Poetic Moods        A CD for Everyone

By Wasyl Sydorenko

Kyiv – the cultural capital of Ukraine, on a warm summer night. You are walking through Independence Square. Suddenly, you pause and listen. Music – the sounds of a piano wafting from the music conservatory. Is it a song, a mazurka, or maybe a waltz with just a touch of Chopin? The music is classical – European … by a Ukrainian composer! Is it Barvinsky, Kosenko, Revutsky or Ishchenko? You marvel at the artistry of the performer; the style – definitely Viennese; the mood – poetic…This is what Maria Dolnycky’s new CD Poetic Moods is all about.

Maria Dolnycky is a Ukrainian-Canadian pianist from Montreal who studied at McGill University and the State Academy of Music in Vienna. While living in Austria and Kyiv, she gained a profound understanding of European and Ukrainian culture. As a proponent of classical music, Dolnycky is determined to revive this long neglected tradition in Ukrainian music. Her new CD features some of the best piano repertoire by some of the best classical composers from Ukraine. It is a true work of love – a poetic expression in twenty-two musical tracks.

The Soviet Union did its best to divorce the arts from their social, cultural and historical traditions by creating false ideals – cultural proletarianism, socialist realism and anti-formalism. Ukraine and Ukrainians everywhere must reclaim their European heritage. We must recognize that there is a valid Ukrainian tradition of classical music distinct from the folk tradition. We must, by example, convince world class performers that Ukrainian composers deserve their attention. And Ukrainian music lovers must educate themselves in the classic arts if they wish to be cultured citizens of the world.

Maria Dolnycky’s piano performance is flawless and her secret to a successful performance is to approach Ukrainian classical music from a European cultural perspective. This CD is a landmark recording in the history of Ukrainian classical music. It is a milestone in performance practice. Dolnycky is a master of contemporary repertoire and her interpretations are profound and utterly convincing. For the first time we can hear the works of Barvinsky, Kosenko, Revutsky, Lyatoshynsky, Shamу, Silvestrov and Ishchenko performed as they should be. Yuri Ishchenko, a featured composer, was taken aback by the lyricism of the recording. The insightful liner notes by Wasyl Sydorenko are designed to bridge the gap between listener and music. They tell the story of the composers’ struggle against the nihilistic forces of the Soviet regime. With the stage set, the music speaks for itself thanks to the artistry of the performer. The mood is lyrical, intimate, poetic…

The recording was engineered by Canadian composer and producer Timothy Minthorn. In mastering the CD, Tim managed to capture all of the subtleties of the performance. The sound is warm and resonant, the instrumental timbres rich and vivid, and the dynamics both delicate and powerful. All too often a great performance is spoiled by a lacklustre recording. Not in this case! Here the listener can enjoy the best seat in the house. On the cover is a painting by the talented Ukrainian painter Olga Konoshchuk. It is an impressionistic abstract of a Kyiv streetscape in the evening – not far from the music conservatory! Even the packaging is designed to create a poetic mood.

Excerpts of Poetic Moods may be listened to by visiting the artist’s website at www.mariadolnycky.com. In April, the CD will be featured at the Kyiv Premiers Festival in Ukraine. The recording is now available online at www.cdbaby.com/cd/mariadolnycky or at L’Atelier Grigorian, Sam the Record Man, West Arka (Toronto), Oseredok Boutique (Winnipeg), Ukrainian Book Store (Edmonton), or Yevshan (Montreal).

Wasyl Sydorenko is a Ukrainian Canadian musicologist and composer  in Toronto