The premiere of Bela Bartok’s solo opera Bluebeard’s Castle was one of the most important events of last year. The present to music lovers was made by the world-renowned Ukrainian maestro Kyrylo KARABYTS (with the assistance of the administration of the National Philharmonic Society and Hungary’s Embassy in Ukraine) and musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; the soloists were talented Hungarian singers, winners of numerous international competitions Andrea Szanto (Judith) and Krisztian Cser (Bluebeard).
Bartok is a well-known colorist, one of the harbingers of the neofolklorism style, which was new for his time and combined the composer’s freshest achievements with rhythm-intonation grounds of Hungarian folk music, producing as a result an unheard-of high-artistic “conglomerate.” The soloists and the National Symphony Orchestra brilliantly coped with the complicated task, and the audience was fond of the very interesting music and bright and masterful performance. After the performance The Day spoke with Kyrylo KARABYTS.
“AN ORCHESTRA IS A KIND OF A ‘SOCIAL MECHANISM FOR IMPROVING SOCIETY’”
Who came up with an idea to perform Bartok’s opera in Ukraine?
“It was my brainchild. I started my career of a conductor in Budapest (I assisted to the famous conductor Ivan Fischer). There I heard the opera Bluebeard’s Castle for the first time and came up with an idea to perform it in Ukraine. This is one of the best Bela Bartok’s works, a kind of a special feature, so-called ‘bread with butter’ of the Hungarian music. The opera is frequently performed in different countries of the world and is always well-received, although it requires the audience to have some preparation and background. During one of my visits to Ukraine director of the National Symphony Orchestra Oleksandr Hornostai and me appealed to Hungary’s Embassy and met understanding and agreement to bring the soloists (by the way, I chose them myself, guided not only by their singing abilities, but the way they immerse in the material and impersonation).”
Are you satisfied with the way the opera was performed?
“Yes, I am very satisfied. Of course, I would like to give a line by line translation of the text for a better understanding of the work, but we limited ourselves to a short retelling of the plot. After the performance Krisztian Cser admitted that in his opinion that was the deepest performance of the work with his participation – that was the greatest compliment to me.”
It is not the first time you work with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine.
“I practically grew up with this orchestra and I love very much this highly professional ensemble. I am impressed by the way the musicians manage to maintain their high performer’s level without having their own premises and rehearsal base [for many years the National Orchestra has been rehearsing in the Small Hall of the Philharmonic Society, which it shares with the Brass Band. – Author]. And this is the National Orchestra, i.e., the image of the country. I am sure that a solution can be found even in complicated conditions. By the way, when the Russian National Orchestra found itself in a similar situation, it was given an old movie theater, which was later reequipped for a concert hall.”
Is your touring schedule mapped out in advance?
“At least till June 2017 I know my schedule in detail, so for 2.5 years ahead. At the beginning of January I will spend a week in Oslo, where I will debut with the local philharmonic society orchestra. The next week I will spend in Madrid with the Radio and Television Orchestra. Further there will be Great Britain – with my Bournemouth Orchestra. We will perform Schumann’s Symphony No. 2. Then there will be Spain again with the symphony orchestra of Bilbao. I will work for a week with the National Orchestra of Lille (using the opportunity I want to mention that France has several national orchestras). After that there will be Bournemouth again – we will perform Krzysztof Penderecki’s Symphony. In March I will perform with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Incidentally, we will perform Bluebeard’s Castle as well, but with different soloists. And in June there will be six performances of Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini at the Hamburg Opera House.”
You have a very tight schedule. The cities and countries change one another like in a kaleidoscope. Aren’t you stressed out by such a preplanned life?
“This gives me a feeling of stability, life looks systemic and organized. At the same time, these are all different ensembles, different, for the most part favorite, music. Of course, I have to balance. Fortunately, I still have Ukraine, where everything is unpredictable, projects emerge spontaneously, as if all of a sudden. Of course, this adds the element of ‘pleasant surprise.’”
Photo by Mykola TYMCHENKO, The Day
By the way, being a citizen of the world, you position yourself always as a Ukrainian conductor.
