Composer, folklorist, choral conductor, teacher, journalist, artist, public figure, Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR since 1928.
Biography
He received his general education at the Kharkiv Real School, graduating from the 7th grade of the chemical department. Music was constantly played in the Drimtsovs' house, and Serhiy Prokopovych studied it since childhood. He took piano lessons from I. Vilchek and singing lessons from S. Lapynskyi, and learned to play the violin.
In 1887, he was exiled to Siberia for his ties to the Kharkiv Narodovolks' organization. A year later, he received permission from the authorities to study and entered the agronomic department of the Krasnoufim Technical School, after which he settled in Vyatka, where he continued his music lessons (he studied solo singing with K. Shlyapnykova at the private school of Leonova and took piano lessons from R. Andreev).
In Vyatka, S. P. Dimtsov's active journalistic activity unfolded. From 1897 to 1903, he was the secretary of the Vyatskaya Gazeta. He wrote a number of works on agronomy. Drimtsov maintained creative contacts with prominent figures of Ukrainian culture such as Ivan Franko, M. Starytskyi, and M. Lysenko.
In 1903, the term of his exile ended and S.P. Dmitsov returned to Ukraine. For some time he lived in the estate of the landowner Lisevych in Sumy region and worked as an agronomist. Here he met an outstanding botanist, professor of Kharkiv University A. Krasnov.
Since 1907, S.P. Dmitsov lived permanently in Kharkiv. From 1908 to 1917, he headed the out-of-school education department of the Kharkiv County Zemstvo, organized choral and musical groups in workers' clubs. The concerts of the People's House choir were very successful. S.P. Dmitsov did not stop his journalistic activity. In 1909-1913, he worked in the editorial office of the Khliborob magazine and was the actual editor.
Musical activity
Serhiy Prokopovych did a lot for the development of music education in Ukraine, worked as a teacher and managed a number of educational institutions. The 1920s saw the peak of S. Dmitsov's musical and social activities. He took part in the organization of the Kharkiv branch of the Mykola Leontovych Music Society (1922), the Kharkiv Philharmonic (1928), and was a member of the Higher Music Committee of the Heads of Political Education of the NPO, the All-Ukrainian Society of Playwrights and Composers.
Since the early 1920s, choral music has become especially popular and widely developed. Drimtsov was the founder and first conductor of the Ukrainian State Choir, the conductor of the choral chapel of the Regional Political Education Department, and headed the studio of the Workers' and Peasants' Theater.
In 1925, S. Dmitsov became the rector of the Kharkiv Music and Drama Institute (1925-34). Later, Serhiy Prokopovych was the head of the Music Classes at the Kharkiv Music and Drama Institute, a member of the Institute's board. He was one of the organizers of the Workers' Conservatory and for two years was the head of the educational department (early 1930s).
Drimtsov's contribution to the development of Ukrainian musical culture was highly appreciated by the government of the Ukrainian SSR. On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of his musical activity, Serhiy Prokopovych was awarded the title of "Honored Artist of State Theaters" (1928).
In 1934, after M. Skrypnyk's suicide, S. Dmitsov was forced to leave the institute. He got a job at the Kharkiv State Scientific Library named after V. Korolenko, where he headed the music department he created.
Drimtsov died on August 18, 1937. He was buried at the First City Cemetery in Kharkiv, and later his ashes were moved to the 13th City Cemetery in the Memorial.
Drimtsov and the bandura
Drimtsov showed a special interest in the art of kobzars. He had friendly relations with I. Kucherenko, and the blind bandura player often visited him. Together with I. Kucherenko, S. Drimtsov worked on the reconstruction of the bandura. At the International Competition of Musical Instruments in Paris, Drimtsov's bandura won the Grand Prix (1912).
He learned to play the bandura from V. Yemets. He financially supported kobza courses at the Lysenko School. He published "Dumy and songs of kobzar I. Kucherenko" with recordings and illustrations.
In 1925, Drimtsov became director and professor of the Kharkiv Music and Drama Institute, where he participated in the creation of a bandura class. He composed the opera Ivan Morozenko on kobza motifs and dedicated it to I. Kucherenko.
Compositions
Stage genres:
Opera-duma "Ivan Morozenko" ("Nastusya"), libretto by P. Kulish and folk dumas, 1914, 2nd ed. 1925,
opera "Martin Hook",
operetta "Sorochynska Fair" (1926)
music for the plays "Sotnyk" and "Topolya" (1934),
Instrumental and vocal music:
"Thought" in Gis moll for piano, 1914.
"Nocturne" Gis moll piano, 1914.
Chamber Instrumental Trio "Kobzar's Singing" (1926),
Suite and Quartet; for piano
plays; choruses to lyrics by V. Sosiura, romances and songs to lyrics by T. Shevchenko, L. Ukrainka, M. Nekrasov;
arrangements of folk songs; music for theater performances.
Works.
Elements of folk style in the works of M. Lysenko,
Musical theory - a practical course for music professors, 1925.
