Symphonic Poem, “Reunification”

The voice of Ukraine

Considered one of the most important Ukrainian composers of the first half of the 20th century, Borys Lyatoshynsky was born in Zhytomyr in 1895. While attending the Faculty of Law at Kyiv University, he studied composition with Reinhold Glière. He later taught composition at the Kyiv Conservatory and orchestration at the Moscow Conservatory, where he trained students such as Valentyn Silvestrov. Influenced by major Russian composers like Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Glazunov and Tchaikovsky, he was equally inspired by Ukrainian, Polish, and Russian folk traditions. Though he was often at odds with Soviet authorities, Lyatoshynsky was well regarded by the public and even received official recognition from the regime. His legacy includes numerous film scores, five symphonies and symphonic poems, two operas (including The Golden Ring, a historical opera), more than 50 songs, as well as piano and chamber music.

A great work, the symphonic poem Reunification, Op. 49, was composed between 1949 and 1950. The epic work blends “Great Russian” Romantic elements with folk influences, particularly in its lively central section. In doing so, the composer may have been seeking to meet the regime’s demands for “music for the people,” free from formalism.