18 Facts About Dmitry Bortniansky

Dmitry Bortniansky was a harpsichordist and conductor who served at the court of Catherine the Great.

Dmitry Bortniansky, who has been compared to Palestrina, is known today for his liturgical works and prolific contributions to the genre of choral concertos.

Dmitry Bortniansky was one of the "Golden Three" of his era, alongside Artemy Vedel and Maxim Berezovsky.

Dmitry Bortniansky was so popular in the Russian Empire that his figure was represented in 1862 in the bronze monument of the Millennium of Russia in the Novgorod Kremlin.

Dmitry Bortniansky composed in many different musical styles, including choral compositions in French, Italian, Latin, German, and Church Slavonic.

Dmitry Bortniansky's mother was of Cossack origin; her name after her first marriage was Marina Dmitrievna Tolstaya, as a widow of a Russian landlord Tolstoy, who lived in Glukhov.

Dmitry Bortniansky studied music and composition under the guidance of the Imperial Chapel Choir director Baldassare Galuppi.

Dmitry Bortniansky composed sacred works in Latin and German, both a cappella and with orchestral accompaniment, including an Ave Maria for two voices and orchestra.

Dmitry Bortniansky returned to the Saint Petersburg Court Capella in 1779.

Dmitry Bortniansky composed at least four more operas in French, with libretti by Franz-Hermann Lafermiere: Le Faucon, La fete du seigneur, Don Carlos, and Le fils-rival ou La moderne Stratonice.

Dmitry Bortniansky wrote a number of instrumental works at this time, including piano sonatas, a piano quintet with a harp, and a cycle of French songs.

Dmitry Bortniansky composed liturgical music for the Eastern Orthodox Church, combining the Eastern and Western European styles of sacred music, incorporating the polyphony he learned in Italy; some works were polychoral, using a style descended from the Venetian polychoral technique of Gabrieli.

In 1796 Dmitry Bortniansky was appointed as a director of the Imperial Chapel Choir, the first director from the Russian Empire.

Dmitry Bortniansky died in St Petersburg on 10 October 1825, and was interred at the Smolensky Cemetery in St Petersburg.

Dmitry Bortniansky's remains were transferred to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in the 20th century.

Dmitry Bortniansky wrote operas and instrumental compositions, but his sacred choral works are performed most often today.

Dmitry Bortniansky composed "The Angel Greeted the Gracious One" as a trio used by many Orthodox churches in the Easter season.

Dmitry Bortniansky's work had a significant impact on the development of Russian and Ukrainian music.