THE UNTOLD STRUGGLES OF KOSHETZ: AN IMMIGRANT’S FATE

By Halyna Kravtchouk, Winnipeg, Canada

Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Maestro’s passing 

«The song saved me... It finally became the one thing I serve and worship, like my own sanctuary» (A. Koshetz).

An ancient legend speaks of a song and the Ukrainians. According to the version of this legend recounted by Winnipegger Stephania Zenewych, on the day when God was bestowing talents upon the nations of the world, the Ukrainian arrived late. Undeterred, he approached God, who, upon hearing his request, replied, «I have already given out all the talents. There is only a song left, so I will give you a song». Since then, the French have been renowned for their fashion designers and elegance, the Germans for their order and discipline, the Hungarians for their love of commerce and equestrian parades, and so forth. Meanwhile, Ukrainians are celebrated worldwide for their songs and their creators, with the people often saying, «That talent is a gift from God himself!».

One of those to whom these words fully apply is the world-renowned conductor, composer, ethnographer, promoter of Ukrainian folk songs and church music, and a true Ukrainian patriot, Alexander Koshetz (1875–1944). Over a century ago, while traveling with the Ukrainian Republican Capelle (later known as the Ukrainian National Choir), he introduced Europeans to his native songs, masterfully elevating them to new heights of beauty and spiritual depth. His work as a choir conductor and arranger received high praise from some of the most prominent music critics of the old world. Koshetz’s dream of showcasing the soul and musical creativity of the Ukrainian people to Europe came true.

On September 25, 1922, the Ukrainian National Choir made its historic arrival on the American mainland aboard the steamship Caronia, which had narrowly escaped disaster after colliding with an iceberg. For the first time, the triumphant march of Ukrainian song captivated audiences across the Americas. The choir’s success is underscored by «thousands of reviews written in twelve languages». Reflecting on his journey, Koshetz wrote to his friend Vasyl Benevsky in the Caucasus that he «had traveled 170,000 miles across North and South America and given over 400 concerts in just a year and a half» (О. Кошиць. Листи до друга. 1998. – P. 38-39).

SINGING SENSATION IN WINNIPEG IN 1926

       By Halyna Kravtchouk, Winnipeg, Canada

  «Koshetz’s Ukrainians are more wonderful than ever», Winnipeg Free Press 

The Ukrainian National Choir, under the direction of the world-renowned Ukrainian choral conductor Alexander Koshetz, ceased to exist in 1924. In Maestro’s own words, the troubles began in Havana (when the singers attempted to strike over ten days of unpaid work. Additional reasons for the choir’s dissolution included misunderstandings and clashes among the choristers, indecent behavior by some singers, constant conflicts with their impresario Max Rabinow, and falsified, humiliating, and provocative information in the press. These negative reports were influenced by russophiles and moscow agents and targeted the choir, the conductor, and the choristers. Some singers, lured by promises of well-paying jobs, wished to continue independently and become famous without Rabinow and Koshetz. As a result, everyone, including the conductor, was left jobless and penniless.

After a year of unemployment, Alexander Koshetz signed a new contract with Max Rabinow, the founder and director of the American Institute of Operatic Art in Stony Point, New York. Rabinow appointed Maestro as the principal conductor of the American Choir (The Stony Point Ensemble). Koshetz had to prepare the newly formed choir for a North American tour scheduled for August 1925, during which they planned to give 100 concerts over a 15-week period.

CENTURY AGO: MAESTRO KOSHETZ LED UKRAINIAN NATIONAL CHOIR’S SENSATIONAL TRIUMPH IN WINNIPEG

«…I was overwhelmed by the thought that I had the honor of showing to the world the soul of our people...» – Alexander Koshetz

The Ukrainian folk song, masterfully performed by the Ukrainian Republican Capelle under the direction of Alexander Koshetz, became a powerful weapon in the struggle for independence of his ancestral land on the international arena. Established in 1919 on the initiative of Symon Petliura, Head of the Directory of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, with the intent to promote in European countries international recognition of Ukraine’s independence, and «...to showcase the soul and musical creativity of the Ukrainian people to Europe». As a state institution, the choir possessed its own state seal, official letterhead, and all choristers and the administrative staff of the organization received certificates of civil servants.  

                           

An official Letterhead with the name of the Ukrainian Republican Capelle in Ukrainian, French, and German

Archival documents, including an official letterhead, from the Central State Archive of the Highest Bodies of Power and Administration of Ukraine (ЦДАВО України) related to the Capelle are available for access through this link: ПУБЛІКАЦІЯ АРХІВНИХ ДОКУМЕНТІВ. УТВОРЕННЯ ТА ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬ УКРАЇНСЬКОЇ РЕСПУБЛІКАНСЬКОЇ КАПЕЛИ (1919–1921 рр.) В АРХІВНИХ ДОКУМЕНТАХ: https://doc-0c-08-apps-viewer.googleusercontent.com/viewer/ secure/pdf/

Those documents highlight the Capelle’s history, its performances abroad, and characterize the work of Alexander Koshetz as a composer, conductor and leader of the choir.