Illia Ovcharenko (Piano), nominated by Michel Béroff

Uniting Known and Unknown

“It has become part of my aim to promote Ukrainian classical music…it is so beautiful and powerful, and it deserves to be heard.”

Pianist Illia Ovcharenko has made it his mission to unveil the unheard notes of Ukrainian composers. Through carefully chosen pairings, he shines a light on the unifying threads between widely-recognised figures like Frédéric Chopin and Sergueï Prokofiev, and the lesser-known voices of Sergueï Bortkiewicz and Borys Lyatoshinsky.

Though Bortkiewicz’s music is less familiar, it embodies a deep emotional sentiment rooted in Romantic ideals: “…as far as I am concerned, romanticism is not the bloodless intellectual commitment to a program, but the expression of my most profound mind and soul.” His Lied Ohne Worte (Op. 65) encapsulates this philosophy with sweeping melodies and rich harmonies, expressing vulnerability and lyricism in his distinct voice.

This voice emerges in Bortkiewicz’s Étude (Op. 65), a homage to Chopin’s Études, but it is in Nocturne “Diana” (Op. 24) that a delicate intimacy is captured. With its sensitive rubato and dynamic shading, this work evokes the ethereal and reflective nature of the Roman goddess of the moon and hunting. The introspection of Nocturne “Diana” is then spun into the playful, flirtatious Étude No. 3 “La Brune” (Op. 29). In A-B-A form, the spirited opening theme conjures the energy of “The Brunette”. The lyrical middle section provides contrast before we return to lively passagework and trills.

Also in ternary form, Bortkiewicz’s final Prélude presents an emotional theme of unrelenting intensity. This intensity is echoed in Chopin’s Scherzo No. 2 (Op. 31). The piece begins with arpeggiated pianissimo chords, which then give way to a powerful fortissimo passage, before returning once more to the quiet ferocity of pianissimo. Described by Schumann as, “…so overflowing with tenderness, boldness, love and contempt” our breaths are instantly stolen by the tension created through his melodic impetuosity.

The fervour in the works of Bortkiewicz and Chopin resonates strongly in those of Lyatoshinsky and Prokofiev, both of whom were deeply shaped by the turmoil of war. Lyatoshinsky’s 5 Préludes (Op. 44, 1943) reflect his hope for victory, drawing on Ukrainian folk motifs to create a dramatic, recurring thematic narrative. Prokofiev’s Sonate pour piano No. 6 (Op. 82, 1940), the first of his “War Sonatas”, is similarly influenced by the Second World War. Its opening descending minor and major thirds create tonal instability that conveys the hammering pleas of despair.

Programme notes written by Malika Jumbe.