This piece centers on the events in Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, exploring its tragic fate during the Russian military invasion and its destruction.
The composition comprises multiple sections, including songs, instrumental, and vocal pieces. When performed live, it opens with a field recording of the Ukrainian song “Oi, vy vorohy” (Oh, you enemies), captured in a village in the Donbass region near Bakhmut—now destroyed by military actions.
Olga’s personal connection to this piece stems from the fact that her father was struck by a Russian missile in Bakhmut in 2022.
For the composer, Bakhmut Rhapsody is not only a reflection on the events in Bakhmut but also a symbol of resilience and hope for Ukraine. It embodies the dream of liberation and revival for many places affected by war. Pieces like Selo (Postwar) aim to evoke a vision of a flourishing and peaceful Ukrainian land, drawing inspiration from the powerful words of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko. The composer encourages performers and audiences to visualize the beauty of nature, peace, and happiness, believing that such visualizations may help bring this reality closer.
The premiere of Bakhmut Rhapsody took place in March 2024 at the Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival in New York City: Watch the performance here.
The piece established the series of contemporary operas titled When the Sirens Sing, which received funding from Katherine Younger’s and Timothy Snyder’s Documenting Ukraine project by the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna (Austria).
Introduction
This section captures the peaceful prewar atmosphere of Bakhmut through the serene melody of a traditional folksong. In live performances, the song “Oi, vy vorohy”, recorded during an ethnographic expedition near Bakhmut in the 2000s, evokes the final moments of tranquility before war ravaged the region. Tragically, the village where this song was recorded has since been destroyed in the conflict.
Lullaby ("Kolyskova")
The calm atmosphere of the dark night surrounds the scene as the child drifts off to sleep, but the mother feels a deep heaviness in her heart. Unaware that war is imminent, she sings, "Sleep, my child, as long as you have time, for sorrow is awake," using the poignant words of the Ukrainian poet Lesia Ukrainka from her poem “Kolyskova”.
A Sense of Foreboding
This section captures the dark, anxious atmosphere in the weeks leading up to the full-scale invasion. Reports of Russian military buildup near Ukraine’s borders spread unease, blending disbelief with hope for peace.
The composition builds on a leitmotif, using dissonant intervals and trembling improvisations to convey emotional tension. The violin and piano engage in a layered dialogue that crescendos into a dramatic climax, symbolizing the onset of destruction.
Phosphorus
This movement depicts the terror of phosphorus bomb attacks, a devastating reality experienced by citizens of Bakhmut with the arrival of the Russian military forces. Cascading glissandi from instruments mimic the fiery descent of the bombs, while low piano clusters and chromatic scales evoke explosions and the nearing of the flying chunks of phosphorus.
Real sound samples of air raid sirens, crying children, and explosions from the war in Ukraine amplify the harrowing atmosphere. The visual grandeur of the phosphorus bursts contrasts starkly with their deadly consequences, highlighting the human suffering caused by war.
A Minute of Silence
This section is a moment of reflection. After the final piano chord, all performers remain silent on stage for 60 seconds. This pause allows the audience to process the devastation and pay tribute to the fallen—a solemn acknowledgment of the war’s impact.
Selo (Postwar)
Inspired by Taras Shevchenko’s poem “Selo” (A Village), this piece envisions a peaceful Ukrainian village with its flourishing, healthy green nature. The harmonies, though intentionally sweet, emphasize the deep longing for peace and hope for a happy ending.
The serene imagery of children laughing and nature flourishing blurs the lines between reality and imagination, leaving it to the audience to decide whether this scene is earthly or celestial. The depiction of idyllic nature, drawn from Shevchenko’s poetry, is intended to inspire the listener to visualize peace, bringing it closer to reality.
(From “Kniazhna,” Taras Shevchenko. Written in Orska Fortress, Nizhny Novgorod, 1848–24 February 1858.)
Oi, vy Vorohy (Aftermath)
This concluding piece features a female voice performing the slightly improvised version of the traditional Ukrainian song “Oi, vy zh vorohy”. The earlier field recording performed at the beginning is replaced with a duet in the live performance version, symbolizing collective resilience and cultural continuity despite destruction.
Zori [Bonus Track]
This song is an improvisation based on Lesia Ukrainka’s poem “I am in sorrow and grief today…”, taken from Collected Works in 12 Volumes (Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, 1975, Vol. 1, p. 51). It reflects themes of loss and longing. It delves into the emotional state of a human being within the given context, expressing the perception that even the stars mirror the dramatic reality—where they can also be interpreted as a visual parallel to the sparks of phosphorus.
Nadiia [Bonus Track]
This album blends operatic and traditional Ukrainian vocal styles with elements of recitation that result from an intentionally improvisational approach. Songs Nadiia and Zori prioritize raw emotional expression over rigid stylistic discipline to enable the reflection of the emotional state. Through Lesia Ukrainka’s poetry, the song explores the collective trauma of displacement, uncertainty about the future, and the deep longing for a lost homeland.
(“Ni voli, ni doli,” Lesia Ukrainka, 1880. From the collection On the Wings of Songs, Kyiv, 1904, p. 5.)