Sviatoslav Cherniy is known as the author of "Warm Stories" - collections of short, emotionally rich prose that focus on important life values, dreams, love, and everyday miracles.
The story "The Piano" by Svyatoslav Cherny
"The Piano" is not a musical work, but a short story included in his popular collection "Warm Stories of a Dreamer" (2015).
What is this piece about?
The story "The Piano" is a deeply lyrical, nostalgic, and philosophical work that uses the piano as a symbol of the past, memory, and connection between generations.
-
Central image: An old piano (perhaps a piano) becomes the main character around which memories and reflections unfold.
-
Topic: The author is probably thinking about how the things around us retain memory of the people who used them. A silent piano is filled not only with the past sounds of music, but also with stories and emotions.
-
Style: Like all of Černij's work, the story is written in a very sensual, light, and meditative manner, which encourages reflection on the non-routineness and beauty of everyday life.
The piano in the context of the story is a metaphor that helps the author talk about important things like growing up, family values, and how time changes our perception of the world.
Who is Svyatoslav Cherniy?
Sviatoslav Cherniy is a modern Ukrainian writer, originally from Ternopil.
-
He received a Master's degree in Political Science from the Jagiellonian University (Kraków).
-
His works are often motivational, kind, and full of faith and dreams.
-
His most famous books are: "Warm Stories of a Dreamer", "Warm Stories for Her", and the children's fairy tale "The Adventures of the Khobotovichs. How Elephants Traveled to Ukraine".
The story "The Piano" is great for relaxation, as it is quiet, cozy, and creates a warm, melancholic atmosphere.
Excerpts from the story "The Piano"
Here are a few key fragments that best convey the melancholic mood, piano symbolism, and authorial style:
1. On silence and memory
This excerpt emphasizes that an instrument that is silent still retains the history and memories of the music that was once played on it:
"Over the years, it fell silent. The keys turned yellow, and the case became covered with the patina of time. No one threw it away or sold it. It simply stood in the living room as a mute witness to the past. But those who knew felt that music still lives in it. Not the kind that sounds, but the kind that is stored like old wine. It waits for someone to touch the keys, and then it bursts out again."
2. On the connection between generations
The piano acts as a bridge connecting the narrator to his childhood and family:
"Grandfather used to say that every sound you make on a piano leaves its mark on the wood. Even when you make a mistake, your mistake is part of the instrument's history. I would often go up to it and run my hand over the lacquered surface. It seemed to me that I could hear the echoes of my grandfather's fingers, his melodies, his laughter. It was the only object in the house that didn't change while everything around it changed."
3. A closing quote about the essence of the tool
Perhaps the most philosophical thought, revealing that the true value of a piano is not in its physical condition, but in its soul:
"A piano is not just an instrument. It is a repository of thoughts, dreams, and tears. It never plays false, only a person can fake it. Even if its strings are rusted and the keys are sinking, its soul remains pure. It waits. Waiting for someone who is not afraid to touch its story to write their own."
