Bash Mendelis (Mendel) Khatskelevich (b. 14.04.1919, Riga) – composer, conductor, and educator.
Early Life and Education
In his childhood Mendelis Bash studied piano and sang in the synagogue choir and the Latvian National Opera choir.
In 1932 he graduated from a six-year Jewish school. Later he attended a Jewish gymnasium and a Jewish vocational school, graduating in 1936 as a mechanic.
While studying music with K. Zalyup he worked at a factory. In 1937 he enrolled in the composition class of Jāzeps Vītols at the Latvian Conservatory.
In 1941? during the Nazi occupation, Mendelis Bash was imprisoned in the Riga Ghetto, later sent to concentration camps in Riga and Liepāja. Near the end of WWII, he escaped from the camp.
Post-War Career
After the war Mendelis Bash resumed studies at the Latvian Conservatory, graduating in:
◦ 1948 – Composition (under A. Skulte).
◦ 1950 – Symphonic conducting (under L. Vīgners).
• 1947 – Began teaching music theory and composition at the Jāzeps Mediņš Music School (notable students: R. Ore, A. Kalniņš).
• 1950 – Became a lecturer in theoretical disciplines at the Latvian Conservatory.
• 1952–1962, 1975–1985 – Worked in the opera class at the conservatory with L. Vīgners, staging various operas.
• 1953–1995 – Taught at the Department of Choral Conducting (mentored 60 choir conductors, including I. Kokars, T. Broka, M. Kupčs).
• 1980 – Began teaching at the Department of Symphonic Conducting.
Conducting Work
• 1950s – Assistant conductor of the Moscow District Choir in Riga.
• 1959–1961 – Conductor at the Daugavpils Musical Drama Theatre.
• 1962–1975 – Chief conductor of the Riga Operetta Theatre.
• 1974–1993 – Assistant conductor for the "Riga" Wind Orchestra, creating numerous arrangements.
Achievements and Works
In 1957 Mendelis Bash was awarded “Honoured Artist of the Latvian SSR”.He composed film scores, oratorios, operettas, choral works, and piano pieces. In 1961 he composed the oratorio In Memory of the Victims of Fascism (lyrics by G. Beilin). In 1973 – created the musical comedy The Sins of Trina (based on R. Blaumanis).
Publications
• 1982 – Fundamentals of Conducting Technique: A Methodological Guide (publication location unspecified).
Sources and Literature
• SKV, lpp. 36–37.
• Padomju Latvijas mūzikas darbinieki. R., 1965, lpp. 33–34.
• Kārkliņš L. Komponisti un muzikologi Padomju Latvijā. R., 1974, pp. 38–39.
• Latviešu komponisti un muzikologi / compiled by L. Furmane. R., 1989, lpp. 19.
Clarifications & Notes
• Mendelis or Mendel? – The original name appears as Mendelis, but Mendel is also found in sources.
• Discrepancies in teaching timeline – Some sources mention teaching at J. Vītols Music School from 1947–1949, which was missing in the original text.
• Did his entire family perish in the ghetto? – Some sources claim this, but it is not confirmed in this biography.