Mykola Leontovych
Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych (
Leontovych was born and raised in
During his lifetime, Leontovych's compositions and arrangements became popular with musicians across the Ukrainian region of the Russian Empire. Performances of his works in Western Europe and North America earned him the nickname "the Ukrainian Bach". Apart from "Shchedryk", Leontovych's music is performed primarily in Ukraine and by the Ukrainian diaspora.
Biography
Early life
Mykola Leontovych was born on 13 December [O.S. 1 December] 1877 in Monastyrok, near the village of Selevyntsi , in the Podolia province of Ukraine (then a part of the Russian Empire).[1] He was the eldest of five surviving children (Mykola, Oleksandr (born in 1879), Maria (born in 1885), Victoria (born in 1886), and Olena).[2] His father, grandfather, and great grandfather were village priests.[3] Both his mother, Mariya Yosypivna Leontovych, and his father, Dmytro Feofanovych Leontovych, were singers.[4]
Leontovych father, who directed a school choir, and was skilled at playing the cello, double bass,
In 1879, Dmytro Leontovych was moved to serve as a priest in the village of Shershni .[2] In 1887, Mykola was admitted to a school at Nemyriv. Due to financial problems a year later, his father transferred him to the Sharhorod Spiritual Beginners School, whose pupils received full financial support. At the school, Leontovych mastered singing and was able to freely read difficult passages from religious choral texts.[5]
Theological seminary
In 1892, Leontovych began his studies at the Podolia Theological Seminary in Kamianets-Podilskyi, which both his father and grandfather had attended. His younger brother Oleksandr was enrolled as well,[6] graduating after his older brother.[7]
Whilst studying at the seminary, Leontovych continued to advance his skills on the violin, and learned to play other instruments, including the flute and the harmonium.[7] He sang in the seminary's choir, and when an orchestra was formed during the third year of his studies there, Leontovych joined it.[8] He studied music theory under Y. Bogdanov and started writing choral arrangements, including "Oy z-za hory kamʺyanoyi ("Oh, from the stony mountain"), Oy pidu ya v lis po drova ("Oh, I’ll go to a forest for firewood"), and, Mala maty odnu dochku ("A mother has one daughter').[8]
Leontovych conducted the seminary's orchestra and choir.[8] Without his teachers knowing, he attended the opera in Kamianets-Podilskyi.[9] One of the last performances conducted at the seminary by Leontovych was a concert on 26 May 1899, when his friends wrote on a photograph: "To the future glorious composer".[10] After graduating in 1899, he decided to break the family tradition by becoming a school teacher instead of a priest.[8]
Early musical career and marriage
Leontovych's first teaching post, which commenced in September 1899, involved working as a teacher of singing and arithmetic at a secondary school in the village of Chukiv (present-day Vinnytsia Oblast). Later, when recalling his time at the school, he wrote: "I cannot complain that the students and villagers treated me unfavourably; due to my inexperience and youth, I was not a good school teacher. Certainly, my mistakes and errors in general educational activities were compensated to some extent by my musical teaching."[10] When he later became a professor at the Kyiv Conservatory, he wrote a book about his early experiences,Yak ya orhanizuvav orkestr u silʹsʹkiy shkoli (How I Organised an Orchestra in a Village School).[11]
On 4 March 1901, after disagreements arose between Leontovych and the school's administrators, he obtained a teaching post at the Theological College in
Leontovych met a
Financial hardship prompted Leontovych to accept an offer to move to Vinnytsia to teach at the Church-Educators' College.[when?] He organised a choir and a concert band at the college, which performed both secular and spiritual music.[16]
During 1903/04, Leontovych attended lectures held at the
Tulchyn period
Leontovych's move to Tulchyn marked the beginning of a prolific period of composing. There, he taught vocal and instrumental music at the Tulchyn Eparchy Women's College to the daughters of village priests. He developed a lasting friendship with the composer Kyrylo Stetsenko, who went on to influence his musical style.[17] Stetsenko praised his friend's compositions, saying, "Leontovych is a famous music expert from Podolia. He recorded many folk songs... These songs are harmonised for mixed choir. These harmonisations have revealed the author to be a great expert of both choral singing and theoretical studies".[15] Leontovych's choir performed works by Russian composers Mikhail Glinka, Alexey Verstovsky, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, as well as music by Stetsenko, Lysenko, and Nishchynsky.[11]
From 1909, Leontovych studied under the
Leontovych wrote choral arrangements of Ukrainian folk songs, including Piyutʹ pivni (The Roosters are Singing)
Career in Kyiv
