May 28, 2005
звучатимуть зразки духовної та світської музики 17 ст.
у виконанні ансамблю старовинної музики “Ricercare”
Андрій Легкий |
Ансамбль старовинної музики “Ricercare” і Клара Легка |
Клара Легка | Галина Ремезова | Галина Легка |
Степан Кузів | Христина Махно | Тато і доня |
Юрій Легкий, Галина Ремезова, Андрій і Галина Легкі, Лариса Онишкевич, Христинка Махно, Василь Махно, Клара Легка і Степан Кузів |
On Saturday, May 28 the Shevchenko Scientific Society in New York City hosted a lecture/recital by Andriy Legkyy, a Ukrainian composer and musicologist who has been working in New York for almost a year. Mr. Legkyy appeared with the ensemble Ricercare, which is dedicated to performing little known and little-performed music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
The thesis of Legkyy’s lecture was that Baroque music in Ukraine was not a separate phenomenon, but drew influence from diverse western influences. A passacalio by Italian composer Giovanni Battista Martini opened the concert and served to illustrate a model to which the Ukrainian aroque could be compared. This is an apt comparison seeing as artini was the counterpoint teacher of J. C. Bach, Gluck, Grétry, and Mozart. The Ricercare ensemble played with a fine sensitivity to timbre and ornamentation and Martini’s facility for counterpoint was enhanced by the performance. Baroque violinists Halyna Lehka and Halyna Remezova play elightfully well and Andriy Legkyy is a keyboardist who knows how to balance continuo playing and inspired counterpoint and decoration. Stephan Kuziv supported the continuo with a solid viola da gamba.
Selections from the 17th-century manuscripts, “Silva Rerum” and the Vietoris Codex displayed a variety of Baroque forms, and the tendency to incorporate local folk dance-music forms into the music of the city guild musicians who were served by these manuscripts.
Two Ukrainian solo canzones for mezzo-soprano “Chaika,” and “O Ukrainon’ko” (“Seagull” and “O My Ukraine”) were sung with great delicacy and expression by Klara Lehka.
A special treat was reserved for the end, when Khrystyna Makhno performed Mr. Legkyy’s “Kolomyjka” for violin accompanied by the composer on the piano. This piece’s exotic variations on folk melody were expertly balanced with technique and passion, but never disappointed. Makhno played with charm and authority and shows not a little promise to the world of music.
Bruce Johnson
is a New York-based composer