The conductor is away. He’s fighting for Bakhmut
NewsVAN magazine has an outstanding interview with the Ukrainian conductor Serhiy Lykhomanenko, presently with the fifth regiment of the Ukrainain army near the devastated town of Bakhmut.
Here’s a sample:
‘In the evenings I sometimes manage to listen to symphonic music in peace and with concentration. Finally I hear everything from Mahler. And I keep coming back to Bach, he helps me activate my brain. 10 or 20 years ago ‘my’ Bach and ‘my’ Mahler were completely different composers. When I was very young I was particularly interested in the spectacular in Bach’s preludes and toccatas or Mahler’s original instrumentation, now I’m discovering the aesthetics of the formerly ‘boring’ fugues, Bach’s passions, the Kindertotenlieder and Das Lied von der Erde by Mahler. I always have Bruckner in my playlist and lately Philip Glass too. I always imagine how I would conduct his operas. In the conditions we live in today, classical music can be a retreat, an alternative world, a sanctuary of distraction from a rather bleak and sometimes frightening reality….
‘For me, music is an aesthetic and order of sound that evokes great emotions and feelings that help me live in this reality. The sound of war is the sound of disorder and chaos that brings death and fear. That’s why I’m against the aestheticization of war. Just as a warning, as a reminder of what shouldn’t be in society.’
Read on here.
Russians send their scam to die in Ukraine, and Ukrainians are loosing their best. I pray that Lukhomanenko survives the war and will again conduct his Mahler. Russia must be destroyed
“a medic in a rifle company; manning the regiment; now heading the PR Relations Department…”
Thank goodness the Maestro is not fighting in the front lines! I hope he does his job well. If there’s one thing the West, and by proxy Ukraine, is good at is doing public relations. I, too, wish him a safe return to his profession of making music which is what he should be doing, but a person’s patriotism is a quality to be extolled if one’s affection for his country is acquired through love, reason and good conscience.
——
Bach and Mahler – the Alpha and Omega in tonal music. Did Mahler’s music foretell the apocalyptic times we currently live in? Mahler is still relevant even if the conceptual framework in world affairs changes over time.
——
‘Russia must be destroyed.’
Putin already knows this sentiment is shared by many in the governing class of the US government, which is why he acted accordingly when his many warnings, of what could happen if Russia’s security interests were not taken into account at foreign policy talks and gatherings, went unheeded. The U.S., full of itself with hubristic Triumphalism, didn’t believe him, so the entire world is now in a pretty pickle. The end result could conceivably nurture a book by an unknown author in the future with the title Genius & Anxiety: How Russians Changed the World, 2022 – ?. Even I don’t want that type of book written if it can be helped.
Lev Deych from Ukraine, you live thanks to my great-grandfather, who died in battles with the Nazis. My great-grandmother was with four children. Alone. And many others died. And I will not let you or anyone else destroy my country.
“you live thanks to my great-grandfather, who died in battles with the Nazis.”
Your hypothetical great-grandfather, who hypothetically died in battles with the Nazis, would fight your ilk today.
“And I will not let you or anyone else destroy my country.”
So you’re getting rid of Putin? Cool. 😀
You vatniks are so cute!
To “Brettermeier”:
This term was coined by the Ukrainian Nazis, who have been killing the children of Donbass since 2013. The blood of these children is on your hands, you and your children will be responsible for these murders. You deprived Donbass of normal life and development for your own financial gain, and not for the sake of imaginary nationalism. The whole culture that today’s Ukraine has (and which will soon disappear altogether), including music, is thanks to the USSR. Can you tell me why Bogodar Katarovich stole and appropriated an expensive old violin from the State Collection? And this is just one of the thousands of examples of how you, Ukrainians, live for your own benefit, and not for the sake of “peace”, which for you is expressed solely in the form of money and material values.
Haven’t read it, vatniza.
Don’t have time for your propaganda.
Words full of wisdom. We stand with Ukraine.
This is so distressing I can barely stand to read this or anything else about the suffering people of Ukraine. Even if they win they lose; their country has been bombed into the stone age and they’ve lost a generation in its prime.
It will go on until Putin is taken out yer Wagner man is running out of ammo and supplies, Putin thinks he is a threat.
A pal of mine is out there, he took his beautifully hand crafted Samurai sword made by Master Getsu, the Ukrainians are mightily impressed by it. Putin’s Orcs are terrified by its fearful blade.
Yer Wagner man is running out of ammo. Moscow is not supplying him, looks like Putin is afraid he might be the next dictator! The Russian army is no match for Ukraine supplied by UK, US etc. They have miles better kit.
Sounds like a brave, thoughtful artist. I pray he makes it through the war in one piece and can get back to the podium soon.
No wonder Brendel disliked Rachmaninov!
Russia has always been a basket case of a place.
“Wagner Kills Conductor” Too soon?