Vectors of Creative Activity of Bohdan Drymalyk in the Context of the Development of Musical Art in Galicia in the 1920s–1950s

The relevance of the article is determined by the angle of the stated topic, the disclosure of which lies in highlighting the creative figure of a prominent representative of the artistic elite of Galicia and Lviv – Bohdan Drymalyk, a concert pianist, accompanist, folklorist, and unique composer, whose name for a long time was known only to a narrow circle of musicians. It was only at the beginning of the 21st century that the multifaceted activity of this artist gradually became the subject of research by scholars, and his works are increasingly heard on the concert stage. The processed materials provide the opportunity to trace the creative growth of the artist and his fruitful activity. Bohdan Drymalyk’s creative personality was shaped during a turning point in the development of Ukrainian music in Galicia. Alongside the giants of Ukrainian music, such as Stanislaw Ludkiewicz and Vasyl Barvinsky, a new generation of talented musicians was emerging at that time, who, having obtained their education at musical institutions in Europe, returned to their homeland filled with new ideas and plans. These include B. Kudryk, Z. Lysko, N. Nyzhankivsky, R. Savitsky, M. Kolessa, V. Vytvytsky, R. Simovych, A. Rudnytsky, and S. Turkevych. The modest figure of the concert pianist Bohdan Drymalyk faded into the background compared to these outstanding musicians, but his significance for the development of Ukrainian music, particularly vocal music, is recognized by modern researchers and performers. He contributed greatly to the development of music in Galicia, investing a significant part of his soul and bright talent into it. Bohdan Drymalyk’s compositional output includes works for violin and piano, solo songs, and arrangements of Ukrainian folk songs. Familiarity with his creative work gives grounds to assert that his chamber-vocal compositions are of considerable interest to art critics and performers. The scientific novelty is seen in the concise analytical and interpretive presentation of the compositions by Bohdan Drymalyk set to the lyrics of Lesya Ukrainka (based on the author’s performance experience). The methods used to explore the topic include empirical (observation and description), special art criticism (analytical, interpretological), general scientific (historical, personological), and also performance-interpretative methods for examining the performance of Drymalyk’s solo songs and folk songs.