Olena Hrebenjuk. "Le Forze Del Destino" project. /digi-pack/ // www.UMKA.com.ua

This album very nicely expands the border of the audience from within. But let’s begin with the outside. Olena Hrebenjuk, whose voice sounds here, was the soloist of the National Opera of Ukraine. But something went wrong there, and she left – and took part in creation of the project "Le Forze Del Destino", "Forces of Destiny". If I am not mistaken, the program at once became quite popular in Germany – which is not surprising taking into account their level of opera culture. And in some time the project came back to Ukraine having raised a serious wave of curiosity not only to itself, but also to the opera art as a whole. Actually, that is what creators of the event were relying on – for the program "Forces of Destiny" consists of modern remakes of well known opera arias and may show beauty of the opera to usual, unprepared audience. But that’s not yet all. The other day the clip to Mephistopheles’ aria won the first place at the international competition "Eurovideo-2006" (you will also find this clip on the disk). The jury included serious experts, so now Olena Hrebenjuk is invited all over Europe. It is nice – and natural. Performing mastery and, actually, the sated beauty of Olena Hrebenjuk’s soprano do their business to their best and more. I do not know whether I will grow fond of opera, but I really like this disc. In this case, modernization, fortunately, does not mean vulgarization. The sound is so soft, mild, deep that it is impossible to come off it. In addition, some sound effects create the zest that it is difficult to describe with words – you should hear it. And all together it leaves an unforgettable and light impression.

Anton Jozhik Leyba (Hedgehog)

Roman Kolyada. Expectancy. /eco-pack/.

Several pieces in the beginning are just about how it was before. And then – you catches yourself thinking: no, this is not ragtime – but a clear echo, and the figure of a ballroom pianist emerges in your imagination.. And then – you discover that it was the beginning, because the music departs from the shore of abstract lyricism and starts its travel throughout the world..

Domestic price: 256.20UAH, International price: $18.30USD

Shopping Hour. Amor. /digi-pack/.

This album is a phenomenon in the modern Ukrainian music. Here we have, first, interpretation of the European classics in the Latin American vein, which they definitely have not tried here so far. And, second – not only the music, but also the vocal manner has been reconsidered. Radically..

Domestic price: 306.60UAH, International price: $21.90USD