“Of course. But I don’t only position myself. In the last days of December I conducted the Kharkiv Opera, where the concert Classical Extravaganza was held (I performed with the local orchestra and foreign soloists). We performed Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, Double Concerto by Max Felix Bruch and Tzigane by Maurice Ravel.”
What music is performed and listened to in Europe?
“The orchestras’ priority is a dialog with the audience. Under the circumstances of the world crisis the orchestras are fighting for the audience, they concern about the fullness of the halls. Of course, this approach has an effect on the repertoire. For example, the Bournemouth Orchestra is funded by the state only by half, the ensemble has to earn the rest of the money themselves or find sponsors. So, they should take into account the tastes of the audience, appeal to various groups: youth, retired people, etc. So, Bournemouth Orchestra is considered one of the most active and most demanded in England. In the period from October till May they have season tickets: every Wednesday the orchestra performs with a new program, often dedicated to some topic, and on Thursdays, Fridays, and sometimes on Saturdays it tours the surrounding cities and towns, practically covering the entire south-western region. On the whole an orchestra is a kind of a social mechanism to improve society. Not only should it raise the moods and bring aesthetic pleasure, but also enlighten and educate. Sometimes, the orchestra organizes special tours to the places where people don’t have a possibility to hear it. However, the English audience is conservative. They find it obligatory to visit a concert with visiting soloists, but the music should be very famous. For the most part those are classic masterpieces, such is their mentality, unlike ours. For example, our music lovers visit more actively the concerts of unknown music. So, I should be in a special mood. But I have managed to promote Penderecki.”
Is the situation the same throughout the world?
“No. Germany has a 100-percent state funding, so it is possible to offer your own projects. Of course in the places where people know and trust me.”
“I WOULD LIKE MAIDAN TO BECOME A REAL BREAKTHROUGH”
What about the Ukrainian music?
“It is scarcely known there. However, I perform something, in particular, Borys Liatoshynsky’s works, but this is not simple. In particular, recently we have toured six or seven countries with the youth orchestra ‘I, culture’ with his poem Grazyna. That was a project of the Polish Adam Mickiewicz Institute, which expanded to the Eastern Partnership Countries.”
Has the situation changed after the Maidan?
“Practically not. I was here during Maidan and supported it. I had to reconsider many things, because my root goes to the Donbas. My father [a famous Ukrainian composer Ivan Karabyts. – Author] was born in a town of Yalta in Donetsk oblast. Of course, I care about the country, I deeply feel the consequences of Maidan. Ukraine has found itself in a suspended state. This has a detrimental effect on culture above all. I would like Maidan to become a real breakthrough very much, but the reality is that it is not quite clear where the country is going. Maybe it hasn’t had much effect on my everyday routine, but it has affected my feelings. At the moment I am working on a large project of recording all symphonies by Sergey Prokofiev with the Bournemouth Orchestra. Let me remind that the composer was born in Sontsovka Estate in Donetsk oblast and lived there for 18 years, namely there his early symphonies were composed, and nobody knows this fact.”
Where are you recording it?
“The well-known sound recording company Onyx. Respectively, we create a broad PR campaign around the project. It is a pity that the project of shooting a film about the childhood and youth of Prokofiev in Donetsk region has been stalled. Who will risk going there these days?”
On January 17 your father, well-known composer Ivan Karabyts would have turned 70. Are you planning any commemorative events?
“Yes, a series of tribute concerts will be held in Ukraine, and we plan to publish a book about Ivan Karabyts written by famous Ukrainian music critic Liubov Kyianovska.”
Your father used to say that you have broad shoulders and that you shouldn’t be afraid to straighten them. Do you feel his influence in your life?
“I think so. Everything he invested in me is working. I can feel this very well.”
They say every man must to three things in his life. You have built a house [practically rebuilt his father’s old house. – Author]. How do you manage to bring up your son Ivasyk?
“He is trilingual: he speaks French with his mother Nicole, and Ukrainian and Russian with me. He is only four, in Paris he attends a Ukrainian school where he learns songs, poems, and fairy tales. Every time he goes with pleasure to Kyiv to see his grandmother [well-known music critic, professor of the National Music Academy Marianna Kopytsia. – Author].”
What about the trees?
“I have tried to preserve my father’s garden at maximum. But some trees are old, some of them got frozen. In spring we are going to cut down some trees and plant something new.”
