Nikolay Lysenko, Ukrainian composer: biography, creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Nikolay Lysenko, whose biography is described in this article, is a Ukrainian composer and conductor, pianist, public figure, and talented teacher. All his life he collected song folklore. He did a lot for the social and cultural life of Ukraine.

Family

Lysenko Nikolay Vitalyevich comes from an old Cossack family. His father, Vitaly Romanovich, was a colonel in a cuirassier regiment. Mother, Olga Eremeevna, descended from landowners Lutsenko.

Childhood

From early childhood, Nikolai, who was born in 1842, was taught by his mother herself, together with the poet Fet. She taught Nikolai French, dancing and correct manners. And Fet taught Russian. When Nikolai was 5 years old, Olga Eremeevna discovered in her son a penchant for music. A music teacher was invited to develop talent. From early childhood, Nikolai was fond of poetry. His love for Ukrainian folk songs was instilled in him by his grandparents.

Education

After home schooling ended, Nikolai began to prepare for entering the gymnasium. At first he studied at the Weyl boarding school, andthen Guedouin. Nikolai Lysenko entered the 2nd Kharkov Gymnasium in 1855. He graduated with a silver medal in 1859

Then he entered Kharkov University. to the Faculty of Natural Sciences. A year later, the parents left to live in Kyiv, and Nikolai moved to the Kyiv University, to the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, to the Department of Natural Sciences. He graduated from the university in 1864 and a year later became a candidate of natural sciences.

After some time, in 1867, Nikolai Vitalievich continued his studies at the Leipzig Conservatory, which was the best in all of Europe. He was taught to play the piano by K. Reinecke, E. Wenzel and I. Moscheles, compositions - E. Richter, theory - Paperitz. Further, Nikolai Lysenko improved in symphonic instrumentation at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with Rimsky-Korsakov.

The beginning of the creative path

In high school he took private music lessons. And gradually became a famous pianist. He was often invited to balls and parties, where he performed works by Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven. Played dance compositions and improvised with Ukrainian melodies.

When Nikolai studied at Kiev University, he sought to acquire as much knowledge of music as possible. Therefore, he carefully studied the operas of such famous composers as Glinka, Wagner, etc. It was from that time that Mykola began to collect and harmonize Ukrainian folk songs.

At the same time, Nikolai Lysenko organized student choirs, which he led, and performed with themin public. While studying at the Leipzig Conservatory, he realized that it was more important to create, collect and develop Ukrainian folk music than to copy foreign classics.

Creative career

Since 1878, Nikolai became a piano teacher, working at the Institute of Noble Maidens. In the 1890s taught young people at the music schools of Tutkovsky and Blumenfeld. In 1904, Nikolai Vitalievich founded his own school in Kyiv (since 1913 - named after Lysenko). It became the first institution to provide higher education at the conservatory level.

To create a school, he used the money donated by his friends, which was intended to buy a dacha and publish his works. The educational institution was constantly under close police control. In 1907, Nikolai Vitalievich was even arrested, but he was released the very next morning.

From 1908 to 1912 he chaired the board of the Ukrainian Club. This society led educational activities. Organized musical and literary evenings and refresher courses for teachers. In 1911, Nikolai Vitalievich was the head of the committee that contributed to the installation of the monument to T. Shevchenko. It was Lysenko who subsequently perfected the music for the operetta Natalka Poltavka.

Lysenko's work

Lysenko wrote his first work in 1868, when he studied at the Leipzig Conservatory. It was a collection of Ukrainian songs for piano with voice. This work has greatscientific and ethnographic value. In the same year, the second work was published - "Zapovit", written on the anniversary of Shevchenko's death.

Followed by a whole cycle called "Music for the Kobzar". It includes over 80 individual works. Their genres were different. All works were published in seven series. The last one came out in 1901

Nikolay Lysenko has always been at the center of Kyiv's cultural life. Being in the leadership of the Russian Musical Society, he took an active part in many concerts that were held throughout Ukraine.

Engaged in musical circles. And even obtained permission to stage plays performed in Ukrainian. In 1872, Nikolai Vitalievich wrote two operettas: "Christmas Night" and "Chernomortsy". Subsequently, they became the basis of national Ukrainian art, forever entering the theatrical repertoire.

In 1873 Lysenko published the first musicological work on Ukrainian folklore. At the same time, Nikolai Vitalievich wrote piano works and symphonic fantasy.

In St. Petersburg, together with V. Paskhalov, he arranged choral concerts. Their program included works by Lysenko, as well as Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian and Polish songs. It was in St. Petersburg that he wrote his first rhapsody on a Ukrainian theme, the 1st and 2nd polonaises, and the piano sonata.

Returning to Kyiv in 1876, Lysenko focused on performing activities. He organized concerts, played the piano, created new choirs. Collected money fromhe donated events to public needs. It was during this time that he wrote most of his major works.

In 1880, Nikolai Vitalievich began to work on one of the best operas "Taras Bulba". Many more pieces of music followed. Separately, it is worth noting the improvement of music in the operetta "Natalka Poltavka" in 1889. This work has been subjected to numerous adaptations more than once. But only in Lysenko's edition did it turn out to be artistically complete.

Nikolai Vitalievich created a separate direction - a children's opera. From 1892 to 1902 he arranged choral tours in Ukraine. In 1904, Lysenko opened a drama school, which for many years became an important Ukrainian institution for special education.

In 1905 he, together with A. Kosice, founded the Boyan society-choir. Conducted by the creators themselves. But soon "Boyan" broke up due to political conditions and lack of material resources. The society lasted only a year.

In the last years of his life, Lysenko wrote the work "Aeneid". The opera ruthlessly criticized the autocratic regime and became the only example of satire in the musical Ukrainian theater.

Community activities

All his life, Nikolai was engaged not only in creativity, but also in social activities. He is one of the organizers of the peasant Sunday school. Engaged in the preparation of the Ukrainian dictionary. Participated in the census of the Kyiv population. Worked in the Southwestern Branch of the Russian Geographical Society.

Personallife

In 1868, Lysenko married his second cousin, Olga Alexandrovna O'Connor. She was 8 years younger than him. They lived in marriage for 12 years, but then separated because they had no children. They did not formalize the divorce.

Lysenko's second marriage was civil. At one of the concerts in Chernigov, he met Lipskaya Olga Antonovna. She later became his common-law wife. They had five children. Olga died after giving birth to another child in 1900

Death of a composer

Lysenko Nikolai, composer, died on November 6, 1912 from a sudden heart attack. Thousands of people from all Ukrainian regions came to say goodbye to him. The funeral service was held in the Vladimir Cathedral. The choir walked ahead of the funeral procession. It consisted of 1200 people, and their singing could be heard even in Kyiv. Lysenko was buried at the Baikove cemetery in Kiev.