What are the Characteristics of Classical Music?
What is Opera Music? News and Updates!
The Characteristics of Opera and Classical Music News and Updates is my personal blog about opera and classical music. It…
- lets you know when new web pages appear on the Yusypovych website, that give you information on the characteristics of opera and classical music
- shares my ideas and thoughts on the composers, singers and musicians following each of my performances at a house of opera, in a concert hall, or on an open air stage
- lets you know what members of the audience (people like you!) think and how they feel after my opera and concert performances.
Enjoy!
P.S. Click here, if you want to read: What is The Opera?
National Lviv Opera Soloists Perform in Concert
Lviv Opera Soloists in Lancut
The last major event of this year’s Lancut City Days (June 11 – 13) was an open air concert by the soloists and orchestra of the Solomiya Krushelnytska National Opera and Ballet Theatre from Lviv in the program „Charming Operettas“ under the musical direction of Myron Yusypovych ( Meron Jusypowicz )…
An interesting and unexpected moment in the program was, when one of the tenors invited the audience to join him in singing the song „O mój rozmarynie“…
This charming and magical concert was a large scale event and the biggest attraction during Lancut City Days. By drawing a huge crowd, the concert reaffirmed how much we crave this kind of art and the significance of such events for the development of a sense of cultural community while developing artistic and cultural tastes.
All that remains, is to recommend that such events take place more often and that great artists be hosted in Lancut.
Anna Błachowicz-Wolny, Korespondent 24
Interesting facts: „O mój rozmarynie“ (also known as „Rozmaryn“) is a popular Polish song from the World War I period.
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Joseph Haydn Symphony №96 in Olsztyn, Poland
Myron Jusypowicz Performs Opera and Classical Music in Poland
Getting Rid of System Corruption – One Small Step at a Time
Song Heart
In Ukraine, we live in a society of economic difficulties, political crises, persistent redistributions of power among governing elites and the day-to-day difficulties that these entail.
Nonetheless, this past weekend, I was in the company of a small group of people, who continue to actively persue what, for them, is a sacred and strategically priceless mission – the care, development and education of our children. They do this actively, while rejecting long-winded directives, reports and speeches filled with pathos and empty promises. I wish to express my enthusiasm for these people, a great thank-you to them and my deepest regards.
As head of the Judging Committee of a Children's Singing Competition «Song Heart 2010» , I reaffirmed for myself, once again, how many truly talented children we have and how they challenge us – adults and our ability to possess common decency.
Why do I focus on «common decency» in adults?
First, a small digression. Obviously, for me as a professional, it would probably be quite appropriate and easy to just say a few words about the children's beautiful voices, their artistic stage flair, the quality or lack of sound tracks, the live accompaniment, the organizational aspects of the competition.
But, because I am commenting on a children's competition, I feel a need to consider, what to me is a more vital aspect. Undoubtedly, I am influenced by my recent experiences in another more prestigious, international adult opera competition that took place in Lviv. As a result, I am drawn to draw parallels between the concept of «competition» as a whole and the moral and ethical atmosphere in a country or state.
So, what is a competition – any competition?
I remember someone once saying, that it is the luck of the draw – you win some, you lose some. I reject such a view since it, right from the start, presupposes dishonesty and justifies an individual, who is involved in the process for the sole purpose of clandestine, personal gain.
Unfortunately, unfair competition, to a greater or lesser degree, is evident all around the world. And yet, in democratic countries, where rules and laws are meant to protect human dignity, blatant abuses are less frequent. In a society, where corruption has become a way of life, it may be difficult, even a waste of time, to expect competition results, that will honestly reflect the real level of quality.
In a corrupt society, the local contest to choose a regional «Miss Something», or an international competition of opera singers, or an audition to fill a job vacancy – become competitions of protectionism, connections and bank accounts. If you don't bribe, don't use your connections, don't ignore the screaming voice of your conscience – you are left with nothing. The result – a slow rotting of the spirit and massive despair.
Someone buys a «Miss» title for a million, someone else, for several thousand. For a buck, someone gets a reference from the local authorities, someone else, from the doctor's office. Why? Perhaps, because everyone in this sick society appears to have something to gain. It's only a matter of degree.
For, it is neither outdated factories and mines, nor the impact of political infighting, nor an outside enemy's hand threatening us that is keeping us in the mire. Our biggest problem, at all levels of society, is the tragic poisoning of our hearts.
For someone on the outside looking in, it may seem strange and incomprehensible, that everyone in this society sees, understands, discusses and complains about this depravity, but lacks the will to get rid of it. Unfortunately, such are the realities of our country today. People in Ukraine have lost all faith and hope that a different way of life is even possible.
To regain our well-being, we must begin to build on a healthier foundation. Starting with a nationally recognized artist, who heads an international opera competition, to the professor, who is a member of the entrance committee at a musical academy, all the way to the local clerk, who provides community services – all must begin to cleanse this poison. The higher the rank – the greater the duty and responsibility.
For many, our internal belief in the greater good is the first place, where we rebuild our faith. And for some of us, the Church provides the needed spiritual support in this complicated process.
I return to the competition this past weekend, which was initiated by the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Put simply, it was a beacon of hope.
«Johnny» sang in his clear silvertoned voice and we heard it for what it truly was, ignoring the fact that he came to the competition using public transport and not being chauffeured in a fancy car. There's no doubt that he and others like him will experience unfair play many times. But, nevertheless, this day he believed that things are possible. He felt strong and, hopefully, will have the will to work and fight. For, he achieved, based on true merits.
Those of us, who have been given the power or opportunity to influence events must finally learn, that there are few joys greater than not giving in to promises of gain, burdens of friendship, illusions of grandeur and doing what we inherently know is right. And, when we follow our inner voices and do good, we experience feelings of empowerment.
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Tenors, Basses and Young Opera Singers at Singing Competitions
It’s Not Just Love…
Not Just Love Poems
The newly released CD is the result of the creative collaboration between Myron Yusypovych and K&K Philharmoniker, an orchestra created in 2002 by the Austrian company DaCapo Musikmarketing. (Mr. Yusypovych worked with them until 2007.) The orchestra members were chosen by audition from among the best musicians in Ukraine. For many years, four audio disks recorded by this orchestra have been selling in Germany, Austria, Switzerland. Up to now, no one had the rights to release the disks in Ukraine. Myron Yusypovych and his wife Oksana, obtained these rights…
As to his desire, in addition to wielding the conductor's baton, to put pen to paper, Mr. Yusypovych said: There were two things that have stimulated me to write poetry – my youngest daughter's drawings and music.
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Opera Conductor Releases His Second Anthology of Poems
Opera Conductor Releases His Second Anthology of Poems
Conductor Releases Anthology of Poems
Yesterday evening, there was a double presentation of an opera CD and anthology of poems by Myron Yusypovych at the Lviv “Dzyga” Art and Cultural Center in Lviv. Yurij Kucheryavyj moderated the evening…
The music conductor feels that for an artist (and a composer in particular) the impetus for creating any work of intrinsic artistic value is pathos. “They all agonized – Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Chopin, Glinka, Wagner – each in his own way, due to something deeply personal. As a result, we have enlightened music, a catharsis of love. For my poetry, music is a strong stimulus”, admitted Myron Yusypovych, whose new anthology of poems includes poetic intermezzo based on operatic themes he has conducted.
