This episode presents an overview of major works by award-winning composer duo Roman Grygoriv and Illia Razumeiko, the creators of 12 operas and the founders of Opera Aperta – a laboratory of experimental opera in Kyiv. Plunging into their unique archeological process of creation, we position their work alongside music and ideas of major 20th – 21st century artists and thinkers: Richard Foreman, David Lynch, Jorge Louis Borges, Umberto Eco, Les Kurbas, Hanna Havrylets, Karlheinz Essel and Jorge Sánchez-Chiong.

Grygoriv and Razumeiko’s Chornobyldorf won the Opera and Music Theatre Award by the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2024 and received eight sold-out shows at LaMaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York. Their most recent work, GAIA-24. Opera del Mondo, will be presented at O.Festival in Rotterdam and at the Venice Biennale.

Playlist

Chornobyldorf, archeological opera in seven novellas
Roman Grygoriv and Ilia Razumeiko (music, libretto, directing, dramaturgy, scenography)
BBC Radio 3

Untitled, Karna rock band
Live concert recording, Ivano-Frankivsk, 1999

Mass in B minor BWV 232, J. S. Bach
The Netherlands Bach Society
Jos van Veldhoven, conductor
Hana Blažíková, soprano 1
Anna Reinhold, soprano 2
David Erler, alto
Thomas Hobbs, tenor
Peter Harvey, bass

Prayer to the Virgin Mary, Hanna Havrylets
Chamber Choir “Kyiv”
Mykola Hobdych, conductor

TAU XII – Jesus stirbt am Kreuz, Karlheinz Essl
Tanja Elisa Glinsner: mezzo soprano, conducting
Elisabeth Möst, flutes
Andreas Schablas, clarinets
Daniel Loipold, french horn
Eva Maria Mitter, accrodion
Barbara Körber, cello

Crin, Jorge Sánchez-Chiong
Patricia Kopatchinskaja, violin

IYOV, Opera-requiem, Roman Grygoriv & Illia Razumeiko
Vlad Troitskyi, producer
Maryana Golovko, soprano
Anna Kirsh, soprano
Oleksandra Mailliet, mezzo-soprano
Andriy Koshman, baritone
Ruslan Kirsh, baritone
Yevgen Rakhmanin, bass
Zhanna Marchinska, cello
Andriy Nadolskiy, percussion
Tatiana Troitska, voice
Illia Razumeiko, grand piano
Roman Grygoriv, conductor

Babylon, opera-circus, Roman Grygoriv & Illia Razumeiko
Vlad Troitskyi, producer
Maryana Golovko, soprano
Anna Kirsh, soprano
Andriy Koshman, baritone
Ruslan Kirsh, baritone
Yevgen Rakhmanin, bass
Zhanna Marchinska, cello
Andriy Nadolskyi, percussion
Nazar Spas, french horn
Artem Shestovskiy, сlarinet
Roman Grygoriv, conductor, guitar, bass
Illia Razumeiko, grand piano, toy piano
Tatiana Troitska, voice

The Ark, opera-ballet, Roman Grygoriv & Illia Razumeiko
Vlad Troitskyi, producer
Maryana Golovko, soprano
Anna Kirsh, soprano
Andriy Koshman, baritone
Ruslan Kirsh, baritone
Yevgen Rakhmanin, bass
Zhanna Marchinskaya, cello
Andriy Nadolskiy, percussion
Georgiy Potopalskyi, live electronics
Roman Grygoriv, conductor, guitar, bass
Illia Razumeiko, grand piano

GAZ, opera-dystopia, Roman Grygoriv & Illia Razumeiko
Virlana Tkacz, libretto and staging
Maryana Holovko / soprano
Anna Kirsh / soprano
Oleksandra Mailliet / mezzo-soprano
Andrey Koshman / baritone
Ruslan Kirsh / baritone
Eugen Rakhmanin / bass
Illia Razumeiko / piano
Zhanna Marchinska / cello
Nazar Stets / double bass
Andrey Nadolskyi / percussion
Ayk Egyian / percussion
Igor Boychuk / trumpet, trombone
Sergyi Shava / tuba
Roman Grygoriv / conductor
Electronics, Georgiy Potopalskiy

Opera Lingua, Music theater in seven books, Roman Grygoriv & Illia Razumeiko
Olga Diatel, producer
The national ensemble of soloists “Kyiv Kamerata”
Dmytro Kuzmin / flute
Dmytro Fonariuk / clarinet
Oleh Nedashkivskyi / horn
Igor Boichuk / trumpet, trombone
Renat Imametdinov / trombone
Yaroslava Nekliaeva / harp
Georgiy Chernenko / percussion
Oles Sudomyr / percussion
Oles Manyk / percussion
Eduard Skrypa / violin
Dmytro Bondarenko / violin
Katerynа Khudiakova / violin
Anna Frolova / violin
Andrii Tuchapets / viola
Kateryna Suprun / viola
Zoltan Almashi / cello
Olga Driga / cello
Nazar Stets / contrabas
Razumeiko Illia / guitar, piano
Roman Grygoriv / Conductor
Marichka Shtyrbulova / Nona
Maria Potapenko / Decima
Khrystyna Slobodianiuk / Morta
Nazgul Shukaeva / Nut
Diana Ziabchenko / Alma
Yuliia Alieksieieva / Fabia
Solomiya Kyrylova / Viola
Georgiy Potopalskiy, Live-electronics

Stripsody (1966), Cathy Barberian
Cathy Barberian, voice

Erin (1980), Joan La Barbara
Joan La Barbara, voice

“I’ve Told Every Little Star,” Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II
Melissa George, voice

Chornobyldorf, archeological opera in seven novellas, Roman Grygoriv & Illia Razumeiko
Yevhen Bal – Orfeo / Dionysus
Anne Bennent – Eurydice
Marichka Shtyrbulova – The Little Accordeon girl
Diana Ziabchenko – Dafne
Susanna Karpenko – Susanna
Yuliia Alieksieieva – Venere
Evgeny Malofeev – Ulysses
Anna Rudenko – Hannah
Ihor Boichuk – Heron
Nazgul Shukaiieva – Inanna
Mariia Potapenko – Urania, Young Eurydice
Khrystyna Slobodianiuk – Elektra
Georgii Potopalskyi – Pluto
Roman Grygoriv – Aristoxenos
IIlia Razumeiko – Pythagoras
Live-electronics: Georgiy Potopalskiy
Rhea-player creation – Winfried Ritch
The Orchestra of the Chornobyldorf: Roman Grygoriv – microtonal cymbals and guitar, Illia Razumeiko – microtonal bandura and guitar, Zoltan Almashi – cello, Ihor Boichuk – percussion
Roman Grygoriv – conductor

You can find more information about each opera and the dates of Opera Aperta’s upcoming tours at https://grygoriv-razumeiko.com

We are grateful to the following individuals and organizations:

• La Mama Experimental Theater Club for hosting 8 shows of Chornobyldorf and providing space for an interview with the composers
• Olga Diatel and Proto Producia for bringing Opera Aperta to New York
• Prototype Festival for inviting Opera Aperta (2024) and Nova Opera (2018) to New York

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