Gayane's name in literary works. Analysis of musical works

Artist N. Altman, conductor P. Feldt.

The premiere took place on December 9, 1942 at the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater (Mariinsky Theatre), Molotov (Perm).

Characters:

• Hovhannes, chairman of the collective farm
• Gayane, his daughter
• Armen, shepherd
• Nune, collective farmer
• Karen, farmer
• Kazakov, head of the expedition
• Unknown
• Giko, collective farmer
• Aisha, collective farmer
• Agronomist, collective farmers, geologists, border guards and head of the border guard

The action takes place in Armenia in the 1930s of the XX century.

Dark night. A figure of the unknown appears in the thick net of rain. Listening carefully and looking around, he frees himself from the parachute lines. By checking the map, he is convinced that he is at the target. The rain subsides. Far away in the mountains, the lights of the village flicker. The stranger throws off his overalls and remains in his tunic with stripes for the wound. Limping heavily, he walks away towards the village.

1. Sunny morning. Spring work is in full swing in the collective farm gardens. Leisurely, Giko goes to work lazily. The girls of the best brigade of the collective farm are in a hurry. With them, the foreman is a young cheerful Gayane. Giko stops her, talks about his love, wants to hug her. A young shepherd Armen appears on the road. Gayane joyfully runs towards him. High in the mountains, near the camp of shepherds, Armen found pieces of ore and showed them to Gayane. Giko watches them jealously.

During the rest hours, the collective farmers start dancing. Giko wants Gayane to dance with him, tries to hug him. Armen protects the girl from importunate courtship. Giko is furious and is looking for a reason to quarrel. Grabbing a basket with seedlings, Giko throws it furiously, throws himself at Armen with his fists. Gayane gets between them and demands that Giko leave.

The young collective farmer Karen comes running and announces the arrival of the guests. A group of geologists led by the head of the expedition, Kazakov, enters the garden. They are followed by an unknown. He hired himself to carry the geologists' luggage and stayed with them. Collective farmers cordially welcome visitors. Restless Nune and Karen start dancing in honor of the guests. Dancing and Gayane. The guests follow Armen's dance with admiration. A signal is given to start work. Hovhannes shows the gardens to visitors. Gayane is left alone. She admires the distant mountains and gardens of her native collective farm.

The geologists are back. Armen shows them the ore. The discovery of the shepherd interested geologists and they are going to explore. Armen undertakes to accompany them. They are followed by an unknown person. Gayane tenderly says goodbye to Armen. Giko, seeing this, is overcome with jealousy. The unknown sympathizes with Giko and offers friendship and help.

2. After work at Gayane friends gathered. Kazakov enters. Gayane and her friends show Kazakov the carpet they have woven, start a game of hide and seek. Drunk Giko arrives. The farmers advise him to leave. After seeing off the guests, the chairman of the collective farm tries to talk to Giko, but he does not listen and intrusively sticks to Gayane. The girl in anger drives Giko away.

Geologists and Armen are returning from the campaign. Armen's find is not an accident. A rare metal deposit has been discovered in the mountains. Giko, who lingered in the room, becomes a witness to the conversation. Geologists are on their way. Armen tenderly gives Gayane a flower brought from the mountainside. This is seen by Giko, passing by the windows with the unknown. Armen and Hovhannes set off together with the expedition. Kazakov asks Gayane to save the bag with ore samples.

Night. An unknown person enters Gayane's house. He pretends to be sick and collapses in exhaustion. Gayane helps him up and hurries for water. Left alone, he begins to look for materials from the geological expedition. Returning Gayane understands that the enemy is in front of her. Threatening, the unknown person demands that Gayane hand over materials. During the fight, the carpet covering the niche falls. There is a bag with pieces of ore. The unknown person takes the bag, ties Gayane and sets fire to the house. Fire and smoke fill the room. Giko jumps out the window. Horror and confusion on his face. Seeing a stick forgotten by an unknown person, Giko realizes that the criminal is his recent acquaintance. Giko carries Gayane out of the house on fire.

