Harmony amid hostilities: A Russian and a Ukrainian, bound by musicーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
Years of fighting have tested the friendship between people in Russia and Ukraine, but some things like music endure. NHK World’s Yoshkaichi tells us how a bond between a pianist and composer survived the invasion. Alexe Lubimoff’s virtuoso performances have earned him fans the world over, including here in Japan. He plays very powerfully. I’m amazed. The tone of his playing has an overwhelming sense of color and depth. The 80-year-old has mastered many styles, but lately he has caused a stir by playing works like this. A piece from Ukrainian composer Valentine Sylvestro. It’s making waves because Lumimov is a Russian. [Music] For me that Sylvester was most uh important most uh gifted composer for for for all the group of young composers. Their story begins in 1968 when both Russia and Ukraine were part of the Soviet Union. They were in the same music scene. Sylvester would write pieces for Lubimov to play. I watched and I followed every uh transformation of his music, his styles from uh very young music, very avanguard, very advanced. The Russian says he was captivated by the Ukrainians compositions, but their decades long bond was put to the test in 2022 when their countries entered a full-scale conflict. Sylvester fled Ke for Berlin. As bombs fell on his country, he sent out this message. I don’t want Russians to ever play my music again. Lubimov understood his friend’s feelings. We discussed just this question because we were in contact even before the the Russian invasion to Ukraine and after. He was so sad, so angry and he forbid to perform his music in Russia. [Music] Despite this, Loimov refused to remove Sylvester from his set list. Two months after the invasion began, he held a concert against the war in Moscow. It attracted the attention of Russian police. They tried to stop the show, but Ludimov kept on playing. He was allowed to go free, but it could have ended badly. [Applause] Why did you decide to do that concert? We have to continue uh not to forget his music. We are not enemies to his to him to his music. Did you hear anything from him after after the concert? He mentioned only one thing. I’m very happy. I’m very proud about you about me. Sylvester no longer bans his Russian friends from performing his songs. Lubimov has continued to play them. He says there is a message in the music one of peace. He’s me messenger Sylvester but I’m also a messenger of for Sylvester to the public to the audience. So I try to transmit this message. It is not possible to express this message with the words. You know this is music but the music touches the [Music] hearts NHK wall.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has torn apart lives and relationships. But as NHK WORLD’s Yoshikawa Ryuichi tells us, some things transcend conflict.
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