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A Symphony of Poetry by Myron Yusypovych
Lviv Conductor, Myron Yusypovych, Releases a Recoding of Classical Overtures
Recording of Classical Overtures
The new recording produced personally by the conductor Myron Yusypovych includes classical music by Richard Wagner, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Georges Bizet, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Mikhail Glinka, Julij Mejtus and Mykola Lysenko. Ivan Ohar did the remastering …
For the most part, Myron Yusypovych is a prominent celebrity in Lviv artistic circles. He sells out his concerts, leads an active creative life and responds to various cultural events – from museum expositions to new theatre productions. In every new event, he absolutely rejects all evidence of bad taste, unprofessional outcomes, lack of consistency and polish. In short, every time he expresses his amazement of how, in our reality, there can coexist complete apathy, junk, low quality and real creative inspiration and original creations of others, evaluates them not according to narrow-minded attributes, but accountable standards of excellence.
Famous Male Opera Singers – Modest Menzinsky
Famous Tenor Modest Menzinsky
Modest Menzinsky (1875 – 1935) was a famous male opera singer, who performed all over Europe. His tenor voice was ideally suited for the full range of operas by Wagner and Menzinsky sang all of them. During his time on stage as a singer, Modest Menzinsky performed every major male opera role in the great opera theatres across Europe. Press critics and the public of the 1920s and 1930s considered Modest Menzinsky to be a great opera singer.
Click to continue reading about Modest Menzinsky, a famous male opera singer
Verdi Operas – Complex or Simple to Conduct?
Operas Verdi Gala
The recent, unexpected problems at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the opera La traviata by G.Verdi are not, to my mind, that unusual. Perhaps, it is a good idea to examine this situation keeping in mind the so called “phenomenon of simplicity” of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera music. On the other hand, this relates not just to Verdi and his operas, but also, to the music of other brilliant composers.
In terms of the actual arm gestures, neither La traviata, nor any other opera by G. Verdi, including Aida, Otello or Falstaff, compare with the demands of Histoire du soldat (The Soldier’s Tale) or The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky. So, what, then, is the problem?
I have had the experience of conducting music, where the composer has felt a need to employ (probably because he felt he couldn't do otherwise) every type of beat possible: from 1/8 to 12/8. Additionally, these would change every few bars and in quick succession. I am not a proponent of someone’s expression, that sometimes, after leafing through a music score “you just want to get up and wash your hands of it”. I feel that, if the score has 2 timpani, 1 set of cymbals, a large drum and another 20 or so percussion instruments, then there must be someone, who wanted to say something with this.
I admit, as a young 20 – 30 year old conductor, this was interesting and actually more exciting than conducting operas of Verdi. At the time, for me there was no need to search for any other form of extreme activity to raise my levels of adrenaline. Truthfully, however, the orchestra members didn't always share my enthusiasm.
Nevertheless, the quantity of energy expended by the conductor and musicians in order to perform an overly saturated and complex musical score is not the issue. The important issue is the artistic outcome and the effect it has on the audience. It is the audience that has to become convinced. The audience is neither interested in the number of rehearsals, nor the number of instruments in the orchestra, nor the rhythmic and intonational complexity of the pieces, nor how much the conductor perspires. They don't need an explanation of the technical means. What they need and want is the aesthetic result – the feeling. People come to a concert hall or opera theatre searching for this artistic feeling. And, they do this not only with operas by Verdi.
The irony is, that it is precisely these «means», that sometimes become convenient alibis for conductors and musicians. When a performer doesn't comprehend subtlety and simplicity for its genius, then he is incapable of expressing its artistic form. It is possible to hide behind the many technical difficulties, with which «complex» non-verdi musical scores are stuffed, much like an over-run forest. The process of overcoming these difficulties by the conductor borders on the heroic. In actuality, it becomes a substitute for a higher and worthier artistic process. And, then we are dealing with a dry and empty craft. It might be of high quality but, audiences don't come to hear good craftsmanship.
I prefer to walk in a clean, well-kept sunny forest. It is true, that it is much more difficult to hide there. And so it is with Verdi's simple «um-pah-pah», which accompanies «Addio, del passato bei sogni ridenti» by the dying Violetta, in Act III of G. Verdi's opera La traviata.
If the conductor's podium is held by an artist, the result is moving, sensitive and subtle. But, if there is a craftsman, then we experience something simplistic, empty and boring. It is impossible to hide behind the «um-pah-pah» of G. Verdi operas.
And this, to my mind, is the essence of the problem.
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Gala Concert in Memory of Famous Mezzo Soprano Ira Malaniuk
Ira Malaniuk Gala Concert 2010
A Gala-Concert is planned to commemorate the memory of the world famous opera singer, Ira Malaniuk, who was born in our city….
Conductor for the event is Myron Yusypovych.
Ira Malaniuk was born in Stanislaviv (now called Ivano-Frankivsk) on January 29, 1919 and passed away in Zirl, Austria on February 25, 2009… As a singer, she had an exceptional artistic gift – a voice of wide range, unusual timbre, strength and flexibility, which she handled using the highest techniques of performance. She completed her opera career at the age of 50. During her lifetime, she was recognized as a brilliant Wagnerian. Additionally, she achieved unprecedented popularity as a chamber singer. Malaniuk performed in concerts in many cities of Western Europe and on the North American continent (USA, Canada). In 1965, the Austrian government awarded her the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class („Österreichischer Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst Ersten Klasse“).
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Female Opera Singer, Ira Malaniuk, Honoured with a Gala Concert
Nedda in Pagliacci Must Look the Part
Nedda in Pagliacci
The opera Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo belongs to those operas, where the age of the soloists performing the main character roles is extremely important.
If we don't have a real soprano to sing the role of Aida, we can't stage Aida by G. Verdi. The soprano, who sings Aida must have mastered the appropriate voice capabilities and be fully competent. Thus, it is not that important if the Ethiopian princess is not quite young and doesn't stand to compete with the young girls on Fashion TV. Aida and her delicately erotic triplets during her night scene with Radames, on the banks of the Nile, in Act III of the opera, will outshine any absence of long legs or other physical attributes.
However, it is a completely different situation with Nedda, the operatic heroine in R. Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. In this case, it is imperative that there be a young «wench» on stage. An audience will not be satisfied with just a beautiful voice and clear singing. Nedda in R. Leoncavallo's Pagliacci must be nimble, slender and young. We can, if necessary, compromise on this account with the other characters in Pagliacci - Canio, Tonio, Beppe. And yet, if Nedda, the enamoured damsel and Silvio, her lover, don't look the parts, no one will really believe the torment and agony of the dramatic tenor – Canio. In this case, the «vero» must be available both for the audience's ears and for the eyes.
It was a pleasure to work with such a Nedda, Veronika Kolomishcheva, at the April 17, 2010 performance of Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci at the Lviv Opera Theatre.
