Ukrainian composer, pianist, music critic, teacher, conductor, organizer of musical life. A prominent representative of Ukrainian musical culture of the 20th century. A leading figure of the Union of Ukrainian Professional Musicians.
Son of Oleksandr and Evgenia Barvinskyi, brother of Bohdan Barvinskyi, son-in-law of physicist Ivan Pulyuy. Doctor of Art Studies (1940), honorary doctor of the Ukrainian University in Prague (1938).
Biography
He was born on February 20, 1888 in the city of Ternopil (Kingdom of Galicia and Volodymyr, Austria-Hungary, now Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine).
The Barvinski family is one of the oldest in Ukraine, originating from the village of Periwinkle near Dukli (Korosno district). The Barvinskys were famous figures of Ukrainian culture. The composer's great-grandfather Martyn was the rector of Lviv University in the 1830s, his uncles contributed to Ukrainian culture: Volodymyr was the founder of the most influential Ukrainian newspaper "Dilo" (Lviv), Ostap was the author of historical dramas.
The father of the future composer, Oleksandr Barvinskyi, was an educationist who introduced the Ukrainian language to secondary and primary schools in Galicia, published textbooks on history, literature, and Ukrainian periodicals. As an ambassador of the Austrian parliament (in particular, the upper chamber — the Council of Lords), he defended the national interests of the Ukrainians of Galicia. He maintained contacts with Mykola Lysenko, Sydor Vorobkevych, Viktor Matyuk, Ostap Nyzhankivskyi, Panteleimon Kulish, and other figures of Ukrainian culture.
Vasyl's first music teacher was his mother, singer and pianist Yevgenia Barvinska. She directed the choir in Ternopil (Evgenia was the first to notice the great talent of one of the choristers, Solomia Krushelnytska), and later the "Boyan" singing society in Lviv. She was fond of painting.
Education
He received his professional musical education at the Lviv Conservatory. After graduating from the conservatory, he entered the law faculty of Lviv University (1906), but in 1907 he left for Prague to continue his musical education. He entered the Faculty of Philosophy at Charles University, where he listened to lectures by famous Czech musicians.
Creative biography
V. Barvinskyi's first creative attempts date back to his time in Lviv, but only during his studies in Prague with professor Vitezslav Novak did he embark on a broad creative path. The famous Czech teacher and composer encouraged Spudei to study Ukrainian folk songs, contributed to the proper direction of his views.
A feature of the artist's work is his inclination towards the miniature and instrumental genre, especially the piano genre. While still studying in Prague, V. Barvinskyi wrote the great work "Ukrainian Rhapsody".
In 1912-1914 he wrote works: a piano sextet (dedicated to the memory of M. Lysenko) and a number of piano pieces.
In 1915 he returned to Lviv; worked as director and professor of the Higher Music Institute named after M. Lysenko. Among the famous students are Stefania Ivanivna Turkevich-Lukiyanovych and Halyna Yakivna Golynska. He not only conducted pedagogical work, but also managed the choir of the "Boyan" society, gave concerts.
In 1917, he created the Solemn Cantata and the Testament cantata to the words of T. Shevchenko. In 1929-1930, he wrote the overture to the opera "Oh, don't go, Hrytsya, and at the evening party" ("Marusya").
In the 1930s, he compiled a collection of 38 Ukrainian folk songs for the piano. At the same time, a piano collection of carols and carols, as well as a popular collection of 20 children's plays, appeared. He wrote a number of pieces for violin and piano on the themes of Ukrainian songs ("Song", "Humoreska", "Song and Dance", "Elegy"), as well as "String Quartet for Youth".
Vasyl Barvinskyi and Roman Savytskyi at the unveiling of the gravestone monument to Ivan Franko at the Lychakiv cemetery. 1933 year.
He did not spare work in the vocal genre either. In 1932-1933, he created the cantata "Our song, our longing" (words by S. Cherkasenko), worked on the oratorio "Vladimir the Great" (the plan remained unfulfilled) and on the processing of Ukrainian songs and chants. Among the latter, two songs to the words of I. Franko ("The Moon to the Prince" and "Blessed be You") and "Psalm of David" for tenor and orchestra stand out. He processed and arranged M. Lysenko's cantata "Byut porogy", his solos "Don't forget the young days", "To the Swallow" by Ostap Nyzhankivskyi, translated S. Lyudkevich's "Lullaby" for the string quartet. He was an excellent pianist. Whatever genres he touched in his work - chamber-instrumental, solo, choral or symphonic - he always remained himself. As a musician, he was a deep lyricist, able to touch the tender and secret recesses of the human soul.
