Symphony of Spirit

Performers:

• Dmytro Tkachenko, violin
• Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
• Volodymyr Sirenko, conductor

Program:

• Maksym Berezovskyi. Our Father
• Antonín Dvořák. Violin Concerto in A minor
• Vsevolod Sirenko. Symphony No. 3

On April 24, the Lviv National Philharmonic will present a program spanning three centuries of Ukrainian and European music. The evening will be conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko, with violinist Dmytro Tkachenko as soloist.

The concert opens with sacred classics — Maksym Berezovskyi’s Our Father. This example of 18th-century choral art, arranged for orchestra by Vsevolod Sirenko, sets the tone for the evening: a sincere, meditative prayer that prepares the listener for reflection and contemplation.

The centerpiece of the evening is Antonín Dvořák’s Violin Concerto. This work emerged amid debates and a long search for perfection. Paradoxically, the concerto’s first dedicatee, the famous virtuoso Joseph Joachim, never performed it. Time, however, proved the composer right — today it is an undisputed gem of the international repertoire.

The music captivates with its unconventional dramaturgy: instead of a traditional heroic climax in the first movement, Dvořák immediately leads the listener into the depth of the tender, confessional Adagio. The finale bursts with pure joy and energy, masterfully capturing the spirited character of Slavic dance.

The evening concludes with Vsevolod Sirenko’s Third Symphony, composed in 2022–2023. It serves as a musical chronicle of the full-scale invasion and is dedicated to the defenders of Ukraine.

The composer guides the listener through four emotional states. The first movement portrays fierce struggle. The second movement is the tragic heart of the work — a requiem for the fallen. Despite the tension of the third movement, it contains perhaps the most poignant episode: a quotation from the lullaby “Lyulyai, lyulyai, my son”, symbolizing life continuing despite adversity.

The symphony’s finale affirms faith in victory: the theme of the Cossack song “Oi nastupala ta chorna khmara” resounds powerfully, emphasizing the historical continuity of Ukraine’s struggle.