Joseph Haydn Symphony № 96 in Olsztyn, Poland
Symphony Music Concert in Olsztyn, Poland
It was an immense pleasure to perform the Joseph Haydn Symphony № 96 with the Warminsko-Mazurska Philharmonic Orchestra in Olsztyn, Poland on March 19, 2010. I enjoyed working with the orchestra and I was delighted by the reaction of the evening's audience.
Following the performance, my thoughts once again turned to the idea, how inherently natural and, perhaps, even essential it is for human beings to sense from time to time harmony in form and sound that is clear, logical and predictable on the subconscious level. Humans strive to attain this balance within the soul. When, the listener doesn't have to «labour», because this consonance is organized into harmonically polished forms, one's soul and mind naturally flow as one.
It is an immense joy, to leaf through the score of this great «gourmet» and enjoy his creativity, humour and ability to gauge abundance and graceful taste. This is Joseph Haydn music and all of it, without a single «fff» or «ffffff» and with a brilliantly «simple» orchestra.
I suspect that, the desire to constantly increase the acute dose of brute emotional force is just part of our human nature. As a result, we have arrived at humungous decibel levels, as well as, gigantic and not always harmonic forms. We have travelled from slow moving carriages to superfast aerobuses. And, somewhat on a less positive note, we have evolved from the cannonball to the hydrogen bomb… And still, something is missing.
And, then quite suddenly, because of a happy coincidence (after all, the score for Haydn's Symphony №96 came into my hands quite unexpectedly) one comes to the conclusion that this is what we really need – a mere 23 minutes of symphonic music by the timeless Joseph Haydn.
How I want to share this incredible discovery with someone!
Continue reading: Myron Jusypowicz Performs Opera and Classical Music in Poland
Conductor From Ukraine Will Lead Olsztyn Musicians
Concert in Olsztyn, Poland
You are invited to the Olsztyn Philharmonia to attend a concert celebrating Artur Milian’s 35 years of artistic endeavors. Myron Jusypowicz from Lviv conducts.
Greatest Love Songs in Concert on St. Valentine's Day
Greatest Opera Love Songs in Concert
Opera love arias, opera love duets, Neapolitan songs and Ukrainian love songs – all of this served to entice the people of Lviv to the Lviv State Philharmonic, on February 14, 2010.
I've dreamed of organizing a special Gala Concert on St.Valentine's Day for a long time. There are many reasons why I've wanted to do this. Incidentally, the fact that the sacred relics of the great martyr are kept in the Catholic Church in Sambir, Ukraine (built in 1502) – the city of my childhood and a good part of my youth, had something to do with it
Anyone who enjoys opera or ballet is aware that «The Sounds of Love» transcend all examples of this genre. So, it would have been easy to simply choose from a list of the top opera love arias and love duets, Neapolitan songs and popular Ukrainian songs about love, which are always in demand by an audience. But, in all honesty, I didn't want to take this easier and somewhat humdrum route.
I decided to take a risk and offer such relatively unknown pieces as the instrumental piece «Death of Isolde» by Richard Wagner, Valse Fantasie ( Waltz Fantasy ) by Mikhail Glinka, an instrumental fragment from Act 3 of G. Puccini's Madama Butterfly and the passionate Adagio from the ballet Spartacus (Spartak) by A. Khachaturian. All of this was «spiced up» with readings of poetic texts from my personal anthology of poems (see October 9, 2009).
And there you have it! The results surpassed my expectations. To my great satisfaction, the dying Isolda got the same turbulent applause, as the well known aria by Calaf, with its brilliant «Vincero!», from Turandot by G. Puccini. An even greater surprise was the fact that the hall was filled to capacity. That evening there was even a record box-office intake! It exceeded seven fold the amount of tickets usually sold at the Lviv Philharmonic.
Lviv has an audience! And what is most important, is that this audience is not made up of just older people, but includes many young people. That evening, these18 to 35 year olds made up 75% of the audience! What is the secret of such success? I would suggest that this highly astute audience, not contaminated yet by snobism and falseness, requires what I would call a «real» performance. My experience has shown that they instinctively reject a mediocre product, that is masked under the guise of elite art, false regalia and empty snobbism. These young people need an authentic and quality product.
The Role of Aida in Giuseppe Verdi’s Opera
G.Verdi’s Aida at the Lviv Opera
Everytime, I conduct G. Verdi’s Aida, just before the beginning of Act III I become extremely apprehensive. It is in this part that Aida sings her incredible aria (“Qui Radames verra!...”).
In Act I and Act II of the opera Aida we can engage the audience with a brilliant orchestra, grandiose choral scenes, splendid dances and lush decorations. If finanical and stage resources permit, it is even possible to bring out the horses, camels and elephants.
And then – Act III.
The stage is in semi-darkness. Somewhere, off stage, in the distance, on the other side of the River Nile, the choir sings. On stage, we have 1 or 2, at most 3 soloists, who must keep and even increase the momentum attained in the first 2 Acts of the opera. Not a simple assignment!
And, this is particularly true of the soprano. Aida’s aria (Romanza – Aida) at the beginning of Act III is probably the most difficult and yet, at the same time, perhaps the most beautiful of all Verdi opera arias for soprano. Most of it is performed quietly (p) or very quietly (pp), and yet this aria has an especially colourful orchestral part and is highly dramatic.
Overall, the music is fine and sensual, while the vocal part demands a great mastery of voice, refined taste and immense dramatic talent.
The music is incredibly harmonic and accompanies a highly expressive and poetic text (“O cieli azzurri, o dolci aure native…” - . “O blue skies, o tender native breezes…”). This is also true further on in the duet between Aida and Radames (“In estasi beate…” – “Blessed in ecstasy...”). The delicate aroma of this scene effectively contrasts with the brilliance and pomp of the finale in Act II.
It is cruelly ironic, that the brilliance and great triumph “achieved” in Act I and Act II can be smashed, destroyed and devalued in Act III, if there isn’t a genuine soprano to sing the role of Aida.
This is the unmerciful reality of this brilliant opera. For an engaged audience, however, this is the spice that adds interest and excitement to this Verdi opera.
We can perform Aida without horses and elephants – but, never without a first-rate soprano!
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Two Young Male Opera Singers Debut in the Verdi Opera Aida
What Attracts a Western Audience to a Russian Opera?
A Russian Opera Scene
Very few Russian operas are performed on a semi regular basis in Western opera halls and theatres.
Why is it that even though there are about 100 Russian operas, only a few of them have gained popularity in the West?
I know the Russian opera repertoire well. As a result, I would claim that the reason has nothing to do with the quality of these operas. On the contrary, several of these operas are genuine masterpieces and according to some parameters, supercede the quality of that which is more popular. So, it is truly unfortunate that the world doesn’t know and doesn’t listen to Russian opera more.
To my mind, the real reason why Western audiences don’t get to see and hear more Russian operas is because of a particular phenomenon, which can only be labelled as “Russianism”. These operas ae filled with this unique approach to emotions and a particular way of thinking, which is not that well understood in the West.
It may appear that Western Europeans are not interested in such names as Snegurochka (The Snow Maiden) or The Tsar’s Bride by N. Rimsky-Korsakov. They also tend to be blasé when it comes to Iolanta, The Enchantress (sometimes translated as The Sorceress, original transliteration Charodejka) or even Mazepa by P.I. Tchaikovsky. Kniaz Igor ( Prince Igor ) by A.P. Borodin is also unpopular.
