DATELINE NEW YORK: A benefit for the Shevchenko Society (04/21/02)

DATELINE NEW YORK: A benefit for the Shevchenko Society

by Helen Smindak

Superb operatic vocalizing and rarely heard piano masterpieces were the high points of an exhilarating evening when Metropolitan Opera basso Paul Plishka and acclaimed concert pianist Thomas Hrynkiw teamed up for a benefit recital in aid to the Shevchenko Scientific Society's scholarship fund.

Held on March 21 in the elegant Marine Room of the historic India House in Manhattan's Wall Street area, the concert was sponsored by the Shevchenko Scientific Society and the board of governors of India House, a private professional club.

Attended by a number of Ukrainian diplomatic officials and other dignitaries, the recital proved to be aesthetically as well as musically satisfying, and could easily top a list of the grandest Ukrainian cultural happenings in New York City. Cocktails at 5:30 p.m., accompanied by tantalizing hors d'oeuvres created by the master chefs of India House and served by white-gloved waiters, preceded the 7 p.m. recital. A champagne reception in the Pearl Street Room followed the concert, providing an opportunity for guests to mingle and chat with the stars.

The warm and wonderful event was opened by George Gregor, president of India House, whose Ukrainian background (and pronunciation) served him very nicely as he welcomed diplomats and their spouses, presented the notable performers and introduced Dr. Larissa Onyshkevych president of the Shevchenko Scientific Society. Dr. Onyshkevych extended high praise to those who had planned and organized the event, in particular Messrs. Plishka, Hrynkiw and Gregor, and Dr. Andrij Szul, international business lawyer and consultant who conceived the idea for the event, and declared that "three different worlds came together to work for a single goal - to raise funds that will help students in Ukraine."

Mr. Plishka's offerings of two Mozart arias - the rousing "Non Piu Andrai" from "Le Nozze di Figaro" and "Madamina," the catalogue aria from Don Giovanni - as well as Franz Schubert's "Erlkönig" and a cycle of tender Blue Mountain ballads by Paul Bowles admirably showed off his beautifully produced bass and polished dramatic skills.

Two Ukrainian compositions, beautifully executed, were included in Mr. Plishka's repertoire - "Bezmezhneye Pole" to the words of Ivan Franko, and "Mynaiut Dni" to the words of Taras Shevchenko, both compositions by Mykola Lysenko. He was ably and sensitively accompanied throughout the evening by Mr. Hrynkiw.

Responding to the standing ovation at the concert's end, Mr. Plishka gave out with a powerful aria from Mozart's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" - an aria he has sung at the Met on countless occasions and is performing there during the current spring season.

Equally entrancing were the works aired by Mr. Hrynkiw, an artist who from age 19 has won numerous competitions and garnered international awards and grants. He presented stunning performances of two rarely heard works by Ukrainian composers - Osyp Vytvytskyi's little-known, sentimental piece "Ukrainka" and Nestor Nyzhankivskyi's powerful "Variations on a Ukrainian Theme."

Roman Sawycky, writer of the "Sounds and Views" music column for The Ukrainian Weekly, who was joyously taking in the music from an up-front seat, leaned over to whisper to this reporter that "this piece ('Ukrainka') is little known; this is probably its premiere on this side (of the Atlantic)." Just before the opening notes of "Variations on a Ukrainian Theme," he revealed that "this work is seldom played; it's very difficult." (Mr. Sawycky's review of the recital appears below.)

The grand piano played by Mr. Hrynkiw was a custom-made special model provided by Yamaha, which donated the use of the instrument for the evening and also sent over its own master piano tuner to make sure every string was perfectly pitched.

Among those enjoying the recital and the exotic charms of India House were the deputy chief of mission of Ukraine's Embassy to the United States, Volodymyr Yatsenkivskyi, and his wife, Olha; Serhiy Pohoreltzev, consul general of Ukraine in New York, and his wife, Svitlana; Dr. Natalia Martynenko, New York consul, and her husband Yurii; and Valeriy Kuchinsky, Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations, and his wife, Alla.

Originally scheduled to be held last year on September 13, the event was postponed to January 31 because of the World Trade Center disaster, then re-scheduled to March 21 when Mr. Plishka was called upon to replace basso John Del Carlo at the Met in the role of Bartolo in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia."

Mr. Plishka, a native of Old Forge, Pa., has portrayed Dr. Bartolo many times in the Met's productions of "Le Nozze di Figaro" and "Il Barbiere." Since his Met debut in 1967, he has sung over 1,000 performances of more than 50 roles. This season (his next to last before retiring), he returned to the Met for the opening night Verdi Gala, sang Benoit and Alcindoro in "La Bohème," Prince Gremin in "Eugene Onegin," Wurm in "Luisa Miller" and the Sacristan in "Tosca," as well as the role of Dr. Bartolo in "Il Barbiere."

Mr. Plishka opened the Palm Beach Opera's season as Oroveso in "Norma." Highlights of recent seasons include performances in "The Pearl Fishers" in Puerto Rico, "L'Elisir d'Amore" with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and at the Met, "Ernani" with the Marseilles Opera, and "Don Carlo" at the Salzburg Festival. His recent Met performances have included Raimondo in "Lucia di Lammermoor," Ramfis in "Aida," King Marke in Tristan und Isolde, Lodovico in "Otello" and "Falstaff."

Mr. Hrynkiw, a popular performer on the Ukrainian scene and a frequent accompanist for Mr. Plishka, has played major concerts in both the United States and Europe, and appears annually at the Newport Music Festival, serving also as music advisor to the festival director. A prominent highlight of his career is the recording of accompaniments to 800 works and solo pieces, including the four Ballades of Chopin, for Yamaha Disklavier.

Among the persons who planned and organized the benefit were Daria Dykyj, the Shevchenko Scientific Society's membership committee chairman, Dr. Szul, Mr. Sawycky and Mr. Gregor (Ukrainian name: Jurij Hrehorovich), a New York businessman who has had a 20-year association with India House as a member, governor and current president. Dr. Szul, the society's legal counsel, believes that "the marvelous success of this recital emphasizes the importance of Ukrainians networking with each other, using different resources."

India House traces its origins as a private club to 1914, when James A. Farrell, president of U.S. Steel Co. and 38 influential leaders of the business community agreed to form a private club to which businesspersons engaged in foreign commerce activities would belong. The name of the club was chosen because the term "India" and "Indies" connoted all that was precious, exotic and profitable during a period in American history when foreign trade relied on ships that carried goods across the seas, calling at ports in the Indies and other trading destinations. The building, at One Hanover Square, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1978.

Helen Smindak's e-mail address is [email protected].

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