Mihail Sosnovschi and his very special event at the Hungarian Embassy in Vienna

Mar 14

Mar 14 Mihail Sosnovschi and his very special event at the Hungarian Embassy in Vienna

Diana Zinchenko and Mihail Sosnovschi: “Eljen a Magyar”
Copyright: Simon Kupferschmied Fotografie

Every initiative should be praised.

Especially when it "crosses the world" to reunite under the roof of an Embassy Artists from so many different countries as Japan, France, Austria, Hungary, Moldavia, Romania, Serbia, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine!. I was not wrong when I wrote the foreword for "a t t i t u d e" back in 2017 and even at the risk of writing too long I would like to repeat it here:

"One day, while reading the newspapers in the morning and sipping some tea, I began to think about the way our world has so drastically changed during the last decades; about how much hatred is being spread around in the name of religion and because of nationalities, politics, skin colour, sexual orientation, beliefs… How susceptible we all became to these issues. All of a sudden it occurred to me that in a ballet class here, in the Opera House, there are around 30 nations represented, I don't know how many shades of skin colour, shapes, and colours of eyes and hair, different religions, different customs, ways of thinking, languages… Of course, some people may not like others – but never for one of the above-mentioned reasons. Never because of Ignorance.

A ballet class represents all that is being missed everywhere – and the "icing on the cake" is that everyone is working TOGETHER with one mutual goal, in perfect unison.

I had found what I had been wanting to express for weeks: Dance is an attitude"

Mihail Sosnovschi, responsible for the Vienna State Ballet's Association, organized this beautiful Event, a very selected one - not only for its audience but also for the careful choice of very special dancers such as Iryna Tsymbal and Misha Sosnovschi, Jakob Feyferlik (HET - Dutch National Ballet), Alizée Sicre and Alexei Orlenco (State Ballet Berlin), Florient Cador (Europa Ballett, Ballet Ensemble St. Pölten), Eszter Lédan, Igor Milos, Denys Cherevychko and Maria Yakovleva (Vienna State Ballet) and "New Faces" as Moeka Tsubouchi and Diana Zinchenko.

Iryna Tsymbal and Florient Cador: “Lost”
Copyright: Simon Kupferschmied Fotografie

Special choreographic Praise (and joy!) to Florient Cador's "Lost" performed by Iryna Tsymbal (always a magical apparition) and himself. The are only two words to precisely describe this emotional work: TOUCHNGLY DELICATE. Yes.

Alizée Sicre & Alexei Orlenco: “Promenade
Copyright: Simon Kupferschmied Fotografie

Also praise to Arshak Ghalumnian's dynamic and very challenging "Promenade" to Debussy's less dynamic but even more challenging "Arabesque No.1" and beautifully performed by sparkling Alizée Sicre and Alexei Orlenco (who, as I well remember was a Dancer in Vienna, many years ago)

Denys Cherevychko: “Le Bourgeois”
Copyright: Simon Kupferschmied

And how coukd I not mention the evergreen, always appreciated "Le Bourgeois" (To Jacques Brel's music) by Ben van Cauwenbergh, wickedly, humorously and naughty performed by Denys Cherevychko? What a JOY!

A lovely, cozy, intimate event at the Hungarian Embassy, exactly the way things can only be done in Vienna. The atmosphere of a "Palais" from the 17th Century, a warm welcome by the Ambassador, Dr. Andor Nagy, a beautiful bridge between Austria and Hungary.

Igor Milos & Eszter Lédan: The Danube Waltz
Copyright: Simon Kupferschmied Fotografie

Unfortunately, the choice of "Widmung" was the Evening's only unlucky choice of music (not a composition by Liszt but an exaggerated, much too "floral" adaptation of a Schumann's "Lied" that represents all the possible simplicity "of the little things" and which is mutilated by Liszt's Virtuosity) was somehow a "notch above" to Petra Pogady-Hollaender, who got quite lost and was completely out of tempo (and tune) during parts of her interpretation. Unfortunately, not well succeeded and too audacious in my way of thinking. But she recovered grandly from this faux pas and delivered not only a beautiful "Wiener Blut"(danced by lovely EszterLedán and Igor Milos) and also the ever enchanting "Wien, Wien nur Du allein" (for me Vienna’s “unofficial hymn”) sung by Jenifer Lary and Nikoff Russi.

Jenifer Lary & Nikoff Russi: “Wiener Blut”
Copyright: Simon Kupferschmied Fotografie

A lovely evening thanks to the effort and assertiveness of Mr Sosnovschi. Therefore a t t i t u d e says: "Thank you" and Bravo, Mr Sosnovschi, for your undertaking!

Ricardo Leitner

Vienna, March 11th, 2022