Even a third nation is represented in Beethoven's Triple Concerto: as though to transcend political and military conflict, Russian cellist Konstantin Manaev performs solo in Beethoven's Triple Concerto together with the Ukrainian pianist Kateryna Titova. Also included in the troika of soloists is the German violinist Tobias Feldmann.

And it's not often that one can hear two world premieres in one concert. In "Of the Moon and the Girl," Stefan Hippe transforms Ukrainian folk tunes into a highly-finessed composition for solo accordion.

As an archetypical Ukrainian instrument, the accordion is represented seven-fold as the North Rhine-Westpahlian State Youth Accordion Orchestra teams up with the German-Ukrainian Youth Orchestra in a "Galician Fantasy," also a world premiere here. In this work commissioned by Deutsche Welle, composer Bohdan Sehin weaves old melodies from the ancient Ukrainian city of Lviv into a vibrant ton fresco for full orchestra.

Filling the playbill are a weighty and tragic symphonic poem by Ukrainian composer Boris Lyatoshinsky and a work by a seldom-performed son of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Xaver Mozart, who spent part of his musical career in Lviv.

The overall message is more than just beautiful music. One goes away from the experience convinced that the cultural nation of Ukraine is firmly rooted in Europe.

 

Franz Xaver Mozart

Overture in D Major
 

Boris Lyatoshinsky

On the Banks of the Vistula, symphonic poem op. 59

Bohdan Sehin

Galician Fantasy for seven accordions and orchestra (world premiere, commissioned by Deutsche Welle)

Stefan Hippe

Of the Moon and the Girl (world premiere)

Ludwig van Beethoven

Concerto in C Major for violin, cello, piano and orchestra, op. 56 (Triple Concerto)

Myroslav Skoryk

Melody from the film "The High Pass" (encore)
 

Modest Mussorgsky

The Great Gate of Kyiv from Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by David Tuchmanov (encore)

Tobias Feldmann, violin
Konstantin Manaev, cello
Kateryna Titova, piano

North Rhine-Westpahlian State Youth Accordion Orchestra

National Youth Orchestra of Germany

Youth Orchestra of Ukraine
Oksana Lyniv, conductor

Recorded by Deutsche Welle in the World Conference Center Bonn on September 14, 2017