Margarita Zelenaia’s vocal cycle ‘No Mercy Left. End of the End!’ based on Tsvetaeva’s poetry is premiered at the New York Composers Circle concert.

• Attend the final concert of the season of New York Composers Circle featuring Margarita Zelenaia and Zoya Gramagin.
• Watch the world premiere of Margarita Zelenaia’s vocal cycle ‘No Mercy Left. End of the End!’ performed by Zoya Gramagin and Margarita Zelenaia. here

My vocal cycle “No Mercy Left. End of the End!” based on Tsvetaeva is about the endless grief of separation

Who of us, people of my generation, does not remember the times when Marina Tsvetaeva’s poetry was practically banned in Russia, and was distributed either in handwritten or secretly typewritten form? Can you name someone who, being from Russia, has not at some point in their life fallen ill with the piercing poetry of Tsvetaeva? I know none…

 It was then, in my student years, at Gnessin, that I became acquainted with Tsvetaeva’s “Poem of the End”, a work of incredible impact.

My vocal cycle “No Mercy Left. End of the End!” is based on four poems from that very “Poem of the End”. What are Tsvetaeva’s poems about, and my music after them? In short – about the endless grief of separation, the tremulous and painful moment of the last meeting of lovers who, being so close and dear to each other, are forced to part:

• about the soul “as if torn off with the skin”,
• about the impossibility of understanding “the most meaningless words – we are parting”,
• about how “a man’s tear is cruel, like a blow to the crown of the head”,
• finally, about the fact that “tears taste like poison” …

Each rehearsal with the wonderful Zoya Gramagin is a deeper and deeper immersion into Tsvetaeva’s poetry.

Those who have played premieres, no doubt, understand that rare premonition, the inspired and exciting anticipation of the moment of “the flight on stage”. You are in this “flight” – right here and right now. Nothing else exists, simply because it cannot exist by definition. I am infinitely grateful to Zoya Gramagin for the amazing co-creation, for the opportunity to share what was conceived, suffered, heard – together, in one breath – for the flight on stage! Zoya not only sang, not only played, but above all she LIVED deeply, sincerely, genuinely the poetry of Tsvetaeva! The world premiere of my Tsvetaeva’s cycle “No Mercy Left. End of the End!” for soprano and piano was very successful.