"Warsaw melodies" with variations. Classical “Warsaw Melody” Photos courtesy of the theater’s press service

"Warsaw Melody". Theater on Malaya Bronnaya.
Stage director Sergei Golomazov, director Tatyana Marek,
artist Vera Nikolskaya

"Warsaw Melody" Maly Drama Theater - Theater of Europe.
Artistic director of the production Lev Dodin, director Sergei Shchipitsin,
artist Alexey Poray-Koshits (based on an idea by David Borovsky)

At the end of the 1960s, two iconic performances based on L. Zorin’s “Warsaw Melody” were staged - in Moscow the play was staged by Ruben Simonov with Mikhail Ulyanov and Yulia Borisova, in Leningrad - by Igor Vladimirov with Alisa Freundlich and Anatoly Semenov, who was eventually replaced by Anatoly Solonitsyn . Almost 40 years later, the “Warsaw Melody” appears again in each of the capitals. It is difficult to resist the temptation of their “paired” comparison. What were the performances of the Vakhtangov and Lensovet theaters like, what did the play, which passed the censorship with great difficulty, sound like back then and, finally, why and what is “The Warsaw Melody” being staged now?

Zorin's play appeared in a very difficult, ideologically uncertain time. In 1964, Taganka was born, and Evg.’s “Heirs of Stalin” was still popular. Yevtushenko, “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” by Solzhenitsyn. But the unrest in Tbilisi had already passed, the counter-revolution in Hungary and revisionism in Poland had been suppressed. In 1966, Sinyavsky and Daniel were tried. Censorship control is noticeably tightening. “Woe from Wit” by G. Tovstonogov is published in a clearly truncated version. “The Death of Tarelkin” by P. Fomenko at the V. Mayakovsky Theater, “Profitable Place” at the Satire Theater, “Mystery-Buff” at the Leningrad City Council are being removed from the repertoire; Efros’s “Molière” and “Three Sisters” are having difficulty making their way onto the stage.

But Zorin is also essentially a dissident. He signs a letter in defense of Sinyavsky and Daniel, he is summoned to the party committee, they demand repentance. And he proves obvious truths, repeats that the place of the writer at the desk, and not in the camp, speaks of the tsarist tolerance towards Saltykov-Shchedrin. A little earlier, his “Dion” (“Roman Comedy”) was removed from the repertoire, “Seraphim” was banned, and before that “Deck”.

“Varshavyanka” suffered the same fate as the previous plays. She was stuck in Glavlit. According to rumors leaked from the depths of censorship, Zorin was supposed to abandon references to the law of 1947, which meant the actual murder of the play. And Ruben Simonov, who had already started rehearsals, repeated: “I’ll still show the performance, and then let them do what they want. I have firmly decided that I will leave the theater.”

On December 28, 1966, a screening took place in the empty hall of the Vakhtangov Theater. Two deputy ministers and their staff hosted the performance. Something unexpected happened - he made an impression. Only now they demanded to change the name “Varshavyanka”: “This is a revolutionary song.” In mid-January 1967, the visa was received. But permission to play “The Warsaw Melody”—that’s what “Varshavyanka” was now called—was given only to the Vakhtangov Theater. Simonov, Ulyanov and Borisova expressed sympathy for Zorin, but all three were overwhelmed with joy from the upcoming premiere. Only after the premiere of the Vakhtangov cast did the play receive a general “visa”. In 1968, 93 theaters staged it in the USSR.

Zorin created a play that unmistakably captures the slightest vibrations of time - social, political, the time of human life. In "Warsaw Melody" love is in a terrible and secret conspiracy with the history of the country, with the soulless and thoughtless state-machine. Who is to blame for an unfulfilled life? Victor, who did not carry love through the years, or a regime that spoils life? The way exactly the director and actors explain/justify the impossibility of Helena and Victor’s happiness is a “litmus test” that reveals the perception of the time in which this play is staged.

...The central part of the stage of the Vakhtangov Theater was occupied by a small square box of the conservatory. Two people listen to music. Gelena - Yulia Borisova, a clear-eyed blonde with curls on her forehead and a coquettishly braided braid on the top of her head, seems to have merged with Chopin’s music, her hands, her eyes are the sounds themselves. Victor just can’t sit down, fidgets, and every now and then turns to look at his charming neighbor. Simonov's performance was a waltz, in the sounds of which one could hear the fate of Chopin himself, who left Poland forever in the middle of his life.

The meeting of Helena and Victor in Warsaw became the climax scene. Victor looked into Gele’s eyes and suddenly turned away abruptly, burying his face in the lamppost and clasping his head in his hands. For Victor-Ulyanov, “no” to all Gelena’s requests is, although painful, the only possible answer.

In the finale of Simonov's performance there was no sadness for lost love. Viktor Ulyanova believed: everything is for the better. There is never enough time for anything in life, it is always filled with things to do - and that’s good. Little is written about the ending of this “Warsaw Melody” in reviews, as if the last meeting of Geli and Victor in Moscow never happened. But, as if by agreement, the reviewers talk about the feeling of “satisfaction” with which the audience left the theater. "R. Simonov staged a performance full of artistry and grace. Not for a second - even in the most dramatic moments - does the feeling of joy from art leave us,” wrote Pravda correspondent A. Afanasyev*. It seems that in this case we will have to look Pravda in the eye. The Vakhtangov performance was truly a celebration of theatrical art, joyful and pleasing.

“Warsaw Melody” became for Ruben Simonov what “Princess Turandot” was for Vakhtangov - a swan song. And hence the mind-blowing and inexplicable rapture of the theater. There could be no minor notes in this “Melody”. It was sung as a hymn to life.

“The Warsaw Melody” by Igor Vladimirov is, from beginning to end, the complete opposite of Simonov’s production, which saved the play. But, despite this, this performance was much more Zorinsky. Artist Anatoly Melkov designed “Warsaw Melody” as a documentary drama. The action took place against the backdrop of photographs of the Polish and Russian capitals and their inhabitants. On the sides of the stage are photographs of many times enlarged human faces...

For Geli - Alisa Freindlich, the auditorium seemed to not exist. There was a degree of frankness here that, by definition, cannot be trusted to everyone.

Gelya-Borisova is a proud Polish woman, expansive and graceful. Her role seemed improvised. Helena-Freundlich is harsh and mocking. She is not at all tempted by the brilliance of life. Critics wrote that Gelena-Borisova was born to be an artist. The poor student dress fit her like an outfit from a fashionable tailor. Helena-Freundlich became a real artist, overcoming a lot in herself. The actress played not only the fate of a woman, but also the fate of an artist.

In Vakhtangov’s performance there was no place for war or the horrors of fascism. In the St. Petersburg “Warsaw Melody” this theme is almost in the foreground. Gelya Borisova seemed to have forgotten about the occupation, while Freundlich only remembered it. She showed how gradually and difficult Gelya’s fear of life and distrust of the world are replaced by the coming, if not love, then faith in love. But still, mistrust could not disappear completely. “... Gelya does not believe in happiness all the time, and when she learns about the law of 1947... she is not surprised. It was as if her worst expectations had come true.”*

* Rassadin S. The call of unfulfilled love // Theater. 1967. No. 11. P. 18-19.

