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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

VIKTORIYA LUKIANETS:I PRAY TO GOD FOR HEALTH AND A BIT OF LUCK

6 October, 1998 - 00:00

The National Philharmonic Society hosted a very special concert as part
of the ten-day Musical Decade program in Kyiv. The Ukrainian capital does
not often witness operatic stars of world caliber and on this particular
occasion the guest performer was a Ukrainian from Kyiv, Viktoriya Lukianets,
currently soloist with the Vienna State Opera. Hers is a singular captivating
talent causing envy and fresh enthusiasm in operatic neophytes, and always
intriguing critics.

Ms. Lukianets kindly agreed to an interview after one of the rehearsals.
She looked her usual charming self: a graceful petite woman with movingly
childlike eyes, dynamite emotionality and an innate joy of creation touching
a nerve in the most "battle-hardened" musicians in the pit. She is very
natural and relaxed on stage, perfectly self-confident and with a strong,
genuinely feminine presence. She never conquers her audience. She does
not have to. She leaves her viewers and listeners the freedom of a choice
which is invariably in favor of the beauty and harmony radiated by this
remarkable woman.

Q: You are incredibly hard-working and your ability to learn a part
in any language within 7-10 days is legendary. How do you manage it?

A: Today's performers live at a maddening pace and total immersion
is the only way to survive. My schedule is such that I may sing in Vienna
one day and in New York City the next with completely  different parts
in different operas. If I stop for even a moment I may very well find myself
falling overboard. On one hand this is bad because there is a continuous
mental and nervous strain and no time to let my vocal chords rest, but
on the other it is also good because there is constant progress and the
results are obvious. But the physical strain is tremendous. I must say
that performing in Kyiv turned out to be much easier.

Q: Is the repertoire you brought this time your standard one or did
you make it specially for Kyiv?

A: I made it specially for this tour, including Mozart's vocal
concertos, knowing that I would be singing with the Chamber Orchestra and
Roman Kaufman who is a very subtle musician. I prepared several Mozart
pieces for voice and orchestra. Singing Mozart is always a very special
occasion. My music teachers said that a woman singer who can handle Mozart
can handle any other composer. To me, singing his works is like reciting
The Lord's Prayer to a very devout believer. I am happy I can return to
this repertoire, as I have practically no such opportunity in the West,
where I sing mostly Donizetti and Bellini.

My latest part this season was also from Donizetti, the sixth such rendition.
I acted as a woman once very famous at Louis XIII's court and the cast
included singers from Spain, Korea and Mexico, countries which often produce
phenomenal voices. Regrettably, fewer singers come from Italy, which was
firmly established as the best school of European opera three hundred years
ago.

Q: Did you have any professional training anywhere after studying
under Irina Arkhipova and leaving for permanent residence in the West?

A: Now let me clear something up. Irina Arkhipova never taught
me. She heard me at a Glinka vocal contest in 1987 and said, "You are ready
as a singer." Later, she helped me through to the big stage, giving a reference
for the Mozart contest. She also took me with her on concert tours to Sverdlovsk,
Astrakhan, Leningrad and Moscow. "No one knows you, well, not yet. But
you will sing with me, they will notice you and you can take it from there,"
she would tell me. She, of all people, knew that a young singer had to
be helped along at first, to be shown for what she was really worth. But
she did not teach me. In fact no one did after I graduated from the Conservatory,
but no one believes when I say so.

Q: Which composers are now dominant at the Vienna State Opera?

A: Wagner and Mozart, of course. These are the two pillars supporting
the repertoire. They stage all of Wagner and Mozart. But I play Woglinda
only in the first and fourth parts of Wagner's tetralogy of music dramas,
Der Ring des Nibelungen. Of course, I perform all of Mozart's coloratura
pieces, but I don't think I can bring myself to play Queen of the Night
in The Magic Flute again, I'm so tired of it!

Q: Which operatic parts do you prefer?

A: Melodramatic ones, when my heroine falls in love, is happy
and is then made to suffer. Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto, Violetta in La
Traviata and Lucia in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor are all
true female characters I am rather fond of.

I am not averse to purely dramatic roles, like Puccini's Tosca
or Tchaikovsky's Lisa in The Queen of Spades. It's just that
I am not ready to sing them, not yet. I have been offered Desdemona's part
in Verdi's Othello. I am sure that such operatic parts will not
be good for my voice. After all, I am 31 and I want to continue with my
coloratura soprano repertoire.

Q: How popular are Russian classical operas in the West?

A: Good question. They know or care very little about Russian
operas, except such ever-popular works as Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin,
The Queen of Spades or by Mussorgsky. Too bad there are no parts
for me there. You can imagine how much I miss Rimsky-Korsakov's The
Snow Maiden or The Czar's Betrothed and Glinka's Ruslan and
Ludmila.

Q: It stands to logic that they don't know much about Ukrainian music
there, either, or do they? Do you have any Ukrainian classical pieces in
your Western repertoire?

A: Actually, there are two genuinely Ukrainian operas: Hulak-Artemovsky's
A Cossack Beyond the Danube and Lysenko's Natalka Poltavka,
which sound as charming as Ukrainian folk songs. I love singing Ukrainian
folk songs and I must tell you that they are always received with an ovation.
I often hear voices in the audience: "O, como Italiano, como Italiano!"
meaning "Oh, just like Italian!" I always sing a cappella and try to select
little-known pieces. I always try to find something new. I can't always
sing Gilda or Violetta, these parts pall. I am never content with what
I have long mastered. I want to continue learning new parts.

Q: A prima donna of your caliber is perhaps in a position to interpret
an operatic part her own way, or is this still the directing conductor's
prerogative? In other words, can you dictate your rules of the game?

A: Not dictate, but suggest, I can. You see, in the West creative
communication, contacts are totally different. The greater an actor's talent
and repute, the less of a thing he or she makes of this. No pomp or pretenses.
Even superstars like Donna Sutherland, Monserrat Caballe or Maria Callas
are so tactful and cultured they would never prevail upon anyone with their
ideas. Or take Luciano Pavarotti. He is a fantastically industrious man
and every hour he prays to God not to withhold His grace. In a word, we
never dictate any rules, we just try to cooperate. As a rule, everyone
is calm, friendly and most importantly, considerate during a rehearsal.
Loutish behavior is strictly taboo. I have enjoyed working with my Western
colleagues.

Q: What about your daughter? Is she planning a vocal career?

A: She is a very good painter and is enrolled in an art high
school. She also plays the piano and will soon start studying seven (sic)
languages. My cherished dream is to give Darusia a good education so she
will never have to ask for a job to make ends meet.

Q: Is there anything special that helps you live through troublesome
periods in your life?

A: Yes, three words: Faith, Hope and Love. Have faith, hope for
the best and love everyone and everything around you. I prey to our Lord
for health and a bit of luck, and I will be able to take care of the rest.

 

 

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