Contrasts 29. Tribute to Valentyn Silvestrov

Valentyn SIlvestrov is undoubtedly a genius, a composer, one of the most famous Ukrainian artists in the world, we were lucky to live with at the same time. And we are even more fortunate to have Silvestrov’s music right now, when everyone needs at least a safe haven in music, a place of dialogue with themselves.

This is exactly what Valentyn Silvestrov’s talent is, his music touches the most painful parts of the soul, taking away pain and anxiety. The composer believes that the secret of mastery is the ability to listen to the world, to hear its melody.

The programs of pianist Violina Petrychenko are distinguished by the depth of the idea, delicate work with emotional content of the works, and delving into every note; recently, the pianist presented a program with music by Valentyn Silvestrov in Germany. On September 30, Violina Petrychenko, together with mezzo-soprano Liliia Nikitchuk and the Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra conducted by Volodymyr Syvokhip, will perform a number of Valentyn Silvestrov’s works at the Lviv National Philharmonic, including the premiere of the cycle “Five Melodies for the New Year.”

“Five Melodies for the New Year” is a gift to Giya Kancheli, a good friend of Silvestrov. Each of the five plays of the cycle shows different facets of Kancheli, a composer who appreciated “quiet” music, loved spirituals, and often sang”, – Valentyn Silvestrov.

Artists:

• Liliia Nikitchuk, mezzo-soprano 
• Violina Petrychenko, piano
• Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra 

• Volodymyr Syvokhip, conductor 

Program: 

Valentyn Silvestrov (*1937) 

• “Fairy Tale” in C minor from the cycle “Naive Music” (1954/1993)
• “Kitsch Music for Piano” (1997)
• “Five Melodies for the New Year” (2004-2005)
• “Five Songs on Poems by Ivan Franko” for voice and piano (2007)
  • “Your Eyes”
  • “Oh You, Girl”
  • “Scatter With the Wind”
  • “It’s Snowing”
  • “Though You Will Not Be a Flower to Bloom”
• “I Stood and Listened to the Spring” based on a poem by Lesya Ukrainka
• “Farewell, World, Farewell, Earth…” based on a poem by Taras Shevchenko (1977)
• Concertino for piano and orchestra (2015)
  • Prelude
  • Pastoral
  • Serenade
  • Postlude

Moderator is Mariia Sydorak