Sergei Bortkiewicz, Ukrainian Composer: "Through Hardship To The Stars"

Description
Sergei Bortkiewicz, a Ukrainian composer and pianist, was oppressed by the Soviets and the Nazis, a refugee and survivor of two World Wars, yet he composed wonderfully rich, appealing and colourful music. Join me, as we take a minute to get the scoop!

Fun Fact
The outbreak of World War I in 1914 changed Bortkiewicz's life: Being a citizen of the Russian Empire, he was—together with his wife—initially put under house arrest and later deported from Germany to Russia. He returned to Kharkov, where he established himself as a music teacher, and also gave concerts. Hear his 3rd Piano Concerto.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com 

Transcript

In this episode, I wanted to highlight the work of Ukrainian composer Sergei Bortkiewicz. 

Sergei Bortkiewicz was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine in 1877. He later attended the Imperial Conservatory of Music in Saint Petersburg subsequently studying with Franz Liszt.

He eventually settled in Berlin and began seriously composing. His musical style builds on the sounds and structures of Chopin, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff. 

Oppressed by the Soviets and the Nazis, a refugee and survivor of two World Wars, he composed rich and emotionally charged music. 

One such piece was his 3rd piano concerto. It carries the Latin subtitle “per aspera ad astra,” (Through hardship to the Stars). An ominous foreshadowing of the current crisis in Ukraine.

This powerful work runs at only roughly half an hour but packs a punch with sweeping melodies and virtuosity on the part of the piano soloist.