Unknown impressionism

BARVINS`KY

Vasyl` Barvins`ky (1888, Ternopil` – 1963, L`viv) – Ukrainian composer, pianist, musicologist, teacher. Doctor of Musicology (1940). Honored Doctor of Ukrainian University in Prague (1938). He studied piano in Music School of K. Mikuli under M. Jashek-Soltysova, V. Kvasnyts`ki, P. Bernats`ka (1895–1905), W. Kurts (1905–06) in L`viv. At the same time he studied low in L`viv University, since 1907 – philosophy in Karlowy University (Prague). He has completed Prague Conservatory (in 1911 piano under I. Goldfeld, in 1914 composition under V.Novak). During 1911–14 Barvins`ky worked in Prague. His first composer`s concert was organized here (1913). Since 1914 he lived in L`viv; during 1915–39 he was a professor and a director of the Lysenko Higher Music Institute. He worked actively in the Union of Ukrainian Professional Musicians (a special organization in Western Ukraine of 1930s) as one of its founders (in 1934) and as a Head of it (1936–39). In 1920s he had given concerts in the cities of Western Ukraine together with singers A. Krushel`nyts`ka, M. Mentsyns`ky, O. Ljubych-Parahonyak, R.Ljubynets`kyj, violinist Je. Perfets`kyj. During 1928–29 with cellist B. Berezhnyts`ky he performed in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovs`k. In 1939–41, 1944–48 he was a professor and a director of L`viv Conservatory. In 1948 Barvins`ky was injusticely repressed by Stalin totalitarian regime for ten years in the camps of Mordva. After exile, in 1958 brokened morally and physically he had returned to Ukraine. Till the end of his life Barvins`ky revived from memory his scores which had been burned while he was in exile. After his death his works have been forgotten until the end of 1980s. Beginnig from 1990s, his name and works have been returned from oblivion thanks to processes of national renascence and to active work of musicologist, professor Stefania Pavlyshyn,

As a composer Barvins`ky has formed himself in the Prague school, studing composition under V. Novak from whom adopted Czech national tradition – combination of the national music peculiarities with achievements of modern age<sup>12</sup>. Just impressionistic works Barvins`ky has written during his training in Prague (1907–1915). So Impressionism for him was one of the components in a process of individual manner crystallization.

Among the works of this period where the features of Impressionism show themselves the most brightly are: the child piece for piano “Frog Valse”, the preludes for piano in e minor, in F sharp major, “Improvisation” (part of piano cycle), the romance “In Wood”, trio in a minor (second part). In list of these works we can notice two characteristic traits: for one thing the compositions of an impressionistic manner are found side by side with the pieces of other, romantic trend, not infrequently united with them in one cycle; for other thing, in these works are absent program titles (with an exception of “Frog Valse”). And in such case there was manifested originality of the artist, for whom genre determination of clear instrumental music is self-sufficient and does not demand a non-musical explanations.

An analyze of these works shows a peculiarity of impressionistic features manifestation in Barvins`ky`s individual style: special admiring by transparent, pure, gentle colours which one can see in modal thinking, harmony, in selection of the texture means.