Danylo Yakovych Kryzhanivskyi (*17 (29) December 1856 - †26 February 1894) was a Ukrainian teacher, composer, and author of the music to the song "The Dnipro Roars and Stomps".
He was born on December 29, 1856, in the Kherson region, in the family of a priest.
He graduated from the Yelisavetgrad Theological School, where he received his first knowledge of music theory and choral singing. Then he studied at the Odesa Seminary, but did not want to become a priest, so he continued his education at the Novorossiysk (Odesa) University, Slavic-Russian Department.
In 1882, he began working as a teacher of Latin in the junior grades of the Bolhrad seven-grade male gymnasium, as well as a classroom teacher of the first grade.
In 1884, he was approved as a teacher of Russian and Church Slavonic. At the gymnasium, Kryzhanivsky created a boys' choir that performed at gymnasium concerts and celebrations.
In early 1889, he was appointed assistant to the head of the office of the trustee of the Odesa educational district, where he worked until his death.
He died of illness on February 26, 1894 at the age of 37.
Creative work
All his life, along with teaching, Kryzhanivsky composed music, mostly choral. According to the resolution of the pedagogical council of the Bolhrad Gymnasium and with the permission of the trustee of the Odesa educational district, the composer's choral works were published in 1888 at the expense of the gymnasium, and his romances and songs were published by the Tsanoti music store in Odesa in 1886.
Kryzhanivsky's famous works include the choral ode "Monument" based on a poem by Alexander Pushkin. It was performed in 1888 in Odesa on the day of the opening of the monument to the poet. He is also known for his chorus to the words of the prayer "To the Heavenly King," the romance "I'm Waiting for You," the song "Sleep, Sweetly Sleep," and others.
A special place among Kryzhanivsky's works belongs to the song "The Dnipro Roars and Groans," which is known in Ukraine and abroad. The text of this song is based on nine stanzas from Taras Shevchenko's ballad "The Causal One". Above the notes, Kryzhanivsky wrote: "Dedicated to Marko Kropyvnytskyi." When Kropyvnytskyi arrived in Odesa for a tour with a Ukrainian troupe, Kryzhanivskyi showed him the sheet music with the dedication. After playing it on the piano, the director hugged the composer and called the song a masterpiece. Soon after one of the performances, the orchestra and choir began to play the song, and it was picked up by the audience, people stood up... That was the first time the song was performed, and it became a kind of anthem for Ukrainians.
The first two printed editions of the collection of songs with sheet music (1884 and 1886), which included this song, were confiscated by the police. On the third attempt, the text of Taras Shevchenko's poem and Danylo Kryzhanivsky's notes were published together for the first time in 1886.
