Berezovsky, Maxim Sozontovich

He was born on October 16 (27), 1745 . The composer's father was a poor nobleman of the coat of arms of Sas . The birthplace of Berezovsky is not reliably known, but childhood passed in Glukhov in the Sumy region - the residence of the hetman K. Razumovsky . There, little Maxim studied at the famous singing school, founded on the initiative of the hetman D. Apostle . Pupils studied “Kiev”, “four-voice” and “partess” (for several parts) singing, musical notation, playing cymbals and bandura . Both young and older students were admitted to the school. During the two-year study, they sang in the school choir and the Glukhov Nikolaev Church; attended opera, ballet and drama performances, choral and symphony concerts at the hetman's residence.

Presumably studied at the Kiev Theological Academy . From the age of 13 (1758), a singer in a chapel at the court of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich - the future emperor Peter III ; J. Shtelin mentions the name of Berezovsky as a singer in the productions of Italian operas in Oranienbaum in 1759 and 1769 ^[1] . In 1763, he married the daughter of the French horn player of the court orchestra, Francine Huberscher, a graduate of the Oranienbaum theater school, a dancer of the court theater.

In the 1760s, Berezovsky, who served as a court chamber musician, created a number of choral church concerts and songs. His composing skills have received many approving reviews of contemporaries - the composer was praised for the good taste and melody of the works. The History of Russian Music writes that a classical-type choral concert of M. Berezovsky combined the traditions of Russian church singing “ a cappella ” (without instrumental accompaniment) with the singing of Italian choral schools. It established itself in the 1760s thanks to the works of Italians who worked in Russia, as well as choral cantatas of the first author in this genre - Berezovsky.

In the spring of 1769, Berezovsky was sent to the Bologna Philharmonic Academy, where he studied until 1771. This most prestigious educational institution since the 17th century trained musicians for the whole of Europe. Confidence in the skill of graduates of the Academy was based on the high scientific and pedagogical authority of its head, the famous composer J.-B. Martini , whom contemporaries called the "god of music." He became a teacher of Berezovsky.

To obtain the title of academician, it was not only necessary to pass three levels of training, but also to pass exams - to write a musical work, it was necessary to study very well (since in those days uneducated people were considered poor). Berezovsky had to create a polyphonic (polyphonic) composition in a certain style on a given topic. He passed the exam at the Bologna Philharmonic Academy ^[2] for the title of academic composer ( 1771 ) - the Czech composer Josef Myslivechek was examined on the same day, and the year before this young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , who also became an academician.

In 1771, Berezovsky received the status of a foreign member of the Bologna Academy. This title gave a foreigner the right to work as a bandmaster . The protocol manuscript of Berezovsky’s “antiphone”, signed by Massimo Berezovsky, is still kept in the archive of the academy. Berezovsky’s stay in Italy was not limited to Bologna , the composer visited Venice , where he received a scholarship, and visited Livorno , where the Russian naval squadron stood. For the traditional winter carnival in Livorno, Berezovsky wrote the opera Demofont (the libretto by P. Metastasio , staged in 1773 in Livorno ). Tradition claims that he did this at the request of the commander of the Russian flotilla Orlov.

Having lived in Italy for more than four years, Berezovsky also visited other cities. On the manuscript of his “Sonatas for violin and champagne” the place of writing is designated Pisa. In the Italian archives, the Symphony and three clavier sonatas were revealed. The cantata and concert scores, the existence of which is known from various sources, have not yet been found.

In October 1773, the composer returned to St. Petersburg and was appointed to the staff of the imperial theaters, and eight months later - the bandmaster of the court chapel.

Evidence of the last years of Berezovsky’s life is contradictory. According to the first biographer of the composer Eugene (Bolkhovitinov), he "fell into hypochondria" and "stabbed himself." Some biographers attributed this suicide to Berezovsky’s acquaintance with the disgraced princess Tarakanova . The modern biographer of the composer M. G. Ritsarev denies this version of the composer's last years. She points out that Berezovsky returned to Russia two years before the arrest of Tarakanova, and the version of suicide first appears in the books of Eugene only in the second decade of the 19th century .; according to Rytsareva, in March 1777 , Berezovsky fell ill with fever, which served as the reason for his sudden death.

Along with D.S. Bortnyansky Berezovsky is considered the creator of the classical type of Russian choral concert (without instrumental accompaniment). Among his music for the choir is the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (the most famous part is “I Believe”), choral concerts (“Lord, reign,” “I will burp my heart”, “Grace and judgment”, “Glory to God in the highest”, “Not imams other help ”), sacrament verses (“ Become familiar with us ”,“ In eternal memory ”,“ Praise the Lord from heaven ”, etc.). The pinnacle of Berezovsky’s work in the field of sacred music is a choir concert “Do not reject me during old age” (to separate verses of Psalm 70 ).

At the same time, West European Baroque music had a significant impact on the composer's work. In Italy, Berezovsky composed mainly salon music in a classicist manner; among the major works in the "Western" style - the opera series "Demofont" (Livorno, 1773; 4 arias preserved) and sonata for violin and harpsichord (1772).

Some works by Berezovsky have not yet been published.

Today, the composer's creative heritage is included in the repertoires of many European choral groups. Along with Bortnyansky and Vedel, Berezovsky is one of the most talented Russian composers of the 18th century.

• Vorotnikov P.M. Berezovsky and Galuppi // Library for readings. Journal of Literature <...> v. 105 (1851), pp. 40-55.
• Lebedev N.A. Berezovsky and Bortnyansky as composers of church singing. - St. Petersburg, 1882.
• Rytsareva M. G. Composer M. S. Berezovsky / reviewer and scientific editor Keldysh Yu. V. - L .: Music, 1983. - 144 p. - 23,000 copies.

• Gerasimova-Persian N. Partnership concert in the history of musical culture. M., 1983.
• Rytsareva M. Was there a suicide // The Art of Leningrad. 1990, No. 2.
• Berezovsky M.S. // Great Russian Encyclopedia . T.3. M .. 2005, p. 357.

• Maxim Berezovsky - about life and work
• Nestor Vasilievich Kukolnik “Maxim Sozontovich Berezovsky” Historical Tale / Traditions of Ages. In 2 volumes. Russian historical novel of the 19th - early 20th centuries.
• Berezovsky, Maxim Sozontovich // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Berezovsky, Maxim Sozontovich // Russian Biographical Dictionary : in 25 volumes. - SPb. , 1900. - T. 2: Aleksinsky - Bestuzhev-Ryumin. - S. 733-734.
• Russian Mozart // Official site of Lyudmila Mironova
• Quiz "Ten facts of the biography of composer Maxim Berezovsky"