Cultural events involving choirs make one think above all of folk music, although they actually involve far more. The repertoire of such choirs includes old Ukrainian religious music and modern compositions. Choral festivals are special occasions, contests for the best choirmaster; they are large-scale combined efforts to show the best creative attainments.
This is especially important in Ukrainian choral culture, considering its immense religious musical legacy of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (like Bortniansky, Berezovsky, and Vedel), most of which remains to be completely unearthed and conveyed to the public (such music is still being deciphered, for it is kept in the special Old Kyivan square notation style). This music began to be performed and recorded only a few years ago (here great credit is due Prof. Nina Herasymova- Persydska, researcher and decipherer). This year’s Golden-domed Kyiv Choral Fest was dedicated to Mykola Dyletsky, a brilliant seventeenth century Kyiv composer. The House of Organ Music hosted a marathon of his works sung by six choirs. The Kyiv Choir presented a CD with its first recording. The medieval compositions revived were, of course, a priceless contribution in Ukrainian and world culture.
The final concert was, as usual, dedicated to a contemporary composer, this time to Myroslav Skoryk.
STARS
A few words about last year’s sixth Golden Domes. It proved a galaxy of stars. The closing concert featured instrumental and choral works by Volodymyr Runchak. Instrumental because some choirs refused to perform his music, considering it too complicated. True, his compositions are difficult to perform, but leave the audience bewitched. The women’s choir of the Higher State School of Culture from Mykolayiv, however, did not consider his music too difficult (note that the school is not even a music one). The girls sang On the Death of Jesus for 18 minutes and did a beautiful job (they did not even use the music sheets). Their teacher and conductor Prof. Svitlana Fominykh had on more than one occasion demonstrated the professional level of her ostensibly amateur choir by performing works professional companies could not handle...
Runchak’s other compositions were performed by Lviv’s Gloria Choir and his Sermon on the Mount was rendered by the Kyiv Chamber Choir. This particular composition does not belong with all those dry intellectual modern pieces. It is highly emotional, easily perceived, and captivating. One listens to it from beginning to end with unwavering attentiveness. On the Death of Jesus, with solo trumpeters and a narrator, reaches the cockles of the listener’s heart, so much so that the music remains there long after the concert. Runchak’s music is very strong and I daresay he is a brilliant composer. His Sermon is a grand antiphon for 16 voices. It has been internationally recognized, being on the repertoire of a Swiss choir touring Europe.
HOBDYCH
Finally, about Mykola Hobdych. He has been the artistic director and conductor of the Kyiv Municipal Choir for the past twelve years. He is also the initiator and organizer of seven Golden-domed Kyiv festivals. He is an indefatigable enthusiast in unearthing and performing Ukrainian religious music. The choir has 16 CDs with 70% original recordings. In the fall of 2002 on his 29th concert tour of Ukraine, Hobdych arranged for copies of the scores being supplied to choirmasters wherever they performed, a tremendous publishing effort rendering an invaluable contribution in Ukrainian culture.
And this is along with the choir’s regular European tours. The Kyiv Choir is an internationally acknowledged performing group. Its director’s singular energy and organizational talent are embodied in 60-70 annual concerts abroad, plus a tour of Ukraine and a yearly choral fest. The unmatched number of recordings and editions make Mykola Hobdych one of the most spectacular cultural figures of Ukraine.
And one more detail — last year’s choral contest was accompanied by a contest for the best critical review on the event, with respectable prizes (UAH 850 first prize). Yet the response was quite inadequate and the jury had a difficult time awarding third prize. Interestingly, there is a music criticism chair at the National Academy of Music. And where are all those critics? I have spent ten years in Kyiv and have not noticed a single one worthy of note. Indeed, there are several critics, but they write heavily leaning on cliches, cautiously and infrequently. Can their work be described as critical reviews? I think not, which means that the said chair should be closed, and the state should cut its losses on a bad investment.
Some consider that some compositions are too difficult to perform. Others are hard put to write an adequate review. In contrast, the stars of Fominykh, Runchak, and Hobdych are in the lead, racing ahead, so maybe some of us should try to join them?
