The legendary Ukrainian “Shchedryk” by composer Mykola Leontovych has received a place of honor in one of the world’s most prestigious concert halls — Carnegie Hall in New York. From now on, visitors can see a high-quality facsimile of the manuscript of the world-famous work directly in the venue’s memorial space.
This was reported by Ukrainian Institute.
The facsimile of the manuscript was transferred to the Carnegie Hall archive as a sign of recognition of more than a century-long presence of Ukrainian music on this stage. It was here, on October 5, 1922, that the North American premiere of “Shchedryk” took place, after which the melody gained worldwide fame under the name “Carol of the Bells” and became one of the most recognizable Christmas musical symbols in the world.
The public display of the manuscript became possible after it was transferred to The Carnegie Hall Susan W. Rose Archives, where it will now be preserved on a permanent basis.
Thus, Leontovych’s sheet music can be seen in the Composers Gallery — a memorial space near the entrance to the building’s main hall, the Isaac Stern Auditorium.
Lyubov Morozova, Program Manager for the Music direction at the Ukrainian Institute, said that the future global hit originated as an ordinary polyphony assignment. The work is based on an archaic Volhynian shchedrivka from Polissia, and the composer rewrote “Shchedryk” five times, striving to achieve the perfect form despite the apparent simplicity of the melody.
Cooperation between the Ukrainian Institute and Carnegie Hall intensified in 2022, when the large-scale concert “Notes from Ukraine” took place on this stage. The event drew a full house, and its hosts were Martin Scorsese and Vera Farmiga, marking another important step in presenting Ukrainian culture on the global stage.
Photo: Ukrainian Institute.
Author: Danylo Pievchev