During the October Revolution and the establishment of the Ukrainian People's Republic in 1918, Leontovych relocated without his family to Kyiv, where he was active as both a conductor and composer. Several of his pieces gained popularity among professional and amateurs groups alike, who added them to their repertoire.[5] At one of the concerts, the "Legend" of Mykola Voronoi in Leontovych's arrangement was a great success. After the arrival of the Bolsheviks, Leontovych worked in the music committee of the People's Commissariat of Education, and taught at the Music and Drama Institute, and, together with the composer and conductor Hryhoriy Veryovka, was employed to produce preschool education courses, and organise choir groups.[5]
During this period, he taught choral conducting at the Kyiv Conservatory, and also taught at the
Death
Upon his return to Tulchyn with his family, Leontovych started the city's first music school, since the college where he had worked was closed down by the Bolsheviks, and began to work on an opera, Na Rusalchyn Velykden ("The Mermaid's Easter"), based on the fairy tale by Borys Hrinchenko.[5][11]
Early in the morning of 23 January 1921, Leontovych was shot by a
Music
Works
Leontovych specialised in a cappella choral music, and composed over 150 choral compositions, generally inspired by Ukrainian folk songs. These range from artistic arrangements of folk songs, religious works (including his liturgy), cantatas, and compositions set to the words of Ukrainian poets.[1] His most famous works is the shchedrivka (New Year's song) "Schedryk" and "Dudaryk ".[citation needed] His choral compositions feature rich harmony, vocal polyphony, and imitation. His earlier choral arrangements of folk songs were primarily strophic arrangements of the melody. As the composer gained more experience, the structure of his choral compositions and arrangements of folk songs became strongly connected with the text.[1]
As a person with a professional theological education, Leontovych kept up with the movement of the establishment and recognition of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, which was reestablished in 1918. The composer's output during this period became rich in new sacred music, following the examples of Stetsenko (a close friend of Leontovych's, also an orthodox priest and composer) and Koshetz.[citation needed] Leontovych's works form this time included На воскресіння Христа (On the Resurrection of Christ), Хваліте ім’я Господнє (Praise ye the Name of the Lord), and Світе тихий (Oh Quiet Light), among others. A milestone in the development of Ukrainian spiritual music was the composition of his liturgy, which was first performed in the St. Nicholas Military Cathedral at the Kyiv, Pechersk on 22 May 1919.[11]
Mykola Leontovych was highly critical of himself. According to his first biographer Oles' Chapkivskyi, a contemporary of the composer, Leontovych would sometimes work on one choral setting without letting anyone else see it for up to four years.[4] Leontovych compiled his "First collection of songs from Polissia", which remained unpublished His "The Second Collection of Songs from Polissia" (Kyiv, 1903) was dedicated to Lysenko. Leontovych was dissatisfied with the work, bought up all 300 published copies, and had them destroyed.[11]
Leontovych commenced work on an opera Na rusalchyn velykden (On the Water Nymph's Easter), based on Ukrainian myths and the works of Hrinchenko. By the end of 1920, he had finished the first of three acts, but he was murdered before he could complete the opera. Attempts to complete and edit the opera were made by Ukrainian composer Mykhailo Verykivsky.[21] The Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk and the poet Diodor Bobyr collaborated to turn the unfinished opera into a one-act operetta, which premiered in 1977 at the Kyiv State Opera and Ballet Theatre, 100 years after Leontovych's birth. The North American premiere was held in Toronto on 11 April 2003.[22]
Lysenko was one of Leontovych's largest influences.[23] Leontovych, who had admired his music since his student days, would perform it in concerts wherever he worked.[24]
"Shchedryk"
Mykola Leontovych's song "Shchedryk" is his most well-known piece.
The Ukrainian National Choir's performance of "Shchedryk" during a tour of Europe in 1920/21. caused the song to become popular worldwide. The first recording was made in New York in October 1922 by Brunswick Records.[26]
"Carol of the Bells"
"Shchedryk" was performed during a concert in
The carol is one of the 25 most frequently performed Christmas songs of the 20th century. As listed by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), it ranked number 15.[27]
Reception and popularity
Leontovych's best critic was his friend, and fellow priest and composer Stetsenko, who described him as "a great expert of both choral singing and theoretical studies".[15] He convinced Leontovych to publish his music and have it performed by Kyiv University students.[24]
"Shchedryk"'s success led to Leontovych becoming popular in Kyiv with music specialists and fans of choral music alike.[24] At the Kyiv Conservatory, Yavorsky reacted positively to his new works.[24] During a concert, Leontovych's Lehenda, set to lyrics by the Ukrainian poet Mykola Voronyi, gained great popularity.[5] After reviewing the composer's Second Compilation of Songs from Podolia, Lysenko wrote:[citation needed]
Leontovych has an original, illustrious gift. In his arrangements I found separate passages, movement of voices, which later developed in an ingeniously weaved musical network.
