Singers Fail to Finish Marathon

VOCALISTS

The greatest number of contestants (67) vied in the vocal solo nomination. Here the screening was especially tough and disappointments severe. Many interesting and original singers were shown the door. The trouble was that competitors reaching the third crucial round failed to show what they were really worth, perhaps due to combat fatigue, so that even those winning diplomas and prizes did not look as good as they should have.

“There are winners and losers in every contest,” says Mariya Stefiuk, head of the vocal jury. “A lot of good vocalists vied in this Lysenko contest and the best won. I enjoyed listening to everyone as a singer and teacher. A contest, however, is a pitched battle. It takes a great deal of willpower and character to appear onstage and show one’s best. The jury liked Oksana Dyka very much. She is a young colleague of mine at the Kyiv Opera and won first prize. She has a very beautiful voice and undeniable musical talent. God has given her everything: beauty, voice, and talent. Viktor Dudar, who placed second, has a gorgeous bass. He is a soloist with the Lviv Opera and is taking a graduate course under Prof. Kushpler. He is a vocalist-musician and has rare talent. When he sang The Wide Dnipro Roars and Bellows I had the shivers. I think that his rendition was a peak of chamber performance. Maksym Paster, soloist with the Kharkiv Opera, did a beautiful job with his chamber pieces. He was awarded a diploma. The tenor Marian Talaba won the competition and he was very good. He became a soloist with the National Opera this year.

“All the contestants sang so much they seemed to get tired by the third round, so the jury passed judgment proceeding from all the points scored and overall artistic impression. I hope all those who failed to win cheer up; they ought to work on their vocal technique, and I’m sure they’ll win next time.”

Consider a view from the audience.

“The jury should exercise a stricter approach, they should make no concessions,” says Yevheniya Myroshnychenko, professor with the National Academy of Music. “After all, this contest has international status. It’s like the Olympics; the jury won’t let a skier failing to go the distance have another try. I think they did let them have it at the contest, and this was the jury’s major shortcoming. At such contests every participant must show mastery, the strength and beauty of the voice. The third round, when they sang with a symphony orchestra, was an outrage. Far from the best singers passed muster in the finals. Each could have been stopped and thanked after a couple of lines; everything was perfectly clear. Yet the jury and the audience sat and suffered listening to such a travesty of singing. Sadly, there were no clear victories and this vocal contest leaves one somewhat disappointed.

“I was perplexed by the jury’s inattentiveness. They failed to notice singers with excellent vocal capacities and stage presence. There were five contestants from my class and only two were successful. Tetiana Hanyna (soprano) placed second and Serhiy Kovnir (bass) shared third prize with the baritones Andriy Beniuk (Lviv) and Dmytro Hryshyn (Kyiv). As for the National Opera’s young soloists winning the contest, Oksana Dyka (soprano) and Marian Talaba (tenor), I must say they weren’t in their best of shape in the finals. True, both have good voices and potential; with time they can make good professionals. At this stage, however, it’s just a stepping stone. They didn’t show the winner’s kind of performance. Apart from vocal technique, they had to demonstrate dramatic and musical talent, vocal professional culture. As it was, Oksana and Marian simply made themselves known at the contest. Now they must work to develop themselves. Also, I’d like to caution them against the star syndrome. If they want to become operatic stars they must not spare themselves. It takes a lot of work. For me, a singer becomes a star only when everyone can recognize his or her voice and say sure, that’s Ivan Kozlovsky, Anatoly Solovyanenko, or Maria Lytvynenko-Volhemuth. My ideal is spectacular individuality, otherwise it’s no use taking up a vocal or other performing career.”

Ivan Hamkalo, National Opera conductor, did not hide his disappointment: “I was surprised to see ill- trained vocalists in the finals. They performed arias falling out of rhythm, some had problems with breath control, but the jury paid no attention to such seeming trifles. Even the winners did not show a convincing performance. Worst of all, the contest turned out to be local rather then international. All the [vocal] contestants were from Ukraine. What is this? Returning to the republic scale?”

CELLISTS

Here the atmosphere was entirely different. The jury was presided over by Ivan Kucher, docent of the National Academy of Music, soloist with the House of Organ and Chamber Music, and member of the Lysenko Quartet. He was obviously satisfied with the results:

“I think that the Lysenko Contest has become an important cultural event in Ukraine. For the first time 34 applications came from eight countries. 22 contenders actually arrived, but this is also an impressive statistic. All showed excellent training. The winners were really good. Hanna Pyrizhkova (graduate of Odesa Conservatory, V. Balon-Romashevska’s class, currently enrolled in the Eisler Higher School of Music in Berlin, attending S. Vork’s class — Author) showed true winner’s style. She is strong and determined, commanding the audience’s attention. Playing Dvorak’s Violin Concerto in B Minor, she actually led the orchestra. Her rendition was like a Christmas gift for the audience and the jury was enchanted. Hanna shows a response to all parts, every movement of the orchestra: in a word, a true professional.

