The project «The Lady and the Hooligan» explores the author’s perspective on the concept of contemporary sound in silent film, reinterpreting the significance of live accompaniment for a young audience and updating the perception of archival film stock in an era of kaleidoscopic thinking.
About the Author
Ibragimov Georgy is a composer, sound designer, pianist, and sound artist. In his work, he merges classical musical training with contemporary and experimental sonic practices, exploring the boundaries between music, noise, space, and moving image.
Georgy’s creative journey is intertwined with academic training and a shift toward contemporary media practices—from creating ambient noise and electroacoustic albums to music and sound design for film and video game projects. A selection of his works is available on his portfolio website.
Training at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory provided a fundamental understanding of music theory and dramaturgy; continuing studies in Sound Art and Sound Design expanded this experience through work with electronics, sound design, spatial audio, and multimedia formats.
This formed the author’s methodology, which combines compositional thinking, an interest in improvisation, work with digital tools, and the exploration of sound as an artistic material.
New Tapers
No longer a necessary element of a film screening, tapering has evolved into a form of authorial expression. In contemporary practice, the live accompaniment of silent film merges historical tradition with digital technologies—from the grand piano to MIDI controllers and laptops.
My stance on this subject was published in an interview for the «Russian Gazette»: «In this field, only the technology has changed, giving the musician not just a piano, but an entire universe of sounds.»
In recent years, a new generation of artists has joined this tradition—for them, working with archival film is not about reconstructing the past, but about discovering a new language that restores relevance to historical imagery.
My own practice has been shaped within this context. My first experience dubbing silent film took place within the «Illusion» program and the School of Design. Later, this practice evolved into a project presented at the Zotov Center and also at Cosmoscow. The project announcement noted that the duo of Georgy Ibragimov and Alexander Malevich, winners of the HSE Creative Open competition, «organically combines electronics with an unconventional approach to acoustic instruments.»
Today, my place in this tradition is to continue the line of contemporary sound art and sound design. The goal is not simply to «score a film, ” but to create a new form of audiovisual experience where sound becomes an integral part of the directorial and dramaturgical statement.
„It is difficult to count the true professionals in this field in Russia.“ In an article published by „VFokus,“ I was added to the list of professionals practicing this work, with particular attention paid to the unique combination of compositional and sound design approaches, as well as the practice of live scoring for silent film.
Original sound design for the film «The Young Lady and the Hooligan»
As part of the thesis project, in collaboration with the «Illusion» Cinema and the State Film Fund, work is being conducted on the sound design for the film «The Young Lady and the Rake, ” followed by a festival screening of the newly restored version in September.
The choice of the film „The Young Lady and the Rake“ is linked not only to its plot but also to the personality of Vladimir Mayakovsky—one of the key figures of Russian Futurism. Futurists strived to create the art of a new era, addressing the rhythm of the city, technology, speed, and new forms of perception. These ideas resonate with the concept of noise music, articulated by the Italian Futurist Luigi Russolo in the manifesto „The Art of Noises, ” where the sounds of the surrounding world were for the first time conceived as complete musical material. This connection holds special significance for me: a substantial part of my practice involves noise, electroacoustic music, and the exploration of sonic textures.
«The Young Lady and the Hooligan» is an experimental directorial work by Vladimir Mayakovsky, based on the novella «Teacher of the Workers» by the Italian writer Edmondo De Amicis. Mayakovsky served not only as the scriptwriter but also as the lead actor, transforming a social narrative into an emotional drama about the possibility of internal transformation.
The central plot revolves around the collision of two opposing worlds. A rebellious, coarse, and impulsive young man falls in love with a young teacher who embodies a world of inaccessible culture, order, and moral ideals. Gradually, the confrontation evolves into a complex emotional bond, and the story of conflict transforms into a tragic narrative about love, dignity, and the human quest for self-transcendence.
The film’s sound design is built upon the combination of two dramatic levels: accompanying the on-screen action and revealing the internal emotional world of the characters. Sound here does not merely illustrate the image literally; instead, it enters into a dialogue with it, creating an additional layer of meaning.
One of the key objectives was to recreate the feeling of lost time—an attempt to imagine what the music for this film might have sounded like if it had been created in its original era, but experienced by a contemporary audience. It was important to me to maintain a connection to the aesthetics of silent film and to convey the very materiality of celluloid: its fragility, its grit, and its romantic distance.
Musical dramaturgy is built around the contrast between two images. The romantic line of the Barishna is emphasized by the piano, which seems to «sink» into the space, and by soft timbral layers that evoke a sense of memory and unattainability.
In intense episodes, orchestral textures appear, amplifying the dramatic development of the narrative.
