THE WORLD-FAMOUS ORIGINAL
Don Cossack Chorus Serge Jaroff
Gleb Chandrowsky
The famous octavist (bass profundo) Gleb Danilovich Chandrowsky (Ãëåá Äàíèëîâè÷ Øàíäðîâñêèé). (7 (20) June 1896, Russian Empire - January 9, 1976, Tomkins Cove, New York, USA)
Gleb Danilovich Chandrowsky was born on June 7 (20), 1896 in the village of Baibuzovka in the rural community of the Savran-Podolsky district of the Odessa region, but his childhood passed in Tulchin, where his parents soon moved.
Gleb studied at the Tulchinskaya gymnasium, and from the autumn of 1910 - at the Tyvrov Theological School of the Podolsk diocese, where he listened to lectures and sang in the choir under the guidance of the outstanding composer Kirill Stetsenko. After graduating from college, Gleb returned to Tulchin and, together with his younger brother Vladimir, sang in the choir of Nikolai Leontovich, where he improved his skills.
Subsequently, he was invited to the choir of the Vinnitsa Drama Theatre. There, in the spring of 1919, he was heard by Professor Alexander Koshetz, who, with the staff of the Ukrainian Republican Choir, was traveling to Kamenetz-Podolsk to prepare for a concert tour in Europe. Although there were enough basses in the chapel, Gleb Chandrowsky possessed an extraordinary beauty - a clot of colorful colors. The depth of its lows reached “G” of the counteroctave, and the working range reached more than 3.5 octaves.
Gleb became a member of the Alexander Koshetz Choir and took part in a tour not only in Europe, but also in the United States of America.
When the choir disbanded, Gleb stayed in the USA. There he created his own quartet consisting of Peter Ordynsky, Klim Shchit, Joseph (Ivan) Davidenko and Gleb Chandrowsky. Mikhail Grebinetsky also performed in the quartet.
His concert activity in the USA was intense, and his voice aroused the admiration of music fans. Thus, the American magazine "Philadelphia Public Ledger" noted in 1926: "Chandrowsky is a great and famous singer because in his singing, in addition to high sounds, there are such deep lows that we have never heard in solo singing."
In the August of 1926, Chandrowsky was engaged by the Philadelphia Sesqui-Centennial exposition to appear as principal artist in the treat choral spectacle, „Freedom“;, in which he distinguished himself as „Ukrainia's famous basso-profundo“;. Soon after the Sesquicentennial Exposition was closed, Chadrovsky was engaged by Prof. Alexander Koshetz as principal singer to sing with his famous Ukrainian Chorus, which made a sensation in Europe and in America. Later Chandrowsky sang with the Ukrainian chorus in all the principal cities of the United States, includiing fifteen weeks at Grauman's Egyptian Theater in the prologue to „Old Ironsides“;.With the opening of Grauman's Chinese Theater he was engaged by Grauman to appear in his prologue to Cecil B. De Mille's „King of Kings“; in the role of high priest.
In the summer of 1928, Gleb performed with the vocal sextet "Boyan" in Switzerland, Germany and France. In London, he sang at Windsor Palace. King George V, carried away by his voice, offered the singer a place as a soloist at Covent Garden, but due to previously signed contracts, Gleb could not accept such an offer.
On March 15, 1931, Nicolay Karlash, with the Ukrainian theater in New York, again staged The Cossack Beyond the Danube. Gleb then performed the part of the Sultan. This performance was highly acclaimed. The Svoboda newspaper of March 23, 1931 wrote: "Not only New York, but the whole of America has not yet seen such a selection of performers as it was this time."
Since 1928, every time the Don Cossack Chorus Serge Jaroff toured the USA, Gleb performed with them at concerts, and in 1939, when this choir emigrated to the USA, Chandrowsky became its permanent member. Accompanied by this choir, he sang “Oh, they rang early in Jerusalem”, “On the River of Jordan” in the arrangement by N. Leontovich, “That siva zozulya” by P. Nishchinsky and a number of spiritual works by Artem Vedel, Dmitry Bortnyansky and Kirill Stetsenko.
He was reportet in the Tokyo newpaper „Mainichi“; as beeing the luckiest member in the group. While in the Hotel Funaya in Matasuka City, Japan, he occupied a five-room suite and slept in the same bed in which the Emperor Hirohito rested while staying at the hot spring resort. While on the tour, Gleb, along with other Don Cossacks, laid flowers on the memorial tomb for the victims of the Hiroshima A-bombing. After leaving the Orient, the Cossacks spent ten weeks touring Australia and New Zealand before starting back to the U.S. On the trip home they stopped at Honolulu for a few concerts. Gleb was said to have the most profound basso voice in America.
Ukrainian basso profundo Glib Chandrowsky In His Impressive Depth (COOK Records CO-1289)
Side 1 Track 1: In Bethlehem
Side 2 Track 9: Hrechaniki
Side 1 Track 3: Ukrainian Elegy
Side 2 Track 10: Duet of Karas and Odarka
He also performed with the Alfred Antonini Symphony Orchestra on WORRadio (New York). His voice was also heard on WBNX radio (also New York).
During World War II, he performed on the entertainment team of the USO (an American organization that organized concerts for American troops on military bases).
In 1951 he toured South America with this choir, and in 1956 he performed in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Hawaii.
Featured wuth the choir in the German films of the years 1955 and 1956, in the concerts of the WDR (German television 1963-1969) he was no longer visible in the choir.
In June 30, 1965, the Rockland County Journal-News published an article by Mariruth Campbell that „COOK Records, Stamford, Connecticut“ in conjunction with the „Chanson Distributing Company of Tomkins Cove. N.Y.“ released an album (CO-1289, „Ukrainian basso profundo Glib Chandrowsky In His Impressive Depth“) with 10 songs, dedicated to the memory of the renowned composer-conductor Alexander Koshetz. The total playing time is 45 minutes, the accompanists are John Tostevin and G. Samuchka. The article in addition to praising both the singer and the accompanists states that the voice no longer sounds as powerful as it used to be, sometimes it even trembles a little, recalling the singer's closeness to his 70th birthday. Quote:
Gleb Chandrowsky lived in Brooklyn, and since 1940 - in Stoney Point, New York. He was married to cosmetologist Anna Chandrowsky (October 3, 1896 - April 1975) and died 9 months after her death on January 19, 1976 in the town of Tomkins Cove near New York. They are buried together in Mount Repose Cemetery, Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York.
