M. Berezovsky

«Ukrainian Mozart» — Maksim Sozontovich Berezovsky — born October 16, 1745 in poor Cossack family in Hlukhiv, then the Hetman capital, which had unique music school in the whole Russian Empire¹.Creative work of Maxim Berezovsky (1745-1777), one of the most outstanding composers of the XVIII century, is the greatest mystery in the history of Ukrainian music. Being the brilliant opera singer and the violinist, he became the first native composer, who has got the most fundamental musical education for that time and whose talent was recognized all over Europe. His operas were staged at prestige Italian theatres, instrumental and best European musicians executed choir works. But it was his choir compositions that brought him the widest fame. They became the bridge, which joined the highest professionalism of the West- European composers’ school with the native one considering tradition of singing a cappella. His most popular works are his sacred choral pieces written for the Orthodox Church. Much of his work has been lost; only three of the 18 known choralconcertos have been found. Dmitry Bortniansky was thought to be the first Ukrainian symphonic composer until the discovery in 2002 of Berezovsky's Symphony in C by Steven Fox in the Vatican archives, composed around 1770-72.

His famous choir concert “Do not repudiate me in my old age” became a model of choir cyclic concert, the influence of which neither Bortnyansky and Vedel nor other composers of the XIX-XX centuries could avoid. It is famous also nowadays, alongside with works of his outstanding contemporary and class-fellow W.A.Mozart, with whom Berezovsky studied at Bologna Philharmonic Academy. Circumstances did not allow exposing his mighty talent completely, as he died when he was only 32, in the prime of his life. Most of the facts of the composer’s biography are unknown. Creative activity of Berezovsky also remains a mystery; only few of his musical works have been preserved till now. His most well famous concert “Do not repudiate me…” has become a classical one long time ago and it exists now in numerous interpretations.

Less known composer’s works: cycles of liturgies and sacramental verses, most of which were written in Italy, as well as one of the earliest choir concert “Let the Lord Enthrone”.

The tragic lot of a composer who lived only slightly over thirty years also has happened with his creative heritage. A large number of his works are mostly likely irretrievably lost and the surviving ones are in various libraries all over the world. There is not even an authentic image of the composer. A number of his works known to contemporaries cannot be restored. His 250th anniversary was extensively marked in Ukraine in 1995. There were numerous concerts and a monument solemnly opened in Hlukhiv.

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