MUSIC REVIEW: Livonia Symphony peforms world premiere of Skoryk concerto (06/25/00)

MUSIC REVIEW: Livonia Symphony peforms world premiere of Skoryk concerto

by Olga Solovey and Ika Casanova

LIVONIA, Mich. - The final concert of the 1999-2000 season of the Livonia Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Volodymyr Schesiuk, took place here on Saturday, May 13, at the Carli Auditorium. Maestro Schesiuk, in his fifth season with the orchestra as conductor and music director, marked the closing of the season by presenting the premiere of Concerto No. 3 for Piano and Symphony Orchestra by composer Myroslav Skoryk to the American audience.

The opening work on the concert program was Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1, with acclaimed pianist Volodymyr Vynnytsky as the soloist. Mr. Vynnytsky captivated the audience with his brilliant technique and expressive power of interpretation.

The closing composition was Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5. Under Maestro Schesiuk's very capable direction, the orchestra gave a magnificent performance of the work.

Myroslav Skoryk's Concerto No. 3, which was introduced to the audience by Bob Bennett, president of the Livonia Symphony Board, was second on the program.

The composition is a reflection on the human condition in the era of Stalinist tyranny and terror in which the composer registers his reaction to the enormities of an epoch dominated by totalitarian terror and the dehumanization of man.

Concerto No. 3 for Piano and Orchestra is a post-modernist work, comprising three movements titled "Prayer," "Dream" and "Life."

The first movement opens with a subdued, sorrowful theme on the piano. As the orchestra enters into a dialogue with the piano, the strings initiate an allegro agitato tempo; as more instruments join in, a rhythmic figure is created, expressive of extreme agitation driven by a sense of existential despair. The theme is taken up alternately by the piano and orchestra, culminating in a cry of desperation. The overwhelming experience is catharthic in its effect, restoring calm and some measure of emotional tranquility. The movement ends with three strong chords on the piano.

The second movement, "Dream," begins with a short phrase by the orchestra, conveying a state of reverie. This tone is taken up and repeated by the piano. As the opening phrase begins to grow, developing into a full-blown theme, the vibraphone permeates the piano and orchestra. The short motif is played again by the orchestra, blending the ornamental passages of the piano and the sound of the vibraphone, evocative of the ticking of a cosmic clock, as the movement is brought to a serene end.

The final movement, "Life," represents actual existence. It starts with an intense, driving rhythm expressive of a speeding train crammed with people herded onto it like cattle, heading toward the unknown - a clear reference to Siberia and to the composer's own experience as a child. Unexpectedly, there is an intimation of respite and, figuratively, of hope conveyed through notes that sound like a child practicing a scale on the piano - cut short by the explosive bang of a bass drum.

The empty bombast of a Soviet military march theme brings back harsh reality, followed by an incessant buzzing sound and a slow, nascent thumping that dies down, only to start up again. The light, carefree passage of simple scales reappears again, only to be drowned out by the cacophony of sound and the incessant buzzing. The prayer motif appears again as a countermeasure to the pervasive chaos but is drowned out.

The sound of the heartbeat, originally initiated by the beating of the drum, is brought in again in a passage that resounds with a new energy expressed in a primeval rhythm that steadily gains in intensity. The piano and orchestra join in a rising crescendo that becomes the heartbeat of millions. As the beat dies down, the piano picks up the "prayer" theme; the strings continue to bow but make no sound.

Maestro Skoryk's composition was so powerful in engaging the thoughts and emotions of the audience that many people were visibly moved and, after a momentary silence, gave the performance a standing ovation. The members of the orchestra, in turn, said that they felt honored to have been selected to present the premiere of the composer's work.

In his Concerto No. 3 for Piano and Symphony Orchestra Maestro Skoryk made a philosphical statement about the tragic history of the Ukrainian nation by creating his own musical monument to the courage and perseverance of the Ukrainian people.

With the presentation of this powerful composition, Messrs. Skoryk, Schesiuk and Vynnytsky have made an outstanding contribution to Ukrainian classical music.

* * *

Concerto No. 3 was originally composed for piano and string quartet and was performed as a world premiere at Music Mountain in Falls Village, Conn., on July 12, 1998, with Maestro Skoryk at the piano and the Leontovych String Quartet.

Subsequently, on July 18, 1998, it was performed at the Music and Art Center of Greene County at the Grazhda in Hunter, N.Y. It was then reworked as a concerto for piano, string orchestra and drum and had its New York premiere on December 12, 1998, at the Ukrainian Institute of America where it was performed as part of "Music at the Institute" concert series.

The concerto for piano and symphony orchestra, as performed by Mr. Vynnytsky and the Livonia Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Schesiuk, had its world premiere on May 13; it was videotaped locally by TV Channel 8 in Livonia, Mich.

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