard on his choir's repertoire, until a splendid opportunity presented itself. Troops were to be shipped from Çilingir to the Bulgarian town of Burgas
and on their behalf the Russian envoy suggested that Jaroff and his choir should be attached to the church.
Although the parish was too poor to support a choir, the offer was accepted and the members of the choir were obliged to find work on the side.
, provided by the Ministry of Defence.
The profit from the-often improvised-concerts was about $
2,- (approx. 8 German marks
at the time). Even so, the debut on 23 June 1923 in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia
was excellent for morale.
This was followed by an offer from a factory in a French town of Montargis
. The wife of the factory owner was Russian, and since the factory already had a wind band, they also considered having a choir. Unfortunately, lack of funds marooned the choir in Vienna
.
Help came from a representative of the League of Nations
, who took an interest in the choir. He brought the singers in contact with the director of a concert agency. At an audition in the director's office the singers exceeded all expectations-and a historic decision was made.
But the offer of a concert in the Vienna Hofburg on 4 July 1923 put everything else in the shadows. After this amazingly successful concert in the Austrian capital, the director predicted that the choir would not sing once, but a thousand times. In fact, it would eventually perform in excess of 10.000 concerts.
They travelled for the first time to the U.S.A in 1930 were they became in a mass ceremony the United States citizenship in 1936.
looming, the choir found a new home in the U.S.A. and Sol Hurok
became manager of the choir.
After the War, in 1953, Konzertdirektion Collien from Hamburg took over the choir from
Clara Ebner, and in 1960 the choir was taken over by Otto Hofner from Cologne.
Hofner and Jaroff would eventually become good friends and 20 March 1981 Jaroff transferred all the rights of his choir to Hofner.
Otto Hofner also directed three feature films and six TV-movies.
The last tour under Serge Jaroff was in 1979, although he continued as choir leader until 1981.
Hofner left when Jaroff finally agreed to a tour under the direction of George Markitisch.
. Conforming to Jaroff's wishes, Hofner wished to organize a tour with Nicolai Gedda
as soloist and Michael Minsky as conductor.
Michael Minsky had been, since 1948 in contact with Jaroff and his choir and since 1964 soloist in the Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff. This would take place in 1986, as a memorial to Serge Jaroff. The tour was a success, but when Minsky became ill and Nicolai Gedda did not want to sing every day, Otto Hofner called it quits.
Men's chorus
A men's chorus or male voice choir , is a choir consisting of men who sing with either a tenor or bass voice, and whose voices are arranged into high and low tenors , and high and low basses —and shortened to the letters TTBB...
of exiled Russian
Russian diaspora
The term Russian diaspora refers to the global community of ethnic Russians, usually more specifically those who maintain some kind of connection, even if ephemeral, to the land of their ancestors and maintain their feeling of Russian national identity within a local community.The term "Russian...
Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
s founded in 1921
1921 in music
-Events:* Clarence Williams makes his first recordings* The Harvard Glee Club takes its first trip to Europe, garnering international press attention.* Amelita Galli-Curci marries her accompanist, Homer Samuels....
by Serge Jaroff
Serge Jaroff
Serge Alexis Jaroff was the founder, conductor and composer of the Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff.-Early life:Jaroff was born in Makaryev, Kostroma Province, Russia. He trained at the Moscow Synod School for Choral Singing.-Army career:...
and conducted for almost sixty years by him.
Çilingir
After suffering total defeat at the hands of the Red ArmyRed Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, many Cossacks ended up in the diaspora.
In 1921 it was with these very Russian refugees that Serge Jaroff set about forming a choir in the Turkish internment camp Çilingir, near Constantinopel. The Cossacks began to accompany their own church services, and later left for the Greek island of Lemnos
Lemnos
Lemnos is an island of Greece in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Myrina...
. To improve the situation, they started giving open-air concerts, which were especially populair with the British.
The Cossack lieutenant, Serge Jaroff worked hard on his choir's repertoire, until a splendid opportunity presented itself. Troops were to be shipped from Çilingir to the Bulgarian town of Burgas
Burgas
-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...
and on their behalf the Russian envoy suggested that Jaroff and his choir should be attached to the church.
