Dmitry Bortniansky: Creonte – Herman Makarenko

In 1776, during a spell in Italy early in his career, the Ukrainian composer Dmytro Bortniansky (1751–1825) wrote Creonte, an opera seria based on Sophocles’ tragedy Antigone and poised, like early Mozart, on the cusp between Baroque and Classical styles. Although a success in its day, Creonte then vanished for 250 years, until it was discovered by chance in a Portuguese library. It may have been hidden there because its tale of love versus power ends with a surprising democratic twist – a daring move in those autocratic times. Since it is the first surviving opera by a Ukrainian composer, its revival in Kyiv in 2024 became a gesture of defiance, a symbol of national importance underlining the continued vigour of Ukrainian culture even in wartime. This remarkable recording then followed, made in sessions between Russian bombing, black-outs and power-cuts – itself a testimony to Ukrainian national resilience.