3. Starry night. High in the mountains there is a camp of collective farm shepherds. Passes a squad of border guards. Shepherd Izmail entertains his beloved Aisha by playing the flute. Aisha starts a smooth dance. Shepherds gather. Armen comes, he brought geologists. Here, at the foot of the cliff, he found ore. Shepherds perform folk dance "Khochari". They are replaced by Armen. Burning torches in his hands cut through the darkness of the night.

A group of highlanders and border guards arrive. Highlanders carry the parachute they found. The enemy has penetrated Soviet soil! A glow broke out over the valley. The village is on fire! Everyone rushes there.

The flame is raging. In its reflections, the figure of an unknown person flashed. He tries to hide, but collective farmers run from all sides to the burning house. The unknown person hides the bag and gets lost in the crowd. The crowd subsided. An unknown person overtakes Giko, asks him to be silent and for this he gives a wad of money. Giko throws money in his face and wants to apprehend the criminal. Giko is injured but continues to fight. Gayane comes to the rescue. Giko falls. The enemy aims a weapon at Gayane. Armen came to the rescue and grabs a revolver from the enemy, who is surrounded by border guards.

4. Autumn. The collective farm had a bountiful harvest. Everyone converges on a holiday. Armen hurries to Gayane. Armena stops the kids and starts a dance around him. Collective farmers are baskets of fruit, jugs of wine. Arriving invited to the holiday guests from the fraternal republics - Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians. Finally, Armen sees Gayane. Their meeting is full of joy and happiness. People flock to the square. Here are the old friends of the collective farmers - geologists and border guards. The best brigade is awarded a banner. Kazakov asks Hovhannes to let Armen go to study. Hovhannes agrees. One dance follows another. Hitting the sonorous tambourines, Nune and her friends dance. Guests perform their national dances - Russian, dashing Ukrainian hopak.

There are tables on the square. With raised glasses, everyone praises free labor, the indestructible friendship of the Soviet peoples, and the beautiful Motherland.

In the late 1930s, Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) was commissioned to compose music for the ballet Happiness. The performance, with a story traditional for that time about a happy life “under the Stalinist sun”, was being prepared for the Decade of Armenian Art in Moscow. Khachaturian recalled: “I spent the spring and summer of 1939 in Armenia, collecting material for the future ballet“ Happiness. ”It was here that the deepest study of the melodies of his native land, folk art began.” Six months later, in September, the ballet was staged at the Armenian Opera Theater and the ballet named after A. A. Spendiarov, and a month later it was shown in Moscow.Despite the great success, shortcomings in the script and musical dramaturgy were noted.

A few years later, the composer returned to work on music, focusing on a new libretto written by Konstantin Derzhavin (1903-1956). The reworked ballet, named after the main character "Gayane", was being prepared for staging at the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. M. Kirov, but the outbreak of World War II broke all plans. The theater was evacuated to the city of Molotov (Perm), where the composer arrived to continue work.

“In the autumn of 1941, I returned to work on the ballet,” Khachaturian recalled. - Today it may seem strange that in those days of severe trials there could be talk of a ballet performance. War and ballet? Concepts are really incompatible. But as life has shown, there was nothing strange in my plan to depict the theme of a great nationwide upsurge, the unity of people in the face of a formidable invasion. The ballet was conceived as a patriotic performance, affirming the theme of love and loyalty to the Motherland. At the theatre's request, after finishing the score, I completed the "Dance of the Kurds" - the same one that later became known as the "Sabre Dance". I started composing it at three o'clock in the afternoon and worked without interruption until two o'clock in the morning. In the morning of the next day, the orchestral voices were rewritten, and a rehearsal took place, and in the evening - a dress rehearsal of the entire ballet. Saber Dance immediately made an impression on the orchestra, on the ballet, and on those present in the hall.

The first performers of the successful premiere at Molotov were Natalya Dudinskaya (Gayane), Konstantin Sergeev (Armen), Boris Shavrov (Giko).

