Bortnianski (Bortnyansky), Dmitri Stepanovich (Dmitro Stepanovych)

Composer

b Gloukoff (Hlukiv), Ukraine 1751, d St Petersburg, Russia 1825. A boy with a fine voice, probably first attending Hlukiv Choir Sch, whom Catherine the Great arranged to be trained by Galuppi at St Petersburg from 1758, then in Vienna. He was recalled in 1779 to be in charge of the imperial choir, training it to superb standards. Composed operas, instrumental pieces, choral music to be sung unaccompanied in the Orthodox Church, and much other church music edited after his death by Tchaikovsky. His work has enjoyed a revival of interest in post-Soviet Ukraine. No.80.