Episode 137. Ukrainian Singers and Composers
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Here finally is my long-promised and long-overdue episode on great Ukrainian singers. Because I am so historically oriented, I begin the episode at the dawn of recorded sound and present singers from the early twentieth century all the way through to the present day. The first voice heard is the Ukrainian-Jewish bass Alexander Kipnis, still after all these years the noblest voice that I have ever encountered. There follow Teresa Arkel, Salomea Krushelnytska, Elena Ruszkowska, Lydia Lipovska and the extraordinary heldentenor Modest Menzinsky: all voices from the distant past, though much renowned in their day. Along with the exploration of Ukrainian singers (including Boris Gmyria, Ivan Kozlovsky, Yuri Mazurok, Mark Reizen, Misha Raitzin, Ira Malaniuk, Paul Plishka, Yuriy Mynenko, Anatoly Kocherga, and Bela Rudenko, among many others), I also provide a tip-of-the-iceberg introduction to the (for me, as I suspect for many of us) nearly unexplored world of Ukrainian composers, including Reinhold Glière, Mykola Lysenko, Yevhen Stankovych, Mykola Leontovych, Kyrylo Stetsenko, Vasyl Barvinsky, Boris Lyatoschinsky, Mykola Arkas, and Valentin Sylvestrov, their work often bolstered by the powerful poetry of that 19th century bard and figurehead of Ukrainian independence, Taras Shevchenko. Some of the greatest discoveries for me in preparing this episode were the tenor Anatoliy Solovyanenko and the baritones Mykola Kondratyuk and Dmytro Hnatiuk. I trust you will have your favorites as well. I offer this episode in tribute to, and in solidarity with, the people of Ukraine.
Resources for learning more about Ukrainian music:
Myron Yusypovych’s website on Ukrainian composers
The Ukrainian Art Song Project
Natalya Pasichnyk’s documentary Ukrainian Rhapsody: A Journey into Ukrainian Classical Music
Ukrainian Vinyl, another invaluable YouTube channel, with rare and priceless recordings
RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE
George Frideric Handel: Al sen ti stringo e parto (Ariodante). Alexander Kipnis, Arthur Bergh [1930]
Traditional Ukrainian, arr. Leonid Glibov: Stayit’ gora visokaya [There is a tall mountain]. Boris Hmyrya, Pavel Muravsky conducting the National Choir of Ukraine “Dumka” [1967]
Lyudmila Alexandrova, Mykhailo Petrenko: Divlyus’ ya na nebo [I look at the sky]. Mark Reizen, Vladimir Khvostin [1983]
Arrigo Boito: Spunta l’aurora pallida (Mefistofele). Teresa Arkel [1903]
Alfredo Catalani: Ebben? Ne andrò lontana (La Wally). Salomea Krushelnytska [1906]
Giuseppe Verdi: Fuggiam gli ardori inospiti… Là, tra foreste vergini (Aida). Elena Ruszkowska, Carlo Barrera [1909]
Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky, Modest Tchaikovsky: Otchevo eto prezhde ne znala [Why did I not know] (Iolanta’s Arioso) (Iolanta). Lydia Lipkowska, Mikhail Dulov [1912]
Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky, Modest Tchaikovsky: Yeletsky’s Aria [Act I] (Pique-Dame). Yuri Mazurok, Boris Khaikin, Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theater [1967]
Mykola Lysenko, Taras Shevchenko: Oy Dnipre miy Dnipre [Oh, Dnieper, my Dnieper]. Modest Menzinsky [1911]
Traditional Ukrainian, arr. Mykola Leontovych and Antin Rudnitsky:. Shchedryk [Bountiful Evening – New Year’s Carol]. Maria Sokil, Antin Rudnitsky [1941]
Dmitri Shostakovich, Yevgeny Yevtushenko: O Russkiu moi narad [Oh, my Russian people] (from First Movement [Babi Yar], Symphony No. 13, Op. 113). Anatoly Kocherga, Neeme Järvi, Göteborgs Symfoniker, National Male Choir of Estonia [1996]
Yevhen Stankovych: Requiem for Holodomor Victims [excerpt]. Nina Matvienko, Volodymyr Sirenko, Honored Symphony Orchestra of the State Television and Radio Company of Ukraine, National Choir of Ukraine “Dumka”, National Veryovka Choir [2003]
Rav Avraham Kook, Shmerke Kaczerginski: Zol shoyn kumen di Geule [Let Redemption Come]. Misha Raitzin, arranged and conducted by Bob Reisenman [1980]
Bohdan Wesolovsky, Dmitriy Zaghul: Ne khodi, moya kritko, v sadochok [Do not go, my flower, to the garden]. Andrij Dobriansky, Ensemble led by George Tremblay [1968]
Reinhold Glière: Concerto for Coloratura Soprano and Orchestra, Op. 82:
First Movement. Andante. Evgenia Miroshnychenko, Mark Ermler, Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theater [1965]
Second Movement. Allegro. Bela Rudenko, Stefan Turchak, Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra [1975]
Mykola Arkas, Taras Shevchenko: Andrey’s Aria (Kateryna). Ivan Kozlovsky, Orchestra conducted by Alexander Orlov [1941]
Boris Lyatoshinsky, Maksym Rylsky: Solkalsky’s Aria (Shchors). Mikhail Donets, V.A. Levitov, Orchestra of the Kiev State Opera and Ballet Theatre [1939]
Kyrylo Stetsenko, Lesja Ukrajinka [née Larisa Petrivna Kosach-Kvitka]: Stoyala ya i slishala vesniy [I stood and listened to spring]. Zoya Gaidai, Galina Nikolaenko [ca. 1947]
Kyrylo Stetsenko, Oleksandr Oles [né Oleksandr Ivanovych Kandyba]: Oy chogo ty dube [Cossack’s Longing]. Paul Plishka, Thomas Hrynkiw [1979]
Kyrylo Stetsenko, Taras Shevchenko: Zapovit [Testament]. Pavlo Hunka, Albert Krywolt [2010]
Mykola Lysenko, Taras Shevchenko: Meni odnakovo [It Makes No Difference to Me]. Luthando Qave, Natalya Pasichnyk [2015]
Mykola Lysenko, Ivan Kotlyarevsky: Sontse nizen’ko [The sun is low] (Natalka Poltavka). Anatoliy Solovyanenko, Jacob Orlov, Kyiv Orchestra of Ukrainian Folk Instruments [1977]
Vasyl Barvinsky, Taras Shevchenko: Lullaby. Ira Malaniuk, N. Kupdehraben [unknown recording date]
Traditional Ukrainian: Chornobryvtsi [Marigolds]. Dmytro Hnatiuk [1974]
Lev Lepky, Bohdan Lepky: Chuyesh brate miy [Do You Hear, My Brother? (Song of the Cranes)]. Mykola Kondratyuk, Orchestra of Folk Instruments All-Union Radio [1970]
Valentin Sylvestrov, Taras Shevchenko: Forgive and Farewell, World (Requiem for Larissa). Yuriy Mynenko, Nataliya Kmet, Yevchen Savchuk, National Choir of Ukraine “Dumka” [2014]
