Ukrainian composer, choir conductor, priest of the UGCC, public figure, author of the music for the national anthem of Ukraine "Ukraine is not dead yet".
Biography
He was born in Nadsyanna in the family of a Greek Catholic priest.
When Mykhailo was 10 years old, his father died, and his mother, having remarried, officially renounced parental rights. He and his younger brother Volodyslav were looked after by their distant relative, Bishop Ivan Snigurskyi of Peremysk, one of the brightest figures of the UGCC. In 1828, Vladyka Snigursky founded a choir at the Przemyśl cathedral of the GCC, later a music school, where Mykhailo sang and studied.
On Easter of the following year, 1829, the choir of the Przemyśl eparchy made its debut with great success in a solemn service, at which Verbytskyi together with Ivan Lavrovsky performed as soloists. Having seen such a brilliant result, Ivan Snigursky invited from the Czech Republic a qualified conductor and composer Alojis Nanke, from whom Verbytsky received a thorough musical education, in particular, in composition. Czechs Vincent Sersavi and Franz Lorenz were also teachers.
The repertoire of the Przemyśl choir, which included the works of Viennese classics Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Mozart, Ludwig Beethoven, and the works of the composers of the "golden age" of Ukrainian music — Maksym Berezovsky and Dmytro Bortnyansky — was of great importance for Verbytsky's formation as a composer. The spiritual concerts of Dmytro Bortnyanskyi had the greatest influence on the music of Western Ukraine and Verbytskyi's worldview in particular. At that time, one-voice (Samolovka) and two-voice (Yerusalymka) reigned in the churches, and Dmytro Bortnyanskyi's work presented highly professional polyphony.
Later, he entered the Lviv Theological Seminary. Mykhailo was twice expelled from the seminary because of "cheerful songs, playing the guitar, being late for morning prayers." He stopped studying for the third time because of his first marriage and the need to support his family.
Music classes were not interrupted: the young seminarian led the choir of the educational institution, mastered the guitar, which accompanied him throughout his life. Numerous works, translated or created by him for the guitar, have gained wide popularity in Galician home music making. To our time, he created "Khitary's Teaching", which became the first such manual in Ukraine, has been preserved.
In the second half of the 1840s, he turned to religious music. During this period, he wrote a complete Liturgy for a mixed choir (1847), which is still heard today in many churches of Western Ukraine. In addition to the Liturgy, he creates the famous "The Angel of Crying" and others. church compositions.
When in the late 1840s an active theatrical life was established in Galicia, Verbytskyi immediately began writing musical numbers for Ukrainian theatrical performances. The plays that were staged on the theater stages of Lviv and Galicia were mostly translations from Ukrainian drama and literature, as well as from Polish, French, and Austro-German. Music in these plays played a very important role, bringing a bright emotional element to the plays, and also brought the foreign-language plots closer to the Ukrainian flavor. Therefore, even quite mediocre plays gained great popularity thanks to Verbytskyi's music. He wrote music for more than 20 plays. At that time, he created music for the plays "Verkhovyntsy" by Józef Kozenjowski, "Soldier the Magician" (based on Kvitka-Osnovyanenko), "Cossack and Hunter" by Ivan Antalovich-Vitoshinsky, "Protsykh" by Rudolf Moh, and others.
But political events turned so that the years 1848-1849 marked the beginning and end of the first stage of the revival of the Ukrainian theater, so for several years Verbytskyi did not write music for plays.
In 1849, a theater group was organized in Przemyśl. Verbytsky wrote music for plays and acted as an actor. At that time, he wrote music to the text of Ivan Gushalevich "Peace to you, brothers, we all bring." This work was designated as the national anthem of Galicia by the Main Russian Council during the "Spring of Nations" in 1848-1849.
Church in Mlyny
Difficult life circumstances delayed his ordination to the priesthood, so he graduated from the Lviv Seminary and received priestly ordination only in 1850. For several years Verbytsky had to move from one rural parish to another.
