This year the artistic project started in Lviv, now it continues in Kyiv, on October 9 and 10 the Italian masters will perform for Odesa residents, on October 14 the concert “Harmonious anomalies” will be presented in Minsk (Belarus), and on October 16 Ukraine-based The Kiev Baroque Consort will perform legendary Gloria by Vivaldi in two Sicilian cities, Catania and Adrano.
The feast of music was organized by Italy’s Embassy and the Italian Institute of Culture in Ukraine, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and Odesa City Council. Like last year, Nancy Milesis Romano is the art director of the festival. The versatile program of the festival of the Italian music baroque and the art project itself is the latest fruit of activity of Prof. Nicola Franco Balloni at the Italian Institute of Culture in Ukraine, which he has headed for many years, granting to our music lovers the meetings with high art.
Art and culture make the groundwork for a strong and unique country which doesn’t forget about its national roots, heritage, and broadens its creative horizons. Italia Festival Barocco 2015 is dedicated to the best European music traditions. According to the organizers of the art project, the origins of the baroque style go back to the end of the 16th century, when the optimistic humanism of the Renaissance was replaced by tragic world perception, connected with the understanding of economic and political problems that led to the bourgeois revolutions of the 17th century. When the style of baroque emerged, the music for the first time showed its possibility to embody the world of human emotions in a deep and many-side way. Maybe that is the reason why the works performed at the forum so much excite the Ukrainians who are fighting for their right for an independent country, the European values, for which the Heavenly Hundred in Maidan died, and now the ATO servicemen in the east are containing the so-called supporters of the “Russian world.”
Music is able to heal souls and this is proved by concerts that are taking place within the framework of the festival. A great interest was evoked by the programs “Melancholic Comedy” and “Love Duel,” and the divine music by Vivaldi is waiting ahead. The Italian artists have brought the authentic baroque instruments: lute, theorbo, viola da gamba, baroque violins and contrabasses, and the audience has the feeling that they, like in a time machine, have been transferred to an exquisite salon where music brings comfort, and all problems are forgotten.
After the relaxing concert The Day talked to the organizers of the forum and its participants.
“ALL PARTICIPANTS OF THE FORUM WANT PEACE TO COME TO YOUR LAND”
Fabrizio ROMANO, ambassador of Italy to Ukraine:
“We have worked for one year for the second Festival of Italian Music Baroque Italia Festival Barocco to appear. It will be reminded that this is a joint Italian-Ukrainian project, founded in 2014, which was dedicated to Italy’s presiding over the EU Council. And when we saw that all the events of the first artistic forum were a huge success, and the Kyiv music lovers liked them a lot and warmly supported the performances of the Italian artists, we decided not only to continue this creative project, but also to broaden its geography this year. It embraces not only your capital, but also Odesa, Lviv, Minsk, and Sicily. Leading culture institutions of both countries, in particular, the Ministry of Culture, the philharmonic societies of South Palmira and Kyiv, the National Opera and Odesa Opera House, the national music academies of Kyiv and Lviv, the Sophia of Kyiv Preserve, Odesa-based Mechnikov National University, Belarus State Academy of Music, San Giuliano Church in Catania (Abbacy of St. Agatha), etc. took part in organizing the Italia Festival Barocco 2015. We managed to involve in the festival the best musicians and singers from Italy, they prepared the programs that will familiarize the Ukrainian audience with the best samples of the baroque music. In spite of the tight schedule, because the masters perform not only in Europe, but at prestigious venues of the world, none of the musicians and singers refused to go to Ukraine. Within the framework of the festival not only concerts are held, but also workshops and lectures with participation of famous ensembles (I Turchini, Accademia Bizantina, La Venexiana, L’Estravagante), as well as famous artistes, including the conductor-soloists Stefano Montanari (violin), Ottavio Dantone (harpsichord), vocalists Pino De Vittorio (tenor), Delphine Galou (contralto), Raffaele Pe (countertenor), Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (soprano), et al.”
CLAUDIO CAVINA, MUSICAL DIRECTOR OF LA VENEXIANA: “THIS IS MY FOURTH MEETING WITH THE UKRAINIAN AUDIENCE WHICH LISTENS ATTENTIVELY TO SCARCELY KNOWN OR UNKNOWN WORKS OF THE BAROQUE REPERTOIRE”
“Italia is a super state No. 1 in the sphere of culture. We have things to be proud of, and this forum gives us an opportunity to show the best examples of baroque art. I see that not only music lovers come to concerts, but also the audience of different ages (many children, who attentively listen to beautiful music they are not familiar with). The level of Ukrainian audience is high, which is proved by concerts and workshops that are held with full houses. Although many people in the audience are unfamiliar or scarcely know the presented repertoire, but average people, as well as professional musicians, vocalists, studentship, teachers of music schools and conservatoires take a great interest in it. I am sure that soon some of the works that have been for the first time performed at our festival will be included in the repertoire of the leading Ukrainian maestros. I think that our artistic project will continue to live. You know after the concert the audience, diplomats of the countries accredited in Ukraine came up to us and proposed to organize a forum of the music of Italian Renaissance, because our heritage includes many works, which admirers of classical music from different countries may discover.
