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SERGE JAROFF’S DON COSSACK CHOIR: A TREASURE FROM THE RUSSIAN DIASPORA

and unfamiliar repertoire irrelevant. Constant dramatic thentic national style by incorporating ancient chant. ments of Bortniansky’s “Коль рабен наш Господь в
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variations in tempi and dynamics were an especially The Communist takeover sadly brought that initiative Сионе” [Kol’ slaven nash Gospod’ v Sione], known in
moving hallmark of their style. Their attacks, cutoffs, to an end. English as “How Glorious Is Our Lord in Zion.”
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intonation, diction, and blend were so precise that many In liturgical and secular works, Jaroff’s arrangements Solo and small-ensemble passages adorned many of
reviewers described their technique as perfect. Distin- often showcased the full choir in close harmony. In per- Jaroff’s arrangements, and in the choir’s secular mu-
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guished music critic Deems Taylor stated that they were formance, the blend of the sections was impeccable. sic, choral accompaniments emulating sounds such as
the best chorus he ever heard or ever hoped to hear. 21 Jaroff’s sound ideal was to emulate the effect of a string guitars playing, horses’ hooves clattering, or soldiers
The famous German orchestral conductor Herbert von ensemble. The traditions of the Synodal Choir in marching also became a trademark of their style. Their
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Karajan was once asked if there were any choirs that which he sang as a boy may have given him the idea, performance of Lev Knipper’s “Полюшка Поле”
particularly impressed him. He said there was one: Ja- for the sound of the Synodal choir was said to approach [Polyushka pole], “Meadowland,” also called “Song of
roff’s Don Cossacks. He attended all their concerts to try that of a string quartet or choral orchestra. 37 the Plains,” exemplifies this.
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to figure out how Jaroff obtained his powerful, precise Jaroff often exploited the sonority of humming, hav- Jaroff’s military songs could be strident and force-
attacks but never succeeded. 22 ing all of his choristers hum, or having some hum while ful, but military songs were also where he introduced
the others sang words. This became a trademark of humor into his arrangements. The subjects of such
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their style. The best-known examples are his arrange- songs range from celebrations of Cossack victories to
The Move to America
The choir was based in Berlin and toured mostly in
Europe in the 1920s, but in 1930, they began touring in
the United States. Despite Jaroff’s apprehensions, they
were immediately a great success in various regions of
the country and were eagerly invited back every year. 23
As newspaper reviews document, they performed in
diverse venues, ranging from Carnegie Hall and the
Metropolitan Opera House to school auditoriums in
small cities.
Most of the choristers had fought in two wars:
World War I and the Russian Civil War. Dismayed by
the military buildup they witnessed in Europe in the
early 1930s, which suggested that more war was im-
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minent, Jaroff made the dramatic decision to move
the choir members to New York and to seek Ameri-
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can citizenship. With help from Bronson M. Cutting
(1888-1935), a United States senator from New Mexico
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who was an ardent fan, they gained permanent-res-
ident status in 1936 and citizenship in 1943 and were
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based in New York from then on. Members of the
American choral community had ample opportunity to
experience their artistry, and it was reported that they
learned much from the Don Cossacks.
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Jaroff as Conductor
Serge Jaroff’s conducting style was unusually re-
strained. The singers, who numbered twenty-two after Photo 2. Screenshot from the 1956 German movie Das Don Kosaken Lied showing Jaroff conducting in concert.
World War II, stood in two parallel lines or arcs in con-

CHORAL JOURNAL March/April 2025 Volume 65 Number 7 29