Serge Jaroff
Encyclopedia
Serge Alexis Jaroff ( - 5 October 1985) was the founder, conductor and composer of the Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff
.
, Kostroma Province, Russia
. He trained at the Moscow Synod School for Choral Singing.
lieutenant
in the Russian Civil War
. In 1920, the Don divisions
were driven to the Crimea
by the Red Army
. They evacuated from there to the Turkish internment camp Çilingir, near Constantinopel, (now Istanbul
) . In January 1921 Jaroff put together a choir from Russian refugees
in the internment camp. Most of the singers who later performed in the Don Cossacks Choir had been members of the Don divisions since the war in 1914. The 3rd Don division in March 1921 was interned on the Greek island of Lemnos
.
Then the troops, including the singers, were shipped to Burgas
, Bulgaria
. The Russian representative asked Jaroff and his choir to join the church. On 23 June 1923, they performed in the cathedral of Sofia
. The choir consisted of 32 professional singers, and the artistic level was very high. The choir had an offer to sing in France but due to lack of money the choir made their official debut in Vienna
.
They were immensely popular in American and international tours in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. The men, dressed as Cossacks, sang a cappella
in a repertory of Russian
sacred and operatic music, army songs and folk songs. Cossack dancing was eventually added to their programs.
In 2001 Otto Hofner transferred the rights of the choir to Wanja Hlibka.
, where Jaroff died in 1985. He became a US citizen after World War II
. He is buried at St Mary's R.O. Cemetery in Jackson, New Jersey.
Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff
The Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff was a men's chorus of exiled Russian Cossacks founded in 1921 by Serge Jaroff and conducted for almost sixty years by him.- Çilingir :...
.
Early life
Jaroff was born in MakaryevMakaryev
Makaryev is a town in Kostroma Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Unzha River , east of Kostroma. Population:...
, Kostroma Province, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. He trained at the Moscow Synod School for Choral Singing.
Army career
He served as a CossackCossack
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...
lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
. In 1920, the Don divisions
Don Army
The Don Army was part of the White movement of the Russian Civil War, operating from 1917 to 1919, in the Don region and centered in the town of Novocherkassk.- History :...
were driven to the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
by the Red Army
Red 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...
. They evacuated from there to the Turkish internment camp Çilingir, near Constantinopel, (now Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
) . In January 1921 Jaroff put together a choir from Russian refugees
White Emigre
A white émigré was a Russian who emigrated from Russia in the wake of the Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War, and who was in opposition to the contemporary Russian political climate....
in the internment camp. Most of the singers who later performed in the Don Cossacks Choir had been members of the Don divisions since the war in 1914. The 3rd Don division in March 1921 was interned on 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...
.
Then the troops, including the singers, were shipped to 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...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. The Russian representative asked Jaroff and his choir to join the church. On 23 June 1923, they performed in the cathedral of Sofia
Sofia
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...
. The choir consisted of 32 professional singers, and the artistic level was very high. The choir had an offer to sing in France but due to lack of money the choir made their official debut 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...
.
The Don Cossack Choir
The Don Cossack Choir was a group of former officers of the Russian Imperial Army, discovered singing in Çilingir, near Istanbul, where they had fled after the defeat of their army unit in the Crimea. They made their formal concert debut in Vienna, 4 July, 1923.They were immensely popular in American and international tours in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. The men, dressed as Cossacks, sang a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
in a repertory of Russian
Ethnic Russian music
Ethnic Russian music specifically deals with the folk music traditions of the ethnic Russian people. It does not include the various forms of art music, which in Russia often contains folk melodies and folk elements or music of aother ethnic groups living in Russia.-History:The roots of Russian...
sacred and operatic music, army songs and folk songs. Cossack dancing was eventually added to their programs.
Later life
His last tour was in the 1978-1979 season of the company, but Jaroff continued as a choir leader until 1981. On 20 March 1981 Jaroff transferred all rights of his choir to Otto Hofner (Germany), his friend and manager.In 2001 Otto Hofner transferred the rights of the choir to Wanja Hlibka.
Personal life
Jaroff married Neonila, and had one son, Aljosha. They lived in Lakewood Township, New JerseyLakewood Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 60,352 people, 19,876 households, and 13,356 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,431.8 people per square mile . There were 21,214 housing units at an average density of 854.8 per square mile...
, where Jaroff died in 1985. He became a US citizen after World War II
World 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...
. He is buried at St Mary's R.O. Cemetery in Jackson, New Jersey.
External links
- NY Times obituary
- Don Cossack Chorus history
- Michael Minsky–Legend of a Don Cossack
- Discopedia of Serge Jaroff Don Cossack Chorus on Russian-Records.com
- DVD Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff brilliantclassics nr. 8892