Alastair Thorburn-Vitols (Baritone), Nazarii Mykhailenko (Baritone), Andrew Wolf (Tenor), Yanina Kosivanova (Soprano), Maria Pottle (Soubrette Soprano), Jennifer Turner (Soprano), Katherine Tilbury (Piano), Kimberley Denis (Mezzo-Soprano), Sergey Lavrentyev (Baritone); Steven Philcox and Leanne Regher (collaborative piano). Temerty Theatre, Telus Centre for Efficiency and Studying, Sunday, August 27, 2023.

Now in its fifth yr, the Ukrainian Artwork Music Summer time Institute is designed to introduce the wealth of Ukrainian artwork songs to singers from Canada and overseas in per week of intensive masterclasses, culminating in a last live performance. Having been attending these occasions aside from 2020 and 2021 when the concert events have been cancelled on account of COVID-19, I’m all the time struck by the excessive calibre of the performers, younger artists with contemporary, enticing voices, a few of them could properly develop into stars of the longer term.

This yr was no exception. The live performance happened at its typical venue, Temerty Theatre. It’s primarily a big rehearsal studio within the Telus Centre for Efficiency and Studying, a brand new constructing that homes the excellent Koerner Corridor, adjoining to the Royal Conservatory of Music. Sunday’s live performance featured 9 of the ten younger artists, with theatre within the spherical seating and a really perfect, intimate really feel to the proceedings. The house was completely full — my guess is there have been possible near 200 in attendance. We have been handled to a most pleasing afternoon of vocalism.

This system consisted of twenty-two songs by Ukrainian composers, chosen from over 1,000 artwork songs identified to be in existence. Stylistically, these songs vary from the excessive Romanticism of Mykola Lysenko and Kyrylo Stetsenko to the extra angular and edgy Modernist fashion of Stefania Turkewich. By the way, all viewers members obtained as a beautiful memento a 2 CD field set of Stetsenko songs, recorded in 2006 and that includes bass-baritone Pavlo Hunka and Canadians Russell Braun and Ben Butterfield.

Most of the songs on this live performance have been chosen to mirror and underscore the power and resilience of the Ukrainian individuals within the face of Russian aggression. This system grouped into 4 sections, specifically The Destiny of Ukraine, Love, Challenges of Life, and Ideas of Everlasting Life. Weighty materials to make sure, delving deeply into the psyche of every listener. Studying the textual content of among the songs, I discovered a lump in my throat, so I can think about how emotional an expertise it should be for the Ukrainians within the viewers.

The 22 songs have been largely solos, with a couple of duets and one trio, the final sung by the total ensemble. The singers are in several phases of their vocal journey — some are extra works in progress, whereas others are practically prepared for knowledgeable profession. What they do have in frequent are unusual potential, sincerity, enthusiasm, and full dedication to the fabric, to speak the enjoyment of music-making. Sure, I can hear it of their voices, of their interpretation of the songs, and of their physique language.

Highlights? I confess I are likely to gravitate in the direction of the extra melodically impressed, tonal and accessible songs, many by Stetsenko and Lysenko. This isn’t to say I can’t recognize the extra angular and dissonant works, like “I Yearn for You” by Stefania Turkewich. It’s simply that these extra stylistically Modernist songs are a more durable nut to crack so to talk, requiring extra work on the a part of the listener, maybe extra of an mental probing into its musical kernel of reality to realize a full appreciation.

Having been excited about artwork songs most of my life, I’ve observed that songs from Slavic folks cultures like Ukraine are predominantly composed in minor key and shrouded in melancholia, with beautiful and evocative melodies that linger within the consciousness. Even the comfortable songs sound unhappy, and I’m solely half joking! Properly, there was a singular exception this afternoon, the ironic ditty “The Chumak and the Tar Pot” by Yakiv Stepovy, right here given a broad comedian stroke in its supply, with tenor Benjamin Butterfield gamely deputizing for the indisposed Ian Bannerman.

As soon as once more, a lovely recital, now going down a yr and a half after the Russian invasion. Final yr’s live performance happened solely six months after the beginning of the warfare. Now 18 months later, the warfare continues. It actually underscores the significance of music, serving to calm the spirit and soothe the soul.

On the finish, the viewers joined in to sing “Bozhe velykyi, yedynyi,” a patriotic tune by Mykola Lysenko, similar as final yr. Sadly, this yr there was no proclamation, in Ukrainian, of “Glory to Ukraine, Glory to our Heroes,” however I’m certain everybody current felt it of their coronary heart.

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Anya Wassenberg is a Senior Author and Digital Content material Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher with OntarioLearn.

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