The music for the ballets "Gayane" and "Spartacus" is one of the best works of Khachaturian. The music of "Gayane" is notable for its wide symphonic development with the use of leitmotifs, bright national color, temperament and brilliance. It organically includes authentic Armenian melodies. The lullaby of Gayane imbued with a tender feeling is remembered. For many decades, the Saber Dance, full of fire and courageous strength, was a real hit, reminiscent of Polovtsian Dances from the opera Prince Igor by Borodin. Constant trampling rhythm, sharp harmonies, whirlwind tempo help to create a vivid image of a strong, courageous people.

Musicologist Sofia Katonova wrote: “The merit of Khachaturian was both the reproduction of the characteristic traditions and genres of ancient Armenian art, and their transfer in a specific style of folk performance. It was important for the composer, addressing the modern theme in Gayane, to capture not only the authentic features of the era, but also the appearance and mental make-up of his nation, borrowing its inspired creative manner of reflecting the surrounding life.

Nina Anisimova (1909-1979), choreographer of the play "Gayane", was a student of the famous Agrippina Vaganova, an outstanding character dancer of the Kirov Theater from 1929 to 1958. Before working on "Gayane" Anisimova had experience in staging only a few concert numbers.

“The theater’s appeal to this musical work,” wrote ballet expert Marietta Frangopulo, “expressed the aspirations of Soviet choreographic art to embody heroic images and, in connection with this, the appeal to large symphonic forms. The bright music of Khachaturian, full of drama and lyrical sounds, abounds with Armenian folk melodies developed in the techniques of a wide symphonic development. On the combination of these two principles, Khachaturian created his music. Anisimova set herself a similar task. "Gayane" is a performance of rich musical and choreographic content. Some ballet numbers - such as the duet of Nune and Karen, Nune's variation - subsequently became part of many concert programs, just like the "Sabre Dance", whose music is often performed on the radio. However, the inferiority of the dramaturgy of the ballet to a large extent weakened its impact on the viewer, which led to the need to rework the libretto several times and, in accordance with this, the stage appearance of the performance.

The first changes in the plot basis took place already in 1945, when the Kirov Theater, returning to Leningrad, finalized Gayane. The prologue disappeared in the performance, the number of saboteurs increased to three, Giko became Gayane's husband. New heroes appeared - Nune and Karen, their first performers were Tatyana Vecheslova and Nikolai Zubkovsky. The scenography was also changed, Vadim Ryndin became the new artist. The play was reworked at the same theater in 1952.

In 1957, the ballet "Gayane" was staged at the Bolshoi Theater with a new illustrative-naturalistic script by Boris Pletnev (3 acts, 7 scenes with a prologue). Choreographer Vasily Vainonen, director Emil Kaplan, artist Vadim Ryndin, conductor Yuri Fire. The main roles at the premiere were danced by Raisa Struchkova and Yuri Kondratov.

Until the end of the 1970s, the ballet was successfully staged on Soviet and foreign stages. Of the interesting decisions, it is worth noting the graduation performance of Boris Eifman (1972) at the Leningrad Maly Opera and Ballet Theater (later the choreographer created new editions of the ballet in Riga and Warsaw). The choreographer, with the consent of the author of the music, refused spies and scenes of jealousy and offered the viewer a social drama. The plot told about the first years of the formation of Soviet power in Armenia. Gayane Giko's husband - the son of the fist Matsak - cannot betray his father. Gayane, who grew up in a poor family, sincerely loves her husband, but supports the new government headed by Armen. I remember how the "red wedge" of the Komsomol "historically determined" crushed Matsak. A concession to old stereotypes was the murder of a rich father by his own son. The premiere was danced by Tatyana Fesenko (Gayane), Anatoly Sidorov (Armen), Vasily Ostrovsky (Giko), German Zamuel (Matsak). The play ran for 173 performances.

In the 21st century, the Gayane ballet disappeared from theater stages, primarily because of an unsuccessful script. Separate scenes and numbers of the play by Nina Anisimova continue to be performed annually in graduation performances of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. Saber Dance remains a frequent guest on concert stages.