The monstrous law is not fate or an order requiring unconditional obedience, but a kind of emanation in reality of hidden spiritual anxieties. Freundlich in “Warsaw Melody” played the tragic clash of disbelief in the possibility of happiness with an insane thirst for it.

In 1972, a small article was published in one of the St. Petersburg newspapers about the new performer of the role of Victor (before that he was played by A. Semenov). The introduction of Anatoly Solonitsyn changed a lot in the performance. Viktor now also expressed deep bitterness, the dull pain of loneliness. But still, in the finale of the Vladimirov performance, people who once loved each other so much could not overcome their disunity.

Theaters caught Zorin's “subconscious”: Simonov told a bright love story, the reason for the extinction of which is not in state decrees, but in the laws of life itself; Freundlich played Zorin's theme of distrust of happiness, largely turning a blind eye to what was then the main thing for the playwright - in the year forty-seven. Both theaters transferred censored political themes into the human “register”, at first glance going “across” the play, violating all its logic. In fact, they expressed the essence of the “Warsaw Melody”.

Almost forty years later, “Warsaw Melody” is staged in Moscow by Sergei Golomazov (2009), and in St. Petersburg by Lev Dodin (2007). It is noteworthy that both masters are artistic directors of productions. The directors, taking their first steps in the profession, are Tatyana Marek (Moscow) and Sergey Shchipitsin (St. Petersburg). And therefore, in both performances, both a rigid stage frame and youthful spontaneity are visible at the same time.

The melodies of love between Gelena and Victor in both performances strive not only to appear in sound, but to materialize themselves in space: on the back stage of Malaya Bronnaya, a family of “various caliber” strings froze in a row - from violins to cellos (artist Vera Nikolskaya). Unexpectedly, boldly and ominously, organ pipes are lowered from the grates and hang over the stage like a ridge of gutters - a recognizable image of the conservatory. But these are rather external, too obvious attributes of music. The main metaphor of “The Warsaw Melody”, inextricably linked with all the fateful moments in the lives of the heroes, are elastic threads that are at first completely invisible, but at the slightest touch come to life, from which, it turns out, the planes of the walls are “woven”. And right there, “inside” this philharmonic space there is another, “home” space - Helena’s room. All furniture has been discolored by time to a pale gray tone.

He is in military uniform, she is in a simple gray dress. They listen to Chopin together with the audience. This “Warsaw Melody” is about what can be heard in music or silence, about what is beyond words. And these moments of silence become almost the very “speaking” parts of the play. It seems that it takes an unforgivably long time for Gelya to put on her shoes, and the orchestra takes an unforgivably long time to play. Sergei Golomazov is not afraid of losing the audience’s attention; on the contrary, he fills seemingly static scenes with internal content and special theatrical energy. And therefore, not only Victor, but the entire audience for almost a minute of stage time cannot take their eyes off Gelya’s boots.

The main part of this “Melody” was given to Gela - Yulia Peresild. And that’s why the first title of Zorin’s play, “Varshavyanka,” suits the performance better.

Gelena-Peresild - with a European “ice” in her voice and manner of communication. She is older, wiser and at first even seems more cynical than Victor - Daniil Strakhov. But how happy he is with the gift! “What shoes!” - with a bizarre ending, Peresild strengthens the already noticeable Polish accent of Zorin’s heroine.

It's no secret that in the theater the same word can sound differently and mean different things. Yulia Borisova and Alisa Freindlich each colored the delight in the scene with the gift with their own colors. And if Gelya-Borisova, having received a gift, exclaimed “What shoes!” and in these words, as the critics wrote, one could hear “What love!”, then Gelya-Freundlich was happy with the shoes, for her it was an unprecedented luxury. You can hear the intonation of Alisa Brunovna in Yulia Peresild’s voice. Looking ahead, let's say that the intonation of the Polish Urszula Magdalena Malka in the MDT performance is also similar.

1947 Law prohibiting marriage with foreigners. Victor “couldn’t think of anything.” Meeting in Warsaw ten years later. On the empty stage there are only those strings that were in the back at the beginning of the performance. The feelings are still alive and for both of them they are corroding and burning everything from the inside. From the Warsaw date to Geli’s concert in Moscow - again ten years. She is at the makeup table, with her back to Victor, in profile to the audience, hastily applying makeup, changing outfits, one more extravagant than the other. Although he is wearing a tie, he wears a home jumper instead of a jacket. She is arrogant and cold with a completely different cold - the cold of an unforgiven insult. Victor sits down with the audience in the front row and listens to Geli’s song with us.

“Life does not console, but trims,” Zorin writes in his “Green Notebooks.” It is important for Golomazov that Viktor Strakhova does not become rude over the years and does not lose his spiritual subtlety. In Viktor-Strakhov there is no internal resistance either to time or to the Soviet regime, just as there is no humility in him with the “proposed circumstances.” He plays a man who accepted the time in which he had to live as a given. And that’s why love was reborn into the bitterness of the inability to change anything. And the pain never goes away.

The scenography of MDT (artist - Alexey Poray-Koshits, using the idea of David Borovsky) is also based on a musical theme: a music book, in which the staff is the lowered rows of bars, and the notes are music stands with scores attached to them. The heroes sit on the bars and also become notes.

Victor - Danila Kozlovsky, like Irina from Dodin’s Three Sisters, at the beginning of the performance - contrary to the text of the play - has no joy. Where does it come from? The war ended only a year and a half ago. Geli doesn’t have it either. Listening to Chopin, she cries for her Poland and misses it very much. Caking, with a haunted look. There is no coquetry in her, no excitement of seduction. A timid sparrow, she is not afraid of not being liked, and she doesn’t need it at all. There is not even naturalness in it. She is tense and wary all the time. Defends itself in the form of an attack. But there is a lot of rationality in it. She undertakes to direct the course of development of relations. And only when he sings a song does he relax, smile, and believe in happiness.

Time in the play is compressed. There is not even a light cut-off between meetings.

Date in 10 years. Both are reserved. Both have matured. But not from time, but from an unfulfilling life. Gelya-Malka has already stopped being afraid of life, but love is still alive and burning. Now Victor, a Soviet man, is afraid. His fear turns out to be stronger than his love. The canvas slowly creeps up, chairs and music stands fall helplessly. Only now, and not at all in the year of the ban on marriages with foreigners, everything is over between them.

After a performance in Moscow, Gelya bows painfully, as if she is about to fall. I'm dead tired. But not because of the crazy tour schedule, but because of the meaninglessness of life. She hasn't forgiven, but she loves. And he too. And it seems: Victor will come to her at the Warsaw Hotel. But no, he still finds the strength to tear the piece of paper with the number.

The anguish on Gele’s face does not disappear throughout the entire performance. The memory of the war and its horrors, distrust of life is a constant in St. Petersburg’s “Warsaw Melodies.” Moscow Geli are beautiful seductresses full of desire to live.

The current “Melodies” have much more similarities than differences. Just as the Moscow and Leningrad performances of the 60s are strikingly different, the performances of the 2000s are so close in philosophy and spirit. It is curious and symptomatic that the endings of current performances are decided in the same vein. Both in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Victor and Gelya, again dressed in the clothes of their youth, excited and happy, are waiting at the conservatory for the start of the concert...