“The second prize was shared by Roman Samostrokov (Lviv Virtuosi’s accompanist) and Yuri Pohoretsky, 5th year student of Chervova’s class at the National Academy of Music), both good cellists, although I’d rather see them show more even style. The jury notes both the quality of performance and the way a musician conveys the spirit of the composer’s epoch.

“Vage Rostomian, of Yerevan (Armenia), took the bronze medal. What a great guy! His teacher Medeia Abramian (a noted cellist herself, Rostropovich’s pupil) deserves all possible praise and her charge ought to have shown a bit more personal approach to the compositions he performed.

“Two diplomas went to Laura Otkebalayeva from Kazakhstan and Oleksandr Hosachynsky, second year NAM student (Ivan Kucher’s class — Author). Both are taking their first steps toward mastery, but they have potential and whether or not they’ll make topnotch musicians depends on their perseverance.”

PIANISTS

34 musicians applied for the grand piano nomination, 23 applications were subsequently confirmed, but only ten pianists arrived for the casting of lots. This is explained by two reasons. According to Prof. Volodymyr Krainev, head of the jury, currently with Hanover’s Higher Music and Theater School, some were frightened away by his tough judging and decided to give other contests a try — there are enough piano contests these days and to spare. The other reason is rather said; few foreigners know Ukrainian music, including our classic Mykola Lysenko. Those that dared appear in Kyiv were not top notch.

“I was disappointed by the contest,” admits Prof. Krainev. “There were few competitors . The organizing committee must have counted on a considerable influx of Ukrainian musicians. The latter, in turn, must have been scared by the international jury. The pianists’ overall professional level wasn’t high, I’m afraid. Except perhaps U Tsung from China, the winner, and the Ukrainian Mykhailo Danchenko who received the silver medal. Both turned in very good performances. Both are talented and charming. They are totally different, but each shows spectacular individuality. Danchenko is a mature performer, with attitude and scope (currently taking a graduate course a Hanover institution of higher education — Author).

“U Tsung is 20 (in his fifth year at the Nezhdanova Music Academy of Odesa, Popova’s class — Author), and what made his rendition so attractive was his youth, his fresh and spontaneous approach. This won over both the jury and everybody watching him compete in the audience. He made an excellent job of Liszt’s First Concerto and the first part of Revutsky’s concerto in the finals. The third round won him the gold medal, and he really deserved it.

“The gap between them and the rest of the contestants was so large no one had any doubts about the outcome. In the end we had to leave the third place vacant, awarding diplomas to three pianists.”

VIOLINISTS

Bohdan Kotorovych, head of the jury in the violin nomination, felt jubilant and did not hide his mood at the gala concert starring the winners:

“I am happy to see this Lysenko Contest accomplished successfully. The only shortcoming seems that all the competitions were held simultaneously, so I couldn’t listen to the pianists, cellists, and singers. The violinists showed true class. I’d compare their level to that of the Paganini Contest recently held in Genoa where I was on the jury. In fact, I can state with full confidence that the professional level shown in the finals here is considerably higher than in Italy. All three of our laureates could vie in any international contest and I’m sure they would win awards. Our jury showed true team spirit. All its members are accomplished professional musicians and teachers, each with jury experience.

“Anastasia Pylatiuk (first place) turned in a spectacular performance (she is currently a 4th year student at Lviv’s Music Academy and in her first year at the Higher School of Music in KЪln, Germany — Author). She is a subtle and richly endowed musician, and a charming young woman.

“Also, I’d like to address the highest praise to Kyrylo Sharapov, who placed second. He is in his third year at NAM. As his teacher, I believe that his potential hasn’t been fully revealed at this contest, I’m sure he has a great future.

“Federico Casic from Germany placed third. He is of Czech parentage and studies in Ukraine, in his first year at Lviv Conservatory. A very talented violinist.”

Thus the Lysenko contest is over, the winners are celebrating and the losers licking their wounds. There is one aspect to the performing arts. To remain at the peak of glory, you have to prove your worth every time you appear onstage. In this sense a contest is merely a launch pad.