A. Degen, I. Stupnikov

The ballet "Gayane" is notable, first of all, for the music of Aram Khachaturian, while experts rightly call the libretto stilted. It was written by screenwriter and librettist Konstantin Derzhavin in 1940 based on Khachaturian's previous ballet Happiness. In "Gayane" the composer retained all the best that was in "Happiness", and significantly supplemented and developed the score. The premiere of the ballet took place in 1942 in Perm, where the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre. Kirov. Then Soviet theaters often turned to Khachaturian's ballet. "Gayane" was staged in Sverdlovsk, Yerevan, Kyiv, Riga, Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk. In the Kirov Theater it was resumed two more times - in 1945 and 1952. On the stage of the main musical theater of the country - the Bolshoi - "Gayane" was first staged in 1957. Your attention is invited to a recording of a much later production.

So, experts consider music to be the main advantage of "Gayane". “While still working on the music of the ballet “Happiness”, Khachaturian turned to Armenian folklore, - we read in the book “History of Modern Domestic Music”. – All this was included in Gayane. And although there are few actual folk melodies in the ballet, the intonational nature of Armenian music is recreated through rhythmic, modal-harmonic features, bringing the composition closer to the tradition of Russian classical “music about the East”. By the way, it was for the ballet Gayane that Khachaturian wrote Saber Dance, which is often performed as an independent work. As for the choreography, the ballet breaks up into separate exits. “Various solo numbers and duets, dramatic scenes, generally symphonized (“Cotton picking”, “Dance of cotton”, “Dance of pink girls” and others), folklore dances (“Lezginka”, “Russian dance”, “Schalakho”, “Uzundara ”, “Gopak”) - all this makes up a voluminous and contrasting score of the ballet ”(“ History of Modern Russian Music ”).

Why is there a place for hopak, Russian dance and other dances of the peoples of the USSR in Armenian history? At the end of this story, guests from the fraternal republics arrive at the Armenian collective farm for the harvest festival. But before that, a completely detective story unfolds in the mountain collective farm and its environs. A spy descends on a parachute into the mountains of Armenia. He will follow the geologists - with the help of the smart shepherd Armen, they discovered deposits of rare and valuable ore not far from the collective farm. Naturally, vigilant Soviet collective farmers will expose the enemy. But in parallel with the espionage in the ballet, of course, a love story unfolds. Shepherd Armen and the daughter of the chairman of the collective farm Gayane love each other, but they have to constantly repel the attacks of the jealous Giko, Gayane's admirer.

Today "Gayane" seems to be a monument to a special era of Soviet art, when the glorification of the brotherhood of peoples took on bizarre forms. But this does not prevent you from enjoying the powerful music of Aram Khachaturian and the high skill of the Bolshoi ballet dancers.

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The ballet "Gayane" was written by Khachaturian in 1942. In the harsh days of the Second World War, the music of "Gayane" sounded like a bright and life-affirming story. Shortly before "Gayane" Khachaturian wrote the ballet "Happiness". In a different storyline revealing the same images, the ballet was like a sketch for "Gayane" in terms of theme and music: the composer introduced the best numbers from "Happiness" into "Gayane".

The creation of Gayane, one of Aram Khachaturian's finest works, was prepared not only by the first ballet. The theme of human happiness - his living creative energy, the fullness of his worldview was revealed by Khachaturian in works of other genres. On the other hand, the symphony of the composer's musical thinking, the bright colors and imagery of his music.

The libretto “Gayane”, written by K. Derzhavin, tells how the young collective farmer Gayane gets out of the power of her husband, a deserter who undermines work on the collective farm; how she exposes his treacherous actions, his connection with saboteurs, almost becoming a victim of a target, almost becoming a victim of revenge, and finally, about how Gayane learns a new, happy life.

1 action.

A new crop is being harvested in the cotton fields of an Armenian collective farm. Collective farmer Gayane is among the best, most active workers. Her husband, Giko, quits his job on the collective farm and demands the same from Gayane, who refuses to fulfill his demand. The collective farmers expel Giko from their midst. The witness of this scene is the head of the border detachment, Kazakov, who arrived at the collective farm.

2 action.

