PV Orchestra

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Orchestra concert
  • Classical orchestra
  • Popular orchestra
  • Orchestra opera

PV Orchestra

Header Banner

PV Orchestra

  • Home
  • Orchestra concert
  • Classical orchestra
  • Popular orchestra
  • Orchestra opera
Orchestra opera
Home›Orchestra opera›The Royal Opera House’s moving concert for Ukraine embraced Ukrainians without Russophobia

The Royal Opera House’s moving concert for Ukraine embraced Ukrainians without Russophobia

By George M. Ortiz
April 16, 2022
0
0

Proof – if it were still needed – that opera and classical music are political arts, the war in Ukraine caused deep splits within the international musical world. Just as Russia’s invasion of its neighbor finally exposed a complex web of trade relations and energy supply issues, it sheds light on aspects of the music industry that had hitherto been conveniently overlooked. These are complicated issues, not always free from the whiffs of hypocrisy or the danger of Russophobia, but those who have been prominent supporters of Putin are rightly feeling the chill now. In terms of opera, the most prominent of the sanctioned are conductor Valery Gergiev and soprano Anna Netrebko.

The major opera houses of the world have all reacted in their own way. The Metropolitan Opera in New York was one of the first to organize – a month ago – a fundraising gala. On Good Friday, the Royal Opera House opened its doors to large crowds, raising funds for the Disasters Emergency Committee for those displaced by war. In typically well-chosen words, ROH music director Antonio Pappano said “the whole Royal Opera House family” is coming together, not to denigrate Russian culture but to embrace the Ukrainian people.

Fittingly, the first notes heard here were those of the Ukrainian national anthem, its haunting music now making 19th-century composer and priest Mykhailo Verbytsky world famous. Leading this and sharing pit duties with Pappano, Ukraine’s Oksana Lyniv was an inspiring presence. The program, ranging from consolation to confrontation, was presented in the house’s La traviata setting, lit and draped in Ukrainian blue and yellow. Symbolically, two members of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, a Ukrainian (Kseniia Nikolaieva) and a Russian (Egor Zhuravskii) have been included in the line-up.

Nikolaieva, a rich-toned mezzo who brought warmth to everything she sang, shone in a heartbreaking lullaby by Yevhen Stankovych and an unaccompanied lament by Leopold Yaschenko. The Ukrainian contingent also included excellent baritones Yuriy Yurchuk and Andrei Kymach (2019 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World winner). The sung texts included lyrics by national poet Taras Shevchenko. Working superbly with these singers, pianist Susanna Stranders was also joined by (Russian) conductor Sergey Levitin for an impassioned piece of Ukrainian film music. The choir, under the direction of William Spaulding, sang Mykola Lyssenko’s Prayer for Ukraine.

This Ukrainian music at the heart of the program was framed by a well-chosen selection of operatic favorites featuring Pretty Yende, Xabier Anduaga, Freddie De Tommaso and Natalya Romaniw – the British-Ukrainian soprano turning Madama Butterfly’s Un bel dì into an aria of hope. Lesser known here but showing why he’ll be jumping next month as Samson, tenor SeokJong Baek has given himself a wonderful glimpse of himself in Nessun dorma. Verdi’s final sequence, never an apolitical composer, ended – of course – with Nabucco’s hymn Hebrew Slave Chorus, prayerfully sending thoughts to an oppressed land.

Categories

  • Classical orchestra
  • Orchestra concert
  • Orchestra opera
  • Popular orchestra

Recent Posts

  • SCVNews.com | June 10, 11: Mission Opera presenting “The 13 clocks”
  • Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra Concert Features New Music Director and Guest Flutist | Regional News
  • Guitarist Sean Shibe plucks the strings with the Irish Chamber Orchestra
  • Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Dawn Upshaw and more announced for The Soraya’s 2022-2023 classical music season
  • Windsor Symphony Orchestra announces plans for 75th season | newswindsoriteDOTca

Archives

  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • November 2016
  • February 2016
  • April 2015
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions