Parallel lives

The composer, associate professor of the Department of Composition and Musical Information Technologies of the National Musical Academy of Ukraine named after P. I. Tchaikovsky, curator of international projects of EM-Visia electroacoustic music, electroacoustics Alla Zagaykevich told Polit.ru about her vision of the modern cultural situation in Ukraine. Anton Dubin talked.

How would you generally appreciate the current cultural situation in Ukraine? Can we talk about its radical transformation in connection with the change of political power?

Everything that happens in the field of culture in Ukraine is least connected with any processes at the level of political power.

Culture in Ukraine is not a “state problem” at all. It is absolutely impossible to talk about the real “state cultural policy”, not to mention the actual state programs of support for contemporary art.

Separate bursts of demonstrative interest in the figures of Ukrainian culture by the state (the beginning of the 90s, the “Orange Revolution” of 2004, the beginning of the presidential term of Viktor Yushchenko) each time turned out to be no more than declarations of the “national political path” and practically did not affect the activities of state cultural institutions. Hopeless inertia ... This is the main quality of this “level” of the cultural situation of Ukraine.

It is much more interesting for me to observe the private projects of professional artists, educational and artistic activities of small research institutes of the Academy of Arts of Ukraine (Institute of Problems of Modern Art, the Center for Lesa Kurbas), non-governmental cultural initiatives (cultural project, master class), movements (Lviv Dzyga). Although modern academic music is least noticeable here, this is the level of “real action” - what the cultural process consists of in Ukraine.

Non -Staff composers - whether it is “cool” avant -garde ”or, conversely,“ harmonious ”, but not played traditionalists - today are practically deprived of scenes in Russia, only in“ special projects ”and more often at non -uninitiated areas. This can be the international festival of relevant music "Another space." Or - private concert initiatives of musicians who are not involved (recall Bulgakov) “wink” at the public. Do you observe something similar in Ukraine?

Certainly. I would add that the "mainstream" of Ukrainian modern music rarely appears in the Philharmonic Poster.

I can’t even imagine what can affect the consciousness of directors and artistic leaders of the Ukrainian Philharmonic, so that modern Ukrainian music “equals in rights” with works of a classic Philharmonic repertoire.

Unless the “directive from above” is the same non -existent state program ... However, attempts to organize the “concert season” of modern music are making, say, composer Vladimir Runchak , the head of the “New Music in Ukraine” concert series, as well as individual ensembles of modern music (Nostri Tamporis, Kiev Camophonetta, Kiev Simphonette).

What is being performed today in the Kyiv Philharmonic, the National Musical Academy of Ukraine?

In the programs of the concert season of the National Symphony Orchestra, for several years in a row, the Listen to Eternity is very indicative for Ukrainian Philharmonic practice. Of course, this is not “all the musical eternity” ... Most often, the well -known works of German romantics are heard to the public, as well as the music of the first half of the 20th century: Maurice Rael, Claude Debussy, Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, Sergey Rachmaninov ...

The Philharmonic Poster is far from the educational goals of covering all historical musical layers and the presentation of the modern spectrum of performing areas.

The poster of the National Music Academy appears a little more lively, where, thanks to the efforts of professors of specialized departments (department of ancient music, department of folklores, department of the composition), concerts and master classes with the participation of European performers of medieval music, folklore concerts with the participation of rural performers, opened opened, are held from time to time. Master classes of European ensembles of modern music.

In what volume, what names are the European classic represented in concert programs?

Partly the answer to this question has already raised. The European classic in Ukrainian Philharmonics is represented very selectively - both in relation to composers and works, and in relation to modern performing interpretations ... Again, many years of inertia and the practical lack of state financing of the international touring programs of the Philharmonic are affected. In Kyiv, they practically never heard the "authentic" Beethoven, Mozart or Schubert ...

Does Ukrainian and Russian academic music sound from the stage today?

The situation with the performance of choral and chamber-vocal Ukrainian and Russian music is more or less good. The performance, for example, symphonic music of Latinsky and Revutsky most often occur as part of the festivals of modern music, or anniversary concerts organized at the initiative of the Union of Composers.

How are things with the presentation of modern Russian musical art in Ukraine?

Only individual performers and groups show interest in the music of modern Russian composers. This is the Nostri Temporis youth ensemble, at the concerts of which the music of young Russians Sergei Nevsky , George Dorokhov , Sergey Khismatov , Anna Romashkova sounds quite often. Roman Kofman with Philharmonic Chamber is performed by Leonid Netellikov and Alexander Vustin ( here you can read the poem of Olga Sedakova - A. D.) dedicated to Vustin ... In my project, the electroac through the electroacoustics recently performed Eduard Artemyev’s electroacoustic music.

What, from your point of view, is the degree of interest of Ukrainian performers in modern academic music of local and world scale?

There is probably no “average” performer ... I can say that among young performers such interest is much higher than the famous philharmonic artists. Students are increasingly falling on European master classes on modern performing (Darmstadt summer courses, regular workshops of the Rederche ensemble in Freiburg ...). For many, the modern repertoire is a necessary part of the programs of international executive competitions, or the possibility of participating in international festivals of modern music in Ukraine.

The problem remains the practical lack of a program for studying modern music at the performing level, the absence of departments of modern performing in Ukraine ...

Is it difficult for the Ukrainian composer to organize an author's concert today? What is required for this?

Chamber author’s concerts of Ukrainian composers are much more common than symphonic. More often - at the National Music Academy than in the Philharmonic ...

Basically, these are, again, private initiatives of either composers themselves or performers themselves. Another thing is the anniversary Philharmonic concert. Here is a long “paper” chain: filing a statement to the Union of Composers, the Ministry of Culture, the Philharmonic ... Something “from a past life”.

What difficulties in organizing concerts do you personally face?

The most difficult thing is in organizing concerts of electroacoustic music - to achieve the most elementary: accurate implementation of a technical rider. It is very rare to convince the festival directorate that each work of electroacoustic music requires absolutely specific conditions of execution, specific qualities of acoustic systems and their number. The problem of rehearsals in the acoustic space, and the lack of suitable halls are associated with this ...

What is taught today in Ukraine on the history of music? On what figures-the past, the present-are students-composers today?

Courses for the history of music for composers, it seems, have not changed much since my studies. Perhaps a clock on the history of Ukrainian music was added ... And still there is not enough time for a more attentive study of modern music. But here the Internet comes to the rescue for help. Of course, he will not replace the real “musical process”. But young composers, at least, know that Varez (Edgar Varèse), Boulez (Pierre Boulez), Webern (Anton Webern),Liegite (György Sándor Ligeti) and Shtokhausen (Karlheinz Stockhausen), Fernihou ( sometimes write Fernihou, in English - Brian FERNEIHOUGH - A. D. ) and BEAT FURRR - actually exist. And, of course, someday they will still be performed in Kyiv.