Modern culture, entering into the post-Christian epoch, loses its foundation
through the apologetics of chaos of schizoid consciousness, the blurring of the
category of spirituality, the desacralization of the sacred and secretive, the escape
from the search for truth, the depreciation of the ideals. In the age of Postmodern
Christianity ceases to define the spiritual goals of society. At the same time, the
plurality of postmodern artistic trends implies a reference to anthropological concepts
that appeal to the categories of spiritual, sacred, transcendental.
Music that appeals to the Christian tradition constantly references to the ideas
and images contained in the Scriptures. In the works of leading Ukrainian composers:
G. Gavrilets, L. Dychko, V. Silvestrov, M. Skoryk, E. Stankovich, V. Stepurko,
M. Shukh, I. Shcherbakov, А. Shchetynsky images of repentance, misery, weeping,
prayers, silence, still, gratitude, and glorification have found their individual
incarnation.
By the example of the analysis of important works for the Ukrainian musical
culture, among which is «Four Psalms» for solo instruments and chorus (1997) by
V. Stepurko, Spiritual concert «Requiem» (in the first edition – «Funeral») for mixed
choir, soprano and tenor (1999) M. Skoryk, symphonic work for the orchestra
«Glossolalia» (1989), chamber opera for soprano, piano and percussion
«Annunciation» (1998) A. Shchetinsky, «Liturgy» (2003) E. Stankovich, «Solemn
Liturgy» (2000-2002) L. Dychko, «Hallelujah» (2006) and «The Psalm of David»
from the cycle «Two choirs» (2011) V. Silvestrov, as well as in the works of
composers G. Gavrilets, M. Shukh, I. Shcherbakov revealed features of the
embodiment of Christian ideas and images.
Till now the huge amount of spiritual works of the outstanding Ukrainian
composer Y. Ishchenko (born 1938) is unexplored and requires studying. During the
period of the composer’s tuition at the conservatory and postgraduate study (the end
of the 1950s and early 1960s), the search for his individual «I» (the «precedence
period»). Under the influence of the philosophical and theological works of
N. Berdyaev, V. Solovyov, S. Frank, S. Trubetskoy, P. Florensky Y.Ischenko in the
second half of the 1960s–1970s. an interest in Christian-ethical issues is intensifying.
In the 1980–1990s сomposer’s work is marked by «total semanticization»
(M. Kovalinas): the music of the composer rises to the level of musical philosophy,
which is a natural continuation of spiritual searches not only on the basis of the works
of N. Berdyaev, V. Solovyov, S. Trubetskoy, but also of the Ukrainian philosophical
school (G. Skovoroda, P. Yurkevich). Since the 2000s the composer has devoted
himself entirely to Christian themes: God’s word became the main theme of his true
musical confession.
In the «Εlegiac concert» for the male choir a cappella (1979), silence and still
is represented as the image and idea of a musical work. Silence penetrates all levels
of the musical composition, acts as the core of the logical-semantic unity and the
drama of the work. The image of weeping in the «Crying of Jeremiah» for baritone
and piano (2011) appears to be a complex macro-image, consisting of images of
repentance and light-bearing cathartic enlightenment, which is comparable to the idea
of the Christian Transfiguration. In the compositions for choir a’capella for the texts
of Old Testament Psalms (2000–2015), interpreted, as well as «Crying Jeremiah», in
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the сhristian way, all the variety of images–pangyric, praiseful, repentant, prayerful -
is embodied. On the example of these compositions there are marked complexes of
expressive means by which one or another image was created, the main dramaturgical
principles used by Y. Ishchenko for the embodiment of Сhristian musical ideas are
considered.
In the Concert for Flute and Chamber Orchestra in 3 parts (2010), the image of
the Favorsky Light is central. In the works «Do not turn me away during old age».
Symphonic version of the choral concert by M. Berezovsky (1996), «Praise the Lord
from heaven». Variations and Fugue on the topics of M. Berezovsky for the big
symphony orchestra (2006), «My Soul». Symphonic variations on the theme of
A. Vedel (2011), «Cherubim». Symphonic variations and fugue on the theme of
D. Bortniansky (2012) present a whole spectrum of Christian images and ideas:
images of repentance, pleading, prayers, the Favorsky light, the ideas of glorifying
God and Transfiguration. The series of symphonic mysteries «Osanna» (2011), «The
Annunciation» (2013), «The Resurrection» (2014), «The Ascension» (2014) is a kind
of outcome of the religious and philosophical quest for the composer, where the
composer gave his own musical interpretation to the central ideas of the Christian
doctrine–Good News, Suffering, Resurrection, Ascension of Jesus Christ.
