Prairie Performances: Singing Beauty Against Discord

Ukrainian Classical Special: Singing Beauty Against Discord

On tonight’s special episode of Prairie Performances, we feature classical music of Ukraine, and the role that Ukrainian artists play in the war perpetrated by Russia. Going into this episode, I had no doubt in my mind that music was important to Ukrainians, but wanted to learn more about what Ukraine has to offer to lovers of classical music in the rest of the world. To answer that question, I spoke with Ukrainian-American pianist Anna Shelest, who pointed out the influence of Ukraine’s longstanding song traditions in many Ukrainian compositions.

Why are so many Ukrainian composers inspired by song? What musical traditions do they draw on? And why is it that when Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 was translated into Ukrainian, they traded the German word for “joy” (freude) for the Ukrainian “glory” (slava)?

Hear for yourself the songlike melodies of Ukrainian classical music, Thursday December 11th at 7 PM, only on Illinois Classical 90.9 or Stream Now!