I was in Kyiv recently and picked up a CD of an oratorio by this composer who was completely unknown to me, but from within the era that I most like. The CD proclaims it "the first Ukrainian oratorio".
The oratorio is called "The Council over the Captive Maiden" ("Дума про Дівку-Бранку" / "Duma pro Divky-Branku"). It relates the tale of the maiden Maria Bohuslavka who was kidnapped and sold into a Turkish harem. From wikipedia -
A famous Cossack epic poem of that period told how she earned the trust of her husband and had access to the keys of the castle as well as the prison. She used them to free a group of Ukrainian Cossacks who had been imprisoned for 30 years. However, she did not flee with them but remained in the harem since this was now the only life she knew. Marusya symbolizes those people who, while leaving the Ukraine, were still tied to their country of birth. It's interesting musically - I get a mixture of Mussorgsky, Borodin and Khachaturian, which may sound strange but it kind of works. I can't upload it here as it's on CD, but there are some sites where excerpts are available:
http://ukma.edu.ua/index.php/resursi/kulturno-mistetski-tsentr/89-about-us/177-verukivsky-dymahttp://umka.com/ukr/catalogue/choral-art/pochayna-choral-chapel-myhajlo-verykivs-kyj-duma-pro-divku-branku.html http://artvertep.com/shop/cd_dvd/null/1553?sid=2http://www.rostokrecords.kiev.ua/katalog-diskov/2004/duma-pro-d%D1%96vku-branku - shows images of the CD, if of interest.
Some information about the composer is here in English -
http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages\V\E\VerykivskyMykhailo.htm - there are also entries on him in Wikipedia in its Ukrainian, Russian and German versions.
The inlay with the CD says the following (in Ukrainian, using google translate, so sorry for the mumbo-jumbo:
This tenth CD of the Choir "Pochayna" First Ukrainian oratorio " The ballad of Captive Girl ," which in 1923 wrote Verykivskyy Mikhail Ivanovich (1896-1962) for soloists, male and female choirs, the Whole Symphony Orchestra.Dramatic composition libretto was by Michael Verykivskyy texts doom folk " ballad of a Captive Girl ..." " Not Bright Falcon say to ..." " Oh the holy nedilenku ..." " The ballad of Samiylo cat ." Oratorio plays selfless struggle of the Ukrainian Cossacks of the Turkish oppressors and reveals a vivid image girls Marusya Popivny - Bohuslavka , savior seven hundred prisoners - countrymen. Verykivskyy Mikhail Ivanovich (1896-1962) - famous Ukrainian composer , conductor, educator , music and social activist, author of the first Ukrainian ballet " Mr. Kanovskyy " opera " Hireling" , the founder of the new times Ukrainian music in a symphony , cantata , oratorio, choral , vocal and instrumental genres.In 1954 , having vast experience of composer, conductor and music theorist , Michael Verykivskyy made a second version of the oratorio . Deep knowledge of the traditions of the orchestra and the choir helped make the composer of symphonic and vocal- symphonic oratorio completed rooms , perfect in form, to take the advanced highly composer means. The oratorio Michael Verykivskyy developed fundamental principles of Ukrainian oratorio zhanroutvorennya , solved the problem of combining two independent creative directions - and national academic and professional. Global level of skill of the composer encourages pride of high musical culture of Ukraine .Implementation of the oratorio - a new landmark creative activity Choir "Pochayna ."