Koussevitzky's religious beliefs are not discussed in any depth in either
of the two biographies (by Arthur Lourie or Moses Smith).  Regarding
Koussevitzky's conversion from Judaism to the Russian Orthodox church,
Smith does write (on page 17):

   "Koussevitzky had himself been converted, though the testimony is
   contradictory as to just when. In conflict with his own account that
   he was converted as a child there is a tale that he became a Russian
   Catholic when he arrived in Moscow (at age 17 to study at the School
   of the Moscow Philharmonic Society), and that his godfather was a
   policeman who accosted the disconsolate lad one night in a park.
   Another version is that he was converted just before he was admitted
   into the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, in which Jews were not allowed.
   In any event, the time of his conversion is not very important. The
   practice of music was his deepest concern, and to it he subordinated
   everything else."

There is nothing in Smith's book to support the claims of opportunism made
by Alan Dugan, nor does Smith mention any conversion to the Episcopal faith
upon Koussevitzky's arrival in Boston.  I'd be very interested to know the
source of Mr Dugan's claims.

Toward the end of his life, Koussevitzky devoted considerable energy and
effort to assisting the Israel Philharmonic, even conducting the orchestra
during one of its first tours of the U.S.  Whether or not this indicates
a renewed interested by Koussevitzky in his ethnic and religious roots is
unknown.  In one of the interviews that we conducted for the Koussevitzky
Recordings Society Journal several years ago we were told that Koussevitzky
called for a priest (not a rabbi) shortly before his death in June of 1951.

The May 1942 issue of the Atlantic Monthly included an article by
Koussevitzky titled "The Emotional Essence of Brahms".  There Koussevitzky
wrote:  "The religion of Brahms was, of course, not the same as if it had
been religion of a dogmatic order.  His religion was music and only music,
and service to it was the sole and high meaning of his life." These words
could also serve as a description of Koussevitzky's own religious beliefs.

Tom Godell
Associate Director, WSIU Public Broadcasting
General Manager, WSIU Radio Southern Illinois University Carbondale wsiu.org