“The billboard of Italia Festival Barocco 2015 features the music of most interesting composers of two centuries: Scarlatti, Marcello, Handel, Faggioli, Grillo, Vinci, Matteis, Corelli, Vivaldi, Bonporti, and Rossini.
“I think that music is an elixir for soul, therefore, in spite of the complicated current situation in Ukraine, there is a great need for such festivals. All the participants of the forum eagerly went to Kyiv, they take interest in your country, and want peace to come to your land. For example, maestro Cavina has performed in Kyiv for the fourth time, the violinist Stefano Montanari and countertenor Raffaele Pe – for the second time. I assured the artists that the situation was stable, and even in the east for nearly a month there had been no active military operations, and Minsk Accords had proved efficient. The performers were not afraid of going to Ukraine, because they trusted me. Incidentally, I have worked for many years in Italy as a director of the anti-crisis department, which is why I can give a professional commentary on whether it is safe or not to stay in a country. It is only a pity that because of the tight schedule the participants of the festival don’t have an opportunity to visit museums in more detailed way, not superficially, to feast their eyes on the monuments of the city.
“I am sure that your country will stand and that the difficult times will pass, because all wars, even the most long-lasting and the bloodiest ones end at some day. Let’s hope that peace will win over the war. Our festival is a small holiday, and may refined music sound instead of cannons in Ukraine!”
“WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THE MUSIC MASTERPIECES OF THE BAROQUE TIME AS BROADLY AS POSSIBLE”
Nancy Milesis ROMANO, art director of the festival:
“Preparing the program, I coordinated the works that will be performed at the forum with every ensemble and every soloist. We decided to start with Napoli baroque, the works that are scarcely known to Ukrainians – this is the music of the 18th century, and continued with a concert of Roman composers of the early 19th century (Handel, Scarlatti, Marcello). On October 6 the ensemble Accademia Bizantina (conductor: Ottavio Dantone) will perform the works by Corelli, Hotteterre, Caldara, and other classical composers. On October 9 in Odesa Opera House, and on October 13 – in Kyiv (the National Opera of Ukraine) the famous concert Four Seasons of the Year by Vivaldi will be performed. Conductor Stefano Montanari (violin) will perform jointly with Ukrainian musicians. We would like to broader present the music masterpieces of the baroque time. As for the geography, after the first Italia Festival Barocco, we decided to broaden our limits with two cities that have good classical traditions – these are Lviv and Odesa (there we cooperate in other spheres of culture and art). Our colleagues from the Belarus embassy suggested to add Minsk to the festival route, and the final of the art project will take place in Sicily (Catania and Adrano), where we will perform the concert Gloria by Vivaldi jointly with the Ukrainian ensemble The Kiev Baroque Consort [conductor Nancy Milesis Romano. – Author], with whom I have been cooperating for several years now.”
“IT IS THE LOVE OF MY WHOLE LIFE”
Claudio CAVINA, musical director of the ensemble La Venexiana:
“I accepted the invitation to take part in the festival with great pleasure. This is my fourth meeting with the Ukrainian audience, which attentively listens to scarcely known or unknown at all works from the baroque repertoire. The interest to ancient music, in particular, baroque music, has increased across the world today, and judging by the fact how concerts are perceived in the hall, in your country we have a gradually growing army of admirers of classical music. Apart from concerts, young people take a great interest in lectures and workshops that are held for students and postgraduates of conservatoires. I have been teaching for a long time, and this is something I love to do. In Ukraine I already have a group of admirers who never miss my concerts or workshops. Not only students come to the ‘classes,’ but some teachers do as well. We actively communicate, and the ‘fire’ in the eyes of young singers and musicians who will become professional artistes soon is very gratifying for me. I started my creative career as a singer and continued it as a musician (I play the harpsichord and conduct) and a pedagogue. Singing is the closest activity to me, and it doesn’t matter whether I sing myself or teach singing to students, and baroque music is the love at first glance for the whole life. At first I played the pipe organ in a church and performed the baroque repertoire there, and later started to sing, since then this music has always been present in my life.”
“I HAVE COME TO SUPPORT YOU”
Raffaele PE, countertenor:
“I was excited when I was going to Kyiv. I fell in love with your beautiful city last year, when I came to your capital for the first time. I think that your country has a great potential, and I’m sure that in the near future Ukraine will become a strong and prosperous state professing the European values. Hopefully, Italy and Ukraine will maintain close ties not only in culture, but also economy, politics and science, and art is the bridge that unites different nations. Music doesn’t need a translation, and when I was performing, I felt how attentively the audience was listening, how inspired the faces in the audience were. I am aware of all the events, I know that your country is fighting for independence, and I wish it to stand in this difficult time. I have come to support you. With the help of God you will work this way to the end, and peace will bring happiness to Ukrainians. I think that several hours of the concert gave comfort to people, because music has a great emotional power. I have a large repertoire not only in ancient music, but modern music as well, and I hope that this is not our last meeting, and that next time I will perform the works by composers from different epochs (now maestro Francesco Paradiso is composing specially for me). So, will I say, see you soon.”
