Despite all skepticism, the international art project, "Art Grandees at
Lviv Opera", promises to be one of the most outstanding events of the theatrical
season. Indeed, at first the organizing committee's promises to arrange
for concert appearances by the violinists Gideon Kramer and Liana Isakadze,
pianist Volodymyr Krainiev, and cellists Natalia Hutman and Borys Perhamenshchykov
sounded more like publicity tricks or euphoric self-deception.
Now after a series of excellent concerts even skeptics have to admit
that Lviv's is not just an elite show but an example of faultless organization.
The Day's Yaryna KOVAL asked the project's originators Serhiy
Proskurnia, stage director, Markiyan Ivashchyshyn, director of the Art
Association Dzyha, and Mariya Krushelnytska, rector of Lviv's Mykola Lysenko
Higher School of Music, to comment on the results and prospects of this
original project.
Mariya KRUSHELNYTSKA:
Once Lviv saw and heard Richter, Kogan, Oistrakh, and other outstanding
musicians. Now there is total void. The Philharmonic is barely alive. In
this sense the project deserves every praise, because we can now hear prominent
modern performers and the packed audience shows how badly the public needs
real art.
Serhiy PROSKURNIA:
I can see this project more broadly. As an art producer, I wanted to
create an event that would not only interest the public, but also stimulate
the creative environment, like a stone hurled in still water.
Markiyan IVASHCHYSHYN:
We had many doubts starting on the projects. We weren't sure that the
key figures would agree to come. Orchestra conductor Roman Kofman and stage
director Serhiy Proskurnia did their utmost to convince the world-caliber
performers to cast aside business considerations and come to Lviv. The
project shows that economic hardships and overall misery notwithstanding,
certain positive steps can be taken in the cultural domain.
The Day: Were all the performers visiting Lviv true "art grandees?"
M. I.: You see, there is a certain professional level and certain
illusion, but both are important. We may have overstated some of the names,
yet it was thanks to these concerts that we discovered new names and saw
and heard new musicians. And I mean Ukrainian performers. Take Ihor Ishchak
from Kyiv who was encored more than any of the Western guest stars. There
he was playing before or after world-renowned musicians receiving sky-high
fees and we all realized that we do have talent at home matching theirs.
The Day: Weren't you surprised by Lviv's public when they
greeted the end of every concert with standing ovation? I mean wasn't this
indiscriminate?
M. K.: Personally I find this standing ovation a strange and
unintelligible tradition. Certainly, we are very hospitable, we want everybody
to be happy.
M. I.: If concert life were more active in Lviv we would have
a basis for discussion. As it is, the project and the guest performers
are treated like something very unusual, exotic. And the publicity, of
course. The posters read art grandees. Lviv is a very conservative city.
Few are capable of professional criticism, even less so when the audience
is saturated with emotions. On the other hand, every Lviv native is flattered
to see a world-renowned performer on the city stage. In fact, this undemanding
enthusiasm has its advantages. Gideon Kramer gave four concerts in Ukraine,
two in Lviv and two in Kyiv, something unusual for him, for he usually
tours a country with only one concert. He made an exception for Ukraine,
because here one is in a real, not illusory atmosphere. The performers
do not live in a five-star hotel in Lviv and are served at the Vavilon,
a creative youth hangout. And the experience proved very useful for the
guest stars. What I mean is, the creative elite has a touch of snobbism
all over the world. Everywhere except Lviv, for here one finds oneself
in a warm truly sincere atmosphere. And the Western stars were pleased
to be treated as just good performers, not moneymaking machines.
