Commanding respect to Ukrainian opera
“Moses” could be about to lead Ukrainian opera back to the promised land of respectability.
The new production of “Moses,” which premieres June 23 at the Lviv Theater of Opera and Ballet will not just be the first Ukrainian-written opera to be staged in the new millennium; it will also be independent Ukraine’s first contemporary opera – period.
Its authors are expecting big things from the performance, saying it will raise Ukraine’s image in the eyes of the international community.
“It is an opera that can present Ukraine to the world in a worthy fashion,” said Myroslav Skoryk, artistic director and composer of the opera “Moses.”
The three-hour-long production is based on the original epic poem “Moses” by Ukrainian poet Ivan Franko. Written in 1905, Franko’s epic carries an allegorical message of Ukrainian freedom that parallels the journey made by the Jews in search of the Promised Land.
In his prologue Franko addressed the “tortured and broken” Ukrainian nation, asking how long the country would remain a slave to the Russian Empire – much as Moses did when speaking of the Jews’ enslavement in Egypt. Franko referred to the poem as “a sad but free song” and as a “deposit for the future” of Ukraine.
“The theme of [Moses] is international,” Skoryk said. “It concerns every nation that has been suppressed, and it has a direct connection to the Ukrainian people.”
The composer said he had been pondering the idea for the opera for many years.
“My father, a historian, asked me a while ago if I was interested in the story of Moses for a cantata or an oratorio,” Skoryk said. “When I addressed the [Lviv Opera] theater and found out they had the same idea, it was like the fulfillment of a long-time dream.”
To obtain a feel for the life of Moses, the author of the libretto, Bohdan Stelmakh, actually traveled to both Israel and Egypt and followed the route Moses took in the 13th century BC.
“I wanted to live the same experience, and the trip gave me a lot,” Stelmakh said. “Knowing the color and the smell of the place, I was able to easily describe the scenery to the set designers.”
Those who saw an invitation-only performance of the opera in Lviv in May described it as a masterpiece.
“Although I am far from being a critic, an opera buff or even an active opera fan, I was enthralled by this wonderful production, by the power of it, and by the haunting and beautiful music,” said Walter Prochorenko, who is the opera’s producer as well as the chairman of the committee coordinating celebrations of the theater’s 100th anniversary. “The work is enthralling and monumental in scope, the singers and ballet troupe are amazing, and the scenery is truly a masterpiece in its simplicity.”
“Moses” took two years to complete. It was scheduled to begin its run last autumn in conjunction with the centennial celebrations. However, the opening was delayed for lack of funds. Desperate to find sponsors, Skoryk approached the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar. Husar wrote a letter to the Vatican asking for financial support, and to everyone’s surprise the opera received papal blessing as well as sponsorship.
In another happy turn of events, the June 23 premier coincides with the first day of the pope’s visit to Ukraine.
The West Ukrainian Commerce Bank – a branch of the Poland-based Kredyt-Bank, which sponsored the celebrated historical film “With Fire and Sword” – also came on board and financed the opera’s recording costs and promotional campaign.
Prochorenko declined to reveal the total cost of the project but said that “Moses” is one of the most expensive operas ever to be staged in Ukraine. More than 500 people are involved in the production.
After the June 23 premiere, “Moses” is to run for several more nights at the Lviv Theater of Opera and Ballet.
According to Prochorenko, some of those who attended last month’s sneak preview are active in the Ukrainian Diaspora community – and they are hoping to bring the opera to the National Theater in Washington, D.C., later this year.
Unfortunately, the Kyiv premiere of Moses has been canceled over what the producer described as organizational difficulties. Whether the opera will ever be performed in the capital remains to be seen. Recordings of “Moses” will, however, be available on compact disc, cassette, video and DVD at most licensed music stores.
