Mykola Leontovych's "Shchedryk" score is now on display at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall concert venue in New York, the Ukrainian Institute announced on Facebook, writes UNN.
The sheet music for "Shchedryk" is now featured on one of the walls of New York's most prestigious concert venue - Carnegie Hall.
As noted, a high-quality facsimile of Mykola Leontovych's manuscript was recently handed over to the Ukrainian Institute "as a sign of the historical continuity of the Ukrainian musical presence on this stage - from the North American premiere of the work in 1922 to modern Ukrainian cultural diplomacy." It was after that first performance in the USA that the melody quickly gained popularity and later became known worldwide as the Christmas carol "Carol of the Bells."
"Now, the facsimile of the 'Shchedryk' manuscript, the original of which is kept in the Manuscript Institute of the National Library of Ukraine named after Volodymyr Vernadsky, can be seen by all visitors to Carnegie Hall in the Composers Gallery - a memorial corridor space next to the entrance to the Isaac Stern Auditorium, the central hall of the building. Such public placement became possible after the facsimile was transferred to The Carnegie Hall Susan W. Rose Archives," the Ukrainian Institute stated.
The history of "Shchedryk"
"The world premiere of the world-famous 'Shchedryk' took place on December 29, 1916, in the building of the current National Philharmonic of Ukraine. From 1919 to 1921, the work was presented abroad during the touring performances of the Ukrainian Republican Capella under the direction of Oleksandr Koshyts in Czechoslovakia, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and other European countries. On October 5, 1922, 'Shchedryk' was performed for the first time in Carnegie Hall. It was performed again in this hall by the 'Dudaryk' choir capella under the direction of Mykola Katsal on June 18, 1990," said Lyubov Morozova, program manager of the "Music" department at the Ukrainian Institute.
According to her, "the future world hit was born as a polyphony assignment that Mykola Leontovych received from Professor Boleslav Yavorsky." "The work comes from an archaic, pre-Christian layer of folklore, when the New Year was celebrated in spring, and is based on the Volyn variant of a shchedrivka from Polissia. Despite its apparent simplicity, Leontovych rewrote 'Shchedryk' five times – and time proved the perfection of the form he found," Morozova noted.
The cooperation between the Ukrainian Institute and Carnegie Hall began in 2022 with the "Notes from Ukraine" concert, dedicated to the centenary of the American premiere of "Shchedryk," which sold out 2,800 seats. The evening was hosted by Martin Scorsese and Vera Farmiga, and the "Shchedryk" children's choir came from Kyiv to New York.