At the end of the 60s of the 20th century, Zorin’s play breathed documentaryism. The events in question were too close. At the beginning of the 21st century, the theme of man and the state turns out to be a side party, sounds like an accompaniment that creates an entourage. Today “The Warsaw Melody” is a poignant, timeless and spaceless story with a sentimentally touching ending to destinies. There was no happiness in life, but there was lifelong love.

Leonid Zorin

Warsaw Melody

Lyrical drama in two acts

Publishing house "Ingwar&Velimir"

St. Petersburg - autumn, 2004

ACT ONE

Before the lights come on and the action begins, we hear Victor's voice, slightly altered by the recording:

In Moscow, in 1946, December was soft and fluffy. The air was fresh, crisp on the teeth. In the evenings the streets were noisy; people must have been staying at home. In any case, I couldn’t sit still. And there were many like me.

Light. Great Hall of the Conservatory. Somewhere high, near the barrier, sits Gelya. Victor appears and sits down next to him.

GEL (the soft accent gives her intonation some carelessness). Young man, the seat is busy.

VICTOR. So how is it - busy? Who dared to occupy it?

GEL. My friend will sit here.

VICTOR. Your friend won't sit here.

GEL. Young man, this is impolite. Don't you think so?

VICTOR. No, I don't find it. I have a ticket. This row and this place.

GEL. Oh, it’s probably there... (Gesture down.)

VICTOR. Of course - there... Right here.

GEL. But this is an anecdote, a comedy. I got the tickets myself.

VICTOR. I got it myself too. (Hands her the ticket.) Look.

GELYA (looks). Did you buy it on hand?

VICTOR. Do you mean by hand?

GEL. Oh, please - let it get away with it. A brunette in a red coat?

VICTOR. Now everything is correct. Wonderful girl.

GEL. Don't praise her, please. I don't want to hear about her.

VICTOR. Something apparently happened. She was in a terrible hurry.

GEL. So-so. I know where she was hurrying.

VICTOR. And everyone around is asking for a ticket. Can you imagine how lucky this is?

GEL (casually). Do you often visit the conservatory?

VICTOR. First time. And what?

GEL. Oh nothing...

VICTOR. I’m walking and I see a crowd on the block. So, the matter is worthwhile, everything is clear. I rush to the cash register - horns, it’s closed. The administrator dismissed me. What the hell, I think, so that I don’t break through? This has never happened before. And here is this one of yours, in a red coat... What will happen today?

GEL. If you don't mind, there will be Chopin.

The sound of applause.

VICTOR. Chopin is Chopin. Do you have a program?

GEL. Please be quiet. Now we must be quiet.

The light goes out. Music.

The lights flash again during the intermission between the first and second sections.

GEL. Why don't you go to the lobby? You can walk there.

VICTOR (not immediately). I don't want something. Noise, crush...

GEL. Don't you like noise?

VICTOR. It depends - when. Not now.

GEL. Do you love music?

VICTOR. It turns out I love it.

GEL. It was worth coming to make such a discovery.

VICTOR. It's stupid that I didn't come here. Honestly.

GEL. Oh, I believe you without a word of honor.

VICTOR. Are you from the Baltic states?

GEL. No, not from the Baltic states.

VICTOR. But you are not Russian.

GEL. I'm a rich lady on a tour around the world.

VICTOR. Is your friend in the red coat also traveling around the world?

GEL. My friend... Let's not talk about my friend. She is a frivolous creature.

VICTOR. Still, tell me, where are you from?

GEL. Don't believe that I'm a rich lady?

VICTOR. Don't know. I've never seen them.

GEL. I am from fraternal Poland.

VICTOR. This is what it looks like. I thought that you were not ours... That is, I wanted to say - not Soviet. That is, I wanted to say something else...

GEL. I understand what you mean.

Calls. The intermission ends.

VICTOR. What are you doing with us?

GEL. I'm learning from you.

VICTOR. In what sense does this mean?

GEL. At the conservatory, if you don't mind. And my friend studies there too. But she is yours... That is, I wanted to say - Soviet... That is, I want to say, we live in the same hostel.

VICTOR. Thanks I got it.

GEL. In the same society and in the same dormitory. She is also a future musician. And meanwhile I sold my ticket.

VICTOR. There's probably a big discount for you. I didn't even think about it - pretty cheap.

GEL. It was still not enough for her to be, like this... a little speculative. It's enough that she decided to go listen young man, not Chopin.

VICTOR. In the end, she can be understood.

GEL. Does Pan think so? I despise her.

VICTOR. The young man is also not lying around on every corner.

GEL. I don't know where he is, but he's a boring young man. He doesn't like music and that's what makes him different from you. Poor Asya has a constant conflict. Love and Duty. Love and Business. An absolutely terrible situation.

VICTOR. I'm not mad at him. He's the reason I'm here.

GEL. What a score.

VICTOR. I'm always lucky. I am lucky.

GEL. It is very interesting. This is the first time I've seen a person who doesn't hide it.

VICTOR. Why should I hide?

GEL. Aren't you afraid?

VICTOR. What should I be afraid of?

GEL. People will know that you are lucky and will want to test whether it is true or not?

VICTOR. Here's another. I wasn't afraid of Hitler.

Applause.

GEL. All. Now there is silence.

VICTOR (in a whisper). What is your name?

GEL. Quiet. Listen to music.

The light goes out. Music. Light again. Flashlight. Alley.

GEL. This is our lane. And there, at the end, is our hostel. Thank you. There is no need to go further. You can meet Asya. If she sees me being escorted out, I will lose... what's this... moral superiority.

VICTOR. This means Gelya is Helena. In Russian you are simply Lena.

GEL. So you are Victor. In Russian you are simply a winner. I am just Lena, and you are just a winner. Still, it’s not worth translating. I like my name.

VICTOR. Me too.

GEL. Every work is lost in translation. Will Pan argue?

VICTOR. Pan won't argue. Are there many of you in the room?

GEL. Two more girls. Two tea roses. The first is Asya, she is a singer like me. You saw her. She is sweet, but completely without will. The young man makes ropes out of it. But the other one is completely different. She has a strong character, enormous height and plays the harp.

VICTOR. What's her name?

GEL. Jesus-Maria, he needs to know everything. Faith.

VICTOR. Just think, someday you will come to the opera, and Carmen is you.

GEL. I won't sing Carmen, I have a different voice. And I won't sing in the opera. I will be... what's this... chamber singer.

VICTOR. You want to say - chamber.

GEL. It's just a disaster. I'm always confused.

VICTOR. I wish I could steam like that in Polish. How long have you been with us?

GEL. Another year.

VICTOR. If they told you, I wouldn’t believe it.

GEL. Okay, I’ll tell you the secret, although it’s not at all beneficial for me. There is another small circumstance here. My father knew Russian and taught me. He said: Geltsya, you need to know this language. One day you will thank me. Apparently he meant today.

VICTOR. Well, that goes without saying. But still. You are great.

