Mikola Kolessa

Internet Edition compiled by Onno van Rijen

Updated 12 August 2007

Born

6 December 1903 in Lviv (Ukraine). Died: June 8, 2006 in Lviv (aged 102!).

Education

Having graduated from the Prague State Conservatory in the class of eminent composer Vitëzslav Novák (student of Antonin Dvorák), Maestro Kolessa set himself the task of combining folk idioms of Ukrainian mountaineers of the Carpathians with 20th century trends surfacing in the energetic music of Bartok, as well as in his teacher, Novák.

Style

Kolessa's music has deep and well-developed Ukrainian roots, it originates from those times when the only musical instrument of people was their own voice. In this case this voice at last started to sing in Ukrainian. Mykola Kolessa introduced additional musical instruments into the orchestra in order to achieve the sounding of folk hutsul instruments and ensemble.

Works

"Trifles" for piano (1928)
CD Gal Records Disk 2 (2003): Oleg Krishtalsky (piano)
Passacaglia, Scherzo and Fugue for piano (1929)
CD Gal Records Disk 6 (2003)Maria Kruchelnishka (piano)
"Gutsul Pictures" (1934)
CD Gal Records Disk 2 (2003): Oleg Krishtalsky (piano)
Fantastic Prelude for piano (1938)
CD Gal Records Disk 2 (2003): Oleg Krishtalsky (piano)
Symphony No. 1 in G major (1949)
Movements: 1. "Zacvily sady v Karpatah"; 2. "Spohady pro opryshkiv"; "Na vysokij polonyni"; 4."Narodne huljannja".
CD Gal Records Disk 4 (2003): Lviv Regional Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Mikola Kolessa (conductor)
CD ASV CD DCA 963: Odessa PO, Hobart Earle (cond)
Three Columns for piano (1958)
CD Gal Records Disk 6 (2003)Maria Kruchelnishka (piano)
Symphony No. 2 in A minor (1966)
Movements: 1. "Allegro moderate"; 2. "Adagio"; 3. "Allegro"; 4. "Allegro"
CD Gal Records Disk 4 (2003): Lviv Regional Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Mikola Kolessa (conductor)
"To the Mountain", suite (1972)
CD Gal Records Disk 2 (2003): String Group of Lviv Symphony Orchestra, Roman Filiptsik (cond)
Three Miniatures for piano (1987)
CD Gal Records Disk 6 (2003)Maria Kruchelnishka (piano)
And furthermore:

Eleven Songs for chorus

Ukrainian Capella "Trembita", Mikola Kulik (conductor)
Four Preludes for piano
CD Gal Records Disk 6 (2003)Maria Kruchelnishka (piano)
Lemki's Weddings
CD Gal Records Disk 2 (2003): Kiev Chamber Chorus & String Quartet, Viktor Ikonnik (cond)
Passacaglia for piano
CD Gal Records Disk 2 (2003): Oleg Krishtalsky (piano)
Three Gutsul Pieces
CD Gal Records Disk 2 (2003): Lviv Symphony Orchestra, Mikola Kolessa (cond), Igor Kushplev (voice)
Three Songs for voice and orchestra
Svetlana Mamtsur (voice), Maria Makara (piano)
Three Suites for chamber orchestra
Lviv Chamber Orchestra, Igor Pilatioek (conductor)
Two Songs for voice and piano
Taisia Dzoebitsh (voice), Maria Makara (piano)
Two Songs for voice and piano
Oksana Prudnik (voice), Maria Makara (piano)
Variations for orchestra
CD Gal Records Disk 6 (2003)Lviv Regional Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Stepan Turchak (conductor)
Wings Amongs Trees
CD Gal Records Disk 2 (2003): Ukraine Capella "Trembita", Igor Zhuk (cond)

Thanks to Pier Giorgio Leone from Italy for this information.
This opuslist is not complete.

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