Although these Russian operas tend to be suppressed in the West, they have just as many expressive solo melodies, lush choral episodes, sharp drama and exquisite orchestral scores as any other operas that have gained wide popularity.
Greater attention tends to be given to a select few, from the Russian opera repertoire, for example:
- Eugene Onegin or The Queen of Spades by P.I. Tchaikovsky;
- Boris Godunov and Khovanshchina by Modest Mussorgsky.
I ask myself – why?
For some reason audiences appear to be less interested in the polished melodic arias from Ivan Susanin (also known as A Life for the Tsar) by Mihail Glinka. Nikolai Rimsky-Kosakov was one of the top composers for the orchestra and is well known for his extremely rich and colourful orchestra scores. And yet, his Snegurochka and The Tsar’s Bride don’t seem to appeal.
Maybe, the Western listener wants, nay needs, to find in a Russian opera, as in Russian music in general, something uniquely Russian, something, which is unavailable in the comfortable and aesthetic judiciousness.
If, we want to taste delicious and pleasant melodies, then we can experience harmony while attending performances of Verdi, Donizetti or Bellini. A Rossini performance will ensure a good mood and coloratura brilliance. The genius of Mozart promises an all encompasing experience. A Wagner opera will provide the impact of unearthly grandeur and the clear silver of the high violins.
What then can the European seek here, in the few Russian operas that are made available?
Russian opera is unified by a particular emotional and psychological tone and. It is a heavy temperament that is depressing, but strangely, enticing.
It is this, which is typically Russian. It is inherent in the people from that part of the world. Interestingly, it is this which even Russians themselves are unable ultimately to explain: “You have to feel it.” (Eto nado pochustvovat) is the popular explanation.
At one time, I lived in Leningrad (currently St. Petersburg), where I conducted in the Kirov Theater as it was called then (now the Mariinsky Theatre). For ever after, I will remember the heavy, “leaden”, cold sky and morose faces. Even then, somehow on a subconscious level, I understood my local acquaintance and friend, who from time to time, would call me and suggest that we meet, take a bottle of vodka, drink it (almost without anything to eat), listen toTchaikovsky’s Symphony № 6 and “cry”. I didn't understand the need to cry? The explanation given was «because of longing».
This feeling of longing is what ultimately is incomprehensible. For, it is not necessarily tied to the life’s circumstances or specific problems of everyday life.
This longing becomes a need. As a need, it influences emotions and attitudes that are portrayed in the music of the genius composers: Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky. Ironically, this is what both drives away and scares away a Western audience, at the same time as it entices it, much as the boa constrictor entices the rabbit.
It may even be that sometimes, in small portions and doses, this becomes a need in even the balanced and respectable Europeans. Perhaps not on a regular basis, but sometimes…
Continue reading:
Atheist Elements Removed from Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta
Iolanta – P. Tchaikovsky’s Final Opera
The Tsar’s Bride is an Anti-Totalitarian, Not an Anti-Russian Production
Abigaille in G. Verdi's Opera Nabucco
Abigaille in G. Verdi's Opera Nabucco
It is no easy task to achieve something close to perfection in all the components of an opera performance. In most cases, it is practically impossible, if the peformance is taking place in a theatre with limited resources, unable to engage top, world-class soloists for the main roles.
Admittedly, there are “cloudy” moments on even the three or four “great” opera stages. After all, the voice is a fine and temperamental instrument. But then, therein, lies the specific charm of this bright and living genre, that we call Opera. Somehow, with appropriate attempts and some lucky breaks, the “moment of truth” can happen on even one of the “lesser” opera stages of the world.
Something like this occurred at the Nabucco performance on December 20, 2009 on the stage of the Lviv Opera House. The role of Abigaille was sung by Lyudmylla Savchuk.
For a conductor, orchestra, partners on stage and, ultimately, the audience, it is particularly uplifiting and exciting, to hear a fine tuned Abigaille strutting the bright, flexible passages and jumping across the double octaves (oh! This Strepponi…), while acting and looking like a 30-35 year old – fierce and full of self-confidence – a feline “playing” with the mouse, in her final scene in Act 1 of G. Verdi’s Nabucco.
And then in her aria in Act 2, easily reaching the high C, as she ironically “dreams” in precise mezzovoce convincing all, that the performance is not simply a vocal exercise. The notes realistically convey her aggression and belligerence. She is well pleased with herself.
In a performance, there is more, so much more, than just the voice and the written notes. In the past, I have been witness to numerous Aidas and Radameses sending a prayer to the Almighty, just before going out, onto the stage in a number of different opera theatres.
It is true that the singer’s voice must fit the role. But, it doesn’t end there. The personality, psychological makeup and ultimately the intellect of the singer are also crucial. Either the singer will simply perform the notes while keeping to the traditions and standard cliches, or without airs and falseness really “hit it right on” and become the character personality and voice combined, convincing all, particularly the audience. This is true success.
“Concrete” fermatas and effective coloratures make Opera what we want Opera to be. But, we need so much more! It is this “more” that the audience searches for. And, it is this need that is so often lacking in our genre. By the way, with Puccini, it is somewhat easier. But with Verdi, this lack becomes particularly acute.
Bach Sacred Cantata Performed by Soprano Natalya Dytiuk
Bach Cantata №84 Performed by Soprano Natalya Dytiuk
The idea of performing J.S. Bach's Coffee Cantata (see November 27, 2009) became the impetus to perform a different Bach Cantata, namely Cantata №84. I did this on the Lviv State Philharmonic stage with the Lviv Chamber Orchestra «Lviv Virtuosos» and soprano Natalya Dytiuk.
Substituting the theatrical and secular coffee piece for the sacred №84 was somewhat risky, particularly, in light of the fact, that there is no tradition in this part of the world of listening to Bach's Cantatas. Not so long ago, during Soviet times, performing and listening to the music of Bach put to the words of the Holy Scriptures was absolutely unthinkable!
For this performance, the audience did not sit in a place of worship, with its venerable atmosphere, but in the hall of the Philharmonic. Nevertheless, the listeners were treated to interesting and pertinent information about the great Bach, a poetic translation of the Canata text and finally a very passionate, animated and exclusive performance.
I suspect that there were a number of listeners in the audience that evening, who discovered that J.S. Bach is not a brilliant but boring idol. Instead, they heard a living and spiritual genius, who offers us access to the harmony and depth of the spiritual realm through words and music.
So, the premiere was a success. Natalya Dytiuk performed the recitatives and arias venerably. Taras Nester (oboe) and the «Lviv Virtuosos» had a clear musical tone. Inna Pavliuk presented interesting commentary. My efforts in these regards bore fruit and I am well pleased.
Finally, one more comment.
It is difficult for us to imagine how extremely prolific and efficient the composer had to be. For according to Bach's contract, he was obliged to compose, rehearse and perform a new Cantata every Sunday and additional ones for key Church holy days. This meant, 59 compulsory Cantatas in one calendar year! Additionally, he was expected to compose secular music, for which he received regular orders from his demanding employer.
Absolutely incredible! But then, that's J.S. Bach.
