Pikkardiiska tertsiia
“Fifteen years is quite an achievement for an a cappella group in a country where pop kitsch rules supreme”
Last Friday the International Center of Culture and Arts, better known as October Palace, hosted a recital by the Pikkardiiska tertsiia vocal group. The singers combined the pleasant with the useful: they sang for their numerous Kyiv fans as well as for the members of the Shevchenko State Prize Committee, which is still studying the works that have been nominated for the 2008 National Taras Shevchenko Prize. This popular a cappella group has been nominated for its concert CDs: Anthology. Vol. I, Anthology, Vol. II. Folk, and From the Sky to the Earth (2003-06).
“Pikkardiiska tertsia was nominated for the Shevchenko State Prize by the culture department of the Lviv Oblast Council,” said the group’s artistic director Volodymyr YAKYMETS. “It was a pleasant surprise for us. Obviously, we don’t perform for the sake of awards but because we like to do this and, after all, people like it. But we will never say that we are refusing the prize because it has allegedly become devalued. It is extremely important for me that it was once awarded to Vasyl Zinkevych and Taras Petrynenko. But if we do not get it, we will never even think of complaining. We will go on working for our listeners, like before.”
What do you think of Ukrainian listeners?
“I can say that there are a lot of people with good taste everywhere, who react equally well to any kind of original, quality music. We once dreamed of touring Luhansk and the Crimea. We have already performed in the Crimea. We have some wonderful impressions from there! And we are going to sing in Luhansk on Jan. 25.”
Your group is touring extensively throughout Ukraine. What is your feel of the country? Has it changed over the years?
“In my opinion, in 1991 our statesmen had everything they needed to change the lives of Ukrainians for the better. Unfortunately, this did not happen. A similar opportunity came in 2004.
“But I have also noticed other things. The latest public opinion polls show that a larger proportion of people are using the Ukrainian language than before. This is good. Also, more than 90 percent call themselves Ukrainians, not Russians or Poles who reside in Ukraine. So there is still a prospect. But it is important for us not to waste time.”
Last year the group celebrated its 15th anniversary. What period was the most interesting and most relaxed? And what is the secret of your artistic longevity?
“All the periods were precious. Each one of us has contributed something. This resulted in the Pikkardiiska tertsiia in its present form. Our group was founded in the early 1990s. Then we worked on arranging folk songs. After this we began composing our own songs. The mid- and late 1990s can be described as our professional formation. As for the present day... Fifteen years is quite an achievement for an a cappella group in a country where pop kitsch rules supreme, to put it mildly. I think the secret of our artistic longevity is that we have never been insincere with our listeners. We have always sung live, and we still do. Like before, we are always looking for new things for our repertoire. Our group has never been opportunistic. We have been composing music that we felt deep in our hearts. And we are glad that many people like it.”
There is a long-standing affection between your group and The Day. There is a photograph of you in our archive, holding a copy of our newspaper while crossing a street in Old Lviv.”
“There were several pictures like this. I remember one where we are standing near a phone booth and reading The Day; in another one, we are looking through the paper at a streetcar stop. I think our reciprocal affection was born in the late 1990s, when you had an office in Lviv. I think we share the same philosophy. The Day is always sincere with its readers, like we are with our listeners.”
If Pikkardiiska tertsia had a sponsor with deep pockets, what kind of projects would your group launch?
“We would first organize a festival of a cappella music. There are a lot of groups in this genre, and they are worth hearing. Second, we would organize a number of classical music concerts and invite world- class stars. And we would spend part of the proceeds on charity.”
P.S.
Pikkardiiska tertsia is working on a new album called Etudes, which is slated to be released in March.
