SOUNDS AND VIEWS: On a discovery and its many aftermaths (01/18/98)

SOUNDS AND VIEWS

by Roman Sawycky

On a discovery and its many aftermaths

Early in 1996 a new cassette (a Dolby digital recording) was released simultaneously in Germany and the United Sates: the sound of the Steinway concert grand piano faithfully conveyed the talent and dedication of composer Vasyl Barvinsky (spelled Wassyl Barwinskyj in Europe) and his present-day champion, the German organist and pianist, Michael Grill. The cassette featured the world premiere stereo recordings of two piano works by Barvinsky - the "Ukrainian Suite" and the newly discovered Piano Sonata.

An early and ambitious work

The Piano Sonata, composed when Barvinsky was 21, is probably unique among similar works of 20th century Ukrainian music. The work was written in Prague during Barvinsky's studies there with V. Novak and J. Holfeld (1909-1911). The demanding score (about 33 minutes long), was completed upon Barvinsky's graduation from the Prague State Conservatory.

Strange as it may seem, the finished score was apparently shelved and there is no evidence that it was ever performed in public, not even by the composer himself. For some unknown reason Barvinsky seems to have disowned his own creation.

For decades Barvinsky never mentioned his Piano Sonata in print and others, writing about his music, followed suit for lack of information. In 1948 the composer was arrested and exiled, and many of his unpublished manuscripts were destroyed by Communist Party bureaucrats. Barvinsky died in 1963, taking with him the mystery surrounding his unknown Piano Sonata.

New developments

Circa 1973 the Ukrainian Canadian pianist Luba Zuk, while in Toronto visiting the late pianist Lubka Kolessa, came across unfamiliar manuscripts in the music collection of her former teacher. With Prof. Kolessa's permission, Prof. Zuk borrowed almost 20 works for piano by Nestor Nyzhankivsky and Vasyl Barvinsky, had a 35mm microfilm made of the lot and returned the holographs to Prof. Kolessa.

When Prof. Zuk telephoned this writer about her find, she pointed out that the film contained unfamiliar music, works once presented to Prof. Kolessa but never performed by her. Prof. Zuk concluded that I would find the film interesting and should try to identify its contents.

Indeed, the enlargements of the film frames revealed interesting and little-known music in the characteristic handwriting of Messrs. Nyzhankivsky and Barvinsky. Both were highly gifted composers as well as convincing pianists - qualities that imparted an extra dimension to their music.

Among Barvinsky's pieces I immediately recognized the "Ukrainian Suite," complete with titles of folk songs used for each movement, but the finale or last part was missing. Barvinsky's other works were also titled and dated.

Under the magnifying glass

One large composition in several movements however, was without a title, although the work was signed and dated - "W. Barwinskyj, 1909-1911." Its positive identification came only after careful study of the core and another source - Barvinsky's worklist for piano solo, which was compiled in 1964 by his widow, Natalie. Close to the top of this list there was the entry - Sonata in C-Sharp Minor in four parts (Prague, 1909-1911). The score I held coincided with the entry in every respect.

We now had the Piano Sonata, safe and complete as written at the time Mykola Lysenko was still recording his own arrangements. Together with the Piano Concerto in F Minor (which was rediscovered in 1993), there was almost an hour of additional Barvinsky music that had not been heard for the greater part of this century.

Wytwycky expounds

I next approached Dr. Wasyl Wytwycky, dean of diaspora musicologists and an authority on Barvinsky, for a full evaluation of the newly assembled scores. Work on this project was carried out in 1981-1983. Dr. Wytwycky's delight and enthusiasm were accompanied by the realization that the sonata was really Barvinsky's first attempt at such a form. (In this respect Barvinsky and Levko Revutsky in Kyiv pioneered the piano sonata form in 20th century Ukrainian music.)

In Dr. Wytwycky's estimation, Barvinsky's initial attempt was "ambitious" and occasionally even "overdone," unlike the fully balanced and mature "Ukrainian Suite," which was not completed until 1922.

