Dmitri Stepanovich Bortnianski

Dmitri Stepanovich Bortnianski
Dmitry S. Bortniansky
Short Name: Dmitri Stepanovich Bortnianski
Full Name: Bortnianski, Dmitri Stepanovich, 1751-1825
Birth Year: 1751
Death Year: 1825

Dimitri Stepanovitch Bortniansky (1751-1825) Ukraine 1751-1825
Born in Glukhov, Ukraine, he joined the imperial choir at age 8 and studied with Galuppi, who later took the lad with him to Italy, where he studied for 10 years, becoming a composer, harpsichordist, and conductor. While in Italy he composed several operas and other instrumental music, composing more operas and music later in Russia. In 1779 he returned to Russia, where he was appointed Director to the Imperial Chapel Choir, the first as a native citizen. In 1796 he was appointed music director. With such a great instrument at his disposal, he produced many compositions, 100+ religious works, sacred concertos, cantatas, and hymns. He influenced Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovshy, the latter editing Bortniansky's sacred work, amassing 10 volumnes. He died in St. Petersburg. He was so popular in Russia that a bronze statue was erected in his honor in the Novgorod Kremlin. He composed in different musical styles, including choral works in French, Italian, Latin, German, and Church Slavonic.

John Perry

Wikipedia Biography

Dmitry Stepanovich Bortniansky (28 October 1751 – 10 October [O.S. 28 September] 1825) was a Russian Imperial composer of Ukrainian Cossack origin. He was a composer, harpsichordist and conductor who served at the court of Catherine the Great. Bortniansky was critical to the musical history of both Ukraine and Russia, with both nations claiming him as their own.

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