Vasyl Oleksandrovich Barvinsky (Ukrainian: Василь Олександрович Барвінський) (February 20, 1888 – June 9, 1963) was Ukrainian composer, pianist, conductor, teacher, musicologist, and music related social figure.
Barvinsky was one of the first Ukrainian composers to gain worldwide recognition. His pieces were published not only in the Soviet Union, but also in Vienna, Leipzig, New York (Universal Edition), and Japan. Barvinsky directed a post-secondary musical institution in the city of Lviv (1915-1948), and was considered to be the head of musical life at the time. Currently there is a College of Music named after Barvinsky in Drohobych city of Ukraine.
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Vasyl Barvinsky was born in Ternopil, on February 20, 1888. Barvinsky descended from an older aristocratic family. Barvinsky's father, Oleksander Barvinsky, was famous Ukrainian pedagogue, politician, and public figure. In 1917 he was appointed a member of the Austrian upper chamber. Vasyl's mother, singer and pianist, became his first music teacher.
Barvinsky gained professional music education in Lviv conservatory. Barvinsky continued his music education in Prague. Among his teachers were Vilém Kurz (piano), and Vítězslav Novák (composition).
Barvinsky has written about 30 works. Barvinsky’s compositions are said to be impressive by their “… matureness’, thoughtfulness and delicacy”. Barvinsky composed in various genres except ballet and opera. His style, late romantic with impressionistic features, was also strongly influenced by Ukrainian folklore. Although many of Barvinsky's works were lost, most of his creative inheritance remained and is performed worldwide.
"Ukrainian Rhapsody" (Ukrainska Rapsodiya - Українська рапсодія)
Piano cycle "Love" (Liubov - Любов)
Piano Sonata in C sharp minor
Piano Trio in A minor
Piano Preludes
Piano Concerto in F minor
Five miniatures on Ukrainian folk themes
Cycle for piano "Koliadki i Shchedrivky" (Колядки і щедрівки)
Piano collection for children: "Our Sun is Playing Piano" (Nashe Sonechko Graye na Fortepiano - Наше сонечко грає на фортепіано)
"Ukrainian Suite" (Ukrainska syuita - Українська сюїта)
"Lemkiv's Suite" (Lemkivshchyna) (Lemkinska suita - Лемківська сюїта)
"Lemkiv's Dances" (Lemkivsky tanzi - Лемківські танці)
Choir miniature: "The Sun is Already Down" (Uje sonechko zakotilosia - Уже Сонечко Закотилося)
Children Choirs:
"On the Christmas Tree" (Na yalinku - На ялинку)
"Summer" - (Lito - Літо)
"The song of pupils" (Pisnia Shkoliariv - Пісня школярів)
Folk-song Arrangements:
"There on the Hill are Two Oaklets" (Tam na gori dva dubki - Там на горі два дубки)
"Two Lemkiv's folk songs" (Dvi lemkivski narodni pisni - Дві Лемківські народні пісні)
Six Solo Arrangements of Folk Songs, composed in 1912:
Yangil-yarilochka (Ягіл-ягілочка)
Oi, hodyla divchyna berijkom (Ой, ходила дівчина беріжком)
Chy ty virno mene liubysh (Чи ти вірно мене любиш)
Vyishly v pole kosari (Вийшли в поле косарі)
Oi, ziydy, ziydy, yasen misiaziu (Ой, зійди, зійди, ясен місяцю)
Lullaby Oi Hodit Son (Ой ходиь сон)
Chamber music:
Sonata for Cello and Piano
Nocturne for Cello (1910)
Variations on folk-song theme for Cello (1918) (Variaziyi na temu narodnoi pisni "Oi, pyla, pyla ta Lymeryha na medoo" - Варіації на тему народної пісні "Ой, пила, пила та Лимериха на меду")
"Dumka" for Viola (1920) (Думка)
Sonata and Suite for Viola and Piano
Suite for Viola (1927)
Sextet for piano and five string instruments
String Quartet "Molodijniy" (published in 1941)
String Quartet in B flat major
For Violin: "Gumoreska", "Sumna Pisnia", "Kozachok", "Metelyzia", "Pisnia bez sliv" also known as "Harodna Melodiya"
"Bela Bartok in Lviv" (Bela Bartok oo Lvovi - Бела Барток у Львові)
"An overview of Ukrainian Music History" (Ogliad istoriyi ukrainskoi muzyky - Огляд історії української музики) "Ukrainian Music" (Ukrainska muzyka -Українська музика)
"The New Age of Ukrainian Music" (co-authored by Steshko and Liudkevich)(Nova doba ukrainskoi muzyky -Нова доба української музики)
"My Memories about Mykola Lysenko" (1937) (Moyi spogadi pro Mykolu Lysenka - Мої спогади про Миколу Лисенка) "Viktor Kosenko" (1939)
"Creative Work of V. Novak" (Tvorchist V. Novaka - Творчість В. Новака)
"Ukrainian Folk Song and Ukrainian Composers" (Prague 1914) (Ukrainska narodna pisnia i ukrainski kompozitori -Українська народна пісня і українські композитори)
"Characteristics of Ukrainian folk song and its Research" (Harakterystyka ukrainskoi narodnoi pisni ta iyi doslidjennia - Характеристика української народної пісні та її дослідження)