In 1937-1939, he was a member of the editorial board of the magazine "Ukrainian Music" (Lviv). In this magazine (as well as in other periodicals) his musical works "Review of the History of Ukrainian Music", "Ukrainian Music", "New Age of Ukrainian Music", "My Memories of Mykola Lysenko", "Bela Bartok in Lviv", " Creativity of V. Novak", "Ukrainian folk song and Ukrainian composers" and others.
In Lviv, he often performed in lectures-concerts and on the radio with conversations about L. Revutskyi, B. Lyatoshynskyi, R. Glier, O. Glazunov, the report "Revivedmusical culture in the 40s of the XIX century. in Western Ukraine".
On the occasion of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of V. Barvinskyi's work as a composer in 1938, concerts and radio broadcasts of the composer's works were held in Lviv. He received an honorary doctorate from the Free Ukrainian University (Prague).
The grave of Vasyl Barvinskyi and his parents
on field 3 of the Lychakiv cemetery in Lviv
In October 1939, he was elected a deputy of the People's Assembly of Western Ukraine, where the accession of Western Ukraine to the USSR was announced.
In 1939-1941 and 1944-1948, while serving as the director of the Lviv Conservatory and the head of the Lviv branch of the Union of Composers, he wrote a number of works mainly of the vocal genre. Sketches for a musical portrait based on songs about O. Dovbush were conceived.
At the beginning of 1948 he was arrested. In the MGB, he was forced to sign a document: "I allow the destruction of my manuscripts." And the manuscripts were destroyed. Then there was a long exile for 10 years in Mordovian camps.
After returning from exile (1958), he focused all his efforts on restoring from memory the works whose manuscripts were destroyed during his arrest (he worked on this until his death).
He died on June 9, 1963 at the age of 75 in Lviv. He was buried in the same grave with his parents on field 3 of the Lychakiv cemetery.
In 1964, the long-term efforts of Lviv composers (especially A. Kos-Anatolskyi) achieved their goal: V. Barvinskyi was rehabilitated. However, the composer's music was removed from concerts almost everywhere in the following years (this continued for 25 years).
Writings
For piano
5 Preludes (1908)
Prelude by the method of J. Dalcroze (lost, 1913)
Sonata in C sharp major (1910)
Ukrainian Suite (1915)
Variations on own theme in c-moll (lost, 1909)
Variations on the theme of a Ukrainian folk carol in B major (lost, 1917)
Variations and fuguet in G major on a Ukrainian folk theme (1920)
Frog Waltz (ca. 1900-1910)
Song. Serenade. Improvisation (1911)
"Pain is a battle, the victory of love" (1915)
6 miniatures on Ukrainian folk themes: "Lullaby song", "Ukrainian dance", "Humoreska", "Lyrnytska song", "Thought", "March" (1920)
"Leaf to the album" (1929)
Works on the themes of Lemki folk songs: "Lullaby song", "Song without words", "March" (1932)
The cycle "Our sunshine plays the piano": 20 children's plays on the themes of Ukrainian folk songs (1935)
Collection of Ukrainian folk songs (1935)
A collection of Ukrainian carols and carols (1935)
Piano Concerto with Orchestra in F-moll (1917—1937)
For violin and piano
A sad song (1910—1912)
Song (1912—1913)
Elegy (lost, 1925)
Sonata in C-moll, 1st and 2nd movement (lost, 1925)
"Ukrainian Dance" from six miniatures on Ukrainian folk themes for piano, translated for violin and piano (1925)
Works on Ukrainian folk themes: "Song", "Humoreska", "Song and Dance" (1934-1935)
For cello and piano
Nocturne (1913)
Variations on a Ukrainian folk theme ("She drank the water of Limerick") (1918)
Thought (1926)
Melody (1926)
Sonata in F minor (1926)
Suite (on Ukrainian folk motifs): "Lullaby", "Humoreska", "Lullaby", "Dance" ("Rondo") (1927)
Concerto for cello and piano (1956)
Chamber and instrumental ensembles
Trio for piano, violin and cello in A minor (1910)
Trio for piano, violin and cello in E minor (lost, 1911)
String Quartet in B major (lost, 1912)
String quartet for youth on Ukrainian folk motifs (1935)
Quintet for piano, two violins, viola and cello in g-moll (1953—1963)
Sextet (Variations on Own Theme and Finale-Kolomyok) for piano, two violins, viola, cello, double bass (1915)
Symphonic works