GEL. I'm just good at languages. Like any woman.

VICTOR. That's all...

GEL. So-so. What is language ability? Ability to imitate, am I right? And all women are monkeys.

VICTOR (with emphasized sadness). Even - you?

GEL. Pan doesn't want me to be like everyone else. This is cute. And naturally. We value rules and love exceptions. It's a shame, I'm a terrible monkey. I look around and try everything on myself. This doesn't suit me, but this will suit me! Pretty haircut- a little enthusiasm, a little poetry, a little challenge - I'll take it for myself! Or I see - a beautiful gait. And gracefully and very quickly - almost flying. This is a completely mortal wound - such a gait, and not mine! She will be mine! I'll take it. Then I meet a girl - she has a thoughtful look, it shows a deep soul - very good, I take this look.

VICTOR. A thoughtful look.

GEL. Well, anyway, you understand me. In general, I am Jean Baptiste Moliere. He said: "Je prend mon bien ou je le trouve."

VICTOR. Although it will get lost in translation, translate it.

GEL. Am I pressuring you a little with my French? So? This means: I take my goods where I find them. There are rumors that Moliere took two scenes from Cyrano de Bergerac. He was a genius - he could do anything.

VICTOR. And you?

GEL. Me too - I'm a woman. But why do you keep asking questions? You are a dangerous person.

VICTOR. I also want to ask...

GEL. Wait, I ask. You are studying?

VICTOR (nodding). At the Omar Khayyam Institute.

GEL. Holy Madonna, he's laughing at me.

VICTOR. In the wine department, that's all. Omar Khayyam is the patron saint of winemakers. Singer, ideologist and inspirer. We learn it by heart almost without fail. Our professor said that someday his words would be carved above the entrance:

Wine nourishes the power of both soul and flesh,

Only in him will you find the key to hidden secrets.

GEL. I understand - will you be a taster?

VICTOR. Be silent and don't be ashamed. You didn't understand anything. I will be a technologist. I will create wines.

GEL. So-so. If you don't get drunk, you will glorify your name.

VICTOR. Winemakers don't drink themselves to death. This is out of the question.

GEL. In fact, for some reason I forgot that wines are created.

VICTOR. Still - the attitude of the consumer. Meanwhile, wine is born like a person.

GEL. I hope this is a joke.

VICTOR. Someday I'll tell you. First of all, you need to find those qualities that will create a bouquet. And then the wine must be aged. The bouquet is created by aging.

GEL. This will need to be remembered. But it's too late - it's time.

VICTOR. Gelya...

GEL. Well, well... I wonder what you will say next.

VICTOR. I want to see you.

GEL. I know, but you shouldn't have shown it. How should I say - show or show?

VICTOR. I really really want to see you.

GEL. It should be casually, completely casually: when will we see each other? You have little experience. This is bad.

VICTOR. When will we see each other?

GEL. How do I know? On Saturday. At eight o "clock.

VICTOR. Where?

GEL. Are you going to ask everything like that? On the corner of Świętokrzyska and Nowy Świat. In Warsaw I appointed there.

VICTOR (gloomily, almost without expression). There.

GEL (with interest). Pan thinks he will be first?

VICTOR (even more gloomily). Pan doesn't think so. So where?

GEL. But at the same time you can smile. "Where where?" You should have thought about it even at the conservatory. Jesus-Maria, very little experience.

VICTOR. OK then. I am in command. On the corner of Herzen and Ogarev. Near the bus stop.

GEL. Oh, this Asya... She couldn’t sell it to the old man!

The light goes out.

Again - light. On the corner. Victor glances at his watch. Gelya approaches.

GEL. No need to look at the clock. I'm already here.

VICTOR. I was very afraid that you would not come.

GEL. So are you still afraid of something?

VICTOR. Imagine, it turned out that this is important.

GEL. Exactly what?

VICTOR. So that you come.

GEL. Ahh... This is exactly what I imagine.

VICTOR. I am telling the truth.

GEL. So I believe, I believe. Of course - the truth. Of course it is important. I don't need any convincing at all. You might think that Warsaw girls come to your corner every evening.

VICTOR. Warsaw girls know their worth.

GEL. All girls should know their worth. Invincibility comes from dignity.

VICTOR. Where will we go?

GEL. Help me. He asks questions again. Mother of God, what was he thinking about for three days? You must dazzle me, show yourself in the best light. Aren't you inviting me to a restaurant?

VICTOR. I’ll get a scholarship and call.

GEL. So. This is a knightly answer. Madman's answer. Don't be outraged. I know - you create wines, but you still have nothing to pay for them. Be cheerful, everything is ahead. You see, I didn’t wear an evening outfit, and my shoes also have a different mission. Are there any other options?

VICTOR. Not yet.

GEL. You really are a lucky guy. You don't have to make a choice.

VICTOR. Who knows, I have my own concerns.

GEL. This evening your only concern should be me.

VICTOR. I understood it.

GEL. Moreover, your Khayyam says:

Beauties and wine flee in this world

Is it reasonable if we find them in this world?

VICTOR. You have read Khayyam. I'm pleased with this.

GEL. Do you love him that much?

VICTOR. It's nice that you were preparing for the meeting.

GEL (looking at him). That's what?.. Thanks for the warning.

VICTOR. But I didn’t understand this.

GEL. You are not as safe as I thought. You need to be on your guard.

VICTOR. This is mistake. No need at all.

GEL. I was getting ready! OK then. I will not forget this either to you or to Khayyam.

VICTOR. Don't be angry, we'll be friends.

GEL. All the same - you have no experience. Even if you noticed something, you should have remained silent. Then you could someday use your discovery. Still, where are we going?

VICTOR (weightily). I guess we'll go to the movies.

GEL. I knew it would end like this. What will they show us?

VICTOR. I have no idea. I don't care.

GEL. Are you saying you won't look at the screen?

VICTOR. Why? Will. Occasionally.

GEL. You are a frank person.

VICTOR. It must be from inexperience.

GEL. My father warned me that everything begins with cinema.

VICTOR. We won't tell him.

GEL. We certainly won't say. He is no longer there.

VICTOR. Sorry.

GEL. What should I do with you, I forgive you. When Warsaw was taken, we moved to the village, but this did not save him. (Unexpectedly.) What would you have done if I hadn’t come?

VICTOR. I would show up at the hostel.

GEL. This is good. This means you have character. Why have you become so serious? We'd better change the subject. Now you know that I am an orphan and you cannot offend me. What is the right way to offend or offend?

VICTOR. It can be done either way.

GEL. And so and so - it’s impossible. You can't offend.

VICTOR. Me too. I don't have a mother either.

GEL. Poor boy... And he is convinced that he is lucky.

VICTOR. Of course, lucky guy. This is a fact. No matter how long I lived, I did. Six months in the hospital and here I am. On the corner of Herzen and Ogarev.

GEL. Vitek, not a word more about the war. Not a word.

VICTOR. Agreed. Peace to the world.

GEL. If I had known, you wouldn’t have been waiting for a minute on this corner of yours.

VICTOR (generously). Here's another thing... You are divinely late. I prepared to wait half an hour.

GEL. So much?

VICTOR. Girls love it.

