In each of the variations of the cycle called “Enigma”, the English composer Edward Elgar presented the image of one of his close friends. The ninth variation is no exception: gratefully recalling moments of sadness when his publisher August Jäger supported the artist, Elgar created incredibly bright music. Like a sincere conversation between friends, the music tells old heart-warming stories and weaves a thread of memory in a bunch of mutual good deals.

In the Old Testament, the hunter Nimrod is mentioned, who was “the first mighty man on earth.” So the title of the composition is a wordplay, because the surname of Elgar’s friend in German – Jäger – means “hunter”. The exalted musical canvas charms the listeners with long phrases that slowly move to an emotional climax, leaving behind the distant roar of the timpani and a cathartic state of mind.

To conduct a dialogue with listeners from the height of one’s skill and for mutual satisfaction – isn’t that the purpose of concerts for a solo instrument with an orchestra? A spark of celebration, a playful joke, and sometimes a longing memory familiar to all participants of the conversation, that is what will flash during the next piece of the program. And with the skilful and convincing soloist of the evening, Kateryna Titova, the Amadeus Mozart Concerto will end with a pleasant harmonious feeling.

In the end, the testimony evening of “Invincibility” is crowned with a symbolic composition for Ukrainians. As you know, the Soviet authorities banned the first version of Boris Lyatoshynskyi’s Third Symphony from being performed. Returning to its origins, the Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Volodymyr Syvokhip will present its own interpretation of the symbol of that time, which for many musicians became a prototype of the revival of our recent history.

Artists:

• Kateryna Titova, piano
• Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
• Volodymyr Syvokhip, conductor

Program:

• Edward Elgar (1857–1934). “Nimrod”, Variation IX (Adagio) from the Variations on the original theme “Enigma” Op. 36 (1899)
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791). Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467 (1785)
• Borys Liatoshynskyi (1895–1968). Symphony No. 3 (1st edition, 1951)

Moderator: Polina Kordovska