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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЛИСТОПАД 2014 WWW.UNWLA.ORG 19 Anya Rejnarowycz at the L’viv Opera House on the evening of the performance in honor of her father’s 100th anniversary. ART IN THE MIDST OF WAR, DESPITE THE WAR: CELEBRATING LEV REJNAROWYCZ IN L’VIV Interview with Anya Rejnarowycz by Olesia Wallo The political upheavals of the 20th century, which forced so many Ukrainians into emigration, have left multiple gaps in Ukraine’s cul- tural history, some of which are being filled only now. One such gap— in the history of mid-20th century Ukrainian operatic performance— has now been filled in part thanks to the efforts of Anya Rejnarowycz, daughter of the Ukrainian lead opera singer Lev Rejnarowycz whose singing career at the L’viv Opera was cut short because of the Soviet occupation of Western Ukraine at the end of World War II. By insisting that her father’s art not be forgotten and by seeking out opportunities to commemorate his life and work in his historic homeland, pani Anya has set in motion a chain of events that culminated this past September in a wonderful celebration of her father’s art in Ukraine. (For reports on some of the previous commemorative events in honor of Lev Re- jnarowycz, which took place in the diaspora, see the February 2013 is- sue and the October 2013 issue of Our Life .) Pani Anyu, I know that you recently took a very special trip to Ukraine to participate in the celebration of one hundred years since the birth of your father, opera singer Lev Re- jnarowycz. Could you please describe the commemorative events which took place in Ukraine in honor of your father? When I arrived in L’viv, they already had many plans for me. I visited the stage where my father had first performed. I met with the artists at the L’viv Opera and had two interviews for ra- dio stations. They used the material from these interviews to advertise the commemorative events in my father’s honor all over L’viv. Everyone seemed very excited that I was Levko’s daughter. Later on, I had more interviews and met more opera stars. It was a very wonderful week! I understand that as part of the celebra- tion there was a special performance that took place at the L’viv Opera House. Oh, yes! It was a very special performance because they chose to perform Cavalleria Rusti- cana , the opera by Pietro Mascagni, for which my father sang the lead role back in the 1940s. It was very beautifully performed. The vocalists were excellent, and the opera house was filled to capac- ity. Behind the scenes, I spoke to many perform- ers, and it turned out that many people still re- membered my father there. In a way, my father had returned back to L’viv. Pani Nadiya Trush of the L’viv Opera, who was instrumental in organizing the celebration of my father’s art and who had written a wonderful article, “Unforgettable, Famous Rejnarowycz” in the prestigious Muzyka ( Music ) magazine, took me to a radio station where my father was discov- ered. A well-known figure in the Ukrainian music and opera scene at the time, Volodymyr Blavatskyi, heard my father’s voice for the first time in that very room and recognized its operatic quality. He invited my father to the L’viv Opera House where he begin his career. That was the beginning of Lev Rejnarowycz’s career. Sitting in that room, we recorded some of my father’s singing for the radio station. I had not heard the recordings of my father in quite some time. When he started singing the song “Oi, u poli try krynychen’ky” (“Three little wells in the field...”), it was so moving that both pani Trush and I started to cry. It was such an emotional ex- perience for us to witness Lev Rejnarowycz’s posthumous return to his homeland and to the theater where his career was launched! You also had the opportunity to address the audience from the stage of the L’viv Opera House, is that right? Yes, Mrs. Trush invited me to come on the stage. She announced that I was Levko’s daughter and I received such a welcome that I could not believe it. I said a few words, and I end- ed with “Slava Ukraini! Heroyam slava!” In re- sponse, the audience just exploded with applause.
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