Upon its publication in Milan in 1957, Doctor Zhivago made Boris Leonidovich Pasternak a renowned name across Europe. Spanning across the Russian Revolution of 1905 as well as the early Soviet regimes, Pasternak's novel was refused publication in the Soviet Union due to the work's 'anti-Soviet sentiments' and it was only in 1988 that Doctor Zhivago was first published in Russia. Nevertheless, a manuscript of the novel was smuggled into Italy, bringing insight into Communist society and earning Pasternak the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958, a prize the author was later forced to refuse by the Soviet authorities.
Born in Moscow on the 10th of February 1890, Pasternak's mother, Rosa Kaufman was a pianist, while his father Leonid Pasternak, was a painter and Professor at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. The family also formed part of an exclusive social circle that consisted of some of greatest artists of twentieth century Russia including Leo Tolstoy, as well as the composers Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Rachmaninov, and Anton Rubinstein. Influenced by the pianist and composer Alexander Scriabin, Boris Pasternak was initially interested in music and wished to be a composer, composing works such as his Piano Sonata of 1909. Nevertheless, Pasternak eventually chose philosophy, studying under Prof. Hermann Cohen, a disciple of Hegel and Kant in Germany. Pasternak then returned to his birthplace Moscow in order to pursue a career as a writer.
Although the publication of Doctor Zhivago led to world-renown for Pasternak, even before the Bolshevik Revolution and the publication of his novel, Pasternak was an acclaimed poet, regarded as one of the Russia's most lauded post-revolutionary poets. His first collection, written in 1917 and translated to English as My Sister, Life is often considered one of the world's greatest love poems, depicting a world in which the looming October Revolution acts as a strain on one's experiences.
The Strada Stretta Concept, under the auspices of the Valletta 2018 Foundation and artistic direction of Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci will be presenting an evening of poetry and music bringing together Pasternak's work as both poet and composer. Schembri Bonaci, who has translated the Russian poems into Maltese, and pianist Tom Armitage will present the poetry and music written by Boris Leonidovich Pasternak in an exploration of his talents beyond those of his novel Doctor Zhivago.
The event will be held at 20:00 on Thursday the 15th of February 2018 at the Splendid in Strada Stretta, Valletta. Entrance to this event is free of charge. For more information please visit the Strada Stretta Concept Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thestradastrettaconcept/