Father's first parish was the parish in the village of Zavadiv, Yavoriv district, Lviv region, from 1850 to 1852. In addition, he had children during this period: daughter Marusya, who died young and was buried in Zavadov, and son Mykhailo. In 2012, a church register book was found, in which there are entries made by his hand: about births, weddings and deaths of parishioners for the year 1852. The Gospel of this period, old felons, candlesticks, icons and other sacred things were also found. The search for these items was carried out during the preparation of the exhibition for the 200-year anniversary of the priest.
By order of Fr. J. Lozynskyi (the then governor of Yavorivsky District) in May 1852 was transferred to the parish of Zaluzzhya of Yavorivsky District, where he served until August 1853.
From 1853 to 1856, he was the administrator of the chapel on the mountain in the village of Strilky, Starosambir District, Lviv OblastNo. The chapel of 1792 has not been preserved, but in its place now stands the church of St. Eustachy, which belongs to the monuments of local importance. A memorial plaque indicates that Father Mykhailo Verbytskyi served in the church. Under the mountain was a wooden presbytery where he once lived. But it also did not survive - another was built in its place in 1902. A local school is named after him, and for fifteen years Strilki has been hosting sacred music festivals named after Father Mykhailo Verbytskyi, attended by the best church and school choirs of the district and region.
In 1856, he settled in the village of Mlyny (then Yaroslavl County), where he lived the rest of his life.
1860s — with the opening of the "Ruska Besida" theater in Lviv, the composer again turned to the genre of co-play. For this theater, Verbytskyi wrote the domestic melodrama "The Highlanders", one of the most popular plays of the composer, later "In people, an angel, not a wife, at home with a Satan's husband", "Rural plenipotentiaries", "Simple man" and others.
Anthem of Ukraine
The date of creation of the song "Ukraine is not dead yet" remains debatable. For a long time it was believed that it was created in 1862-1863 - but without relevant scientific arguments. The text of Pavel Chubynsky in Galicia was first published in the December issue of the magazine "Meta", which was actually published around January 15, 1864. It probably inspired Fr. Mykhailo (or he was commissioned by the Przemyśl "Hromada") to write a patriotic song. Although, it is possible that Verbytskyi took advantage of the Transdnieper publication of the text. After its publication in the "Meta" magazine, the song "Ukraine is not dead yet" gained great popularity among the conscious youth of Galicia.
The first performance of the work "Ukraine is not dead yet" as an Anthem took place on March 10, 1865 in Przemyśl as the closing number of a concert dedicated to Taras Shevchenko, conducted by Anatol Vahnyanin.
Last years of life
In the last years of his life, the composer was engaged in teaching activities, wrote articles, and composed music. Among his students were the priests-composers Viktor Matyuk and Porfiry Bazhanskyi. He died in the village of Mlyny (now in the territory of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship of Poland) from tongue cancer.
Family
He was twice married, twice widowed. The first wife, Austrian Barbara Sener, died a year after the marriage. Son — Ivan (1839—1890), professor of history, director of the Brodiv Gymnasium.
The second wife died prematurely. They had a son Andrii.
Commemoration
Ukrposhta postage stamp, 2015
In the village In Mlyny, next to the border, on what is now Polish land, near the ancient wooden Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos from 1740 (beautifully restored, which serves as a temple for local Roman Catholics), there is a modest monument on the grave of the author of the melody of the Ukrainian National and State Anthem composer Father Mykhailo Verbytskyi. And on April 12, 2005, with the participation of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, the pantheon over the grave of Fr. Verbytskyi in the village Mills, the construction of which was initiated and carried out under the leadership of Stepan Lukashyk.
Mykhailo Verbytskyi's grave in Mlyny
The community of the city of Yavorov in the Lviv region erected a monument to Mykhailo Verbytskyi and named a music school and a street after him. There is also a street named after him in Lviv.
