Macedonian traditional melodies artistically reworked as classical pieces were performed at the concert that took place yesterday evening organized by NU “Ohrid Summer”.
“Despina”, “Dafino”, “Pour, pour”, “Chiflik”, “Tikveshki march” were some of the compositions that delighted the audience in the cathedral church “Saint Sophia”.
The concert is the author’s project of one of the most prominent Macedonian artists Ljupcho Koskarov who performed together with the canonist Filip Mihajlovski, the pianist and composer Darko Marinovski, the soprano Marina Janevska, the tenor Ilija Belistojanoski, as well as with the young violinist Ivan Trajkovski.
– We performed with a special program. It is an author’s project prepared for five years. Last year, the program was performed for the first time in the Istanbul Philharmonic, and now, the day has come when we have to play “Despina”, one of the most beautiful compositions from this region, in Ohrid. Traditional Macedonian melodies are notated and made artistically, for sextet, for symphony orchestra, but also for other chamber ensembles. We try to affirm these compositions so they don’t go into oblivion. “Despina” as it is sung in Ohrid, should be sung in Paris, and in Istanbul and wherever we perform. There is also the “Tikvesh march” which is similar to the “Radec march”. As Macedonians, we want to say, here, we also have such a composition, which we are proud to present, said the artist Koskarov.
The music of the compositions and the concert itself were dedicated to Koskarov’s father, the famous clarinetist Blazo Koskarov from Kavadarci, who died last year.
– It was strange to us how the audience in other countries where we perform accept these compositions with applause and standing ovations. It is a great joy. We create and write, but we don’t know how those compositions will be received. But now when we see that the reactions are amazing, we just feel fulfilled. For us artists, emotions are always in the foreground. We want to bring positive energy, positive music, added Koskarov.
He explained that Macedonian classical music is very strong and unlike before, now it is respected by the whole world.
– I can say that during the past period not so much attention was paid to these wonderful compositions of ours by us, the artists and composers, but we tried, although it is very difficult, to make them in the form of sonatas, suites… .. to resemble classical works. That’s the way our music can be understood by the whole world. The scores we play can be played in Paris, Munich, Berlin, everywhere, Koskarov said.
The program that Koskarov and the sextet brought to the concert in Ohrid will be performed in Istanbul and Izmir, Republic of Turkey.