GEL. Ale that is stupidity. Just stupidity. Why ruin a person's mood if you come anyway. I read: precision is the politeness of kings.

VICTOR (with slyness). And queens.

GEL. Every woman is a queen. This must be understood once and for all.

VICTOR. You want to say - understand once and for all.

GEL. Better, better. You always know best what I want to say.

The light goes out.

Light again. Empty hall. Negotiation point. A voice is heard, amplified by a microphone: “Budapest, third cabin. Budapest on the wire, third cabin.”

VICTOR. Who are you going to talk to?

GEL. If the lord allows, with Warsaw.

VICTOR. Or more precisely?

GEL. Let it be a secret. A little secret refreshes a relationship.

VICTOR. You started to refresh them early.

GEL. It's never too early. It only happens late.

VICTOR. In the end, it's your business.

GEL. This time the sir is right.

VICTOR (looking around). It's not very cozy here.

GEL. But it's warm. When there are terrible frosts and we completely turn into ice, we will come here and pretend that we are waiting for a call.

VICTOR. You're tired of walking the streets. I understand you.

GEL. Vitek, don't be sad. We are poor students. I'm poor, but I'm young and I have... what's this... a fresh complexion.

VICTOR. It's a shame that I was not born in Moscow. At least there would be a corner.

GEL. I became hoarse. I don't know how I'll talk.

GEL. You don’t know, I was treated for two days. I was wrapped in two blankets. Then they gave me tea with raspberries. Then aspirin. Then I was burning. Like a sinner at the stake. Then I couldn’t stand it and threw everything off myself. It was a delight. I was lying naked, eating an apple, Vera was playing the harp - everything was like in heaven.

VICTOR. It's a pity I wasn't there.

GEL. Old story. Once you create paradise, the devil appears. It's all your fault anyway. Because of you, I will lose my voice and ruin my career. The singer cannot be frivolous.

VICTOR. You have never been frivolous.

GEL. Either you control your temperament, or it controls you.

Victor leans over and kisses her on the cheek.

Bravo, bravo.

VICTOR. I can repeat it. (Trying to hide embarrassment.) What time is it?

Gelya laughs.

What's so funny?

GEL. I noticed that a person is interested in time at the most inopportune moment.

VICTOR (gloomily). Don't know. Did not pay attention.

GEL. Listen, I'll cheer you up. One day my father loaded the cart with a large pile of hay. Jews were hidden in this pile. I had to take them to another village. And as soon as the patrol let me go - we hadn’t even gone two steps - an old man’s head pokes out of the haystack, green grass in his white beard, and he asks: what time is it? Mother of God, I still see the patrol, but he needs to know what time it is?

VICTOR. You made me very happy. They could have killed you. Or worse...

GEL. What could be worse?

VICTOR. You know yourself.

GEL (gently, not immediately). You're an eccentric, Vitek.

VICTOR. Stop doing that. What kind of weirdo am I?

GEL. Why are you angry? I love weirdos. It is warmer to live with them in the world. Once upon a time there lived such a man, Franz Fischer, in Warsaw; my father told me about him. He was an eccentric. Or a sage. It's almost the same thing. You know, he was the soul of Warsaw. She was orphaned without him.

Wait, I'll be quick. (Runs away.)

Sofia is calling - booth five. Sofia, Sofia - cabin five." Victor puts out his cigarette. Gelya returns.

GEL. It was so good to hear. It's like it's close.

VICTOR. Who were you talking to?

GEL. Vitek, don’t you see, I want you to suffer and wonder.

VICTOR. You yourself told me that your mother went to her aunt in Radom.

GEL. You know, Radom is an amazing city. It is called the capital of shoemakers. Someday I will go to Radom and they will make me such shoes that you will immediately invite me to the Grand Hotel.

VICTOR. If she's in Radom, who did you talk to?

GEL. Oh, tragic Russian soul. She immediately looks for drama.

VICTOR. If the lady prefers comedy, she may not answer.

GEL. I'm not a lady yet. I'm a lady. Albo panenka.

VICTOR. Sorry, I was wrong.

GEL. And I was wrong. I thought we would have such an easy, pleasant romance.

VICTOR. Not the most fatal mistake.

GELYA (humbly). Dobrze. I confess. Calm down. It was a young man.

VICTOR. What's his name?

GEL. Who cares? Let's say Tadek.

VICTOR. What about the last name?

GEL. Jesus Christus! Dymarchik. Stronyazh. Vechorek. What does his last name tell you?

VICTOR. I wanted to know your future, that's all.

GEL. I'll leave mine for concerts. Will you attend my concerts?

VICTOR. Visit.

GEL. Visit, visit - what a difficult language!

Short pause.

Vitek, what if I was talking to a friend? This option is also possible.

VICTOR. Why should I believe in this option?

GEL. If only because it is more pleasant. What time is it now?

VICTOR. Indeed, at the most inopportune moment.

GEL. I told you. Oh, how late. It's almost twelve. Or better yet, it's almost midnight. It sounds more beautiful this way. More poetic. At midnight the hostel is closed and the girls are not allowed in.

VICTOR. They'll let you in. I promise you.

GEL. Let's go, Vitek. You will walk me to the door and tell me: goodbye. This is a wonderful expression. This is how only lovers should say goodbye, right? Goodbye. We say goodbye until we meet again. It’s unfair that everyone is forgiven in the same way. Lovers are constantly robbed.

VICTOR. It's idiotic to say goodbye now. Just unheard of idiocy. What if I go to you? I’ll ask this Vera to strum the harp.

GEL. No, you're still an eccentric. It’s my happiness to find an eccentric. After the war there were almost none left. They must have all been shot.

VICTOR. Honestly, I'm coming to visit you. Don't send me away. Maybe give me some tea. Well? Is it decided?

GELYA (laughing). Do you now look like the saying goes... is it hit or miss?

VICTOR (almost seriously). Pan is missing.

The light goes out. Light again. Museum. Statues and paintings.

GEL. Moscow was just there and - here... What century are we in? Vitek, this is a miracle. Do you believe in miracles?

VICTOR. Everything in the world is powered by electricity.

GEL. You're making a terrible joke, but I forgive you for bringing me here.

VICTOR. What to do if you have nowhere to go.

GEL. Vitek, don't ruin the mood.

VICTOR. Of the two of us, I'm the smart one.

GEL. This is news to me. Look how beautiful she is. Could you love her?

VICTOR. They don't like beauties, they love beauties.

GEL. You are impossible. She's beautiful.

VICTOR. It's very outdated. Ice.

GEL. We will also be out of date.

VICTOR (carelessly). When it will be!

GEL. Sooner than you think. Remember what Khayyam writes.

VICTOR. What does he write?

GEL. “The day has just flown by, and you didn’t even notice.”

GEL. It is nice here. You came up with a great idea.

VICTOR. I have a bright head.

GEL. I'm sorry you weren't in Krakow. I would take you to Wawel.

VICTOR. What is this - Wawel?

GEL. This is an ancient castle. All Polish kings are buried there. And many great people. Slovatsky, Mickiewicz.

VICTOR. Still, it's interesting, isn't it? Poets live poorly with kings, but bury them together.

