Art project “Spirit of Hutsuls” presented in Munich

It took time for the project to reach the format of a festival. It is the Lviv-born Oksana Lyniv (pictured), conductor of the young musicians’ orchestra “New Munich Philharmonic” and chief conductor at the Graz Opera and the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra in Austria, who hit upon this idea. At first, it was about playing Myroslav Skoryk’s suite “Hutsul Triptych” by the abovementioned young musicians’ orchestra. Then ideas, people, and circumstances surprisingly began to be meeting in one point.

At that very time, the Kolomyia Ivan Ozarkevych Theater was touring Europe with the production Hutsul Year based on a novella by Hnat Khotkevych, the music to which was composed by Oleksandr Kozarenko, a well-known Kolomyia resident. This production opened the Hutsul Week.

Another subject is linked with Serhii Parajanov’s film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. Skoryk composed music to the film, and “Hutsul Triptych” is in fact based on the film score. When Ulrich Besirske, chairman of the Cultural Education Committee of Land Bavaria, who had a Czech and German origin, saw it, he said the film was to be shown to German audiences. He personally got in touch with the Czech Cultural Center in Munich and suggested a public showing of Shadows… What does the Czech Republic have to do with it? In the early 20th century, in the period between the two world wars, a part of the Hutsul region was part of Czechoslovakia. This resulted in the idea to invite Skoryk. Incidentally, the discussion of the film in the Czech center uncovered some Ukrainian-Czech interconnections in the composer’s artistic life: Skoryk was taught by Roman Simovych, Simovych by the Czech Vitezslav Novak, and Novak by Antonin Dvorak, the classic of Czech music.

98 ORCHESTRA PLAYERS FROM 15 COUNTRIES PLAYED AT HERKULESSAAL

Incidentally, the director of New Munich Philharmonic, which has existed for more than 20 years, suggested to Oksana Lyniv that they invite participants from Ukraine because the orchestra’s strings group was undermanned. As a result, among the 98 players from 15 countries, who performed at Herkulessaal, one of Bavaria’s most prestigious halls, there were 19 students of the National Music Academy of Ukraine.

This concert was the main result of the festival. Firstly, the venue was a historic downtown hall with excellent acoustics located in the northern wing of the Munich residency. Every musician considers it an honor to play in this hall. Secondly, it is a major percentage of the German audience. And, thirdly, it is a successfully performed concert program that began with Skoryk’s oeuvre. In addition to “Hutsul Triptych,” the audience heard “The Tears of Nature,” a percussion concerto by the Chinese-American composer Tan Dun, where Vivi Vassileva, a young German lady of Bulgarian origin, brilliantly performed the solo part, and “A Hero’s Life,” a tone poem by Richard Strauss.

It is open to question whether it is right to perform the works of such different authors, representatives of different cultures, in the same program, as if ignoring the project’s central theme. But, in Lyniv’s view, it is, on the contrary, a very important moment which gives Ukrainian culture an opportunity to integrate into the European cultural context. Indeed, Ukrainian projects abroad are often very special and timed to an anniversary that is mostly important to Ukrainians. This produces the ghetto effect. But there was no sensation like this here.

The Hutsul Week came to a close at Munich’s Ukraine House. A number of master classes were held there concurrently: in traditional Hutsul icon painting on glass (conducted by artist Ostap Lozynsky), Easter egg painting, and authentic folk singing (conducted by Natalka Rybka-Parkhomenko, an actress at the Les Kurbas Theater in Lviv). Unfortunately, we failed to hear the promised Hutsul ritual singing at workshops. Yes, it was authentic, but it was performed much in the Sloboda Ukraine manner. What was offered for learning was the folk chant “A Little Bird” recorded in the Chernihiv region and well known in the performance of the Bozhychi folk ensemble. But even this was very much for the German Ukrainians who took part in master classes.

COMMENTARIES

“THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR US, BUT WE SHOULD BE MORE ACTIVE”

Oksana LYNIV, orchestra conductor:

“For me, the most important result was the words I heard from Ukrainian students. They said they were grateful for not only being able to visit Munich and take part in rehearsals held at an ancient monastery, but also for the fact that this project changed their awareness. For I’ve noticed too much disappointment and apathy in Ukraine. People think that what they are doing has no sense – the doors still remain as if closed. But it turned out here that the world is waiting for us, but we should only be more active, we must come and show ourselves. A very special time is now coming for Ukraine. I’ve only heard awful things about Ukraine in the past three years. And there is a chance now to show ourselves to the world and prove that we have things to struggle for, we have a cultural heritage, and we have what to offer to the world.”

 “‘DAYS OF KYIV’S CULTURE IN MUNICH’ ARE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE”

Vadym KOSTIUK, Consul General of Ukraine in the city of Munich:

“When it comes to Ukraine-related things, all get involved – the consulate, the Ukraina society, and activists. Munich is a specific city with quite many Ukrainians. So when something is going on, particularly in the cultural sphere, Ukrainians actively participate in it, as do a certain percentage of the Germans who support Ukraine. The Germans accounted for at least 50 percent of the audience at the Herkulessaal concert (the hall itself provides for the lion’s share of visitors), and it is a unique situation because other Ukraine-related events usually attract Ukrainian audiences only. And I can’t recall a Ukraine-related event in the past few years that lasted a solid week. Incidentally, ‘Days of Kyiv’s Culture in Munich’ have been scheduled for June as part of partnership between the two cities.”

 “SINGING AS MEDITATION”

Siania TIRI, participant in traditional singing master class, Munich:

“It was my first master class, but I wish I’d have more! For when you sing in this folk style, you seem to be ‘coming out’ of your body. It is really like meditation of sorts – you find yourself and betray your essence in principle through your body. In other words, singing is all what you are. When you listen to this way of singing, you seem to be feeling every cell of your body, and this transforms and comes out with the sound. Of course, two hours is not enough to master this technique professionally, but it’s quite enough to feel pleasure now, in this minute, in this second.”