Riabchun warms the night with light Ukrainian tunes
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
It was cold in the dimmed performance hall of Erasmus Huis cultural center in South Jakarta. On the lighted stage, Iryna Riabchun played a haunting tune of Ukrainian composer Oleksandr Lyzogub.
The tune made one subconsciously think of a European forest at dusk, a gray scenery full of mist, it was Lyzogub's Nocturne in E-flat major.
But soon, a lighter tune enveloped the 100 or so people watching the piano recital at Erasmus Huis last week. The atmosphere changed from night to early morning, still dark but the air already stirring with the scent of dawn. This time Riabchun was playing Nocturne in A-flat major.
Iryna Riabchun is a Ukrainian pianist who graduated with excellence from the Kiev State Music Academy. Like every great pianist, she succeeded in bringing atmosphere into her performance at Thursday's recital.
The first time she appeared on stage, though, she seemed too tall for the small stage and too big for the grand piano. But all that was forgotten as her playing brought viewers, and listeners, far beyond appearances.
The first part of the recital brought the audience to the Ukraine of the late 1700s and early 1800s, while the second session to the more recent Ukraine of the 20th century.
Dmytro Bortniansky's (1751-1825) Sonata in C-major: Allegro Moderato opened the recital, followed by Adagio con espessione and Rondo (Allegretto) by the same composer.
Light, heavy and upbeat tunes alternately brought the audience to new sensations, never letting a dull moment drag for too long.
The nocturne by Oleksandr Lyzogub (1790-1839) was followed by Mykola Lysenko's (1842-1912) Poco adagio from Sonata A-minor, which Riabchun dedicated to her mother.
Since graduating from Kiev State Music Academy, Riabchun has worked at the Institute of Culture in the Music Academy and in the Hall of the Chamber and Organ Music in Kiev.
In 1990 she took part in the Rachmaninoff competition in Moscow and was awarded a Diploma of Honor.
From 1992 until 1998 Riabchun lived in Greece where she played in concerts and recorded music for Greek radio and television. Riabchun also recorded two albums playing the music of contemporary Greek composers D. Kapsomenos and Th. Haridis, and performed with the orchestra at Megaro Musikis, the biggest Greek hall for classical music.
After a short break, the second part of Riabchun's recital showcased light Ukrainian folk songs and the Second Rhapsody on the Ukrainian folk themes Dumka-Shumka.
This was followed by the creations of Borys Liatoshynsky (1894/5-1968), Valentyn Sylvestroff (1937), Mykola Koliada (1907- 1935), Levko Kolodub (1930) and Myroslav Skoryk (1938).
This is the second year Riabchun has performed for the Jak@art international arts cultural and educational festival. She has been living in Jakarta from 2000.
Riabchun will perform another recital on June 24 at Komunitas Bulan Purnama on Jl. Pinang Ranti No. 3, RT 005/01, East Jakarta, at 7 p.m.
She will play Mykola Lysenko's Saraband, Valentyn Sylvestroff's The Evening Music, Dimitris Kapsomenons' The Sea at Sunset, as well as Piotr Chaikovsky's Chimney Corners.
These will be followed by music from Sergei Rachmaninoff's Nocturne, Serenade, and Barcarole, Claude Debussy's Moonshine and The Evening in Grenada, and Heitor Villa Lobos's Impressoes Seresteiras.