Young Opera Singers Perform in P. Tchaikovsky's Opera Iolanta
Young Opera Singers in Iolanta
An important step in the career of a young singer, an opera bass, is the first time he performs the role of King Rene in P. Tchaikovsky's Iolanta.
Iolanta is a one act opera, which takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to perform. The role of King Rene in this opera is not as lengthy as other «classical» main opera roles for basses, such as Boris is Boris Godunov, or Dosifey in Khovanshchyna by Modest Mussorgsky; King Philip II in Don Carlos or Zaccaria in Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi. Nevertheless, in the opera vocal hierachy, King Rene is near the very top.
To perform the role of King Rene, a singer must use the full range of the bass voice – from a low F to a high F. Additionally, he must infuse this pivotal role in the plot of the opera Iolanta with a great deal of emotional and acting finesse. As such, the role of King Rene can be undertaken only by a geniune operatic bass.
The young singer Ihor Nazarov, a soloist with the Lviv Opera House, successfully sang the role of King Rene for the first time in the opera Iolanta on December 6, 2009.
There was also another first that evening. The role of Iolanta was convincingly portrayed by the young soprano, Veronika Kolomishcheva.
A Synopsis of Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana
Final Scene in Cavalleria Rusticana
For many opera buffs, Pietro Mascagni is not as well known as the titans of opera, such as, Wagner, Verdi, Puccini or the genius Mozart, Rossini…
And yet, the world opera treasury is richer for the presence of this exquisite pearl called Cavalleria Rusticana.
Did you know that Opera Houses around the world often add and delete creating their own unique versions of operas?
By clicking on the link below, you can read a synopsis of Cavalleria Rusticana, view the images and watch a video of the musical interlude “Intermezzo” as performed in repertoire at the Lviv Opera House in Lviv, Ukraine.
The storyline keeps everything very operatic (in the best meaning of the word): love, sincerity, grief, jealousy, deceit, volatility, stubbornness and vulgarity …
J.S. Bach's Coffee Cantata – Maybe Next Year!
Bach’s Coffee Cantata?
What kind of music should be heard at the Bryndza Festival (Feta Cheese Festival) in Rakhiv, Ukraine? Logically, the Trojista Muzyka (Folk Trio Music) with its bright and intense sounds so well loved by the Hutsuls, should be mandatory. Although, obviously, there is a place for other types of music as well.
At Oktoberfest in Bavaria, the colourful folk bands and brass orchestras, with their marches and polkas, go well with a good beer.
But, what about the Coffee Festival in the coffee capital of Ukraine? What performers should perform in Lviv and what music should they play? The obvious answer should be The Coffee Canata by J.S. Bach.
Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, this didn't happen in 2009. But then, since this is a yearly festival, there is always next year – 2010.
Tenors, Basses and Young Opera Singers at Singing Competitions
Young Opera Singer – Yevhen Orlov
There were 12 young tenors, who wanted to sing the role of Count Vaudemont in P. Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta as part of the 3rd round at the Fourth Solomiya Krushelnytska International Competition of Opera Singers, on the stage of the Lviv Opera House.
To my great disappointment, not one of them was given the opportunity to do this, even though most of them have the necessary vocal abilities and performed well during the 1st and 2nd rounds of the competition.
As always, there were those who performed better and there were those who did not do so well. But, there is something strange when a tenor, who is a soloist with the National Opera in Kyiv, during the 2nd round of the competition shows a number of positive traits, in particular “reaching” the high C in the aria of Faust in G. Gounod’s Faust without difficulty, maintaining the fermata, gradually fading it and yet – he doesn’t make it into the 3rd round of the competition. Not only strange, but also sad and… embarrassing!
And so I wonder: what does it mean when I hear around me the popular and currently chic phrase “a crisis of available male voices”. To my mind, the crisis is not because there is a lack of voices, but because of something completely different. And, it isn’t due to 21st century life-styles or various environmental issues.
So, for this performance, I had to be satisfied with a wonderful young male bass singer – Yevhen Orlov in the role of Rene, the King. He is a medium range bass, with a rich timbre. And, he is only 26 years old. Someone to look out for in the future!
As for the other, I guess one can’t have everything in life.
A Symphony of Poetry By Myron Yusypovych
A Symphony of Poetry By Myron Yusypovych
Myron Yusypovych, a famous Lviv musician and conductor of the S. Krushelnytska National Opera and Ballet Theatre presented his first anthology of poems – «Why Bother Picking up a Violin?»…
… Myron Yusypovych introduced us to the secrets of the art of conducting, spoke about his orchestra tours throughout Europe…
The author explained the title of his anthology «Why Bother Picking up a Violin»: «Everyone of us should be masters of our profession… If you don't have what it takes to be a musician, you shouldn't pick up a violin.»
Solomiya Krushelnytska Competition for Young Opera Singers
S. Krushelnytska Young Opera Singers’ Competition
What are the benefits for a young opera singer when he or she participates in an international competition for opera singers?
I sincerely feel that there are benefits for every participant. This, in spite of and even because of the various conflicts and negative tendencies that took place, for instance, at the Fourth Solomiya Krushelnytska International Competition of Opera Singers, in Lviv, Ukraine,
Competitions provide opportunities for all participants to realistically evaluate their artistic potential. Even if young male and female opera singers don’t win, they gain invaluable artistic and life experiences.
Ironically, competitions offer the opportunity for some young singers to strengthen themselves psychologically, when they meet with deception and cynicism. Unfortunately, there are also those, who do not withstand the disappointments and break down or lose heart.
For me, as a conductor and more importantly as a human being, the key issue in all of this is, whether the young singers, who lose heart and break down are those who don’t really have the necessary inherent talents or, are we witnessing the destruction of bright young individuals, who have a great gift, but also “a thin and sensitive skin” and can’t endure the uncompromising brutality and cynicism of those who “decide” their fate.
It goes without saying, that the level of any international competition is not determined by the monetary amount, that is awarded to the winners, but by the competencies, professionalism and ethical and moral norms and principles of the people who “decide” the results, in short – the judges. Unfortunately, the experience in Lviv has confirmed the inevitable truth: the more corrupt the state, the more corruption there will be at any competition, that is taking place in that state.
I am thinking of two young singers n particular – a soprano and a tenor. In the first round of the competition, the young soprano from the USA bewitched all those who heard her Manon from G.Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, but was brutally excluded from the second round. There was also the young tenor from Ukraine, who performed the Faust aria from G.Gounod’s Faust with great inspiration and sincerity and then, at the end, almost playfully “reached” the closing fermata high C with an incredible, gradual fading, but was not allowed to continue. Unfortunately, I suspect that both these young singers will conclude that it is not worthwhile to travel to this country and to participate in this competition. However, I sincerely hope that they will not completely lose their fire and interest in the art of singing and the artistic life.
So, The Fourth Solomiya Krushelnytska International Competition of Opera Singers is over. And, I am left with both a feeling of joy from hearing new and beautiful voices and a feeling of bitterness, filled with sadness and shame.
And yet, how fortunate it is, that there are those, who want to and are able to sing and that there are other competitions in the world that spot fresh talents and provide a springboard for new and genuine stars.