Relatives and friends try to entertain Gayane. Giko's appearance in the house causes the guests to disperse. 3 strangers come to Giko. Gayane learns about her husband's connection with the saboteurs and about his intention to set fire to the collective farm. Gayane's attempts to prevent the criminal plan are in vain.

3 action.

The proud camp of the Kurds. A young girl Aisha is waiting for her lover Armen (Gayane's brother). Armen and Aisha's date is interrupted by the appearance of three strangers looking for a way to the border. Armen, volunteering to be their guide, sends for Kazakov's detachment. The saboteurs have been arrested.

In the distance, a fire flares up - this is a burning collective farm. Cossacks with a detachment and the Kurds rush to the aid of the collective farmers.

4 action.

The collective farm, revived from the ashes, is preparing to start its working life again. On this occasion, there is a holiday in the collective farm. Gayane's new life begins with the new life of the collective farm. In the struggle with her deserter husband, she asserted her right to an independent working life. Now Gayane also recognized a new, bright feeling of love. The holiday ends with the announcement of the upcoming wedding of Gayane and Kazakov.

The action of the ballet develops in two main directions: the drama of Gayane, pictures of folk life. As in all the best works of Khachaturian, the music of "Gayane" is deeply and organically connected with the musical culture of the Transcaucasian peoples and, most of all, with the Armenian people native to him.

Khachaturian introduces several genuine folk melodies into the ballet. They are used by the composer not only as a bright and expressive melodic material, but in accordance with the meaning they have in folk life.

The compositional and musical-dramatic techniques used by Khachaturian in "Gayane" are extremely diverse. In ballet, integral, generalized musical characteristics acquire predominant importance: portrait sketches, folk-everyday, genre pictures, pictures of nature. They correspond to complete, closed musical numbers, in the sequential presentation of which bright suite-symphonic cycles are often formed. The logic of development, which unites independent musical images into a single whole, is different in different cases. So, in the final picture, a large cycle of dances is united by the ongoing holiday. In some cases, the alternation of numbers is based on figurative, emotional contrasts between lyrical and cheerful, impetuous or energetic, courageous, genre and dramatic.

The musical and dramatic means are also clearly differentiated in the characteristics of the characters: integral portrait sketches of episodic characters are contrasted with a through dramatic musical development in the part of Gayane; various dance rhythms underlying the musical portraits of Gayane's friends and relatives are opposed by Gayane's improvisationally free, lyrically rich melody.

Khachaturian consistently pursues the principle of leitmotifs in relation to each of the characters, which gives the images and the whole work a musical value and stage specificity. Due to the variety and development of Gayane's melodies, Gayane's musical image acquires much greater flexibility in comparison with other ballet characters. The image of Gayane is revealed by the composer in a consistent development, as her feelings evolve: from hidden grief (“Dance of Gayane”, No. 6) and the first glimpses of a new feeling (“Dance of Gayane”, No. 8), through a struggle full of drama (act 2) - to a new bright feeling, a new life (introduction to act 4, No. 26).

Aram Khachaturian presented an Armenian song to the world,
refracted through the prism of great talent.
Avetik Isahakyan

In early 1939, Khachaturian received from the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theater named after A.A. Spendiarov's proposal to write a ballet for the decade of Armenian art in Moscow.
“The first stage of my work,” wrote the composer, “was familiarization with the material with which I was to operate. This included recording various melodies and listening to these melodies performed by various Armenian philharmonic groups.” Wealth of impressions, direct contact
with the life and culture of the people led to the inspiration and speed of the creative process.
“The work on the ballet,” recalls Khachaturian, “was unusually intensive, I would say, along the assembly line. The music I wrote (I, as always, wrote it down immediately in the score) was immediately transferred in parts to the scribes, and then to the orchestra. The performance went, so to speak, on the heels of the composition, and I could immediately hear individual pieces of the created music in real sound. The orchestra was led by a wonderful, most experienced conductor K. S. Saradzhev, who helped me a lot in the process of work.”
The premiere took place in September of the same year.

