LUX AETERNA. Psalms of Falling

The project is dedicated to exploring and revealing multiple layers of senses and interconnections between the modern European and Ukrainian music phenomena, in particular by performing the works of György Ligeti and contemporary Ukrainian composers, which combine a capella singing and electronic experiments, by Ukrainian musicians, both those who stay in Ukraine and moved abroad due to the war.

In the situation of the ongoing full-scale war, Ukrainian musicians have their specific mission keeping the ‘cultural frontline’. It is important in terms of cultural diplomacy, conducting a cultural dialogue with the world, conveying the truth about the situation in Ukraine and the right of Ukrainians to freedom, dignity and independent existence, which includes preservation and promotion of our cultural identity. For Ukrainian artists and culture activists it is crucial now, even more than ever, to continue professional activities, strengthen creative potential, gain new experience and expand opportunities for professional growth and self-expression. Another important task for us is to continue and strengthen cooperation with European and international partners and colleagues, and to expand their network, thus shaping the “fellowship of cultural supporters” of Ukraine and building a strong basement for the future cultural revival of the country.

 In brief, the Lux Aeterna project idea is as follows: on the one hand, it is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the classic of musical avant-garde György Ligeti; on the other hand, it is considered as a commemoration of all the deceased Ukrainian musicians.

Commission works by Ukrainian and Bulgarian composers – as a memory of all dead Ukrainian artists. In this project are involving both young and respected composers – Maxim Kolomiiets, Maхim Shalygin, Alla Zagaykevych, Peter Kerkelov. These composers work in both experimental electronic and acoustic music. Especially for this project, they will wright pieces for vocal ensemble and electronics.

The formal occasion is the 100th anniversary of the birth of György Ligeti, a classic of the musical avant-garde. His most famous vocal work Lux aeterna is that bundle of new and old in European musical culture. As well as a kind of requiem for the dead artists. Commissioned works by Ukrainian composers – on the one hand, as a tribute to the classic, on the other hand, sustain the project’s main theme – the culture of memory and memory of the dead.

The main feature and innovation of this project is the experimentation in the field of combining live acoustic sound of an a cappella vocal ensemble and electronics. Four composers wrote works for vocal ensemble and electronics. Each of the composers used electronics in their own way – this includes the usual voice + tape, combining and new searches for live timbres and constructing new timbres based on data synthesis, electronic voice processing in real time: and so on. For classical music, this is a fairly new, but actively developing area. In recent decades, humans and technology have become so intertwined that we often cannot even separate ourselves from technical devices. How far can this be found in classical music, and even more so with canonical texts? The extent to which cultural memory, the genetic memory of past generations of composers and musicians, can work in creating compositions for canonical texts is another challenge for this project. Man, technology, sacredness, culture of memory, and death are the main themes of this project. And the complexities of technical implementation – the combination of live electronics and live voices – is a technical innovation of this project.

Peter Kerkelov “phos-phorus” for vocal ensemble and electronic:

I believe that even when no longer on earth human life emits light on us, the living. Just like phosphorus which glows when placed in the darkness. The dead, through their good deeds and sorrow, through their mistakes and decisions, illuminate for us a path on which we walk towards our own light. Only so we could take the torch over one day.    

It is hard to put these thoughts in words, but sometimes one doesn’t need to. A word is so much more than its supposed meaning. I believe that each word is a sound of all that surround us, an image of associations, a collection of meanings, a painting of many paintings. Therefore, the lyrics in this piece are made out of flying phrases from different unrelated poems or free-floating words which are combined in a way that tries to describe the sensation of the dim and warm light gifted by the ones that are gone. The text is constructed in an attempt to show that no matter of your nationality and culture these threads connect us whether living or dead.                   

This piece goes to all Ukrainian souls who although tragically lost in these times of darkness remain our bearers of light.   

Maxim Kolomiiets “Disappearing voices” for vocal ensemble and electronic, to text by Viktor Rekalo:

Disappearing voices is a piece based on texts by Viktor Rekalo, my old friend. It was important for me to find words that would resonate with my own inner state and reflect my feelings. The work had to become something gentle, fragile. It had to dissolve like ice in raindrops. This is a kind of metaphor for the experiences of the last few months related to the war. Every day we see the world we are used to disappearing. It is as if the voices of our people dying at the frontline or under bombardment are disappearing into the abyss. And this precarious position of ours causes a special feeling of fear, anxiety, and impending chaos. And at the same time – a feeling of endless love for this world. But that’s why it was important for me to capture this unique, albeit eerie, feeling. As if to put it in amber to separate it from myself, to make it external, safe, painless, to disarm it. Thus, to immortalise all the disappearing voices of our world, which is melting into darkness.

Maxim Shalygin “Sub Rosa” for vocal ensemble and electronic, to text by Robert Frost:

The work is a journey of the melodic line through textural and harmonic labyrinths. In the abyss of which, the melody undergoes many transformations, from extremely simplified diatonic to gloomy polytonal layers that seem to squeeze it. The score is saturated with polyphony in the broadest sense of the word. The electroacoustic part begins as an accompaniment to the melody, but further develops into a line that follows the dramaturgical events…Bells in various forms appear in full bloom and the development of their sound reaches the most surreal distortions.

Alla Zagaykevych “Psalms of Falling” to text by Iya Kywa for vocal ensemble and electronic:

Slow movement upwards – towards the light, the eternal light…

This metaphor of movement in Ligeti’s Lux Aeterna textural organization is very expressive. Tangible, total. How to convey the feeling of movement (towards life, away from death) – daily, permanent? Of hope and despair? 

“Psalms of the Fall” is based on the idea of feeling movement in space in different directions, sometimes almost imperceptible, sometimes very tangible. 

Ia Kiva’s wartime poetry contains many such metaphors of movement:
“we walk high up to the bells of heaven…”
“I do not see what I am standing on
I just fall asleep
falling asleep
I’m falling asleep
falling into sleep”

“All the psalms of the fall are a shadow of the fear that left us first.”

 Programme:

György Ligeti – ‘Lux aeterna’ (1966) for 16 voices

Maxim Kolomiiets – ‘Disappearing Voices’ for vocal ensemble and electronics. World premiere 

Maxim Shalygin – ‘Sub Rosa’ for vocal ensemble and electronics. World premiere 

Alla Zagaykevych – ‘Psalms of Falling’ for vocal ensemble and electronics. World premiere 

Pavel Kerkelov – ‘phos-phorus’ for vocal ensemble and electronics. World premiere