Fanny Gordon, ( Polish:Faina Markowna Kwiatkowska Russian: Фаина Марковна Квятковская (Faina Markovna Kvyatkovskaya) - (also known as Faiga Jofé, Fayge Yoffe or Fayge Yofe; 23 December 1914 in

Yalta Yalta (: ) is a resort town, resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crime ...

– 9 July 1991 in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

) was a Polish-Soviet composer. She was the only female ''laykhte-muzik'' ("light" i.e. pop music) composer in Poland.

Life and career

Gordon was born in 1914 in Yalta,

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. After the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

her family emigrated to Poland. Faiga wrote poetry and composed songs for

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

cabarets and music theatres. One of Gordon's most famous songs, composed around 1931, was ''Przy samowarze'' ("By the

Samovar A samovar (, , ) is a metal container traditionally used to heat and boil water. Although originating in Russia, the samovar is well known outside of Russia and has spread through Russian culture to other parts of Eastern Europe, as well as We ...

"), performed by

Zula Pogorzelska Zula Pogorzelska (14 August 1896 – 10 February 1936) born Zofia Pogorzelska, was a Polish cabaret and film actress. She was the first Polish performer to introduce the Charleston on stage of the Cabaret ''Pod sukienką'' in 1926. Pogorzelska ...

and

Tadeusz Olsza Tadeusz Olsza (3 December 1895 – 1 June 1975), born Tadeusz Blomberg, was a Polish film and stage actor, cabaret singer, dancer and director born in Warsaw. From 1915 to 1917, he taught vocal classes at Warsaw Conservatory. Starting in 1921 he ...

at the ''Morskie Oko'' theatre in the revue "Podróż na księżyc" (Journey To The Moon) in April 1931.

Andrzej Włast Andrzej Włast (aka Gustaw Baumritter) (17 March 1885 – 1942 or 1943) was a Polish Jewish songwriter. He wrote the lyrics for the 1929 hit song "Tango Milonga" / "Oh, Donna Clara". He died in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. Biography ...

wrote the lyrics in 1931 and the song became an international hit,"Gordon, Fanny", Biblioteka Polskiej Piosenki

last accessed 2/28/2011 recorded by German and American dance bands. Later a record company asked her to write Russian words to the melody, and the result was «У самовара». Her other hits included the tango "Skrwawione serce" ("My Bleeding Heart") sung by Polish "queen of tango"

Stanisława Nowicka Stanisława Nowicka (8 March 1905, in Warsaw – 24 October 1990, in York, New York) was a Polish dancer and singer, known as the "Queen of Tango". Life Nowicka studied in Grand Theatre, Warsaw, debuting as a dancer in 1915. In 1916 she and Pol ...

, the foxtrot "Abdul Bej" based on oriental motifs, sung by Tadeusz Faliszewski and Albert Harris, and "Siemieczki", called "The Polish Bublitshki". Her tango "Nietoperze" ("The Bats"), with lyrics about those who hunt for love at night written by Szer-Szeń (pen-name of the prominent Polish poet,

Jan Brzechwa Jan Brzechwa (; 15 August 1898 – 2 July 1966) was a Polish poet, author and lawyer, known mostly for his contribution to children's literature. He was born Jan Wiktor Lesman to a Polish Jew, Polish family of Jewish descent.Andrzej Włast Andrzej Włast (aka Gustaw Baumritter) (17 March 1885 – 1942 or 1943) was a Polish Jewish songwriter. He wrote the lyrics for the 1929 hit song "Tango Milonga" / "Oh, Donna Clara". He died in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. Biography ...

, was intended as a send-up of Warsaw "apasz" (underworld) ballads and became so famous it is now often cited as the first Warsaw underworld folksong. After the war the song was often performed by Stanisław Grzesiuk. In 1933, she wrote the operetta ''Jacht miłości'' (''Yacht of Love'') with a hit, the tango "Indie" (also performed in the Netherlands and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

as "New York Baby"). Before

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Gordon lived alternately in Warsaw and the United States. She was trapped in Warsaw at the outbreak of the war, but escaped to

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

, Lithuania, and eventually to Leningrad (

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

), where she continued to compose under the names Fania Markovna Kviatkovskaya and Fania Kwiatkowski. She died in Leningrad in 1991.http://www.spotkaniazpiosenka.org/GWIAZDOZBIOR/pdf/Gordon.pdf

References

External links

* * Lyrics Szer-szen (

Jan Brzechwa Jan Brzechwa (; 15 August 1898 – 2 July 1966) was a Polish poet, author and lawyer, known mostly for his contribution to children's literature. He was born Jan Wiktor Lesman to a Polish Jew, Polish family of Jewish descent.1914 births 1991 deaths Jewish cabaret performers People from Yalta People from Taurida Governorate Jewish Russian sportspeople Polish cabaret performers Jewish songwriters 20th-century Polish comedians Soviet classical composers Soviet women classical composers Polish classical composers Polish women classical composers Russian classical composers Russian women classical composers Jewish women musicians