A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Bortniansky, Dimitri

BORTNIANSKY (acc. BARTNANSKY), Dimitri, called the Russian Palestrina, was born at Gloukoff, a village of the Ukraine, in 1752, and early showed remarkable ability. He studied in Moscow and in Petersburg under Galuppi, at that time Capellmeister there. Galuppi soon left Russia, but the Empress Catherine supplied Bortniansky with funds to follow him to Venice (1768). He afterwards studied in Bologna, Rome, and Naples. The motets he composed at this period are not remarkable except for richness of harmony. Pälschlich counts him among the opera-composers then in Italy. In 1779 he returned to Russia, and became director of the Empress's church-choir (later—1796—called the 'Imperial Kapelle'), which he thoroughly reformed, and for which he composed 35 sacred concertos in 4 parts, 10 concertos for double choir, and a mass for 3 voices. It was this choir which was placed at the disposal of Boieldieu when, as chapel-master at Petersburg, he was commissioned to compose the music for Racine's 'Athalie.' Bortniansky has the merit of reducing Russian church music to a system. [App. p.555 "His complete compositions have been published in 10 vols., edited by Tschaikowsky (Bernard, St. Petersburg)."] He died Sept. 28 (Oct. 9), 1825. [App. p.555 "Oct. 28, 1828 (Paloschi)."]

[ F. G. ]