Although the parish was too poor to support a choir, the offer was accepted and the members of the choir were obliged to find work on the side.
Sofia, Bulgaria
The tents were then exchanged for barracks in SofiaSofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, provided by the Ministry of Defence.
The profit from the-often improvised-concerts was about $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2,- (approx. 8 German marks
German papiermark
The name Papiermark is applied to the German currency from the 4th August 1914 when the link between the Mark and gold was abandoned, due to the outbreak of World War I...
at the time). Even so, the debut on 23 June 1923 in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia
The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Built in Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, as well as one of Sofia's symbols...
was excellent for morale.
This was followed by an offer from a factory in a French town of Montargis
Montargis
Montargis is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. The town is located about south of Paris and east of Orléans in the Gâtinais....
. The wife of the factory owner was Russian, and since the factory already had a wind band, they also considered having a choir. Unfortunately, lack of funds marooned the choir in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
Help came from a representative of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, who took an interest in the choir. He brought the singers in contact with the director of a concert agency. At an audition in the director's office the singers exceeded all expectations-and a historic decision was made.
But the offer of a concert in the Vienna Hofburg on 4 July 1923 put everything else in the shadows. After this amazingly successful concert in the Austrian capital, the director predicted that the choir would not sing once, but a thousand times. In fact, it would eventually perform in excess of 10.000 concerts.
They travelled for the first time to the U.S.A in 1930 were they became in a mass ceremony the United States citizenship in 1936.
World War II
With World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
looming, the choir found a new home in the U.S.A. and Sol Hurok
Sol Hurok
Sol Hurok was a world-famous 20th century American impresario.-Biography:...
became manager of the choir.
After the War, in 1953, Konzertdirektion Collien from Hamburg took over the choir from
Clara Ebner, and in 1960 the choir was taken over by Otto Hofner from Cologne.
Hofner and Jaroff would eventually become good friends and 20 March 1981 Jaroff transferred all the rights of his choir to Hofner.
Otto Hofner also directed three feature films and six TV-movies.
The last tour under Serge Jaroff was in 1979, although he continued as choir leader until 1981.
Hofner left when Jaroff finally agreed to a tour under the direction of George Markitisch.
Michael Minsky
In 1985, Otto Hofner sought contact with Michael MinskyMichael Minsky
Michael Minsky, born Michael Spirin , also known as Mino Minzer and between Ukrainians as Myhailo Minsky) was a baritone singer, one of the finest interpreters of Russian and Ukrainian songs, and a conductor of the Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff.-Russian years...
. Conforming to Jaroff's wishes, Hofner wished to organize a tour with Nicolai Gedda
Nicolai Gedda
Nicolai Gedda is a Swedish operatic tenor. Having made some two hundred recordings, Gedda is said to be the most widely recorded tenor in history...
as soloist and Michael Minsky as conductor.
Michael Minsky had been, since 1948 in contact with Jaroff and his choir and since 1964 soloist in the Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff. This would take place in 1986, as a memorial to Serge Jaroff. The tour was a success, but when Minsky became ill and Nicolai Gedda did not want to sing every day, Otto Hofner called it quits.
Wanja Hlibka
In 1991 Wanja Hlibka started the choir again with George Tymchenko (former soloists of the Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff. In 2001 Otto Hofner transferred all the rights to Wanja Hlibka.Unique Voices
The Don Cossack Choir was renowned for both the quality of the tenors and especially for the depth and resonance of the low basses, particularly Pyotr Mihailik. It was reported that he could reach the bottom E of the piano with little difficulty. This unique blend of voices provided a different experience for most western audiences, increasing the popularity of the choir greatly. Where as most western vocal composers tend to focus on the upper spectrum of the voice, many eastern composers have been noted to write music displaying the power of the lower voices.Sources
- Archives Don Cossack Choir
- Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff. DVD. Brilliant Classics 8892 (2007)