Revival of Bortkiewicz' music in Ukraine

 

In 1919, in a country torn by both civil war and and the aftermath of the First World War, Sergei Bortkiewicz and his wife Elisabeth fled the horrors engulfing their homeland to seek a new life in Western Europe. After witnessing the death of family and friends, they left Ukraine, first for Turkey and later to settle in Austria. The composer was to remain in exile until his death in 1952 but his spirit and thoughts remained purely Ukrainian and this was reflected throughout all his music culminating in his Symphony no. 1 opus 52 which the composer dedicated to the people of his homeland.

 

Fifty years after the composer's death his music was brought back to Ukraine. The story how this happened is told in the Ukrainian newspaper The Day.

 

On 22 May 2001, Sergei Tsyhankov, journalist from the newspaper The Day (www.day.kiev.ua/267542) wrote: "A program called The Last Romantic: Return to Ukraine was presented in Chernihiv on May 15 and at the National Philharmonic Society in Kyiv the next day. Chernihiv "Philharmonia" Symphony Orchestra performed Ukrainian composer Serhiy Bortkevych's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Major (op. 16) and Symphony No. 1 in D Major (Aus meiner Heimat). Serhiy Bortkevych was born in Kharkiv on February 28, 1877 and died in Vienna on October 25, 1952. His name and works are practically unknown in Ukraine where his first piano concerto premiered last May as part of a creative project sired by Meritorious Artist of Ukraine Mykola Suk, who currently resides in the United States. In October 2000, the third part of the piano concerto was performed by Chernihiv's Philharmonic. This time Mykola Suk, who has revived a number of composers and their works in Ukraine, acted as an artistic consultant of the Last Romantic program. He had also obtained the unpublished original score of the first symphony. To this end, another name must be mentioned, a man that has spent more than thirty years studying Bortkevych's creative legacy: Bhagwan Nebrhaj Thadani, resident of Winnipeg, Canada. "Actually, we borrowed the program title from Mr. Thadani who has collected practically all of Bortkevych's compositions," says Mykola Sukach, Chernihiv "Philharmonia" Symphony Orchestra artistic director and conductor. "Now, owing to his enthusiasm and the research of Mykola Suk, we will have the bulk of the composer's orchestral works (three piano and a number of violin and cello concertos). Of the three piano concertos, only the first one has a score, the other two are in clavier form, and we don't know if the scores are available at all. If we don't find them, I will do the instrumentation myself, keeping it in Bortkevych's style. It will take several years, but my objective is playing whatever we can get, and in full, so the composer's name return to Ukraine." Indeed, why not include one of Bortkevych's compositions in the Horowitz contest's compulsory program? Then all Ukrainian musicians would automatically start performing it. Also, Mykola Sukach dreams of a Serhiy Bortkevych Festival: "I can tell you from my own experence. A conductor has a special relationship with every composer. Some make you dissolve in their music, others demand more of the conductor's willpower and his own vision of the music. And then for the first time I felt a composer's actual presence. I don't know how, I just felt it. An image made not only of sound. There was also a touch of philosophy and a host of other things that are hard to explain. It was not the sound of the Commander's footsteps [an allusion to the opera Don Juan], it was something I could sense and the awareness was strong." Mykola Sukach is convinced that the Finale of Bortkevych's Symphony No. 1 is the best possible choice for the gala concert commemorating the tenth anniversary of Ukrainian independence, because it is festive Ukrainian music with a professional Russian symphonic touch. He wonders why Bortkevych has been forgotten. [...] Most importantly, Bortkevych's name should be revived because his ethnic roots are in Ukraine. We are a cultured and talented nation. Even though Ukrainian music is quite cosmopolitan, Bortkevych's rebirth will simply make our life richer. We all know that there is a sort of vacuum in Ukrainian classical music. Well, perhaps not a vacuum but the fact that we do not have that many brilliant composers, fewer by far than Russia [...]."

 

On 18 June 2001, Sergei Tsyhankov wrote again about Bortkiewicz in the newspaper The Day (www.day.kiev.ua/267665): "As it was, shortly after my article appeared in The Day, I received a letter from Dr. Wouter M.A. Kalkman, of Leiden in the western Netherlands, offering Ukraine's first performer of Bortkiewicz, the Chernihiv Philharmonic, scores of Bortkeviych' compositions. Incidentally, its conductor Mykola Sukach, who had decided to restore historical justice and return all of the celebrated composer's works to Ukraine, believed, relying on his sources, that his third piano concerto existed only in clavier form. It is thus, owing to people's enthusiasm in different cities of different countries, that Ukraine is reviving the name of its gifted son doomed to oblivion simply because he refused to accept Communist ideology. [...] Whether or not Bortkevych becomes a Ukrainian Rachmaninoff, his name is worth being not only rehabilitated, but also universally recognized. This feature would have never appeared but for the kind assistance from Messrs. Mykola Suk of New York (US), Bhagwan Nebrhaj Thadani of Winnipeg (Canada), and Wouter M.A. Kalkman of Leiden, the Netherlands. When this issue went to press, Mykola Sukach received from Dr. Kalkman the scores of the third piano concerto and the Russian Rhapsody. [...]"

 

Photo: Mykola Sukach

 

Through Wouter Kalkman, Mykola Sukach came thereupon into contact with Malcolm Henbury Ballan from Southampton, England, who had discovered some years ago the scores of Bortkiewicz' Symphony no. 1 opus 52 and no. 2 opus 55 in the library of Philadelphia (USA) as part of the Fleisher collection. Subsequently Malcolm also helped Mykola Sukach in obtaining missing scores of Bortkiewicz' music. In 2002 and 2003 Mykola Sukach and his Chernihiv Symphony Orchestra "Philharmonia" performed many orchestral works by Bortkiewicz in Chernihiv, Kiev, Kharkov, Croatia and the United States of America. In 2002 there even was a Bortkiewicz Festival in Chernihiv to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the composer's birth and the 50th anniversary of his death. During this festival the Orchestra played orchestral works by Bortkiewicz which Malcolm Henbury Ballan had given to Mykola Sukach. Malcolm said about this event: "... and what fabulous work's we discovered - a violin concerto (opus 20) worthy of Tchaikovsky, a second piano concerto (opus 28) fully of excitement and melodies that reflect the songs and dances of the composer's homeland, an overture (opus 53) brimming with excitement and verve. Orchestral songs that drew tears and piano works that echoed the heartfelt loss that Bortkiewicz experienced whilst in exile."

 

Photo: Mykola Sukach and his Chernihiv Symphony Orchestra playing Bortkiewicz

 

Mykola Sukach works tirelessly to rekindle interest in the composer and seeks wherever possible to enthusiastically promote his music. It is Mykola Sukach life's work to make the music of Bortkiewicz famous in Ukraine and all over the world and dreams of recording this music with his own orchestra. His orchestra have worked very hard to learn and perform new works and bring back to the Ukrainian people a composer most had never heard of - but which many are now enjoying and appreciating his beautiful music. To the people of Ukraine, Bortkiewicz is as much part of their culture and history as composers like Liatioshinsky, Kosenko or Lysenko. As Mykola Sukach said: "Bortkevych has his roots in Ukraine, his music is permeated with Ukrainian themes, profound intellectuality, and culture. This music deserves it to become standard repertoire in our music programs."

 

Photo: Mykola Sukach and his Chernihiv Symphony Orchestra playing Bortkiewicz