Paper short abstract:

This paper will explore the history of Maksym Berezovsky's Symphony in C and the geopolitical issues that arise with dual ownership of the work. It will examine the issues between the warring countries of Ukraine and Russia and how culturally similar nations can be at odds artistically.

Paper long abstract:

This paper will explore the geopolitics behind the writing of music history and the musical appropriation which masquerades as cultural stewardship. My case study, Maksym Berezovsky (1745–1777), is a composer claimed by two competing national identities, Russian and Ukrainian. In 1803, a Ukrainian church official alleged that Berezovsky was underappreciated in Russia and committed suicide, a claim that the Russian Israeli Marina Ritzarev denies. A boost in stature came in 2002 when Berezovsky was discovered to have composed the “first” Russian Symphony. The discovery of the manuscript in the Vatican archives by 23-year-old Steven Fox, Russian music aficionado and founder of the US-based Musica Antiqua St Petersburg. Fox, an American, also conducted the premiere. l address issues with dual ownership of a culturally important product and what happens when one side starts to subjugate or even forcefully assimilate the other.

National identity and the notion of geopolitics share many similarities, most notably the preservation of one nation’s ideas over another. The forceful assimilation of Ukraine is happening in real time. With two culturally similar countries, it is more important than ever to acknowledge their distinct cultural, political, and musical identity if we are to protect the soul of Ukraine. The forming of national identity is complex and messy but also often violent, and Ukraine and Russia have been in conflict or some form of subjection many times in history. The idea of shared musical history can be problematic, but only when one party claims ownership over another.