To the sound of rain: how the Kyiv Philharmonic closed the military music season

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June 25 was marked in Kyiv’s cultural calendar by two historical events: the end of the military XI Book Arsenal and the closing of the military 159th concert season at the National Philharmonic of Ukraine. What was memorable about this season and what was its final concert – UP.Zhyttia music columnist Natalka Pysanka will tell. It was a difficult season for the Kyiv Philharmonic. On October 10, 2022, its premises were damaged by an explosive wave from a rocket attack on the capital. And also endless, as it seemed then, winter blackouts, when the light disappeared or appeared during concerts. A cool hall, when visitors sat in outerwear. Air alarms during concerts that forced you to go to the vault. Despite this, the musicians and the institution persevered. And as if against all the gloom, they gave interesting concerts and invited foreign guests. At the end of 2022, the Philharmonic received a new leader, new programs appeared on the posters, in particular, for children, open rehearsals were introduced, and public polls regarding the wishes of future programs were introduced. Mariusz Patira before the concert. Photo: Dmytro Golovchenko In the program of the final concert of the season, the name of the Polish violinist Mariusz Patyra was mentioned. He is the first Pole to win the prestigious International Paganini Competition in Genoa. Mykola Dyadyura, chief conductor of the National Philharmonic. Photo: Dmytro Golovchenko Read also: “Music must give hope”: conductor Mikhail Menabde at a concert in Kyiv Before the concert, I managed to chat with Mariusz for a few minutes. He came at the invitation of the chief conductor of the National Philharmonic, Mykola Dyadyura. To my question whether it was difficult to dare, he answered: “I couldn’t help but come. Ukrainian musicians work in such conditions all the time, and I’m only here for a while.” Patyr brought to Kyiv the First Violin Concerto of Paganini, a composer who, according to the musician, is key in his repertoire. He has been playing Paganini for more than 20 years, and says that technically everything in the composer’s works seems to have been worked out, but the perception and interpretation changes from year to year. Mariusz Patira plays Paganini. Photo: Dmytro Golovchenko Read also: The Mariupol Chamber Philharmonic opened its season in Kyiv – the orchestra members received a standing ovation Mariusz plays the violin, which is a copy of the Guaneri del Gesu instrument, and was made in 2020 by the Polish master Wojciech Topa. Of the Ukrainian composers he played, Mariusz remembered only Myroslav Skoryk and his Melody. Before the concert, the director of the Polish Institute in Kyiv, Robert Chyzhevskyi, and the new head of the Philharmonic, Mykhailo Shved, took the stage with an opening speech. Their speeches were quite laconic and informal. In particular, Chizhevsky spoke about the role of art during the war, because it is the emergence of life, part of the victory that has already taken place. Mykhailo Shved thanked everyone who made this season and this concert possible. Later, Mariusz Patira came on stage. Despite complete concentration, the soloist smiled at the musicians of the orchestra and the conductor during the performance. In the conversation before the concert, Mariusz said that he was delighted to cooperate with the Philharmonic Orchestra. And indeed, this mutual understanding was felt during the performance. Mykhailo Shved and Robert Chizhevsky. Photo: Dmytro Golovchenko Sitting in the first row, I watched in fascination as Mariusz deftly overcomes the heartbreaking passages in Paganini’s First Violin Concerto. After his performance, there was a well-deserved thunderous ovation. But Mariusz’s performance of the posthumous C sharp minor Nocturne of Chopin, translated for violin and orchestra, was the most moving. Mariusz noted that this is his prayer for Ukrainians. After “Nocturne”, the hall froze for a few seconds. Hall and orchestra at a concert. Photo: Dmytro Golovchenko In the second part of the concert, the large-scale “Fantastic Symphony” by Hector Berlioz was played. What is important is that it was felt that both the orchestra members and the conductor were not just “doing” their work, but were really enjoying the very process of creating music. What I lacked in the program were the works of Ukrainian composers. I hope that in the next, jubilee 160th season, Ukrainian music will be the main emphasis in the programs of the Philharmonic. The audience gave a standing ovation. Photo: Dmytro Golovchenko But returning to the date of June 25, it is important to say that both the Book Arsenal with its long queues of people willing to get to cultural events, and the final concert at the Philharmonic, tickets for which were sold out a few days before the concert itself, are our powerful opposition as Russian aggression, as well as shameful phenomena within Ukraine itself. This is part of the victory that has already taken place, as Robert Chyzhevsky rightly observed. Natalka Pysanka, specially for UP.Zhyttia

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