Mykola Leontovych
Mykola Dmytrowytsch Leontowytsch ( Ukrainian Микола Дмитрович Леонтович ; born December 1, jul. / 13. December 1877 greg. In Monastyrok , Podolia Governorate , Russian Empire ; † 23. January 1921 in Markiwka , Podolia Governorate, Ukrainian SSR ) was a Ukrainian composer , Choir director and teacher. His international fame goes back to his work Shtschedryk , which was adapted in 1936 by Peter J. Wilhousky in English under the title Carol of the Bells . In this version it is one of the most famous Christmas carols today, especially in the Anglo-American region.
Life
After studying theology, Mykola Leontowytsch first worked as a teacher in the governorates of Kiev , Yekaterinoslav and Podolia. But soon he decided to study music, for which he attended courses in Saint Petersburg and Kiev . There he quickly acquired the reputation of an accomplished choir director. From 1918 he taught at the Kiev Conservatory and at the Lysenko Institute of Music and Drama .
In his creative work, Leontowytsch left over 150 compositions for choirs. His entire work is strongly religious and Ukrainian-national. He liked to interpret and set Ukrainian folk songs and poems to music. His best-known work Shchedryk , a song for the Orthodox New Year , also falls into this category . He also created cantatas and other church works. He was never able to complete his Ukrainian opera Na russaltschyn velykden , which was to be based on texts by Borys Hrinchenko .
On the night of January 22nd to 23rd, 1921, Leontowytsch was shot dead by an agent of the Cheka secret service at the age of 43 in his parents' house .
Works
- Shchedryk (1916)
- Kosaka nessut
- Dudaryk
- Is-sa hory snishok letyt
- Shenchychok-Brenchychok
- Haju, haju selen rosmaju
- Na russaltschyn welykden (opera) - (unfinished)
Web links
- Sheet music in the public domain by Mykola Leontowytsch in the Choral Public Domain Library - ChoralWiki (English)
- Article Mykola Leontowytsch in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (BSE) , 3rd edition 1969–1978 (Russian)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Leontovych, Mykola |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Leontowytsch, Mykola Dmytrowytsch; Леонтович, Микола Дмитрович (Ukrainian); Leontovych, Mykola |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Ukrainian composer, choir director and teacher |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 13, 1877 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Monastyrok , Podolia Governorate , Russian Empire |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 23, 1921 |
| Place of death | Markivka , Podolia Governorate, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic |