Russian Cossack Chorus

              1924

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RUSSIAN COSSACK CHORUS Sergei Sokoloff, Director

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RUSSIAN COSSACK CHORUS
THE RUSSIAN COSSACK CHORUS made its first tour of Yugoslavia, after which an invitation was received to give a series of concerts in the Royal Conservatory of Milan.  Here vast audiences heard the Russian Cossack Chorus in four concerts and a diploma was awarded them for their excellent rendition of both Russian and Italian music.  A long tour of Italy followed which resulted in three golden medals given by the Royal Theatres in recognition of their artistic success.

In 1924 a tour of France and Spain was made with more than 150 appearances.  In Madrid H. M., the Queen of Spain, attended all concerts and extended to Sergei Sokoloff, the director, her evidence of appreciation.  A tour of Central America and Mexico followed with mounting volume of triumph.  In Panama the Russian Cossack Chorus sang to their first American audiences which led to the recent tour of the United States with packed houses everywhere.

In the music of the Russian Cossack Chorus the great heart of awakening Russia speaks, the full burden of Russia's grief and the ancient and grim beauty of her traditions is blended in the harmonies that grip the heart.  The music, classic and popular, serenades, folklore, prayers and military marches make an attractive program of great variety.

Sergei Sokoloff conducts the Russian Cossack Chorus, using the voices as he would play upon musical instruments to produce marvelous effects.  Born in 1887 in Moscow, the son of a noted musician and choir leader, Sergei Sokoloff took up his studies in the Imperial Conservatory of Music in Moscow and in the University of Moscow, graduating from both in 1915.  At this time he was called into Military service and gave years to his country as an officer in the Cossack forces.

Soloists Share Honors with Director in Program of Russian Music.

The Russian Cossacks from Southern part of Russia, all veterans of the World War, clad in the traditional military garb of their native land, sang under the able direction of Sergei Sokoloff as if they were musical instruments.  The range is surprisingly broad—from contrabass voices almost to the lower limit of vibrations audible to human ears, to tenor notes that seem startlingly to invade soprano territory.  The Chorus is utterly free from the mechanicality that is the bane of so many choral organizations.  Fresh, virile, pleasant in tone, the voices are used with unflagging zest, with exhaustible variety of tonal and emotional color, and with the sensitive response made possible by years of singing together under the direction of a leader of high talent—himself trained at the Imperial Conservatory of Music of Moscow.—(Public Ledger, Philadelphia, Pa.)

The repertoire of the Russian Cossack Chorus comprises the compositions of Tschaikovsky, Borodine, Glinka, Rimsky-Korssacoff, Rubinstein, Rachmaninoff, Mendelssohn, Veneziani, Foster, Massey, Olcott and others.




RUSSIAN COSSACK CHORUS

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European and American Press Comments

Comoedia, Paris.
Its normal tessiture extends more than over three octaves, going easy from contre si bemol of contre bass to re of soprano.—Raymond Charpentier.


Royal Conservatorium of Music, Milan.
Knowledge, warmth, exactitude of attacks and tunes are its features.  The fusions of the accords, especially in the pianissimo are delightful.—Dir. G. Galignani.


Corriere della Sera, Milan.
This Chorus proved to have an unique soul.  They possess everything to express the warlike and mystic aspects.—G. C.


La Tribuna, Rome.
Wonderful performers under the direction of artistically genial and military disciplined maestro Sokoloff won a triumphal success.—A. G.


El Imparcial, Madrid.
Something new, real artistry, that wonders what its beautiful orchestral effects with variety that is given to the Russian melodies and severe discipline of interpretation.—G. F.


El Diluvio, Barcelona.
The most surprising in this group is the clarity of their voices; their great ability of shading reaches perfection and surprises by its purity.


El Universal, Mexico City.
We condanse our impression in only one and round word; Sovereignly Such perfect and beautiful singing has never been heard.—F. F. G.


Chicago Daily Tribune.
They are a picturesque lot, clad in long boots, high white socks, and coats that would seem to be the direct ancestors of the Prince Albert of another generation.
Basses dig down to incredible sub-base depth, tenors that sound not at all like





RUSSIAN COSSACK CHORUS
conventionally trained tenors, the whole with many modifications of volume and pace create fascinating effects.—Edward Moore.


Chicago Daily News.
They have some sonorous bassos and tenors and they are excellently drilled by their conductor.—Maurice Rosenfeld.


Palm Beach Daily News, Palm Beach.
Concert by Society of Arts.  The Russian Cossack Chorus directed by Sergei Sokoloff was a most unusual treat with their spirited songs sung in the true Russian manner.  The concert was a fitting triumph to end the successful season of the Society.


Times-News, Ann Arbor, Mich.
The shading and general delivery of the singers neared perfection, and the interpretation of the brilliant director was of the last word.  It was the voice of the soul of Russia itself addressed the well filled house.  The general standard of this performance being excellent and the work calling upon all the resources of the Chorus, which proved itself to be of the very best.—Carl E. Gehring.


The Capital Times, Madison, Wisc.
These men possess more than acquired art of singing.  It is a racial instinct born of generations of experience and traditions.  Deep contra basses and falsetto tenors provide a range of pitch and color unknown to choral organizations of this country.


Evening Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.
In one of the most unique as well as delightful programs of songs ever heard in Memphis, the Russian Cossack Chorus was heard at the Auditorium.  Even the other choral organizations from Russia, as remarkable as they were, did not reach the acme of excellence attained by this group.  Singers may come and go, but it is not conceivable that any can surpass the work done by this small group, each member of which is an artist.  Their technique was marvelous, with superb precision of attack and shading of tones which simply made one feel goose bumps rising so uncanny almost were the effects.


Dallas Dispatch, Dallas, Tex.
The Cossack Chorus is one of those unusual singing aggregations, which without a single instrument other than the human voice, produces superb orchestra effects.


St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Who says that the fantastic and picturesque disappeared from modern life?  A very fine type of musical intelligence governs these, and seems equally effective in all types of score, from the long powerfully and elaborately dramatic Turenkoff to the light descriptive humors of Davidovsky.


Mobile Daily Register, Mobile, Ala.
If an organ had been transported bodily from a church and erected on the stage, its music could have been no more impressive, no more versatile than the efforts of this Chorus.  Clarity of rendition told the story far better than printed words could have done.


Times Picayune, New Orleans, La.
The Chorus is an organization of the first importance in the musical world.


Manitoba Free Press, Winnipeg.
Last night's musical programme presented by the Russian Cossack Chorus drew more than 3200 music lovers, establishing the attendance record, perhaps for the season in Winnipeg.  The choralists were so popular with the crowd that they were recalled many times.