Sometimes a clapping audience is not enough!
Audience at the Lviv Opera House
There was a B-flat – strong and stable at the end of Radames' romanza. And yet, no one applauded. Why not? Because there was no «heavenly Aida». There was no «mystical wreath of light and flowers». Verdi's motivation for writing the opera «Aida» was missing.
That evening, I conducted this opera for the 70th time within the walls of the Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre! For Radames, it was his 58th time. For Amneris – only her 4th.
But, there was a full house in the audience and most of those present, were probably hearing «Aida» for the first time. Ultimately, we didn't disappoint them. When it was all over, there was a standing ovation.
But, nevertheless, for me, how much more pleasant it would have been, if the tenor's B-flat at the beginning of the opera was not just a technical feat, but a mystical wreath of inspiration. Then the «Triumphal March» in Act II would resound more brightly.
«Why Bother Picking up a Violin?»
A book of poems by Myron Yusypovych
Understandably, the publication of my collection of poems was, if not a shock, then a great surprise for my colleagues and friends.
To my mind, that's okay! Sometimes, it can be delightful to surprise some of the people some of the time. After all, far better to amaze than to dissappoint.
How? Why? Since when? I was asked these and other questions during the presentation of my collection, «Why Bother Picking up a Violin?» on October 9, at the «Dzyga» Art Centre in Lviv, Ukraine.
Many things were said that evening about my poems. But, what I remember the most is: «These texts are very expressive and emotional, but, at the same time, very strictly organized.» Well, what can I say? Not bad! And, for a conductor, it can probably be said, that such a combination is almost ideal.
International Music Day
Curtain Call – International Music Day
International Music Day, which was initiated by Yehudi Menuhin and organized by the International Music Council in 1975 occurs every year on October 1. This year (2009), I had the opportunity to commemorate this day on stage, conducting G. Verdi's Nabucco at the Lviv Opera. Although that evening, it was not a full-house the atmosphere in the theatre was, nevertheless, quite uplifting and the audience responded well to our attempts.
This production, part of the repertoire at the Lviv Opera, I associate with my old conductor's tails – well cut, well put together and although no longer new, if cleaned and ironed before every performance, they «sit» and shine even better than some of these newer and fresher variants. So, there you are! It all depends on the tailor. English fabric by itself a good coat will not make. And, mind you, these tails are almost 10 years old.
So, that is why it was indeed wonderful to hear after this performance, the excited exclamations after this performance of some musical «specialist» from Vienna, as well as some experienced music lovers from London.
«Iolanta» - P. Tchaikovsky's Final Opera
Final Scene in Tchaikovsky's Iolanta
From among all of P. Tchaikovsky's operas, the one I most enjoy conducting is – «Iolanta».
What is important for me, is, strangely enough, not just this opera's music. In this particular case, of particular interest is the fact that the literary source led the composer in a very different direction. Being Tchaikovsky, he maintained a maximum clarity, passion and even exaltation while going down the path in seeking a spiritual balance, a positive reassesment of life and a personal reconciliation. In «Iolanta» we are able to see and hear Tchaikovsky attempting to reach something he had aimed for, during a major part of his life and without which, he suffered to the final days of his life.
Two years before his death, for a short period of time the evil «phantom» released him. The dark and leaden clouds of frozen St. Petersburg, so evident in «The Queen of Spades» (1890), blew away and there came an enlightenment, which gave birth to this completely different «radiant music».
Probably, in the final years of one's life, we are more open to reconciliation, harmony and peace.
«To see» and «to hear» that, which throughout one's life was always alongside, but which we didn't see among the never ending hussle and bustle, is the essence of happiness. To see and to be satisfied by «God's endless goodness» which «has no limits» is a guarantee of joy. The role and meaning of a religious element is undeniable and requires no explanation.
But, it would appear that attaining such level of joy doesn't happen in and of itself. If we don't make an effort to understand this, then the leaden clouds, the evil clouds of the «phantom», will once again cover the sun and will supress the momentarily released, tormented soul.
And so, P. Tchaikovsky completed «Iolanta» in 1892, and in 1893 he gave us the difficult Sixth Symphony in B-Minor, the «Pathetique» and then, … the composer's death.
Atheist Elements Removed from Tchaikovsky's Iolanta
Iolanta Lviv Opera
It has been about two years, since Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Iolanta was last performed at the Lviv Opera. While working on its renewal, I once again experienced the uniqueness of this masterpiece.
Interestingly, during the Soviet period this opera was staged very frequently. However, the libretto, or text was always altered from its original. Religious connotations and Christian moral values are fundamental, key elements in various episodes of this opera. And yet, I still remember when all such references were uncompromisingly erased and a «new» non-religious and abstract text was inserted in their place.
So, for example, in the final moments of the opera, a hymn to the Almighty «Praise be to You!» was changed to a glorification of the physical world: «we will glorify light, the source of all wealth». To emphasize the physical, during the final chords of the opera all of the house lights would be brought up.
Thankfully, all of this is in the past!
Translation note: The Russian word «свят» (sviat) means «holy», while the word «свет» (sviet) means «light».
Best Books Contest at the 16th Book Forum
Best Books Contest 2009, Oleksandra Koval, Myron Yusypovych
I was invited to paticipate as a judge in the Best Books Contest, that was part of the 16th Annual Book Forum in Lviv.
As a judge, I noticed the elaborate and expensive publications dealing with the theme of Ukrainian art. Most of these books are published according to high quality standards for content and visual appeal and, unquestionably, are valuable and important. For me, however, they became secondary.
I was drawn more to several unassuming, contemporary books which, over the course of the past few years, have become best-sellers in the West. For the first time, these books have been published in Ukraine and in the Ukrainian language. I am referring to such well known European authors as Edward Lucas, Hélène Blanc and Astolphe de Custine.
Although somewhat unusual for today's Ukrainian reader, the material presented in these books is remarkably current. It gives us an opportunity to soberly examine our uneasy life today, reevaluate some aspects of it, remove some blank spots, cease looking at the world through rosy glasses and reaffirm for ourselves that nothing in life happens by chance. For everything there is a reason and for every action a reaction.
It is in this light that we need to examine the recently reprinted «The Exterminated Rennaissance» by Yuriy Lavrinenko. This anthology of Ukrainian literature was initially published in Munich, in 1959.
Reading this anthology, I better understood the root of Ukraine's current problems. In 1930, there were 259 Ukrainian writers and poets, who were publishing their works in the USSR. After 1938, only 37 of them were still alive (!!!). Those who disappeared, were either shot and executed or committed suicide or simply perished in Siberia. Writers are members of a nation's elite and the fate of Ukraine's entire elite is reflected in these statistics.
Without question, such a «yesterday» has «resounded» in our «today».
Knowing this overshadowing and unavoidable fact, it is up to us to change this «present» for a better «future».