In June 2013, the All-Ukrainian competition for the best conceptual idea of a monument to Mykhailo Verbytskyi, which was announced by the Lviv Regional Socio-Cultural Society "Nadsyanya", ended. 21 projects were submitted to the competition. The project of the creative team of sculptors Andriy and Volodymyr Sukhorsky and architect Volodymyr Stasyuk won the victory. The monument was installed on December 28, 2015 in Lviv, in the square at the corner of Bandera, Verbytskoho and Chuprinka streets.
On February 27, 2015, the deputies of the Ternopil City Council made a decision to assign the Mykhailo Verbytsky Music School No. 2 to a communal institution.
On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the composer's birthday, on March 4, 2015, numerous delegations from Ukraine took part in solemn events held by representatives of the Ukrainian community in Poland at the cemetery in the village of Mlynakh of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, where M. Verbytskyi is buried, and in Przemyśl. The day before, February 28, in the village of Yavirnyk Russky of the Przemyśl district opened a memorial plaque on the bell tower of the church in which Fr. Mykhailo.
On May 20, 2016, a street named after Mykhailo Verbytsky appeared in Brovary.
On December 15, 2022, in the Organ Hall of Lviv, the world's largest classical portrait of the Ukrainian composer - author of the music of the Ukrainian National Anthem Mykhailo Verbytskyi was opened. The author of the portrait is Lviv artist Hleb Rakhmanin.
Canon
Operettas, vaudevilles, melodramas, music for historical plays:
"Verhovyntsy", libr. M. Ustiyanovich based on the play by Y. Kozhenovskyi "Karpaccy górale" in 2 acts
"Cossack and hunter", adaptation of I. Vitoshynskyi's play by A. Kotzeb "Kozak und Freiwilliges"
"Soldier-wizard", based on I. Kotlyarevsky's vaudeville "Moskal-wizard", in the 1st act
"The lost cat", in the 1st act
"Gryts Maznytsia", adaptation of I. Naumovych's comedy "Georg Danden" by J. B. Moliere
"Protsikha, or Polleta will come in handy at times", comedy-operara in 3 acts, adaptation of Yu. Zhelehivskyi from Pols. plays by I. Tansky "Plotka się czasem przyda" (all 1849)
"Highlanders", libr. I. Gushalevych, in 3 acts (1864, printed piano translation by V. Matyuk, 1877)
"Schoolboy on a journey", adaptation of V. Lozinskyi (Lozovskyi) pols. plays "Przyblęda" ("Stray")
"Galya", adaptation of V. Lozinskyi (Lozovskyi) French. plays "Ketty", in 2 acts
"An angel is not a wife among people, Satan is at home with a husband", adapted from the French, in 3 acts
"The 13th Bridegroom, or Dreams Before the Wedding", adaptation with German, in the 1st act
"Not to love" ("Not to love"), libr. K. Shapovala, in 2 acts
"Buanarotti, or Frozen Envy", a comedy-drama by H. Yakimovich in 3 acts
"Fedko Ostrozhsky", a play by O. Ogonovsky in 5 acts
"Nastya", drama by V. Ilnytskyi, in the 1st act (all 1866)
"Rural Plenipotentiaries", libr. I. Gushalevich, in 3 acts (1867-69, premiere 1879)
"There's a treasure for you", a play by H. Kvitka-Osnovyanenko, in the 1st act (1867)
"The Black Sea Battle in the Kuban", a play by Ya. Kuharenko, in 3 acts (1867)
"Roja", adapted from the French, in the 1st act
"And money is useless, as the mind is lazy", adapted from the French. (1867)
"The simpleton", in the 1st act (1870)
"Narrow boots", adapted from the French. by A. Stechynskyi, in the 1st act (1867-69)
Symphonies-overtures:
D major (No. 1), introduction to "Verkhovyntsi" (1848-50)
G major
C major - A minor - C major (1848-50, copy under the title "Symphony II")
A minor — E minor — A major (1848-50, III A)
