Lev Revutsky

LEV REVUTSKY (1889, Irzhavets, Chernihiv region – 1977, Kyiv) is a composer, pedagogue and music activist. He graduated from the Mykola Lysenko Music and Drama School, the Kyiv Conservatory of Music in the composition class of R. Glier, as well as the law faculty of Kyiv University. A large part of his activity was teaching – first at Lysenko’s school and then at the Kyiv Conservatory. Along with Lyatoshynsky, Revutsky is one of the composers who set the path for Ukrainian music in the 20th century, both with his work and his pedagogical activities.

His symphonic output includes 2 symphonies, a concerto for piano and orchestra, numerous works for solo piano, as well as vocal repertoire, both for voice with piano and with orchestra. Among them are a cantata Chustyna to words by Shevchenko, Winter to words by Oles, Taras Bulba’s Monologue to words by Rylsky. Choral works occupy an important place in his work. Revutsky is the author of the editing of Mykola Lysenko’s opera Taras Bulba. Revutsky’s music is characterized by an excellent sense of harmony and form. This is music with a dense texture, but without losing a clear melodic line. It echoes the works of Rachmaninoff and Scriabin, but has a distinct individual characteristic, allowing Revutsky to be called a “Ukrainian neo-romantic.”