VIEWING THE ARTS: Moses in Lviv: Skoryk opera to premiere (05/13/01)

VIEWING THE ARTS

by Adrian Bryttan

Moses in Lviv: Skoryk opera to premiere

Ivan Franko's "Moisei" (Moses) has been acclaimed by eminent Slavic linguist, philologist and literary critic George Y. Shevelov as "... standing at the entryway to a Ukrainian 'Faust' and knocking at the doors leading to the 'Divine Comedy.'" It is a profound work, revealing the poet's deepest, most intimate thoughts through the symbols of the familiar Biblical story. Composer Myroslav Skoryk has now created an opera based on the poem, to be performed in Lviv as part of the festivities for the June visit of Pope John Paul II.

The primate of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, championed this ambitious project with the support of the major archbishop's chancery of Lviv and also was instrumental in obtaining financial backing from the Vatican.

Franko's "Moisei" is demanding of the reader, but it is also richly rewarding. The poet considered Moses to be the "most grandiose persona of ancient human history and an endless source of inspiration." The book of Exodus begins with his birth into slavery and his adoption by the Pharaoh's daughter. Moses is later depicted as the murderer of an Egyptian guard, as the shepherd to whom Yehova reveals Himself and, ultimately, as the liberator who leads the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt to the edge of Canaan, after wandering in the desert for 40 years.

Franko chose only the final tragic hours in Moses' life to depict the aging patriarch vainly attempting to lead his nation into the Promised Land which is so near. The 20 "Songs" (episodes) probe the spiritual struggles of "the meekest man on the face of the earth." Symbols and parables portray his conflicts, self-doubts and overpowering love for his people. In contrast to the Bible, which shows Moses performing miracles and signs, Franko offers instead a perceptive inner portrait of the prophet.

One example is the three temptations of Moses by the desert demon Azazel: at first, doubt whether Moses is truly serving God; then a maternal appeal to spare himself needless agonies; finally, the terrible certainty that his people will suffer future wars and misery. His faith shaken by this last trial, Moses cries out: "Yehova deceived us!" He falls to the ground amid demonic laughter and the gathering storm.

There were no antecedents to Franko's poem, and it was quickly translated into many foreign languages. It is a pity that a work with such deep sincerity and philosophical content is not known more widely.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the poem is that the characters of Yehova, Azazel the demon, Datan, Aviron (Aron) and others may be perceived as the internal voices of one man, Moses. Dialogues either with the divinity or the tempter are essentially conversations within one's own soul. These themes are developed by Franko as "extended moments" of psychological insight. One such powerful moment occurs after Moses once again warns his people about pride and rebelliousness against God's will. Suddenly, he is no longer judge nor prophet.

* * *

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* * *

The ancient heart of the prophet trembled,
Tender and human,
And his thoughts dropped down from the heights
For a moment.

Would he always pass judgement?
Would he always censure his people?
A sob welled up deep in his breast
Like a frail, hungry child.

If you could but see, o Israel,
How my heart overflows for you!
If you could but know how I love you,
How I love you so dearly!

O, my child and my people,
My honor and glory,
My spirit and future,
My beautiful native land.

- translated by Adrian Bryttan

* * *

Franko also provides colorful and evocative settings. In the first scene, the wandering Israelites have been sleeping in the same ravine for days on end, as if in suspended animation under the hot desert sun. The stillness in the air is reflected in the spiritual lethargy of the tribes. When Moses is banished from the camp there is a beautiful depiction of the starry night sky. He later climbs up the craggy mountain while "jackals howl and snakes slither." Soon afterwards a terrifying storm fills the heavens.

Clearly, Franko's poem contains many elements to inspire a dramatic musical treatment and it was fascinating to imagine how it could be developed into a stage work. In Lviv and Kharkiv I had conducted several standard operas in beautiful translations by Maksym Rylskyi (which deserve to be compiled and published). And I have also had the opportunity to perform some of Skoryk's works, including the First Violin Sonata and the Triptych from "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" with the Lviv Philharmonic. Therefore, it was with great interest that I looked forward to my interview with the composer in New York.

