Ciprian Porumbescu

Ciprian Porumbescu (1853 - 1883) is one of the most renowned Romanian composers. He composed over 250 works, both vocal and instrumental, with roots in Romanian folklore. One of his most popular works is "Crai Nou." ROMANIAN VERSION - for the English version please see below. Ciprian Porumbescu a fost fiul preotului ortodox Iraclie Porumbescu. Născut Iraclie Gołęmbiowski, acesta din urmă îşi schimbă numele de familie în Porumbescu în 1881, cu doi ani înainte de moartea lui Ciprian, atunci când ajunge stareţ al Mănăstirii Putna ("gołąb" - pronunţat "gouomb" - înseamnă în poloneză "porumbel"). A început studiul muzicii la Suceava şi Cernăuţi, apoi a continuat la "Konservatorium für Musik und darstellende Kunst" în Viena, cu Anton Bruckner şi Franz Krenn. Între 1873 şi 1877 a studiat teologia ortodoxă la Cernăuţi.A fost unul dintre cei mai faimoşi compozitori pe vremea sa. Printre cele mai populare lucrări sunt: "Balada pentru vioară si orchestră" op.29, opereta "Crai nou" pusă în scenă pentru prima data în sala festiva a Gimaziului Românesc din Braşov (astazi Colegiul Naţional „Andrei Şaguna”), unde pentru scurtă vreme a fost profesor de muzică (1881-1883). În plus, a compus muzica pentru celebrul cântec patriotic, „Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire”, muzică ce este folosită astăzi şi de către Albania, pentru imnul naţional „Hymni i Flamurit”. De asemeni a scris şi melodia fostului imn Trei culori. A fost arestat pentru activitatea sa politică, iar în timpul detenţiei şi-a scris cele mai bune piese. A murit la 29 de ani în Stupca, acum acest sat fiind numit în onoarea sa "Ciprian Porumbescu". Ciprian Porumbescu se naste la 14 octombrie 1853, la Sipotele Sucevei, intr o casa modesta de tara, ca fiu al Emiliei si al preotului Iraclie Golembiovski. Viitorul compozitor va utiliza la inceput numele de Golembiovski, apoi, pentru o perioada Golembiovski-Porumbescu si mai apoi, Porumbescu. Din cauza saraciei nu s-a putut bucura de o formare muzicala continua si completa. A inceput studiul muzicii la Suceava si Cernauti, unde conduce corul Societatii Culturale "Arboroasa". In anul 1871, la aniversarea a 400 de ani de la zidirea Manastirii Putna, la festivitati, alaturi de Mihai Eminescu, Ioan Slavici, A.D. Xenopol, Nicolae Teclu si altii, participa si tanarul Ciprian Porumbescu, uimind asistenta cu minunatul sau cantec de vioara. Apoi, cu ocazia unei burse, isi continua studiile la "Konservatorium fur Musik" din Viena, unde dirijeaza corul Societatii Studentesti "Romania Juna". Aici va scoate, in anul 1880, colectia de douazeci de piese corale si cantece la unison, reunite in "Colectiune de cantece sociale pentru studentii romani" ( "Cantecul gintei latine", "Cantecul tricolorului", "Imnul unirii - Pe-al nostru steag"), prima lucrare de acest gen din literatura noastra. Dupa aceasta perioada, urmeaza cea mai frumoasa etapa a vietii sale artistice. La 11 martie 1882 are loc premiera operei sale "Crai nou", piesa in doua acte scrisa de Ciprian Porumbescu pe textul poeziei poetului Vasile Alecsandri. Succesul imens impune reluarea spectacolului in 12 si 23 martie, pe aceeasi scena. In acelasi an, opereta este montata si la Oravita. Ciprian Porumbescu a fost arestat pentru activitatea sa politica, timp in care a scris cele mai bune piese. Printre lucrarile sale se numara "Rapsodia romana pentru orchestra", "Serenada", "la malurile Prutului", "Altarul Manastirii Putna", "Inima de roman", "Gaudeamus Igitur", "Oda ostasilor romani" si altele. Mult prea devreme, la doar 29 de ani, fiind bolnav de tuberculoza, Ciprian Porumbescu, se stinge din viata, in casa de la Stupca, sat numit azi Ciprian Porumbescu in onoarea marelui compozitor, sub ochii tatalui sau si ai surorii sale, Marioara, la 6 iulie 1883. THE ENGLISH VERSION Ciprian Porumbescu (born Cyprian Gołęmbiowski on October 14, 1853 – July 6, 1883) was a Romanian composer born in Şipotele Sucevei in the former Austrian province of Bukovina. He was among the most celebrated Romanian composers of his time; his popular works include Crai nou, Trei culori, Song for the 1st of May, Ballad for violin and piano, and Serenada. In addition, he composed the music for Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire, which was used for Albania's national anthem, Hymni i Flamurit. His work spreads over various forms and musical genres, but the majority of his work is choral and operetta. Ciprian Porumbescu was born into the family of Iraclie Gołęmbiowski (who changed the Polish-sounding family name to its Romanian translation), an ethnic Romanian writer and Orthodox priest of possible Polish origins. He studied music in Suceava and Cernăuţi, then continued at the Konservatorium für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna from 1879 to 1881 under Anton Bruckner and Franz Krenn. His artistic career as a composer, conductor, violinist, and pianist started in Cernăuţi, and continued in Vienna, and later in Brasov where he taught vocal music at Romanian schools. Ciprian Porumbescu wrote poetry, lyrics and press articles, and actively participated in the public cultural life. He helped the rise of the Romanian music school during an age of enthusiasm generated by Romania's independence. Some of the most remarkable musical pages of the composer were inspired by national heroes and great army leaders, such as Stefan cel Mare and Dragos Voda. The appreciation of his music came from the melodic nature of his compositions and their folklore inspiration. Ciprian Porumbescu left a legacy of more than 250 works, bringing him fame and popularity through his short life. The composer saw his work Crai Nou (New Moon) performed in Brasov, while his vocal works Pe-al nostru steag (On our flag), Treiculorul (Three coloured), Cantec de primavara (Spring song), Serenada, Cantecul gintei latine (Latin nation song), La malurile Prutului (On the Prut's shores), and Altarul manastirii Putna (Putna monastery's altar) were already in the public conscience. He died at the age of 29 in Stupca, which was renamed Ciprian Porumbescu in his honor. Major works Crai Nou As a student at the Vienna Musical Conservatory, Porumbescu noted with great interest the success of operettas by Strauss, Suppé, Offenbach and others. His supreme goal was to replace the frivolity of subject-matter in the fashionable operettas with a plot that revived old Romanian traditions. Among them was Crai Nou (New Moon), in which the new-born moon will fulfill every lover's dreams of happiness (collected and published by Vasile Alecsandri), appeared the most appropriate for the dream-like environment of the local and earnest task he had in mind. The result was Romania's first operetta of the same name.[citation needed] Ballad for Violin and Orchestra Finished on October 21, 1880, the Ballad for Violin and Orchestra soon became the best known work by Ciprian Porumbescu, and a reference work in Romanian classical music of the 19th century. In seclusion at Stupca, the composer meditated, drafted and then finished the piece, full of poetry and bitter nostalgia, with light and shade, a mixture of "doina", old dance and song, everything in the environment of serene melancholy. Romanian Rhapsody The Romanian Rhapsody for piano was composed before Ciprian Porumbescu left for Vienna, and the orchestral version was performed for the first time in Brasov on 15th October 1882, with the composer conducting at a concert devoted to his music. The audience was deeply impressed, while the local press of the time wrote about it with enthusiasm, pathos and patriotic pride. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.