Georgijs OSOKINS, piano

Milana KOMAROVA, choreography

Programme: Alexander Scriabin, Sonata No. 9 ‘Black Mass’ (Messe Noir); Frédéric Chopin, Twelve Études Op. 25; ‘Shards’, a one-act ballet (piano improvisations by Georgijs Osokins)

The programme will reveal various facets of pianist Georgijs Osokins’ art. Part one of the night will feature piano solo performance of one of Scriabin’s late sonatas, his Sonata No. 9 known as ‘Black Mass’, and Etudes by Osokins’ beloved composer Frédéric Chopin, étude being a most demanding and exciting incarnation of piano music, defined by romantic melodiousness and calling for outstanding virtuosity.

The second part of the concert will present the premiere of the contemporary one-act ballet ‘Shards’ set to Georgijs Osokins’ piano improvisations and choreographed by Milana Komarova.

‘Shards’ is a ballet project based on the musical material created by Georgijs Osokins; the score served as an inspiration for the choreographic vision. The piano improvisations were recorded in a church, during the Covid-19 pandemic, at a time when the dominant mood in the world resonated with Osokins’ personal reflections on the fragility of life and the state of his soul at the time of the recording. The idea to translate the music into the language of dance was born unexpectedly, during a play-back of the recorded improvisations.

The libretto of the one-act ballet tells the story of an artist and her wounded soul at a time when she is fighting to overcome a personal crisis. Flashes of her most brilliant on-stage experiences intertwine with awareness of the inevitable helplessness in face of aging when the spirit reaches new heights and the mind is wise but the body is ruled only by the laws of nature: the relentless passage of time cannot be stopped.

The production will star the former dancer of the Hong Kong Ballet company Lauma Berga, principal dancer of Latvian National Ballet Baiba Kokina and soloists from Staatsballett Berlin.

The stage set for the ‘Shards’ contemporary ballet was designed by Kārlis Kaupužs, and the elegant costumes were cerated by  Elena Starostina.