B flat major — G major (1863, No. 4)
E minor — G major (1865, No. 5)
G minor — E-flat major [1865, copy under the title "VI Symphony" publ. under the editorship D. Sichinsky in the publishing house "Stanislavsky Boyan" (see "Boyan Stanislavskyi'), 1905]
F minor — F major (1865, in autograph title "Symphony VI)
A minor — A major (1865, No. 7)
overtures to the operettas "Not to Love" (1866), "Black Sea Beaten" (1867), "Simple Man" (1870)
Polonaises in E major, C major (1849, intermission to "Verkhovyntsy"), variations, marches, waltzes for guitar
Church choirs:
Liturgy for mixed choir (1847), version for male choir (1865)
coll. "Spiritual works". — K., 2004
manuscript copies - "The Angel cried out"
"Blessed be the name of the Lord"
"Mercy of the world"
"I sing you"
"Our Father" - for mixed choir (printed in the collection: Kipriyan I. Score of church and secular chants. - Przemyśl, 1882)
"Eternal Memory"
"God, have mercy" - for a male choir (printed in the collection: Funeral songs. - L., 1912)
"One Holiday - praise!" - for mixed choir (printed in the collection: Okhrimovych i. Liturgical songs. - L., 1927, note 25, part 6): "Christ is Risen" (the so-called "Great" , printed in the collection: Church songs from various authors, arranged for the Jena choir by Fr. Viktor Matyuk. — L., 1894)
"I sing you"
"Christ is Risen" - for male choir (autographs)
Men's a cappella choirs
on sl. V. Shashkevich - "Singing" ("Oh you, my songs", published in the collection: Verbytskyi M. Chhotyriglasnyk. - L., 1882, Kobzar. - L" 1885)
"Lily-will"
"On the steamer"
"Farewell" ("My spring flowers", published in the same place)
"Grey eyes" (published in translation into mixed chorus in the collection: Boyan. — L., 1884, Kobzar)
"It used to be, but now" ("It used to be when I was small, I sit down", autograph, 1869)
"Opinion" ("Oi zazule, zazulenko", published in the collection: Verbytskyi M. Chotyrigolosnyk)
"Pity" ("So that my wounds knew", published in the named collections: Boyan, Kobzar)
"Current song" (published in the collection: Verbytskyi M. Chotyryglasnyk)
"The flower is praying" ("Once a moth dove", published in the collection: Kobzar)
"Tears" ("In the green, the solo starts a tag")
"Spring"
on sl. I. Gushalevych - "Widovets" ("I'll take a snipe", published in the collection: Kobzar)
"Until Dawn" (ibid.)
"Mention" (ibid.)
"Where are you sailing"
"Funeral"
"Who is behind us, God is behind him"
soldier's cycle: 1st part — "Buvai zdora" ("Ah, already the last wave of separation")
Part 2 — "God is merciful"
Part 3 — "Battle"
4th part — "After the battle" ("Everything has quieted down")
on sl. by other authors — "To the death" ("Give, girl, to us champagne" (after V. Stebelskyi, autograph 1869, published in the collection: Verbytskyi M. Chhotyryglasnyk)
"Poklin" ("Gay on the mountain on the high", according to Yu. Fedkovich, 1866, published in the collection: Boyan)
"Ukraine is not dead yet" (by P. Chubynskyi, published in the collection: Kobzar)
"Bequest" ("Testament", according to T. Shevchenko, for double choir, solo and supr. orch., 1868, published in Lviv in 1877 with piano accompaniment)
Solo singing, vocal ensembles
"Widow's Cry", on sl. Ant. Luzhetsky, with piano accompaniment (published: Widow's Cry. — Przemyśl, 1853, authorship doubtful)
"Give me peace of mind"
"Walk" ("Oh Dana, My Dana")
"The Happy Husband" (all 3 with guitar accompaniment, autographs in the manuscript collection: Quitarre, No. 16)
"We don't want someone else's", sl. V. Shashkevych, duet for tenor and baritone with piano accompaniment (published in ed.: Biblioteka muzikalna. — L., 1886. — Issue 6).
