Mariya STEFIUK: “We should discard all things old and love life again”
“Ms. Stefyuk, what prevails in your heart now that you are celebrating your jubilee: the thrill of victory or perhaps some reflections and nostalgia for the past?”
“I have a sensation of singing well and being in a good vocal shape. But, naturally, I also feel regret about many things that I failed to do for one reason or another. I feel I have not completely fulfilled revealed myself as a singer even in our theater. Perhaps I was born at such a difficult time. Like many other of our singers, I was deprived of personal contacts with my world famous operatic colleagues. For under Soviet power we were kept inside this country and left to stew in our own juices. Now an entirely different situation is arising for novice singers: they can go to any country and make deals through an impresario.”
“And how did you conceive the idea of a joint jubilee recital with Roman Maiboroda?”
“Although this idea arose accidentally, it is still natural. I like Roman very much: in addition to being endowed with a nice vocal talent, he is also a kindhearted and decent person. And this, to our great regret, happens very rarely in art. I must say we are helped for the third time by Kyiv Mayor Oleksandr Omelchenko, who fortunately supports not only sports but also the operatic arts.”
“What has happened in your artistic career over the past year?”
“The past two years have not been the best period of my life for some specific reasons. It seemed I would never do anything more. But it only seemed that way: it is true that time is the best healer. And when I sang at the jubilee recital, I began to make a host of plans. I already know which programs I will prepare. One should discard all things old and love life again! Now I want to sing a Ukrainian classic and urban romantic song concert. Nobody has ever sung this so far. This is a very hard work, for you have to do so much searching and decipher the records. Then it would be good to hold a concert, perhaps a theatrical one, of the Hutsul (West Ukrainian highlanders — Ed. song. These songs are not well known, for they usually accompany rites of passage. But all this requires time and, of course, such a piquant thing as money. However, I was told after my concert what I expected to hear: that I am in an excellent vocal form. And this is what matters for me most of all.”
“Why have you always including the song, A Cuckoo’s Call, in your repertoire recently? This is an extremely sad song which always jerks tears from the audiences. What ties you to it?”
“To start with, I am so attached to Liatoshynsky. He orchestrated about forty Ukrainian folk songs. I wouldn’t say they are lyrical or sad. They’re tragic. He was a composer of genius! He deeply felt Ukraine, the souls of women and mothers, farewells, and love. Besides, this is a song of my ancestral homeland. Throughout my life, I have felt nostalgia for my home and my mother. In addition, this song contains colossal philosophy, both in the music and the lyrics. I have been told the audience likes this piece best of all. When Nina Matviyenko heard it for the first time, she said, ‘Give me this song.’ Then she rang and said, ‘I won’t sing it because I’ll never do it the way you do’.”
“Who do you think is your best stage partner?”
“My repertoire is such that my partners are mostly tenors. In the theater People’s Artiste of Ukraine Volodymyr Fedotov has always been my best partner. He was the closest to me in terms of his spirit. He did everything so suavely and nobly. He exuded a special aura: if we acted love or tragedy, it was a true love and a true tragedy. Unfortunately, he sings much less today. Now I think Mykhailo Didyk can become a partner like this. I sang several times with him in La Traviata.
“This year you launched your teaching career.”
“For many years on end, I have been working in the theater with a unique accompanist, Kostiantyn Fesenko. It was he who advised me to take up teaching. If I really manage to become a good teacher, I’ll be happy, and I’ll feel it. For instance, I only felt myself a singer in my third year at the conservatory. At first there were only exercises, very boring ones. As to my students, I must say I have always tried to approach all manner of things with love. And I came to love these girls. When I explain something to them, they look at me with their eyes wide in surprise and absorb everything. Besides, visiting the conservatory, I will always have an incentive to be optimistic and keep myself in shape.”
“Do you think you would feel easier or harder if you stepped over the theater’s threshold today as a conservatory graduate?”
“Undoubtedly harder. When I came, what was in esteem were traditions, the high culture of stage direction, a high performing and human culture. This was not only in esteem but was also present in everyday life to a higher degree than now. In my time, whenever I saw Miroshnychenko, Tuftina, or Hnatiuk pass by, I knew they were my teachers. I remember sending flowers to Yevheniya Miroshnychenko after her performances with a note ‘Bravo, bravissimo.’ She was my ideal as a lady and as a singer. Each time I discovered something new in her. But now we are not demanding enough from young soloists.”
“What are the distinguishing features of the Ukrainian vocal school and does the world know it?”
“Our vocal school greatly differs from one that is common, say, in America or Western Europe. Take, for example, Viktoriya Lukyanets. I heard her very recently and must say that, although this singer has a not-so-rich voice, she managed to make huge strides thanks to the European, Western way she sings. We can also say that Anatoly Kocherha and Valentyn Pyvovarov have also made progress. Everything in the world, including vocal teaching, is moving on, but we still stick to the old nineteenth and early twentieth century school. I sang a concert in America last year. The first and second parts featured Western European classic music and Liatoshynsky, respectively. Everybody kept asking: where’s Ukraine? My concert was attended by motley audiences, not only the diaspora, as sometimes happens. They knew I was singing in a manner different from that of Italians or Americans. But this is also interesting and worth attention. Newspapers also wrote the same thing. Yelena Obraztsova once said, ‘Nobody else will sing a Russian romance or song the way I do because I am Russian.’ I can say the same about Ukrainian music and the Italians about Italian music... Nothing can be done, it’s just the truth.”
