SOUNDS AND VIEWS: Liturgical Leontovych on disc (04/04/99)

SOUNDS AND VIEWS

by Roman Sawycky

Liturgical Leontovych on disc

The Olexander Koshetz Choir of Winnipeg, conducted by Walter Klymkiw, has just issued another CD. This disc features Mykola Leontovych's collected liturgical music, with Deacon Alexander Harkavy intoning the prayers of the clergy. Recorded at Sunshine Studios of Winnipeg in June 1998, the private production includes Mr. Klymkiw as producer, Danny Schur, engineer, and Waylyn Wityshyn, digital editor.

The liner notes state: "Having celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1997, the Koshetz Choir is one of the largest and oldest community-based choirs in Canada. The name and initial direction for the choir came from the acclaimed Ukrainian composer and choral conductor Olexander Koshetz, who from 1941 through 1944 was guest lecturer and conductor at the Ukrainian summer school sessions offered in Winnipeg. Mr. Klymkiw became the director in 1951 and continues in that position..."

Although Irene Chuchman is credited as piano accompanist (during rehearsals), the entire disc is without instrumental support as befits Ukrainian church singing. Working alongside Kyrylo Stetsenko and Koshetz, Leontovych created a large liturgical legacy. The music, long suppressed by the Soviets, is only now being passed down to Leontovych's spiritual descendants in Ukraine. Mr. Klymkiw's recording - the first such project in North America - will contribute to the understanding of Leontovych as religionist in the context of his contemporaries.

Leontovych's approach to folksong settings belongs in the realm of genius, and he employed similar techniques in arranging church music. His choral palette produced sound paintings in which polyphony (multi-voicing) became an art. In his scores voice parts enjoyed independence, but imitation did occur among them to charming effect. The so-called pedal point (sustained bass) often served as the foundation upon which musical architecture rested and shone. Many passages linger in one's mind with their hauntingly beautiful coloring.

There is a logical sequence in the bilingual program of this disc, consisting of 10 parts with exact timings provided. In No. 6, which includes "Cherubimic Hymn," Leontovych employs imitation techniques (used to much effect in "Carol of the Bells"). In "Holy, Holy" (No. 7) there is both devotion to the deity and to the choir's task; the sonic ambiance here and throughout the disc fits the spread-out polyphony of dedicated voices. No. 8 ("It Is Right to Glorify Thee"), long known in Halychyna, sounds with the rhythm of life and the bells of celebration - evoked by voice alone.

The Lord's Prayer ("Our Father," No. 9) - the centerpiece of Christendom - is also the main offering of Leontovych's sacred music. Using several creative devices, it features fully saturated voicing raised to high music standards. The ending (No. 10) from "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord" to the final "Amen" employs modest, sometimes very simple textures, as if to say that less is more. The tonic chord repeated many times at the coda (last bars) is the affirmation of the divine: "He Is for All Time, He Has to Be (Blessed)."

This disc is also an affirmation of Mr. Klymkiw as an artistic director. His ensemble is, after all, a church choir, but the course set for it by its skipper is loftier, lengthier, more difficult: concerts, monograph-like programming, recordings. And Mr. Klymkiw has been at the helm since 1951. How many conductors have led the same choir for half that time span?

(Committed to Leontovych, Mr. Klymkiw recently studied the composer also for the recent CBC special program, just re-broadcast due to initial success.)

The Koshetz Choir is naturally suited for church singing: not an ensemble of soloists, its sections are evenly balanced and responsive to the score. As noted in my previous review of a recording by this choir, it works best at mid-range and top registers; the women have sustained an evenly pleasing sound. The male singers are less prominent in this recording and need a boost in the bass.

Still, George Nytepchuk merited a bio as "key member of the tenor section" and Deacon Harkavy's vocal presence lends continuity to the devotional proceedings. The more detailed Leontovych biography brings new data on his murderer, a CHEKA agent (the matter was treated at some length in the CBC program).

The notes on Mr. Klymkiw cite his and the choir's direct lineage from Koshetz. While Mr. Klymkiw's talent was honed by the likes of Robert Shaw and Roger Wagner, his national commitment was crystallized with Anatolii Avdievsky, Ukraine's principal conductor of choral music. With this new CD, the Olexander Koshetz Choir leaves a still more bountiful legacy and a significant achievement for others to emulate.

The choir was awarded Ukraine's prestigious Taras Shevchenko State Prize for its many activities. Its new CD is not yet available on the East Coast, but inquiries may be directed to: Olexander Koshetz Choir, P.O. Box 3891, Station B, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2W 5H9.

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