GEL. You see, Vitek, the museum affects you too. You've become very... what's this... thoughtful.

VICTOR. I'm always like this.

GEL. Queen Jadwiga still lies in Wawel. She was the patroness of the university, and all the students still write notes to her.

VICTOR. What do they write there?

GEL. “Dear Jadwiga, help me pass the exam.” “Dear Jadwiga, let it be easier for me to study.”

VICTOR. Did you write too?

GEL. Oh, when I arrived in Krakow, I immediately ran to Jadwiga.

VICTOR. I wish I could read your note.

GEL. I'll tell you if you're so curious. “Dear Jadwiga, may the mathematics teacher love me.”

VICTOR. And how did Yadviga help you?

GEL. It must have helped, I passed the exam.

VICTOR. Listen, I got an idea.

GEL. I hope you're kidding.

VICTOR (nodding at the statue). Let's hide behind this guy and kiss.

GEL. I told you today... you're on a roll.

They go behind the statue and kiss.

What a great idea.

VICTOR. The attendant, I think, is sleeping.

GEL. I was afraid that there would be excursions here. I really don't like excursions, that's my drawback. Really, nothing needs to be explained? Let people think for themselves.

VICTOR (quickly kisses her). Until the attendant woke up.

GEL (leaning against the statue). In extreme cases, our athlete will protect us.

VICTOR. We will protect ourselves.

GEL. But he is very strong. Look what muscles he has.

VICTOR. You see what it means to play sports.

GEL. I know, I know, there are two weights under your bed.

VICTOR. What's wrong with that?

GEL. I'm a little afraid of sports. Athletes value strength too much.

VICTOR. It's not a sin.

GEL. You are very strong?

VICTOR. Not weak, of course.

GEL. Does it feel good to be strong?

VICTOR. Very nice.

GEL. What pleases you?

VICTOR. I don’t know myself... It must be some kind of independence.

GEL. Maybe it's the addiction of others?

VICTOR. I'm not a fighter. But you have to be able to fight back.

GEL. So. But today a person fights back, sees that it works, and tomorrow he strikes first.

VICTOR. Fine. I'll turn the other cheek.

GEL. I’m probably very stupid, Vitek, and you should laugh at me cheerfully, but I can’t help myself. For me, power is almost always next to violence.

VICTOR. Gelya, you're talking about fascism...

GEL. And now I often think about fascism. And listen - sometimes he looks very... charming. So cheerful, cheerful, boots shining, confidence in the future. Optimism. He seduced entire countries with his smile.

VICTOR. Listen... the war ended in '45.

GEL. So. Is it true. (Pause.) This is funny. I asked you not to talk about the war, but I myself cannot forget it for a minute. We are all like this in Poland, Vitek, do you believe in happiness?

VICTOR. Yes, Gelya, I believe it.

GEL. And I'm afraid to believe. And I'm afraid of life. It's very embarrassing, but I'm afraid of her. They say that after the first war the same thing happened to people.

VICTOR. Don't know. It was a completely different war. No need to compare. And there is no need to be afraid. You've just seen enough of the occupiers. On their patrols, on their machine guns. This will pass.

GEL. Vitek, you have fingers like a pianist.

VICTOR. A bear stepped on my ear.

GEL. I'm sure that's not the case.

VICTOR. Listen...

GEL. Do you have an idea again?

VICTOR. No one will see us behind this goddess.

GEL. Remember, a bouquet is created by aging.

VICTOR. You really are a monkey.

They go behind the statue and kiss.

God knows how good it is.

GEL. Don't blaspheme.

VICTOR (kisses her). God will forgive us.

GEL. He forgives the wrong people. Now I would not enter into correspondence with Jadwiga.

He kisses her again.

Where are we going tomorrow?

VICTOR. Something will think.

GEL. It's good to know that someone is thinking for you. You're so smart.

VICTOR. You don't like it when people think for you.

GEL. The horror is that it is pleasant. It must be a feminine trait, but too many men have it.

VICTOR. Dialectics, Gelya.

GEL. Oh, what a great word. It explains absolutely everything. Like your electricity.

VICTOR. Citizen, you have to believe in electricity or God. There is no third.

GEL. Professor, I began to fear the gods. Any. Even those who call for mercy. As soon as a person creates a god, he begins to make sacrifices to him.

VICTOR. This means you are left with only electricity.

GEL. Sacrifices are also made to electricity.

VICTOR. Gelya, nothing happens without sacrifices.

GEL. I know, I know... Science requires them, art requires them and progress requires sacrifices, Vitek...

VICTOR. What, Gelya?

GEL. Now I have an idea.

They go behind the statue. The light goes out.

Light again. Dorm room. Gelya - in a robe and slippers - is styling her hair in front of the mirror. Knock.

GEL. Better.

Victor enters with a box in his hands.

How late you are.

VICTOR. Sorry. (Pulls off his mitten.)

GEL. By the time we get to them, it will already be New Year.

VICTOR. You're not ready yet.

GEL. I'll be ready right away. I just want to be the most beautiful. I don't belong to myself. Otherwise, I wouldn’t care, as long as the master was happy.

VICTOR. Who do you belong to?

GEL. I must maintain the tradition of my homeland and show that Poland has not yet disappeared.

VICTOR. She didn't disappear.

GEL. Oh, Vitek, how cute you are. Now you provided me with moral assistance. When you protect a tradition, you feel a great responsibility. She's pressing.

VICTOR. You will be a queen, don't be afraid.

GEL. What kind of box are you holding?

VICTOR. The most banal New Year's gift. (While she hastily unties it, he sits down and closes his eyes.)

GEL. Jesus-Maria! What shoes?

VICTOR. I was afraid that you would go to the capital of shoemakers - the city of Radom.

GEL. Vitek, you are a miracle. Zenkuyu barzo. I would kiss you, but I'm afraid to smear you.

VICTOR. Smear. (Yawns.)

GEL. Oh, let it be. You always teach me. Where did you get the penyonjo from?

VICTOR. I got rich. (Yawns.)

GEL. Phew, don't you dare yawn. This is disrespect for my beauty, for my country and its flag. I bought you a gift too. True, he is not so chic. I'm not as rich as you. I have other advantages. (Hands him a tie.)

VICTOR. Thank you. I never wore ties.

GEL. This is democracy misunderstood. We need to end this.

Moscow. December 1946 Evening. Great Hall of the Conservatory. Victor sits down in the empty seat next to the girl. The girl tells him that the place is occupied because she came with a friend. However, Victor shows her his ticket and describes the girl who sold him this ticket. In her, Gelya - that’s the girl’s name - recognizes her friend. During intermission, it turns out that Victor is here for the first time. He is trying to find out where Gelya came from - she speaks Russian with errors and with an accent that reveals her as a foreigner. Victor thinks that she is from the Baltic states, but it turns out that she is from Poland. He and his friend study at the conservatory. She is a singer. Gelya is angry that her friend chose a walk with a young man over a concert.

After the concert, Victor accompanies Gelya to her dorm. On the way, Gelya tells Victor about herself. Her father taught her Russian. Victor talks about his life. He is studying to become a technologist: he will create wines. He reads Omar Khayyam's poems to her. Victor wants to meet her again and makes an appointment.