The ballet "Happiness", written to the libretto by G. Hovhannisyan, tells about the life, work and struggle of border guards, collective farmers, and village youth. The ballet touches upon the topics of labor, national defense, and patriotism that were relevant to Soviet literature and art of the 1930s. The action of the ballet takes place in an Armenian collective farm village, in the flowering gardens of the Ararat Valley, at the frontier outpost; in the center of the plot is the love of the collective farm girl Karine and the young border guard Armen.
The composer created colorful musical sketches of folk life. Mass dance scenes that characterize the life of the people left a great impression: seeing off conscripts to the Red Army (1st picture), harvesting collective farm crops (3rd picture), life full of anxiety and danger at the frontier outpost (2nd and 4th pictures) , finally, a holiday on the collective farm (5th scene). The Pioneer Dance (No. 1), the Dance of the Conscripts (No. 3), the "Grape Harvest" (No. 7), and the Dance of the Old Men (No. 8) stood out especially.
Along with the Mass Scenes, some of the acting ones also received minor musical characteristics in the ballet. faces. First of all, this refers to the lyrical image of the main character, Cornice, marked by femininity and charm. The image of Karine is developed in a number of her solo dances and dances with her friends (for example, in a solo imbued with soft sadness in Act I or a smooth, graceful dance in Act III), in the mass harvest scene, in the farewell scene between Karine and Ar-men (I act ). There are some successful places in the musical depiction of Armen (in particular, in the scene of his struggle with saboteurs), the old man Gabo-bidza (this image is endowed with features of truly folk humor), the joker and the merry fellow Avet.
The ballet contains symphonic musical scenes that contribute to the disclosure of the most dramatic situations. Such, for example, is the symphonic picture "The Border", built on the clash and confrontation of the main leitmotifs of the ballet - the strong-willed, energetic motive of the struggle, the ominous, angular motive of the saboteurs and the melodious theme of love. Like some other Soviet composers, Khachaturian, in an effort to expand the boundaries of the ballet genre and enhance its expressiveness, introduced a choir praising the Motherland in the finale.
The main advantage of the music of the ballet "Happiness" is in its great emotionality, lyricism, in its true nationality. The composer used wonderful examples of folk dance creativity: Armenian dances “Pshati Tsar” - “Spar Tree” (in “Grape Harvest”), Cries of Couples - Dance of Cranes (in the Dance of Collective Farmers), “Blow, Blow” (in the Dance of the Old Men), “ Ashtaraki" - "Ashtarak" (in the dance of Gabo-bidzy), peculiar and interesting in rhythmic terms
"Shalakho" and others, as well as Ukrainian hopak, lezginka, Russian dance. The musical fabric of the ballet is saturated with folk intonations. It attracts a variety of rhythms that goes back to the rich rhythms of Armenian folk dances (original, for example, the three-beat rhythm of chords, combined with the two-beat theme of the trumpet in "Shalakho", mismatched accents in different voices in "Grape Harvest"). By means of a symphony orchestra, the composer subtly conveys the timbres of the folk musical instruments of the Caucasus.
On October 24, 1939, during the decade of Armenian art in Moscow, the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theater performed the ballet "Happiness" on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR.
The public and the press gave a positive assessment of the music of the ballet, noting the initiative of Khachaturian in solving a topical issue in the musical and choreographic art. At the same time, the shortcomings of the ballet were also noted. They mainly concerned the libretto, which suffered from sketchy plot positions, friability of dramaturgy, and poor development of the characters of the characters. To a certain extent, this also applied to music. Attention was drawn to the fact that not all musical images are sufficiently deeply developed, that some scenes suffer from illustrativeness, musical dramaturgy is fragmentary, and individual colorful numbers of the ballet are not united to the necessary extent by a through symphonic development.
The composer himself felt the shortcomings of the composition,
In 1940, the Leningrad Academic Theater of Onera and Ballet named after S. M. Kirov suggested that Khachaturian create a new ballet. In the same year, in accordance with the wishes of the composer K. I. Derzhavin wrote the libretto "Gayane". Based on a new storyline, it at the same time retained some of the dramatic positions and characters of the ballet "Happiness". The libretto_"Gayane" was distinguished by a deeper development of the plot, dramatic conflict and images of the main characters than the libretto "Happiness", although it also contained a number of shortcomings.
The libretto enabled the composer to preserve all the best of the music of "Happiness", including the Dance of the Pioneers, Ganets of the conscripts, "Farewell", "Exit of the old men and women", "Karine with friends", finale of Act I, "Grape harvest", Dance of Karine with grapes, Dance of the Crane, Gopak, "Shalakho", Lezginka, symphonic picture "Border", etc.
But the music of the ballet "Gayane" is much richer, more generalized, more detailed and organic in its symphonic development. Khachaturian wrote a new act (Ш), many new musical numbers, including the well-known Saber Dance, the musical image of the main character was significantly enriched, and the leitmotifs were more developed.

