Mykhailo Adamovych Skorulsky (6 (19) September 1887, Kyiv - †21 February 1950, Moscow) was a Ukrainian Soviet composer, pianist, conductor, teacher, Honoured Artist of the Ukrainian SSR (since 1947), Candidate of Arts (1940). Father of ballet dancer Natalia Skorulska.
Biography
He was born on 6 (19) September 1887 in Kyiv. The son of pianist N. Senatorska (a student of M. Lysenko and V. Pukhalskyi).
In 1910, he graduated from the Zhytomyr Music Classes of the Russian Musical Society, and in 1914 from the St. Petersburg Conservatory as a pianist under H. M. Esypova and a composer under M. O. Steinberg. He studied in the conducting class of Mikhail Cherepnin and in the opera class of Stanislav Gabel and Josef Palecek.
He taught at musical institutions in Zhytomyr (1908-1910, 1915-1933). Together with V. Kosenko, he organised the Zhytomyr branch of the Society of Playwrights, Writers and Composers. In 1915, he organised and directed the Zhytomyr Symphony Orchestra until 1933, with which he performed all 6 symphonies by Tchaikovsky and 9 symphonies by Beethoven (with the participation of the First Soviet Choir of Mykola Haidai).
In 1933-1941 and 1944-1950, he was a lecturer at the Kyiv Conservatory (from 1937 - associate professor, from 1948 - professor), in 1941-1944 - at the Almaty Conservatory.
He died on 21 February 1950 in Moscow. He was buried in Kyiv at the Baikove Cemetery.
Works
1936 - ballet "The Forest Song" (based on the drama by L. Ukrainka; post. 1946);
1939 - ballet Bondarivna;
(unfinished) - ballet "The Snow Queen" (after H.-H. Andersen);
1948 - opera "Candlelight Wedding" (based on the drama by I. Kocherha);
1917 - ode "Hymn to Free Art";
1943 - oratorio "Mother's Voice" (based on the words of M. Rylsky, P. Tychyna, M. Bazhan, etc;)
works for orchestra - two symphonies (1923; 1932);
"Classical Overture" (1928);
"Five Ukrainian Songs" (1930);
symphonic poem "Turbai" (1933);
"The Poem of Enthusiasm" (1934);
"Steppe Poem" (in memory of Amangelda Imanov - 1944);
fairy tale poem "Nikita Kozhumyaka" (1949);
Concerto for piano and orchestra (one-movement - 1933);
Intermezzo on the Theme of a Ukrainian Historical Song (1935) for orchestra and folk instruments;
chamber music - piano trio (1924);
string quartet (1929);
two piano quintets (1928; 1943);
2 piano sonatas (1926);
"Children's Album" (1940);
preludes for piano;
34 romances based on lyrics by Lesya Ukrainka, Pavlo Tychyna, Volodymyr Sosyura, and others;
arrangements of folk songs;
choirs;
music for theatre performances, etc;
scientific and theoretical works - "Elementary Fundamentals of H. M. Yesypova's Piano School" (1932), "A Course of Vertical-Moving Counterpoint of Strict Writing according to S. I. Taneyev's System" (1938-40).
