Seven Beauties (ballet)
| Seven Beauties | |
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Performance of Seven Beauties (2010)
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| Choreographer | P. A. Gusev |
| Music | Gara Garayev |
| Libretto | Ismayil Hidayatzadeh Yuri Slonimsky Sabit Rahman |
| Based on | Seven Beauties poem by Nizami Ganjavi |
| Premiere | 1952 Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, Baku |
Seven Beauties is Azerbaijani ballet, composed by Gara Garayev in 1947/48 to mark the 800th anniversary of classical poet Nizami Ganjavi. Libretto of the ballet belongs to I.Hidayetzade, Yuri Slonimsky and Sabit Rahman. Libretto of the ballet is based on motifs of Nizami Ganjavi’s “Seven beauties” poem, written in 1197.
The first staging of the ballet was held on November 7, 1952, in the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in Baku. National instruments were used in orchestration of the ballet, which give it a national tint.
In 2008, a new staging of the ballet was held on the stage of the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater. Famous Russian choreographer Vasiliy Medvedev became its chief ballet master. Yana Temiz – a writer from Turkey wrote a new libretto for staging. Elshad Bagirov who worked at the Bolshoi Theatre and was a conductor at the Opera and Ballet Theater of Istanbul, became the manager and conductor of the staging. Artist of the Bolshoi Theater Dmitriy Cherbadji worked on decorations and Tahir Salahov on costumes.
On 13 October 2014, the ballet premiered in United States at the Civic Theatre in San Diego, California on front of 3,000 crowd.
A storm catches Bahram Shah during a hunt. While looking for a shelter in ruins of an old castle, he met a hermit, who shows him images of seven beauties from different countries. It seems to Bahram that the beauties are revived and are going round with amazing dances. At daybreak the beauties disappear. Bahram leaves the palace and goes home. On the road he sees a stately youngster Manzar and his sister Aysha competing in a bow. Bahram calls Manzar to compete. Then they exchange gifts according to custom. Bahram gives Manzar a belt, and he gives him a sword. After Manzar goes away, Bahram makes Aysha a declaration of love. Aysha also confesses to the hunter. And when servants and a vizier come for lost Bahram, Aysha and Manzar know that this young hunter is none other than the Shah. Vizier informs him about the Khazars’ invasion.
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Wikipedia