The Tsar's Bride is an anti-totalitarian, not an anti-Russian production, claims opera conductor, Myron Yusypovych
The Tsar's Bride is an anti-totalitarian, not an anti-Russian production, claims opera conductor, Myron Yusypovych
«I've lived with the idea of creating this production for a long time… To my mind, there is much in common with the totalitarian regimes of the 20th c. and those of the era of Oprichnina during Ivan the Terrible's time… Present-day totalitarianism (1917, 1937) draws its roots from that time. Oprichnina, as a phenomenon, gave birth to the Cheka, MVD… Although the characters of Ivan VI, Malyuta Skuratov are historical, this opera lends itself well to being produced as a reflection on the 20th c. … such abuse of power was evident during the time of Lenin, Dzerzhynsky, Stalin, Beria…
Malyuta Skuratov, who killed a bishop with his own hands gouging out his eyes and quartering him, who manipulated Ivan the Terrible, who attacked a boyar (noble) whom he had betrayed, took his wife, raped her and then hung her upside down on the door frame, is no different from those who committed atrocities in the 20th c. when people lived in constant fear of being forcibly removed from their homes in the middle of the night. At least, I don't see any differences. On the contrary, the wheel of history repeats itself.
I have been asked whether or not I see this opera as being anti-Russian. No, I don't. For me, it is anti-totalitarian…
My idea was to portray at least three periods on stage: first – 1917, the second act in a Moscow suburb in 1937…. and only the last act would be staged in the original period. For me, it is not the outward visual trappings that are important, but the content…
Totalitarism is capable of rebirth. I see this as a possiblity not only here, but also everywhere….» -- said, the production conductor of the Lviv Opera's The Tsar's Bride, Myron Yusypovych…
N. Rimsky's-Korsakov's «The Tsar's Bride» Premiere
N. Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Tsar’s Bride” at the Lviv Opera
For quite some time now, I have been obsessed with the idea of an opera production at the Lviv Opera House where «the center of gravity» is not on the brilliant outer trappings of the production (i.e. decorations and costumes, which have always been on a high level, even though a little old-fashioned), but on the clarity of the musical and dramatic performance itself.
In the current production of «The Tsar's Bride» by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, we have been able to achieve this to some degree. As conductor and to a large degree the stage director of this production, the fact that there was not enough money for a «full fledged» production that would have allowed us to recreate fully the era of Ivan the Terrible through decorations and costumes, did not sadden me too much.
Traditionally, the audience has come to expect glamourous and expensive productions at the Lviv Opera House. It was, therefore, indeed a pleasure to see this same audience react positively and with enthusiasm to an «atypical» production of «The Tsar's Bride» at its permiere on June 19, 2009.
So, the opera stage doesn't necessarily have to be a fashionable kaleidoscope of expensive costumes, magnificient paintings, decorations and staging akin to a concert-oratorio.
This time the emphasis was on a clear recreation of the drama through sound and action. And this, in turn, was acknowledged by the listeners themselves. Not surprisingly, for after all, this is the essence of opera.
A Return to the Classics
A Return to the Classics
Myron Yusypovych feels that The Tsar's Bride is an opera, that adapts well to the abilities of our soloists: «The opera has several characters that are basses, several that are sopranos and several that are mezzo-sopranos. Everyone is involved in the production. Rimski-Korsakov was well adept at working with orchestras and singers. He was an expert in utilising the natural possiblities of the voice – all the arias are balanced, fully taking into account the registers and natural abilities of the voice.» Tetiana Kozyreva («Vysokyj Zamok»)
Oksana Herasymenko and the Bandura
l-r: Oksana Herasymenko, Myron Yusypovych
Sometimes it is completely acceptable to exchange my black tails for a white tuxedo. To my mind, there comes a time when it is it good to put aside Wagner and Tchaikovsky and take on someone like Astor Piazzolla, who is so beloved by an honest and undemanding audience.
However, this time it wasn't Piazzolla and the tango, but Oksana Herasymenko and the bandura. There was even an oboe, a flute and the Lviv Chamber Orchestra «Lviv Virtuosos».
It isn't often that one is able to work with contemporary composers who are capable of creating real beauty using non-stereotypical melodies.
Oksana Herasymenko is truly competent.
Additionally, she opens up new horizons for the bandura. For Oksana Herasymenko, the bandura is not just an instrument that is an atribute of Ukrainian folklore, but something extraordinary, refined, unique and enchanting.
This was an evening full of inspiration and beauty.
And now, I can return to Aida.
In Memory of a Famous Singer
In Memory of a Famous Singer - Ira Malaniuk
«Fifteen years ago… in our Opera House there was a Grand Jubilee Concert celebrating Ira Malaniuk's 75th birthday. She was present… for it was here, in Lviv, that as a young 20 year old, she first made her debut as Amneris, in Verdi's Aida… Then – the War and afterwards, a brilliant carreer as a soloist….
The Gala Concert in memory of Ira Malaniuk is about to begin in the Lviv Philharmonia and we hear Ira Malaniuk's recorded voice … The audience responds warmly to the well-known and lesser-known artists alike…. They enthusiastically applaud the «INSO – Lviv» Symphony Orchestra and the conductor and Artistic Director of the project, Myron Yusypovych. As we exit the Philharmonia, it is as if the charming Ira Malaniuk herself is in the foyer, escorting the citizens of Lviv out – her portraits and photo scenes from various incredible European performances bid us farewell...» Hryhorij Khramov ( «Vysokyj zamok» )
Otto Biba of the Society of Music Lovers (der Musikverein), Vienna attended Nabucco
l-r Myron Yusypovych, Otto Biba
G. Verdi’s opera Nabucco was successfully performed once again on May 21, 2009 at the Lviv Opera House.
I was pleasantly surprised when that evening a specialist in music and the current Archive Director of the Association of Music Lovers of Vienna Archives (Musikverein) was in the audience. And so, the quality of the performance was acknowledged not only by that evening’s audience, but also by this important guest from Vienna, who, while being in Lviv, happened to come to this performance at the Lviv Opera House.
I don’t conduct in order to please the critics, and yet… it is indeed a pleasure, when not only sensitive and gushing ladies express their enthusiasm for my work, but a knowledgeable expert, who is aware of the minute details of my craft. That is indeed gratifying!
Female Opera Singer, Ira Malaniuk, Honoured with a Gala Concert
Gala concert in honour of mezzo-soprano, Ira Malaniuk
Two years ago, when I was in Vienna and walking past the Staatsoper theatre, I was pleasantly surprised to see Ira Malaniuk’s CD on display in one of the windows. At that time, she was 87 years old and as a singer, a mezzo-soprano had not sung on this famous stage for many years.
At the same time, I was distressed and saddened by the fact that in Ukraine and particularly in Lviv, very few people know anything about her. This world-renowned diva made her opera debut in 1939 as a young 20 year old in the role of Amneris in G. Verdi’s Aida on the stage of the Lviv Opera House. How many singers from Ukraine, or Russia for that matter, had the chance to perform on the stage of the Wagnerian Festival in Bayreuth, or were partnered by such greats as Giuseppe Di Stefano, Mario del Monaco, Birgit Nilsson, or appeared with conductors of the caliber of Herbert von Karajan, Karl Bohm, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Sergiu Celibidache… Personally, I’m not aware of too many…
Understandably, there was the iron curtain. Through luck and good fortune Ira Malaniuk ended up on the other side of that divide. Long ago in 1947, she slipped away from under the nose of the KGB at Semmering’s train station. Perhaps that is the reason why the cultural officials in independent Ukraine have surrounded this famous Ukrainian name in such a shroud of silence.
