The Violinist by Osip Mandelstam. Short summary

5 seconds

A poem written by the author under the impression of a concert by the young violinist Galina Barinova in Voronezh. He asks the Polish woman to play Chopin or Brahms for him and admires her talent.

1 minute

A poem written by the author under the impression of a concert by the young violinist Galina Barinova, which took place in the city of Voronezh. He compares the sound of the violin with the powerful flow of the Yenisei, and considers the young talented musicians as followers of the «long-fingered» Paganini.

The poet asks the talented girl to comfort him with her playing. She would delight the author by performing compositions by Chopin or the serious Brahms. With her talent he could mentally transport himself to Paris and Vienna or to the shores of the Danube. The poet urges the girl to play her best and calls her the fourth «devil,» the last «wondrous devil in bloom.»