The increase in popularity of Leontovych's music was aided by the head of the
Leontovych's music is currently performed mostly in Ukraine, and few recordings are dedicated exclusively to him.[citation needed]
The
Commemoration
On 1 February 1921, nine days after Leontovych's death, artists, academics, and students of the Mykola Lysenko Institute of Music and Drama in Kyiv gathered to commemorate him. They established the Committee for the Memory of Mykola Leontovych, which later became the Leontovych Music Society, and which promoted Ukrainian music until 1928.[11]
A number of musical groups are named in honour of the composer. The Leontovych Bandurist Capella was a male choir whose members accompanied themselves using a Ukrainian bandura. The choir was established in a displaced persons camps in Germany in 1946, and continued until 1949.[30] The Vinnytsia College of Arts and Culture is named after him.[31] There is a memorial museum dedicated to him in the city of Tulchyn,[32] and another was established in 1977 in the village of Markivka , where he was buried. The museum was rebuilt after the premises became dilapidated, and reopened in 2016.[33] In 2018, a statue of the composer was unveiled in Pokrovsk.[34]
In 2002, to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the composer's birth, Kamianets-Podilskyi held an all-Ukrainian scientific conference entitled "Mykola Leontovych and Modern Education and Science," with guests from the Ukrainian ministry of education and science, the Ukrainian composers' Union, and many local authorities. During this event, the city held a ceremonial opening of a memorial plaque to the composer, placed next to the old building formerly used by the Podollia Theological Seminary.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f Wytwycky, Wasyl. "Leontovych, Mykola". Internet Encyclopaedia of Ukraine. Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ a b Vysotska, Kateryna Ivanivna; Petrivna, Maryna. "Священицький рід Леонтовичів" [Priestly family of Leontovych]. Vinnytsia Regional Museum of Local Lore. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ a b Melnyk, Olga (18 December 2008). "Реквієм по Леонтовичу" [Requiem for Leontovych]. Ukraine Gazette (in Ukrainian). No. 45. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Podolyanyn, Veliky. "До 125-річчя від дня народження Миколи Дмитровича Леонтовича" [To the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych]. Podilsky Tovtry (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Леонтович Микола Дмитрович (1877–1921) композитор, хоровий диригент, громадський діяч, педагог" [Leontovych Mykola Dmytrovych (1877—1921), composer, choir conductor, public figure, teacher]. Osvita (in Ukrainian). 10 September 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ Kuzyk 2019, pp. 13–14.
- ^ a b Zavalnuik 2007, p. 11.
- ^ a b c d Kuzyk 2019, p. 14.
- ^ Zavalnuik 2007, p. 12.
- ^ a b Zavalnuik 2007, p. 15.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Kuzyk, Valentyna. "Наші Корифеї: Микола Дмитрович Леонтович" [Our Luminaries: Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych] (in Ukrainian). National Organization of Composers of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 9 November 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
- ^ Vyatrovych et al. 2021, p. 33.
- ^ Zavalnuik 2007, p. 16.
- ^ Zavalnuik 2007, pp. 15–17.
- ^ a b c d Valentina, Vinyukova. "Микола Леонтович – Бах У Хоровій Музиці" [Mykola leontovych – Bach in choir music]. Tovtry Community website (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ Zavalnuik 2007, p. 18.
- ^ a b c Kuzyk 2019, p. 15.
- ^ Kuzyk 2019, pp. 15–16.
- ^ Sizova 2018, pp. 82–83.
- ^ Skrypnyk, Viktor (16 May 2007). "Вбивця стріляв у сплячого композитора" [The killer shot the composer as he slept]. 20 Minutes (in Ukrainian). Vinnytsia. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ Verikyvskyi, Mykhailo Ivanovych. "115 років від дня народження М.І.Вериківського (1896–1962)" [115 years since the birth of M. I. Verikivskyi (1896–1962), Ukrainian composer, conductor, folklorist, teacher, public figure] (in Ukrainian). Donetsk National Technical University. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
- ^ Solomon, Sonia (30 March 2003). "Toronto choirs to pay tribute to Mykola Leontovych". The Ukrainian Weekly. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
- JSTOR 1500324.
- ^ a b c d e Akhevich, N.P. (31 August 2011). "Співець Поділля: 130 років з дня народження М. Д. Леонтовича" [Podillia singer: 130 years since the birth of M. D. Leontovych] (PDF) (in Ukrainian). Library Tulchynshchyna (self-published source). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2011.
- ^ Vysotska 2019, p. 78.
