Music for symphonic orchestra: way to the future
Background. The history of music art is connected not only to the flourishing periods, but also with being in crisis circumstances. Significantly that music art being in the periods when its existence degrades to the level of survival, bornes masterpieces, which later become symbols of the past hard times. The 90s of the XX century is a period of political, social and cultural crisis in Ukraine, the way out of which was found because the activity of talented musicians: composers, conductors, singers, orchestral and choral performers, whose creativity was demonstrating the power of the human spirit. Conceptualization of heritage created in this period in the national performing art is an actual task of musicology. The objectives of this study are to summarize the experience of Academic Symphonic Orchestra of Kharkiv Philharmonic in the 1990s – early 2000s. This theme was not lightened in enough degree neither in musicological researches nor periodic press. The methods of the research are the historicism principle to consider the history of Ukrainian performing art using the example of the Academic Symphonic Orchestra of Kharkiv Philharmonic in the 1990s – early 2000s; the contextual analysis chosen to conceptualize the meaning of symphonic music in the renaissance of national music art. The results of the research keep the idea that there is a continuing problem of life support of such a complex team as a symphonic orchestra. At the turn of the centuries, in the 1990s – early 2000s, in the conditions of minimal state funding and absence of the law about culture and patronage of art the existence of the Kharkiv Philharmonic Orchestra has become a matter of survival. The ways out of the crisis covered all types of organizational and creative activities of the Philharmonic team: more than 20,000 signatures of Kharkiv inhabitants have been collected to protect the Filarmonic building from seizure by commerce business; an international competition between conductors named after Vakhtang Jordania was held; a cultural complex on the basis of Philharmonics has been created: a new Organ Hall was opened in 2017; a flexible repertoire policy aimed at expanding musical events and variety of genres was developed. Innovations include the variety musical thematic evenings (for Valentine’s Day, for Women’s Day and other), hit‑concerts with the most popular compositions from different epochs and directions. Keeping Kharkiv Philharmonic’s native “home” means the beginning of its constant recovery from the crisis, a start of the new stage in the symphonic orchestra’s activity. The creative team of Kharkiv Philharmonic takes much effort to build on this basis a cultural complex, which has no analogues in Ukraine. This complex will comprise three concerts halls. One of the buildings created in the XX centuries and modelled after the famous Royal Palace Des Tuileries in Paris, is intended for theatre-concert performances and designed with 777 seats. The second one is a new Organ Hall with 500 seats, and the third one is a Chamber Music Hall with 100 seats. Besides, it is planned to create a Musical Museum where Kharkiv musical history monuments are to be exposed. It is supposed to create a big Recording Studio being able to record an orchestra, a choir and vocal performers at the same time. The construction of such a set is in line with existing world practice. Another proof of professional excellence of the philharmonic musical collective was awarding it a status of Academic Symphonic Orchestra in 2004. Preconditions for further development of symphonic art in Kharkiv is revival the specialization “Opera-symphonic conducting art” at Kharkiv National University of Arts named by I. P. Kotliarevsky, that allows to continue the traditions of outstanding symphonic conductors and to pass their creative principles to youth. A novice conductor has to learn how to be not only an artist, but also a manager, an impresario, and an administrator. However, if the first role mentioned, he learns it during all his life, in the rest functions he remains in an “amateur” role, at least, at this historical period. One of the most important tasks of the Philharmonic Symphonic Orchestra is performing music of Ukrainian and, of course, Kharkiv composers. Glorious Kharkiv composers’ school, its compositions created by founder artists – classics of Ukrainian music, representatives of middle age recognized abroad, as well as young followers looking for new ways of symphonic art development, are really worth to be heard at the concert halls. In the name of this aim the administration of Kharkiv Philharmonic decided to renew the practice of holding authors’ and anniversary concerts of outstanding representatives of national composers school, special creative reports, when the audience has the opportunity to listen to the latest music, the compositions written by coryphaeuses, as well as the compositions that having appeared decades ago but have not been performed yet for a number of reasons. The symphonic music is the most important part in such concerts: this is where the composer’s expertise and brilliance is seen within mastering the orchestra and providing a symphonic concept. In the concerts of that kind the musical opuses by E. Stankovych, M. Skoryk, Yu. Alzhnev, A. Gaidenko, N. Stetsiun etc. were represented. Conclusions. The current situation existing around the classical musical heritage in general and symphonic music in particular, requires the preservation of one of the most traditional symbols of musical art – the symphony orchestra. In turn, the successful functioning of such kind of collectives and disclosure of their powerful creative potential is impossible without a flexible system approach to solving a set of problems and tasks facing national art. At the same time, the experience of Kharkiv Academic Philharmonic Orchestra demonstrates, that, despite the objectively existing difficulties in the country, a flexible repertoire policy and well-designed administrative actions aimed at fulfilling the creative tasks of the team, preserving and expanding the audience of classical music listeners, can lead to positive results. At the present stage in Kharkiv the prerequisites for the successful functioning of the symphony orchestra have been formed. One of the most important among them was the creation of a musical and cultural complex on the basis of the Kharkiv Regional Philharmonic. As one seems, the indicated above directions and principles of the symphonic collective’s work will be able indeed to help open the way to the future in front to music for a symphony orchestra.