Still, in Dr. Wytwycky's opinion, Barvinsky had no real reason to suppress his early sonata. At the same time, Dr. Wytwycky noted that the score never circulated and, therefore, never received any mention let alone analysis or publicity. Dr. Wytwycky went on to add that Barvinsky made no attempt whatever to "nationalize" his sonata by using Ukrainian folk motifs, but rather chose the medium of abstract expression characteristic of the early 20th century.

There are those who may speculate whether this abstract and difficult sonata was dismissed due to its lack of tangible or "national" elements. While such a theory could be entertained, we must not forget that Barvinsky's cycle of Preludes for Piano, Op. 1 (1908-1909) were likewise conceived without direct folkloric input, and remained exceedingly popular with Ukrainian listeners, not to mention audiences in the West.

Back to Ukraine

Once the music was copied, it could be returned to Ukraine. The city of Lviv became the logical choice as the repository for both the works of Barvinsky and those of his colleague, Nyzhankivsky. A copy of Barvinsky's sonata was sent to composer and conductor Mykola Kolessa. Its first printing was by the Kyiv publishing house Muzychna Ukraina in 1990. The work received high ratings and critical praise from the late Mykola Hordiychuk, Kyiv's top music scholar.

Three years later the Piano Sonata was given its Lviv premiere in a memorable performance by Oleh Kryshtalsky, a former student of Barvinsky.

The sonata's world premiere was held at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York on February 20, 1988, on the very day of the 100th anniversary of Barvinsky's birth, under the auspices of the Ukrainian Institute of America - with Mr. Grill at the piano.

Lost letter arrives

Thus, after many decades the sonata is finally in general circulation. It history may be compared to a long journey by a letter, written over 80 years ago, mailed, then misplaced and not delivered until now to the addressee - the general public.

This rather special letter is signed by a kind and gentle composer with a striking visage. His features are distinctive, just like his signature.

* * *

The RCA Studio recordings by Michael Grill were produced by the writer two years ago in a limited, privately issued cassette. The initial run using a German text has been sold out, but plans are under way to re-issue the recording, this time with English titles, possibly featuring the Piano Sonata and "Ukrainian Suite" with other Barvinsky pieces, as performed by Mr. Grill. Inquiries may be sent to: Roman Sawycky, P.O. Box 375, Cranford, NJ 07016.

Postscript

The reader may be puzzled as to the late Lubka Kolessa became the recipient of the original scores of Barvinsky and Nyzhankivsky. One has to bear in mind that at age 16 (at the end of World War I), Ms. Kolessa was already famous in Austria and Germany. Renowned German conductor and pianist Bruno Walter referred to Ms. Kolessa as "certainly one of the most superb pianists of our time." By the mid-1920s composers of note sent her their works in the hope that this brilliant, young artist would introduce their work abroad.

At that time Barvinsky and Nyzhankivsky were leading representatives of Ukrainian piano music. Ms. Kolessa was from western Ukraine and she identified with this music and promoted it enthusiastically.

Prof. Kolessa's performances and recordings of Nyzhankivsky's works in Europe were followed by New York premieres of Barvinsky's music, which was for the most part, unpublished at the time.

Prof. Kolessa's achievements will be assessed upon the full study of her archive. That task has recently been undertaken by piano music specialists in Lviv. Shortly before her death last August, the 95-year-old pianist entrusted violist Halyna Kolessa with the task of transferring her effects from Toronto to the Solomiya Krushelnytska Memorial Museum in Lviv - to be housed and exhibited there exclusively.

Lubka Kolessa's archive represented the sum total of a rare career. Complications set in, when Prof. Kolessa vacillated at the 11th hour about transporting the archive to Lviv. Halyna Kolessa persevered, then faced a difficult trek transporting the archive first back to the United States, and only then to its final destination - Ukraine.

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