Whatever the opinions of others, I felt that a concert in honor of Ira Malaniuk had to happen and so it did on May 20, 2009 in the Lviv Philharmonic as part of the International Music Festival “Virtuosi”.
Judging from the reaction of the capacity crowd, the Gala Concert participants were satisfied with the impressive project – a symphony orchestra, 12 opera soloists, the Lviv Opera House Choir, a highly regarded musicologist to introduce the audience to Ira Malaniuk and last, but not least – a full house at the Lviv Philharmonic.
In planning the concert program, I tried first to choose pieces from among those that were the best in Ira Malaniuk’s repertoire. Of course, I also had to consider the capabilities of the singers, whom I had invited to take part in this project. So, there was Mozart and Wagner and von Gluck, and of course, - Verdi, Bizet and Mussorgsky… Unfortunately, despite my attempts, we were unable to perform something by Richard Strauss. Maybe next time! And rest assured, that there will be a next time.
Open Air Concerts in Lviv Have Become a Popular Tradition
Open air concert in Lviv, Ukraine conducted by Myron Yusypovych
Over five thousand people had the opportunity, once again, to listen to a grand Gala Concert on the occasion of the yearly City of Lviv Commemorative Celebrations that took place on May 9, 2009 at Rynok Square, in the old center of Lviv.
Such open-air concerts can now be called a tradition and a wonderful addition to the many faceted features of Lviv, a truly European city.
The crowd of thousands at Rynok Square reacted with bursts of emotion and enthusiastic applause to the music of The Marriage of Figaro, Carmen, Ruslan and Ludmilla, Madama Butterfly and Cavalleria Rusticana. Such explosions of passion can usually only be seen and heard at rock-concerts. Interestingly, many of the people listening with such enthusiasm to the performance of both the symphony orchestra and the opera singers had previously, neither attended a symphony concert, nor an opera performance. For me, this fact is the most interesting and leads to certain possibilities.
In the end, there was an opportunity for this assembly of five thousand to sing a popular and well-known Ukrainian song, together with the opera soloists and accompanied by the symphony orchestra. This was my first experience conducting such a large “choir”.
Now, the issue is whether this “multitude” can be persuaded to become an “audience” within the halls of the Philharmonic or the Opera House? I am convinced that this is possible. But we need to be honest with them, by offering high quality performers and performances in order to “convert” them to this less known for them sphere of life – classical music.
Gala Open Air Symphony Concert in Ivano-Frankivsk
Gala Symphony Concert in Ivano-Frankivsk
Two years ago, I spent quite a bit of time and effort to revive the tradition of open-air classical music concerts in Lviv. In 2007, we started to perform such concerts with a full symphony orchestra and opera singers in Lviv’s city center on Rynok Square. Now, it appears, that this venture is gaining popularity in Ukraine
During the past two years (2007 and 2008), we had a very active open-air concert season in Lviv. There were 5 concerts performed by various symphony orchestras and different opera singers, as well as a number of similar concerts performed by chamber orchestras. Now the trend has moved to Ivano-Frankivsk.
On May 7, 2009, a grand Gala-Concert took place at Ivano-Frankivsk’s central square, Sheptytsky Place (A. Sheptytsky Majdan), on the occasion of the city’s 347th Anniversary.
The INSO (International New Symphony Orchestra) of Lviv performed. Soloists from the Lviv, Kyiv and Wroclaw opera theatres sang popular fragments from the operas of Wagner, Verdi, Mozart, Bizet, Lysenko, as well as Neopolitan and Ukrainian songs.
It was an incredibly gratifying feeling to see the faces of listeners, who in spite of the cold evening air, listened eagerly not only to the popular Ukrainian and Neopolitan songs or the well known duet by Odarka and Karas from the popular Zaporozhian Kozak Beyond the Danube by S. Hulak-Artymovsky, but also to the brilliant overtures from The Marriage of Figaro by M.A. Mozart, Ruslan and Ludmilla by M.Glinka or even Lohengrin by R. Wagner.
Young Lviv Singers Perform in a Recital
Vasyl Sadovskyy, Nadiya Zaborska, Lyubov Dika, Myron Yusypovych, Natalya Pavloska, Serhiy Sevastyanov, Svitlana Monchuk
Young Lviv Singers Perform in a Recital
A recital closed the Ira Malaniuk 90th Birthday Exhibit at the Solomiya Krushelnytska Musical Memorial Museum in Lviv on April 6, 2009.
Recital participants were all members of the Vocal Workshop Studio at the Ukrainian Federation of Theatrical Artists (Lviv branch) and performed under my musical direction.
Svitlana Monchuk (soprano), Lyubov Dika (mezzo-soprano), Nadiya Zaborska (soprano), Vasyl Sadovskyy (tenor) and Serhiy Sevastianov (bass) performed various fragments from operas. The recital included pieces from: «Orpheus and Euridice» by C.W. Gluck, «The Marriage of Figaro» by W.A. Mozart, «Lohengrin» and «Tannhäuser» by R. Wagner, «Tales of Hoffmann» by J. Offenbach, «Aida» by G. Verdi, «Borys Godunov» by M. Mussorgsky and «Natalka Poltavka» by M. Lysenko. At one time during her brilliant career, Ira Malaniuk performed all of these arias on some of the most prestigious stages of Europe.
Natalya Pavlovska accompanied the performers clearly and exceptionally in this interesting program. The difficult program was inspiring and performed very professionally. Most importantly, new and bright vocal talents of Lviv had a chance to shine.
Roman Tsymbala Returns as Radames
Roman Tsymbala (tenor)
On April 4, 2009, after a 10-year hiatus, the tenor Roman Tsymbala performed the part of Radames in the opera Aida.
His return to the Lviv Opera stage was successful and I am especially pleased. It is well known that it is quite a challenge to find a tenor that is consistent and performs the role of Radames on a high level. For me, this means that there is a good soloist, who, because of his mastery of this very complex role, will be able to ensure the continued and regular performance of the opera Aida. Incidentally, Aida is one of the highlights of the Lviv Opera Theatre’s repertoire.
Two young male opera singers debut in the Verdi opera Aida
Ihor Nazarov (Ramfis), Myron Yusypovych (conductor), Andriy Benyuk (Amonasro)
On February 15, 2009 Andriy Benyuk and Ihor Nazarov, two young Ukrainian male opera singers debuted in new roles in the Verdi opera Aida, on the stage of the Lviv National Opera House.
Andriy Beyuk, a young baritone, performed the role of Amonasro, Aida’s father and King of Ethiopia. Born in 1970, Andriy has performed a number of leading roles in performances that I have conducted on the stage of the Lviv National Opera House: Robert in the opera Iolanthe by P. Tchaikovsky, Silvio in the opera Pagliacci by P. Leoncavallo and Nabucco in the opera Nabucco by G. Verdi.
Ihor Nazarov, a bass, performed the role of Ramfis, the high priest. Born in 1977, Ihor has also performed several leading roles in performances that I have conducted in Lviv, Ukraine: the High Priest in Nabucco by G. Verdi and the King of Egypt in Aida by G. Verdi.