The Mystery of the Photograph: Koshetz Family, Vasyl Benevsky, or Fr. Petro Medynsky?

The Mystery of the Photograph: Koshetz Family, Vasyl Benevsky, or Fr. Petro Medynsky?

While working on articles dedicated to the memory of the renowned Maestro Koshetz, I repeatedly drew on his  Memoirs; the three-volume diary With Song, Around the World; and the book  Ukrainian Song Abroad…, published by Koshetz himself in Paris in 1928. I also examined articles and critical responses to the worldwide triumph of the Ukrainian Republican Capella (Ukrainian National Choir) written by prominent European and American critics in century-old periodicals, among other sources, over more than seven years of research.

With trembling hands, I carefully turned the pages of Koshetz’s diary, gazing with admiration at his photographs, personal belongings, and letters, which his wife, Tetiana Gorgievska-Koshetz, entrusted to the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Center in Winnipeg after his passing. Exploring his archives left a unique and unforgettable impression. Some of Alexander Koshetz’s archival documents and photographs are published here for the first time. 

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.