Larry Revene
Adrian Bryttan
NEW YORK – Adrian Bryttan will present first readings of his new rhymed English translations to several beloved poems of Taras Shevchenko at the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences (UVAN), located at 206 W. 100 St., on Sunday, April 26, at 3 p.m.
Mr. Bryttan completed each of his original translations with all the rhymes and rhythms corresponding to the original Ukrainian. The English versions will include: “Utoplena” (The Drowning), “Khustyna” (The Scarf), “Rusalka” (The River Sprite), “Kateryna” and others. A slide show will accompany the readings, setting the mood for each poem.
Mr. Bryttan, who has performed worldwide as an opera and symphony conductor and concert violinist, previously translated Italian operas by Mozart and Puccini into Ukrainian and conducted “Gianni Schicchi” and “Suor Angelica” showcasing those translations in the Dnipropetrovsk Opera Theater in Ukraine in 2007.
While translating operas, Mr. Bryttan said he was pleased to discover many surprising similarities between Italian and Ukrainian, not just in individual words but even in basic grammatical structures. His experience gained in creating singable operatic translations with all their accuracy of meaning, intelligibility and flowing rhymes led to his project to translate Shevchenko. The Ukrainian bard’s lyrical and compact style is noted for many musical elements in the crafting of his sounds, and his sophisticated inner rhythms. To translate Shevchenko in such a faithful manner was quite complex, but ultimately most rewarding.
In 2005-2006 Mr. Bryttan was a Fulbright scholar in Ukraine; he performed with professional operas and symphonies, and taught at musical conservatories throughout the country.
He has written news and commentary on the arts, most notably music and film, for The Ukrainian Weekly.