Lesia Lemekh - Barvinsky Sonata

The evening of piano music from the works of Ukrainian classics of the 20th century was dedicated to the poet, philosopher, and dissident Sverstyuk. A fighter for freedom in asserting the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, courageous and selfless in defending human rights and freedoms Svestyuk says that the "nation is sustained by the spiritual efforts of individuals". Sonatas by Barvinskyi and Revutskyi sounded, both of each mark the beginning of their professional way, Barvinsky in Prague and Revutsky in Kyiv. Both composers were 21 years old at the time of writing. In the list of commented works Barvinskyi noted that he began writing a sonata in 1909 in Prague, but completed it three years later, because the last part - the fugue, he could add after passing the course of counterpoint. Vasyl Barvinsky's Sonata in C Sharp Major was written in 1913 and is one of the first in the history of Ukrainian piano music. The fate of this Sonata was not easy, just like the Barvinsky Concerto. The Sonata was neither performed nor published during the composer's lifetime. Therefore, in the 50s and 70s, the work was considered lost, and only at the end of the 80s, the sonata was unexpectedly found in the works of the pianist Kolessa in faraway Canada. The first performance in Lviv dates back to 1993 and belongs to the pianist Kryshtalskyi. German organist Grill, a connoisseur of Ukrainian music, first performed Barvinskyi on the organ in the 1980s in the United States. In Barvinskyi's Sonata, the strength of the composer's talent reflected the signs of the times - secession and also integrated the deep national stratum of the composer's thinking. Sonata is a large-scale conceptual work prevailed by lyrical and philosophical principles. The sonata is endowed with the unity of thematic material, at the heart of each part of the cycle is a variation of the original theme. The Sonata has four contrasting parts in character and form. The first part of Allegro moderato in D Flat Major 00:04 is written in sonata form with a code. The main theme is the intonation common with the carol "In the sky, a clear star shines" and evokes allusions to the figurative sphere of "Lohengrin" by Richard Wagner, in particular the leitmotif of Lohengrin, which characterizes a bright, noble image of a knight. The second part of Andante moderato 8:37 - has a complicated three-part form ABCBA mirror structure, written in F major and B flat major, and the bright contrast of the tempo is emphasized by changing the size from 6/4 to 3/8. Part C is central in form, and even more melodic. The third part Andante sostenuro 16:07  is written in the form of free variations, where each variation brings a new character of sound, texture, and harmonious colour. The four-part two fuguas 23:42 Allegro Moderato becomes a significant conclusion to the whole Sonata. Her energetic theme emerges by filling in the initial quartet motif of the theme of the third movement. The brightly individual concept of the Sonata embodies the song tradition, romantic intonations, the symbolism of the fugue, rich symphonic orchestration, and variational development of the musical form in which beauty and spirituality are universalized. Lviv National Music Academy October 29 - 2014