At the bus stop, Victor looks at his watch. Gelya appears. Victor tells her that he was afraid she wouldn't come. He doesn't know where to go. Gelya likes that he is frank and that he has character. Advises him to understand: every woman is a queen. Negotiation point. The hall is empty, Gelya is about to talk to Warsaw. While they are waiting for her turn, she tells Victor how she was sick for two days, how she was treated with tea with raspberries. Finally, Gele is given a cabin. When she returns, Victor wants to know who she was talking to, but Gelya laughs, going through the names of different young people out loud. It's almost midnight. Gelya wants Victor to accompany her to the dorm. But Victor doesn’t even think about parting with her and asks for tea.

Museum. Victor brings Gelya here because they have nowhere else to go: he himself is not a Muscovite. Gelya tells him about the Polish city of Wawel. The Polish Queen Jadwiga is buried there. She was the patroness of the university in Krakow, and all students still write notes to her asking her to help pass an exam or make studying easier. Gelya herself also wrote to her. So, while talking, Gelya and Victor walk around the museum, sometimes go behind the statues and kiss.

Dorm room. Gelya, wearing a dressing gown, styles her hair in front of the mirror. Victor enters. Gelya scolds him that he came late: this way they might not be able to make it to their friends for the New Year. Victor brought her a gift - new shoes. Gelya in return gives him a new tie and leaves for a few minutes to put on a dress. When Gelya returns, she sees that Victor is sleeping. Gelya steps aside and turns off the big light. Then he sits down opposite Victor and looks at him carefully. Silence. The clock slowly begins to strike. Twelve. Then, after a while, an hour. Gelya continues to sit in the same position. Victor opens his eyes. Gelya congratulates him on the New Year. Victor asks her forgiveness for sleeping through everything. It turns out that he unloaded the cars to earn Gele a gift. Gelya is not angry with him. They drink wine, listen to music, dance. Then Gelya sings an old cheerful song to Victor in Polish. Victor tells her that he dreams of her marrying him. He wants to make her happy so that she will never be afraid of anything...

Same room. Gelya stands at the window with her back to the door. Victor enters. They have been living at the camp site for ten days now, because Gelya decided that they needed to get used to each other. Victor returned from the tasting. He is cheerful and again talks to Gelya about marriage. Gelya is cold with him. She tells him the news: a new law has been issued prohibiting marriages with foreigners. Victor promises the crying Gela to come up with something so that they can be together. However, he still fails to come up with anything. Soon he is transferred to Krasnodar, where he has no news about Gel.

Ten years pass. Victor arrives in Warsaw. He calls Gelya and arranges a meeting. Victor says that he came to his colleagues, that he became a scientist, and defended his dissertation. Gelya congratulates him and invites him to a small restaurant where her friend Julek Stadtler is singing. From there you can see the whole of Warsaw. While talking in a restaurant, Victor says that he is married. Gelya is also married. Her husband is a music critic. Stadtler notices Helena and asks her to sing. She goes on stage and sings the song she sang to Victor ten years ago - on New Year's Eve. When she returns, she tells Victor that when she comes to Wawel, she always writes notes to Queen Jadwiga so that she will return Victor to her. Victor tells her that he remembers everything.

Street. Flashlight. Gelya accompanies Victor to the hotel. He needs to leave, but Gelya won’t let him in, saying that he must understand: if he leaves now, they will never see each other again. She calls Victor to Sochaczew - it’s not far away. Victor will return tomorrow. But he does not agree, asks her to understand that he is not alone here and cannot leave like this, for the whole night. Helena reminds him that he once laughed that she was constantly afraid of everything. Victor replies: this is how life turned out. Gelena says that she understands everything and leaves.

Another ten years pass. At the beginning of May, Victor arrives in Moscow and goes to a concert in which Gelya participates. During intermission, he comes to see her in the artistic room. She greets him calmly, even rejoices at his arrival. Victor says that everything is going well for him, now he is a Doctor of Science. He is in Moscow on a business trip. And he separated from his wife. Helena says he is a hero. She herself also broke up with her husband and even with her second one. Her friend Julek Stadtler died. She says that life moves forward, that everything has its own meaning: in the end, she became a good singer. He notices that now young people are even marrying foreigners. Then she realizes that she hasn’t rested at all, and the intermission is ending soon. She asks Victor not to forget and call her. Victor apologizes for disturbing her and promises to call. They say goodbye.

Retold

Leonid ZORIN

WARSAW MELODY

Lyrical drama in two acts

ACT ONE

Before the lights come on and the action begins, we hear Victor's voice, slightly altered by the recording:

Light. Great Hall of the Conservatory. Somewhere high, near the barrier, sits Gelya. Victor appears and sits down next to him.

GEL(the soft accent gives her intonation some carelessness). Young man, the seat is busy.

VICTOR. So how is it - busy? Who dared to occupy it?

GEL. My friend will sit here.

VICTOR. Your friend won't sit here.

GEL. Young man, this is impolite. Don't you think so?

VICTOR. No, I don't find it. I have a ticket. This row and this place.

GEL. Oh, it’s probably there... (Gesture down.)

VICTOR. Of course - there... Right here.

GEL. But this is an anecdote, a comedy. I got the tickets myself.

VICTOR. I got it myself too. (Hands her the ticket.) Look.

GEL(looks). Did you buy it on hand?

VICTOR. Do you mean by hand?

GEL. Oh, please - let it get away with it. A brunette in a red coat?

VICTOR. Now everything is correct. Wonderful girl.

GEL. Don't praise her, please. I don't want to hear about her.

VICTOR. Something apparently happened. She was in a terrible hurry.

GEL. So-so. I know where she was hurrying.

VICTOR. And everyone around is asking for a ticket. Can you imagine how lucky this is?

GEL(casually). Do you often visit the conservatory?

VICTOR. First time. And what?

GEL. Oh nothing...

VICTOR. I’m walking and I see a crowd on the block. So, the matter is worthwhile, everything is clear. I rush to the cash register - horns, it’s closed. The administrator dismissed me. What the hell, I think, so that I don’t break through? This has never happened before. And here is this one of yours, in a red coat... What will happen today?

GEL. If you don't mind, there will be Chopin.

The sound of applause.

VICTOR. Chopin is Chopin. Do you have a program?

GEL. Please be quiet. Now we must be quiet.

The light goes out. Music.

The lights flash again during the intermission between the first and second sections.

GEL. Why don't you go to the lobby? You can walk there.

VICTOR(not right away) . I don't want something. Noise, crush...

GEL. Don't you like noise?

VICTOR. It depends - when. Not now.

GEL. Do you love music?

VICTOR. It turns out I love it.

GEL. It was worth coming to make such a discovery.

VICTOR. It's stupid that I didn't come here. Honestly.

GEL. Oh, I believe you without a word of honor.

VICTOR. Are you from the Baltic states?

GEL. No, not from the Baltic states.

VICTOR. But you are not Russian.

GEL. I'm a rich lady on a tour around the world.

VICTOR. Is your friend in the red coat also traveling around the world?

