Reprise section of Butterfly: Lubomyr Melnyk demonstrates in Magdalen College, Oxford (Nov 3, 2025)

Описание: In the first week of November, 2025, I put on a series of phenomenally well-received concerts for Lubomyr Melnyk in Oxford and Cambridge, while he stayed as a guest of Balliol College and became the first performer I've ever seen to bring the academics to tears. The community that formed around him was just magical, and we are very grateful.

In this 6-day moment, we had a few lessons, interviews and charming mealtime conversations with him and my friends at university; he got on well with everyone. I've released a few already, and a few more are to come - including the recordings of the full concert performances.

While rehearsing in the Magdalen College Chapel, in the morning of Monday the 3rd, I asked Lubomyr to show some of his 'finesses' in the Butterfly second movement; the improvised embellishments; and also how he handles the final climb in the modern day. It is a piece which has evolved much over time!

Butterfly is one of his most iconic pieces, and good performance goes way beyond knowing the notes and rhythms.

Professional recordings of this piece are easily found - I compiled a playlist here:    • Butterfly by Lubomyr Melnyk  

The piece is, loosely, about some caterpillar enjoying nature, skulking around and dreaming of becoming a butterfly; it may enter a garden at one moment, and watch the children playing; it eventually forms the chrysalis and undergoes metamorphosis, and then emerges a butterfly; it then, perhaps, gently explores its new world and is very happy and grateful... or, if you like, it stops halfway through the metamorphosis, feeling like the end is near, and goes through a second stage... up to you.

As always, you can listen to Lubomyr Melnyk here:    / lubomyr melnyk - topic   (this is only a small selection of this music). He offers lessons and guidance in playing, and the whole purpose of this channel is to help potential students of the music get a sense of what is possible, and to share his music more generally.

Read my writings on him:
1 - https://sites.google.com/view/thecont...
2 - https://substack.com/@nathanadlam