- ^ a b Malko 2021, p. 41.
- ^ Crump 2013, p. 62.
- ^ Wytwycky, Wasyl. "Ukrainian Republican Kapelle". Internet Encyclopaedia of Ukraine. Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ Sydorenko, Wasyl (2006). "Kyrylo Stetsenko – His Life". Musica Leopolis. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ Dutchak & Kubik 2021, pp. 79–80.
- ISBN 978-966-02-2074-4.
- ^ "Відомості про умови праці, матеріально-технічну базу, фінансову звітність за 2019 рік" [Information on working conditions, material and technical base, financial reporting for 2019] (in Ukrainian). Tulchyna City Territorial Community. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ "Музей М.Д.Леонтовича с. Марківка Теплицького району" [Museum of M. D. Leontovych village Markivka of Teplytsky district] (in Ukrainian). Vinnytsia Museum of Local Lore. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ "Monument to Leontovych Opens in Pokrovsk". Ukrinform. 27 August 2018. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
Sources
- Crump, William D. (2013). The Christmas Encyclopedia (3rd ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 62. ISBN 978-07864-6-827-0.
- Dutchak, Violetta; Kubik, Olha (2021). "Cпецифіка розвитку бандурного ансамблевого мистецтва в середовищі української діаспори хх – початку ххі століття" [The specificity of the development of bandura orchestral art in the Ukrainian diaspora environment of the 20th – early 21st centuries]. Knowledge, Education, Law, Management (in Ukrainian). 38 (2): 77–85. ISSN 2353-8406.
- Kuzyk, Valentyna, ed. (2019). Микола Леонтович: Хорові Твори [Mykola Leontovych: Choral Works] (PDF) (in Ukrainian and English). Kyiv: Muzychna Ukraina.
- Malko, Victoria A. (2021). The Ukrainian Intelligentsia and Genocide: the struggle for history, language, and culture in the 1920s and 1930s. London: Lexington Books. ISBN 978-14985-9-679-4.
- Sizova, Ninel (2018). "Діяльність миколи леонтовича в галузі професіоналізації хорового життя вінниччини початку хх століття" [Activities of Mykola Leontovych in the field professionalising choral life in Vinnichchina at the beginning of the 20th century] (PDF). Current Issues of Humanitarian Sciences (in Ukrainian). 2 (19). Vinnytsia, Ukraine: to HTML version of the file).
- Vyatrovych, Volodymyr; Faizulin, Yaroslav; Yaremenko, Viktoria; Mayorov, Maksym; Ohienko, Vitaly; Khromov, Anatoly (2021). 100 років боротьби: Українська революція 1917–1921 [100 Years of Struggle: Ukrainian revolution 1917-1921] (in Ukrainian). Kyiv: ISBN 978-61768-4-200-2.
- Vysotska, Kateryna (2019). Brodz, Olena; Koshelnyk, Maryna (eds.). "Микола Леонтович: музична легенда Поділля" [Mykola Leontovych: a musical legend of Podillia] (PDF). Materials of the Scientific and Practical Conference for the 140th Anniversary of the Birth of M. D. Leontovich, December 13, 2017 (in Ukrainian). Vinnytsia, Ukraine: Vinnytsia Regional Museum of Local Lore. Retrieved 17 November 2022. (English text version)
- Zavalnuik, Anatoliĭ (2007). Микола Леонтович. Листи, документи, духовні твори [Mykola Leontovych. Letters, documents, spiritual works] (in Russian and Ukrainian). Vinnytsia, Ukraine: Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University. ISBN 978-96638-2-085-9.
Further reading
- Morozova, N. I. (2017). Lavreniuk, S. V. (ed.). "Микола Леонтович – славетний український композитор Біобібліографічний покажчик" [Mykola Leontovych – famous Ukrainian composer]. Regional Universal Scientific Library named after Kliment Timiryazev (in Ukrainian). Vinnytsia, Ukraine: OUNB named after K.A.Timiryazeva. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- Kostyuk, Nataliya (2017). "Стилістика літургійеих піснеспівів Миколи Леонтовича" [Stylistics of liturgical chants by Nikolai Leontovich]. Ukrainian Music (in Ukrainian). 23 (1): 40–55. ISSN 2224-0926.
- Zuziak, Tetiana; Lavrinenko, Oleksandr; Rohotchenko, Oleksii (2020). "Mykola Leontovych's Pedagogical Legacy in Podillia (Late 19th and Early 20Th Cent.)". Society. Integration. Education. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference. 2: 492–502. S2CID 213577437. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
External links
- Free scores by Mykola Leontovych at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
- Free scores by Mykola Leontovych in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)