Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1896 in St. Petersburg, Russia

Death

:

1938 in Kiev, Ukraine

 

Viktor Stepanovych Kosenko was a Ukrainian composer and pianist who was born on November 23, 1896, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He was the son of a Ukrainian father and a Russian mother. Kosenko's family moved to Kyiv when he was still a child, and it was there that he began his musical education. Kosenko showed an early aptitude for music, and he began studying piano at the age of six. He went on to study at the Kyiv Conservatory, where he was a student of Felix Blumenfeld, a renowned pianist and composer. Kosenko graduated from the conservatory in 1921, and he went on to become a professor of piano at the same institution. Kosenko's music was heavily influenced by Ukrainian folk music, and he was a leading figure in the Ukrainian national school of music. He was particularly interested in the music of the Hutsuls, an ethnic group from the Carpathian Mountains in western Ukraine. Kosenko traveled extensively throughout Ukraine, collecting and studying folk songs and dances. Kosenko's early works were heavily influenced by the Romantic tradition, but he later developed a more modernist style. His music is characterized by its lyricism, harmonic complexity, and use of Ukrainian folk melodies and rhythms. One of Kosenko's most famous works is his Suite for Piano No. 1, Op. 3, which he composed in 1912. The suite consists of four movements, each of which is based on a Ukrainian folk song. The suite is notable for its use of complex harmonies and rhythms, as well as its virtuosic piano writing. Another notable work by Kosenko is his Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 14, which he composed in 1924. The sonata is a highly expressive work that showcases Kosenko's mastery of the piano. The sonata is notable for its use of Ukrainian folk melodies and rhythms, as well as its complex harmonies and textures. Kosenko also composed a number of works for orchestra, including his Symphony No. 1, Op. 9, which he composed in 1922. The symphony is a highly expressive work that showcases Kosenko's mastery of orchestration. The symphony is notable for its use of Ukrainian folk melodies and rhythms, as well as its complex harmonies and textures. In addition to his work as a composer, Kosenko was also a highly respected pianist. He gave numerous concerts throughout Ukraine and the Soviet Union, and he was known for his virtuosic performances of his own works as well as the works of other composers. Kosenko's career was cut short by his untimely death in 1938. He was arrested by the Soviet authorities and accused of anti-Soviet activities. He was sentenced to ten years in a labor camp, where he died in 1938. Despite his short career, Kosenko's music has had a lasting impact on Ukrainian classical music. His works continue to be performed and recorded today, and he is remembered as one of the most important composers of the Ukrainian national school.

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