Maestro Skoryk told me he had long wished to set Franko's "Moisei" as an oratorio or opera. My first question was: How would a contemporary composer treat an archaic story? Mr. Skoryk replied that he tried to create harmonic moods which would generate a "feeling of antiquity." Interestingly, he also colored certain sections of the score with Ukrainian intonations. (This is not so surprising as Franko's poem is itself a synthesis of old Hebraic themes and contemporary expressions.)

Several other composers had also written operas on this subject. Rossini's "Mosé in Egitto" (1819) was essentially a traditional Italian opera with some "religious" overtones. Schoenberg's "Moses und Aron" (1932) was a unique approach to the unimaginable abstraction of God and was constructed in the language of the composer's 12-tone technique. Unfortunately, Maestro Skoryk's music for "Moisei" was not available for me to see at this time.

But I wondered how Mr. Skoryk approached Franko's verse which, although flexible and elastic, still has a consistency in rhyme and metric patterns. This brought to mind one of the great partnerships in opera: Mozart and his librettist, Lorenzo da Ponte. Cherubino's aria "Voi che sapete" from "Le nozze di Figaro" is a good example. Looking solely at the balanced verses of the Italian text, one could never guess the free-flowing forms that unfold in Mozart's inspired music. How does a composer remain true to the original poetry and yet not get locked into a symmetrical structure?

Maestro Skoryk explained that the text presented some challenges. With his co-librettist, poet Bohdan Stelmach, the composer carefully chose and arranged all the poetry used in the opera. Just as the relatively brief Biblical references served as an inspiration and a point of departure for Franko, so also the poetry was a starting point for the musical forms that evolved for Mr. Skoryk. When the music demanded, the composer repeated words and phases or varied the order of the original text. The vocal parts developed into solo arias, duets and ensembles, and an important role was assigned to the double chorus. The duration of the opera, comprised of a prologue and two acts, is about two hours.

Because of the intimate and static nature of the theme, Maestro Skoryk added a scene with the dance before the golden calf to end the first act. The instrumentation is for standard-size orchestra, but every effort has been made to have the words clearly understandable. Librettos will be printed, and it is the composer's hope that his opera will inspire wider interest and appreciation for the original poem.

Mr. Skoryk feels a special affinity towards Franko and has set some of his other works to music, including the cantata "Spring" and the ballet "Kameniari" (Stonecutters).

Even though this is his first opera, Maestro Skoryk is a practical man of the theater and took into account the specific acoustics of the Lviv Opera stage and the individual qualities of the Lviv soloists. The general director of the Lviv Opera, Tadey Eder, was an enthusiastic initiator and supporter of this project. This production of "Moisei" will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the construction and opening of the Lviv Opera.

The title role, to be sung by bass Oleksander Hromysh, is the most extensive and richly drawn character in the opera. The demon Azazel will be a tenor role, with Aviron and Datan as baritones. Other solos include Yohaveda (mezzo), Lia (soprano), Yehoshua (tenor) and "the author" (baritone). The stage director is Zbigniew Krzanowski, currently with the Peremyshl Theater, and the set designers are the brothers Tadey and Roman Ryndzak. The premiere performance is planned for May 20.

* * *

Born in 1938, Maestro Skoryk is one of today's most distinguished musicians and educators. Currently on the faculties of both the Lviv and Kyiv conservatories, he helped nurture an entire generation of composers in Ukraine. Mr. Skoryk himself studied in Lviv with Stanyslav Liudkevych and also in Moscow with Dmitri Kabalevsky.

Some of his notable compositions include the "Carpathian" Concerto for Orchestra, music for the film "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors," concertos for piano, violin and cello, plus numerous vocal and chamber pieces. An indication of his wide interests is the jazz influence in his Second Violin Sonata and other recent works. He has also undertaken revisions of two operas: Anatol Vakhnianyn's "Kupalo" and Denys Sichynskyi's "Roksoliana."

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