Introduction

Biography

Bortniansky’s mu­sic­al ca­reer be­gan in the church choir. As a young man, he stu­died with Bal­das­sa­re Gal­up­pi (il Bu­ra­nel­lo) in St. Pe­ters­burg.

In 1769, Bort­ni­an­sky fol­lowed Gal­up­pi to It­aly (with the help of a sti­pend from Rus­sian Em­press Ca­the­rine) to work in op­era. After re­turn­ing to Rus­sia, he be­came mas­ter of the court choir in St. Pe­ters­burg.

In 1796, he was ap­point­ed di­rect­or of the czar’s court cha­pel and a coun­cil­or of state.

Operas

• Creonte, Ve­nice, Italy, 1776
• Alcide, Ve­nice, 1778
• Quinto Fa­bio, Mo­de­na, It­aly, 1779
• La Fête du Sei­gneur, Pav­lovsk, 1786
• Le Fau­con (The Fal­con), Gat­chi­na (Гатчина), 1786
• Don Car­los (French li­bret­to by Franz-Her­mann Lafer­mi­ère), St. Pe­ters­burg, 1786
• Le Fils-Ri­val ou La Mo­derne Strato­ni­ce (The Ri­val Son) (French li­bret­to by Franz-Her­mann Lafermi­ère), Pav­losk, 1787

Other Works & Influences

• Concerto-Sym­pho­ny for Pi­ano, Harp, Two Vio­lins, Vio­la da Gam­ba, Cel­lo and Bas­soon in B♭ Ma­jor, 1790
• Quintet for Pi­ano, Harp, Vio­lin, Vio­la da Gam­ba and Cel­lo, 1787

Bortniansky al­so wrote a num­ber of chor­us­es in Old Church Sla­von­ic.

After his death, his work spread to Prus­sia, where his mu­sic ap­peared in the Alt­preuß­ische Agen­de (Old Prus­sian Agen­da) in 1829.

His tune St. Pe­ters­burg is a tra­di­tion­al clos­ing piece for the Groß­er Zap­fen­streich (ce­re­mo­ni­al tat­too) in Ger­man mi­li­ta­ry mu­sic.