Dmitri Shostakovich
Symphony No.13 In B Flat minor, Op.113
Adagio: “Babi Yar“
Poem “Babi Yar” by Yevgeni Yevtushenko
Bass: Marius Rintzler
Gentlemen from the Choir of the Concertgebouw Orchestra
Concertgebouw Orchestra
Bernard Haitink
Babi Yar by Yevgeni Yevtushenko
Nad Babim Yarom pamyatnikov nyet.
Krutoi obryv, kak gruboye nadgrobye.
Mne strashno.
Mne sevodnya stolko let,
Kak samomu yevreiskomu narodu.Mne kazhetsya seichas – ya iudei.
vot ya bredu po drevnemu Egiptu.
A vot ya, na kreste raspyati, gibnu.
I do sikh por na mne – sledy gvozdei.
Mne kazhestya, shot Dreifus – eto ya.
Meshchanstvo – moi donoschik i sudya.
Ya za reshotkoi. Ya popal v koltso,
Zatravlennyi, oplyovannyi, obolgannyi,
I admochki s bryusselskimi oborkami,
Vizzha, zontami tychut mne v litso.
Mne kahzetsya, ya – malchik v Belostoke.Krov lyotsya, rastekayas po polam,
Beschinstvuyut vozhdi traktimoi stoiki
I pakhnut vodkoi s lukom popolam.Ya sapogom otbroshennyi, bessilnyi.
Naprasno ya pogromshchikov moyu.Pod gogot: “Bei zhidov, spasai Rossiyu!”
Labaznik izbiyavet mat moyu.O russki moi narod, ya znayu ty
Po sushchnosti internazionalen.
No chasto te, chi ruki nechisty
Tvoim chiteishim imenem bryatsali.
Ya znayu dobrotu moyei zemli.
Kak podlo, shto i zhilochkoi ne drognuv.
Antisemity narekli sebya“Soyuzom Russkovo Naroda!”
Mne kazhetsya ya – eto Anna Frank,
Prozrachnaya, kak vetochka v aprele,
I ya lyublyu, i mne ne nado fraz,
No nado, shtob drug v druga my smotreli.
Kak malo mozhno videt, obonyat!
Nelzya nam listyev
I nelzya nam neba,
No mozhno ochen mnogo – eto nezhno
Drug druga v tyomnoi komnate obnyat.“Syuda idut!”
“Ne bosa, eto guly
Samoy vesny. Ona syuda idyot.
Idi ko mne,
Dai mne skoreye guby!”“Lomayut dver!”
“Nyet, eto ledokhod…”
Nad Babim Yarom shelest dikikh trav,
Derevya smotryat grozno, po-sudeiski.
Zdes molcha vsyo krichit, i, shapku snyav,
Ya chuvstvuyu, kak medlenno sedeyu.I sam ya, kak sploshnoi bezzvuchnyi krik,
Nad tysyachami tysyach pogrebyonnykh.
Ya – kazhdyi zdes rasstrelyanni starik.
Ya – kazhdyi zdes rasstrelyanni rebyonok.
Nichto vo mne pro eto ne zabudet.“Internatsional” pust progremit.
Kogda naveki pokhoronen budet
Posledni na zemle antisemit.Yevreiskoi krovi nyet v krovi moyei,
No nenavisten zloboi zaskoruzloi
Ya vsem antisemitam, kak yevrei.I potomu ya – nastoyashchi russki!
Transliteration and translation adopted from Valeria Vlazinskaya here
I created this video using a painting that was inspired by this musical piece.
Character No20
Character No20 • 1999 © marina kanavaki • Technique: Acrylic & Ink on paper • Original size: 9x14cm
from M.K. solo exhibition in 1999 at Epohes Gallery: “CHARACTERS”
Marina Kanavaki 
The music is haunting, the lyrics devastating, and your art disturbing and starkly beautiful. The resulting video is very powerful. Beautifully crafted, my dear Marina!
I love Shostakovich and your inspired work! Brilliant.
🙂 Loved his music since very very little. Twice as happy for your comment! 😉
Lovely morning music, thanks Marina!
Thank YOU, my dear Gilly! And thanks so much for the love and sharing! 🙂 xx
OMG, I listened to all of the piece. However, I like your art more & better! 😀 xoxoxo
A-ha-ha-ha….. well, I hope he didn’t hear that!!!! 😉 [although I’m sure he’s aware -wherever he is- that I’m forever grateful for his music!] Thank you, my sweet friend. 🙂 xxxxxxxxxxxx
The image and the music complement each other beautifully! Have a great week, Marina!
Ah, thank you, my dear Richard! You too have a wonderful week, my friend! 🙂
Really nice, Amiga.. I am going to return to this when I have a segment of time to paint.. and see what results… Thanks in advance!
Thanks for the translation, which led me to read more.. He was born 7 years earlier than my father, and his heart troubled him for ten years before it finally took him… He endured a lot of personal losses/pain, and I wonder if that contributed to his heart problems.
Thank you so much, my dear Lisa. I’m so sorry about your father, that he went through many hardships. I’m not a doctor, nor do I have any medical knowledge but it seems only too logical that these problems would affect his heart. Mentally speaking I am positive that our troubles ultimately affect our bodies, one way or another. I truly believe this. Sending you a big hug and xxxxxx
Thanks Amiga… I am sure he punished himself inward, but he was a very kind and loving ‘full of spirit’ person who spread sunshine everywhere he went. the first time he’s ever been in a hospital was at age 81, when he went in for those tests, which he did not survive…. For sure his Coach (and mother) told him, “Good Game!”
Nature works in mysterious ways…
Marina, your art fits so perfectly with the music. Haunting and intense. Love it. 🙂
Thank you, my dear Charlie. Means so much! 🙂
You welcome Marina. 🙂 Say, Hope you got my email. 🙂
am, no!!!!!!! 😞 Could you please resend it?
I could’ve sworn I send it to you. My message says it sent it. I’ll re-send it again one more time. 🙂
Mail works in mysterious ways! Not your fault! 😉
I know Shostakovich, but not this haunting piece. … but your art is matches the music. (well, at least to me)
Haunting piece indeed… That’s a great great compliment, my friend! Thank you! 🙂
Thank you Marina.. a dramatic painting created into a wonderful video piece.. Thank you also for providing the link to the lyrics translation.. I felt the sadness, drama and power of the music.. Reading the words I see why and how well your portrait went with this piece..
❤ Sue xx
My dearest Sue, being an artist yourself I understand exactly how you must have felt listening to this. Shostakovich has been a composer I’ve been very fond of ever since childhood and his music is dear to me. To be honest, when I painted this, I hadn’t read the poem. I was drawn to the music so much that the poem, even unread felt familiar. Thank you for your attention and kind words! Hugs and love 🙂 xxxxxxxxx
You are most welcome Marina.. Somethings ‘We’ just FEEL.. and I am so pleased you shared. ❤ xxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Bravo, Marina!!
Ah, thank you, my dear Dina! 🙂
Zugabe, bitte!