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

notate, were the key factors in turning the works into cert are able to fully grasp the uniqueness of this choir,
the masterpieces that enthralled their fans. It was key and that their recordings could only capture the sound
48
to the choir’s long-term success that Jaroff made many of the choir inadequately. Nevertheless, although lis-
new arrangements of favorite pieces and interpreted tening to recordings or watching videos would not rep-
44
pieces differently every time they performed them. licate the experience of hearing the Don Cossacks live,
Thus, he retained interest both for the choristers and their recorded and filmed legacy is a remarkable reposi-
their loyal audiences. tory of the choral art. For choral practitioners, access to
these resources offers insight into Jaroff’s methods, the
nature of his choir, and the qualities that made it great.
Audio and Video Legacy For all lovers of classical choral music who have not yet
Fortunately, the availability of audio recordings and experienced them, their music is a rich treasure waiting
videos is much different than that for scores. The Don to be discovered.
Cossacks began making 78 rpm records in 1925, and
later made many LP and 45 rpm records. There is a
lengthy discography detailing them on russian-records. NOTES
com, with some audio available. 45
Recently most of their records have been reissued 1 Paul Robinson, The White Russian Army in Exile, 1920–1941
on CDs and are available on streaming audio databas- (Oxford University Press, 2010), 35.
es, especially Spotify and Naxos Music Library. Irina 2 Irina Minsky, Vierzig Don Kosaken erobern die Welt; Don Kosak-
Minsky, widow of distinguished choir member Michael en Chor Serge Jaroff 1921–2015 (Groningen: Nederland
Minsky, has made extraordinary efforts to bring this Rusland Centrum, 2015), 28-29.
about. 3 Ibid., 30–31.
Many fans have uploaded audio files and video clips 4 Ibid., 33–34.
on YouTube. The Don Cossacks starred in three Ger- 5 Ibid., 34.
man feature films, Das Don Kosaken Lied in 1956, Alle 6 “Cossack Choir Wins Austrian Triumph,” Tampa Tribune,
Tage ist kein Sonntag in 1959, and Mein bester Freund in July 29, 1923, 1.
1971; as of this writing, they are on YouTube in entire- 7 Irina Minsky, Vierzig Don Kosaken, 37.
ty. The choir also appeared in several German specials 8 Ibid. Since their initial success, many imitators have arisen,
for German public TV in the 1960s. In these TV pro- some being active to this day. Thus, Jaroff’s choir is often
grams the choir moved around and deviated from the referred to as the Original Don Cossack Choir. Knowing
strict parallel line or parallel arc formations they always this helps to identify their recordings now. Some of the
used in concert. Some full episodes and many excerpts imitators were good. Others, however, were very poor,
are on YouTube. 46 and their claims of nonexistent connection with Jaroff
unjustly damaged his reputation. This was the reason the
successor choir was founded.
Epilogue 9 Ibid.; Svetlana Zvereva, Alexander Kastalsky: His Life and Mu-
Apart from how they are regarded in Germany, it sic, trans. Stewart Campbell (Ashgate, 2003), 127.
is surprising that, as popular as they once were in the 10 Sergei Bertensson and Jay Leyda, Sergei Rachmaninoff, A Life-
United States, the Don Cossacks would be so largely time in Music (Indiana University Press, 2001), 17, tell that
forgotten. Although he dreamed of being able to re- his boy soprano solo greatly impressed Rachmaninov
turn to Russia with his choir, Jaroff was never able to at the first public hearing of his Liturgy of Saint John
do so. A resident of New Jersey, he died there in 1985 Chrysostom.
before the fall of the Soviet Union. 11 Irina Minsky, Vierzig Don Kosaken, 18.
47
A person who was closely associated with the choir 12 Ibid., 21.
for years stated that only those who have been to a con- 13 “Music; Cossacks Back,” Time Magazine v. 16:20, November

CHORAL JOURNAL March/April 2025 Volume 65 Number 7 31