Ukrainian Rhapsody (1911)
Overture-poem (lost, 1930)
Six miniatures. Translation from piano for brass band by P. Sadivnychy and A. Vladimirov. Translations for small and salon orchestras by E. Brauer
Vocal and symphonic works
Ukrainian wedding in 2 parts: vocal-instrumental ethnographic paintings for mixed choir, quartet of soloists, orchestra or piano for 4 hands (1914)
"Testament" sl. T. Shevchenko, for male, mixed choir and solo bass, symphony orchestra or piano for 4 hands (1917)
"Our song, our longing" sl. S. Cherkasenko, for mixed choir and symphony orchestra (1933)
"In the first years" sl. P. Karmansky, for mixed choir, solo and symphony orchestra (lost, 1940)
"Song about the Fatherland" sl. M. Rylsky, for mixed choir and symphony orchestra (1940)
Chamber and vocal works
"In the evening at the house" sl. B. Lepkoy (1910)
"In the forest" sl. B. Lepkoy (1910)
"Psalm of David" sl. P. Kulisha (variant — accompanied by a symphony orchestra, 1918)
"Oh fields, you, fields" sl. O. Konyskyi (1923)
"Oh sad, sad dark night" sl. folk (1923)
"I had a beloved native land" sl. H. Heine (1923)
"Be happy" sl. B. Lepkoy (lost, 1923)
"How lovingly indescribable (Koliskova)" sl. G. Chuprinka (1923)
"Oh Lyuli, Lyuli" sl. T. Shevchenko (1923)
"Nocturne" sl. I. Franko (variant — accompanied by a symphony orchestra, 1923)
"Sonnet (Blessed be you)" st. I. Franko (variant — accompanied by a symphony orchestra,1923)
"Song of Songs" sl. V. Maslova-Stokies, trio for soprano, piano and violin (1924)
"Lviv" sl. M. Rylskyi (1940)
"Portrait of Lenin" sl. M. Rylskyi (version — accompanied by a symphony orchestra, 1947)
"Hope" sl. Lesi Ukrainka (1956)
"I will fall asleep" sl. Lesi Ukrainka (1957)
"And spring again" sl. Lesi Ukrainka, duet (1957)
Choral works
For a cappella choir:
"Shevchenko House" sl. B. Lepkoy for mixed choir (1919)
"Kolosyya, nivo" sl. B. Lepkoy for mixed choir (1920)
"Don't bend our heads" sl. A. Kurdydyka for mixed choir (lost, 1935)
"Oh my land is sung" sl. T. Odudka for mixed choir (1940)
"Homeland" sl. by M. Rylskyi for mixed choir (1959)
For choir with piano accompaniment:
"Song about the 1939 elections." sl. by R. Kupchinsky for mixed choir (lost, 1940)
"Singing Western Ukraine" sl. Yu. Shkrumelyak (lost, 1940)
"July Freedom Day" (lost, 1940)
"On the Christmas tree", "Song of Soviet schoolchildren", "Summer" for children's choir
Processing of folk songs
For piano voice:
6 folk songs: "Oh, the dream is walking", "Yagil-yagilochka", "Oh, the girl was walking along the birch tree", "Do you really love me", "The mowers went to the field", "Oh come down, come down, the moon is clear" (1912)
"Enemies are engaged" (lost, 1920)
"My head hurts" (1920)
"The Night Covered", duet (1920)
Lemki songs "I'm going to the nursery", "Oh, there are two clubs on the mountain", "Rocking the lullaby" (1943-1945)
For violin and piano voice:
Two folk carols "What's the yarn", "Oh, strange birth" (1916)
"Oh, there was a crooked willow in the ass" (1920)
Two Lemki folk songs "I would fly to the end of the world", "I will not go for Yask" (1933)
For a cappella choir:
"Oh how clear" for men's choir (lost, 1913)
Enemies have become established for men's choir (1920)
"The sun has already rolled" for mixed choir (1923)
"We were in God's house" for mixed choir (1923)
"Metelitsa" for mixed choir (lost, 1935)
"Once upon a time, sweet girl" for mixed choir (1935)
"Oh, the shooter fell" for mixed choir (1935)
"Lights to the Moon" for women's choir (1935)
"Smoky road" for men's choir (1935)
"Oh, the gray-haired cuckoo hung up" for mixed choir (lost, 1935)
Musical works
"Overview of the history of Ukrainian music",
"Ukrainian music",
"New era of Ukrainian music",
"My memories of Mykola Lysenko",
"Bela Bartok in Lviv",
"Creativity of V. Novak",
"Ukrainian folk song and Ukrainian composers".
Tribute
Memorial plaque on the building at the address: Ternopil, st. Stepana Kachaly, 5.
Objects named after Vasyl Barvinskyi
Barvinsky Street (Lviv)
Vasyl Barvinsky Street (Kolomia)
Drohobytsk State Music School named after V. Barvinskyi
Ternopil Music School No. 1 named after Vasyl Barvinsky
Children's Music School No. 2 named after Vasyl Barvinskyi (Ivano-Frankivsk)
Barvinsky Family Street (Ternopil)
