Readers of the January 19, 2009 e-POSHTA were linked to the latest entry in the Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine (IEU), dealing with Ukrainian folk music, as a part of an ongoing process of letting readers see IEU updates as they become available. See: http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?AddButton=pagesFOFolksongs.htm
Unfortunately, the now-online article (written back in 1984 for the original print encyclopedia) concludes rather abruptly with this paragraph:
"Folk songs have provided inspiration for many Ukrainian composers, such as Semen Hulak-Artemovsky, Mykola Arkas, Mykola Lysenko, Mykola Leontovych, Stanyslav Liudkevych, Kyrylo Stetsenko, Yakiv Stepovy, and Heorhii Maiboroda. The famous Russian composers Peter Tchaikovsky, M. Glinka, Modest Mussogorsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Serge Rachmaninoff collected, arranged, and used Ukrainian folk melodies widely in their works."
In particular, this statement gives the idea that, beyond Ukraine, only Russian composers have used Ukrainian folk melodies. It ignores the significant uses of Ukrainian music beyond the boundaries of the Russian/Soviet empires. This includes Beethoven (German), Hummel (Hungarian),Weber (German) Malcolm Arnold (British), Franz Waxman (American), George Gershwin (American, for Cossack Love Song), Quincy Porter (American, Ukrainian Suite for Strings),  Nikolai Berezowsky (American, for Christmas Fantasy Overture), Bela Bartok (Hungarian), Khachaturian (Armenian, for his famous hopak in Gayne Ballet) Arnold Bax (British), Malcolm Armold (British) etc. etc. The article does a disservice by ignoring the significant impact of Ukrainian folk song on world music. Perhaps the original article from 1984 might be excused for ignoring contributions beyond Russia, but the IEU update should have expanded, not merely copied the older article. (Indeed, the only change I found from 1984, is that the online version has determined to drop the first name of composer Mikhail Glinka, leaving first names for all other composers.)
In addition at least three Ukrainian folk songs have been totally transformed into the American and international repertoire. Most noted is of course, Carol of the Bells (Shchedryk). Also,Yikhav Kozak za Duna/i appears in Hollywood films (eg. Inspector General, Private Buckaroo) and popular jazz recordings of the 1940s by artists such as Harry James, Dick Haymes, and Spike Jones. Oy Ne Khody Hrytsiu was adapted by Jack Lawrence as Yes My Darling Daughter and has been recorded by Dinah Shore, Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, The Andrews Sisters, and many many others.
Readers of e-POSHTA might be interested in knowing that Ukrainian folk music, notwithstanding the suggestion of the Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine, has indeed reached far beyond the borders of Russia.
Denis Hlynka, Ph. D.
Department of Curriculum Teaching and Learning
University of Manitoba
dhlynka@cc.umanitoba.ca
Source: e-POSHTA/e- March 9, 2009 -- Vol.10 No. 6
