In Anticipation of the «Unknown Friend» 0 18

“On this carte-illustree with such a sad and majestic view of a moonlit night by the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, I hasten to write you my heartfelt gratitude for your latest book. These shores are my second homeland, this is Ireland – you see, from such a distance one of your unknown friends sends you greetings. Be happy, and may God protect you.” With these words begins the play 'Unknown Friend' – and, of course, the story by Ivan Bunin.

This story, written in 1923 in the seaside Alps, can be skimmed through in a few minutes. But it will surely linger in memory for many years, for this little tale speaks of great feelings. Of unrequited love, whether real or imagined. Of what happens to the human soul and heart under the influence of art.

It is known that the heroine of 'Unknown Friend' had a historical prototype – Natalia Petrovna Esposito, the Russian wife of the Italian composer Michele Esposito. She wrote to Bunin from Ireland, inspired by his publications in the magazine 'Russian Thought', and some phrases in the story are taken from her letters. For some reason, Bunin, who revealed the origins of most of his works, remained silent about the backstory of 'Unknown Friend'; Natalia Petrovna's letters have not yet been published and are kept in the Bunin Foundation.

However, the content of 'Unknown Friend' cannot be reduced merely to Bunin's memories of this romantic episode. Starting from a real event he himself experienced, the great master created a work about the tragedy of a person whose call, “cast somewhere into the distance,” was never heard.

On the surface – just messages from a married lady to a famous writer. Not knowing the address, she sends them to the publisher of her idol, awaiting a response, demanding it, pleading for it, no longer hoping, and after a month, she puts a final period. The messages are concise and elegant; no one today could express themselves in such a style. The lady herself would not mind engaging in literature. But she has four children, and she is not confident in her talent...

“In one of the letters, the heroine mentions her eldest daughter, who is learning to play the piano. And I appear on stage as this girl. Over the course of the performance, she grows into an adult artist. She starts with scales, with Tchaikovsky's Children's Album, Rachmaninoff's Polka, and moves on to serious works from the late 19th century, to Debussy's impressionism, to 21st-century music: the works of our contemporaries, minimalist composers Anton Batagov and Pavel Karmanov, sound,” says Polina Osetskaya. “The heroine lives her story together with her daughter, and this brings them closer.”

— Music is always stronger than words, especially when performed by such a wonderful musician as Polina, — believes Ksenia Rappoport. — And it was a completely new experience for me — to be constantly in an internal dialogue with the music. The love story, left unanswered, from its timid beginning to its almost tragic finale, played with virtuoso skill and genuine feeling, is so understandable to anyone who has loved at least once that catharsis is inevitable. And this story is timeless and requires no innovations.

“People are incredibly tired of special effects and find solace for their souls in our performance,” says Ksenia Rappoport. “They are grateful that there is nothing in it but acting and wonderful music.”

The performance 'Unknown Friend' will be played on November 28 in the Small Hall of the Dzintari Concert Hall and on November 29 in the Daugavpils Palace of Culture.