GEL. My friend... Let's not talk about my friend. She is a frivolous creature.

VICTOR. Still, tell me, where are you from?

GEL. Don't believe that I'm a rich lady?

VICTOR. Don't know. I've never seen them.

GEL. I am from fraternal Poland.

VICTOR. This is what it looks like. I thought that you were not ours... That is, I wanted to say - not Soviet. That is, I wanted to say something else...

GEL. I understand what you mean.

Calls. The intermission ends.

VICTOR. What are you doing with us?

GEL. I'm learning from you.

VICTOR. In what sense does this mean?

GEL. At the conservatory, if you don't mind. And my friend studies there too. But she is yours... That is, I wanted to say - Soviet... That is, I want to say, we live in the same hostel.

VICTOR. Thanks I got it.

GEL. In the same society and in the same dormitory. She is also a future musician. And meanwhile I sold my ticket.

VICTOR. There's probably a big discount for you. I didn't even think about it - pretty cheap.

GEL. It was still not enough for her to be, like this... a little speculative. It’s enough that she decided to go listen to the young man and not Chopin.

VICTOR. In the end, she can be understood.

GEL. Does Pan think so? I despise her.

VICTOR. The young man is also not lying around on every corner.

GEL. I don't know where he is, but he's a boring young man. He doesn't like music and that's what makes him different from you. Poor Asya has a constant conflict. Love and Duty. Love and Business. An absolutely terrible situation.

VICTOR. I'm not mad at him. He's the reason I'm here.

Ten years pass. Victor arrives in Warsaw. He calls Gelya and arranges a meeting. Victor says that he came to his colleagues, that he became a scientist, and defended his dissertation. Gelya congratulates him and invites him to a small restaurant where her friend Julek Stadtler is singing. From there you can see the whole of Warsaw. While talking in a restaurant, Victor says that he is married. Gelya is also married. Her husband is a music critic. Stadtler notices Helena and asks her to sing. She goes on stage and sings the song she sang to Victor ten years ago - on New Year’s Eve. When she returns, she tells Victor that when she comes to Wawel, she always writes notes to Queen Jadwiga so that she will return Victor to her. Victor tells her that he remembers everything.

Another ten years pass. At the beginning of May, Victor arrives in Moscow and goes to a concert in which Gelya participates. During intermission, he comes to see her in the artistic room. She greets him calmly, even rejoices at his arrival. Victor says that everything is going well for him, now he is a Doctor of Science. He is in Moscow on a business trip. And he separated from his wife. Helena says that he is a hero. She herself also broke up with her husband and even with her second one. Her friend Julek Stadtler died. She says that life moves forward, that everything has its own meaning: in the end, she became a good singer. He notices that now young people are even marrying foreigners. Then she realizes that she hasn’t rested at all, and the intermission is ending soon. She asks Victor not to forget and call her. Victor apologizes for disturbing her and promises to call. They say goodbye.

Option 2

The year was 1946. In the hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Victor sits next to the girl. The place is busy, she assures, a friend will come. But Victor describes the girl who sold him the ticket. During the intermission, Victor wants to find out where Gelya came from - she has a foreign accent. She is from Poland and studies at the conservatory. Gelya is angry that her friend preferred a walk with a young man to a concert.

Victor accompanies Gelya to the hostel. Gelya says that her father taught her Russian. Victor talks about himself: he is studying to become a wine technologist, reads Khayyam’s poems and makes an appointment. The empty hall of the meeting room, Gelya wants to talk with Warsaw. They wait, and she tells Victor that she was sick and was treated with raspberry tea. Gela is given a cabin. Victor wants to know who she was talking to. The girl laughs, listing the names of the young people. It's almost midnight, but Victor asks for tea.

Museum. The girl tells Victor about Wawel, the city where Queen Jadwiga is buried. She was the patroness of the university, and students still write notes to her to pass the exam. Gelya also wrote. They walk around the museum, hiding behind statues, kissing.

Dormitory. Gelya does her hair while waiting for Victor. He is late. They may not have time to meet their friends for the New Year. Victor brought shoes as a gift. Gelya gives him a tie and leaves for a minute. When he returns, Victor is asleep. Gelya turns off the big light and sits down opposite. The clock strikes twelve, then one. Victor opened his eyes and, having understood everything, asks for forgiveness. He unloaded the cars, earning money for a gift. The girl is not angry, they drink wine and dance. The heroine sings a cheerful old Polish song. Victor dreams that she would marry him, not be afraid of anything and be happy. Soon Gelya tells the news: according to the new law, marriages with foreigners are prohibited. The young man promises to come up with something, but he fails. He leaves for Krasnodar.

10 years have passed. Victor in Warsaw. He meets with Gelena, says that he became a scientist and defended his dissertation. They are sitting in a restaurant from where the whole of Warsaw is visible. Victor says he is married. And she's married to a music critic. Helena is asked to sing. She sings the song she sang 10 years ago on New Year's Eve. Arriving in Wawel, she writes a note to Queen Jadwiga to bring Victor back. And he also remembers everything, but he needs to go. He doesn’t let him in, saying: you’ll leave now and you’ll never meet them again. He’s calling me to Sochaczew – it’s nearby. He'll be back in the morning. But he can’t.” She recalls how he laughed at her fears. This is how life turned out - was the answer. Helena understood everything and left.

Another 10 years later they met in Moscow at her concert. During intermission, Victor came to see her. She is calm, even happy to come. Everything is going well for him, he is a Doctor of Science. Business trip. I separated from my wife. Helena also broke up with one husband and a second one. She's a good singer. Suddenly he notices that they are now marrying foreigners. He comes to his senses and says goodbye to Victor. He apologizes: he said he disturbed me. He promises to call.

Essay on literature on the topic: Summary of Warsaw Melody Zorin

Other writings:

Tsar's hunt Moscow. Early spring 1775 House of Count Alexei Grigorievich Orlov. Count Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov, thanks to the fact that he is in the retinue of Empress Catherine, who comes to Moscow, gets the opportunity to see his brother. He catches his brother drunk and all sorts of Read More......
Irkutsk story At one of the construction sites in Irkutsk, two girls work in a grocery store - Valya and Larisa. Valya is a cashier, she is twenty-five years old. This cheerful girl, who thinks little about her behavior and lifestyle, for which she has earned the nickname Read More......
Music Vladimir Nabokov is one of the major Russian-language writers of the 20th century, a master of mystification and riddles. In his works, he offers readers one mystery after another. The story “Music” is no exception. In it, the author sets before readers one of the main Read More......
Yesenin accepts life with its contradictions, disorders, finally - having calmed down, “calming down”, and “having calmed his rebellious soul forever” (“Soviet Rus'”, 1924). So, for example, in the poem “Apparently, this is how it’s done forever...” (1925), Yesenin speaks about his peace of mind: “Apparently, this is how it’s been done for Read More ......
House Mikhail Pryaslin came from Moscow and visited his sister Tatyana there. How I visited communism. A two-story dacha, a five-room apartment, a car... I arrived and began to wait for guests from the city, the brothers Peter and Gregory. Showed them my new home: a sideboard Read More......

Summary Warsaw Melody Zorin