The score of "Gayane" was completed at the end of 1942. On December 3, the ballet was staged at the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. M. Kirov, which was then in Perm.
“We can say with joy,” D. Kabalevsky wrote, “that Gayane is writing a new page in the history of Soviet music and Soviet ballet.”
Let us trace the development of the musical stage action of the ballet "Gayane" by acts.3
The ballet opens with a short orchestral introduction. In his elevated majorga music, one can hear intonations and rhythms that can be recognized in many musical themes of the ballet. Here, for the first time, the invocative-fanfare volitional motif of the struggle appears. Changing depending on the situation, it will also be associated with the characterization of one of the main characters of the ballet - the border guard Kazakov. In another version of the score, an ominous motif of enemy forces is also included in the introduction.
The first act of the ballet is a genre everyday painting painted in rich colors. The burning midday sun floods with its rays a wide-spreading valley in one of the border regions of Soviet Armenia. A chain of snowy mountains can be seen in the distance. The collective farm "Happiness" is harvesting a new crop. Young collective farmer Gayane and her brother Armen are at the head of the workers.
In a single stream of symphonic development, mass dances alternate: "Cotton Picking", Cotton Dance, Dance of Men. They introduce into the stage action, create a feeling of the joy of free labor, a generous abundance of the gifts of nature.
By the brightness of the colors, these dances involuntarily evoke associations with the sunny paintings of M. Saryan.
The music of the first dance (No. 1 and 1-a) is built on the melody of the Armenian folk song "Pshati Tsar" ("Spar Tree"):

The composer skillfully uses the techniques of rhythmic-intonation variation, modal nuances, characteristic of Armenian folk music (the signs of Dorian and Aeolian minor are emphasized). With each new performance, the melody is overgrown with figurations, undertones arising from its own motive elements and acquiring independent melodic contours. On this basis, various polymelodic formations are created.
Music is dynamized by rhythmic interruptions introduced into the ostinato rhythm of the dance, asymmetrical measures, elements of polyrhythm, mismatched accents in different voices, etc.
Presented first with wood, then with copper, the main theme of the dance reaches (in chord presentation) a great sounding power. All this gives a special full-bloodedness to the music of the dance.
The next - slow, full of grace, capriciously rhythmic, adorned with soft melismas - the Cotton Dance (No. 2) also has folk motifs at its core. Surprisingly organically, the composer combined the melody of the lyrical folk dance “Gna ari man ari” (“Come and return”) with the motifs of circular dances - “gends”: “Ashtaraki” (“Ashtarak”) and “Dariko oynar”, creating on their basis a peculiar form rondo. The first dance tune plays the role of a refrain (As-dur), and the other two play the role of episodes (f-mall).
The cotton dance contrasts with the first dance, but it also draws attention to Khachaturian's favorite techniques of polyrhythmic combinations, layers of independent melodic lines. Let us point out, for example, the simultaneous sounding of the main theme (stated by the violin) of an expressive tune of the flute and trumpet (with a mute):

The third dance (No. 3, Dance of Men) was also built on a folk basis. The color of Armenian heroic and wedding dances, the nature of the sound of folk instruments are wonderfully conveyed in it (the composer also introduced the folk percussion instrument, the daira, into the score). This is one of the most symphonically developed mass ballet dances. The lapidary theme of the folk dance “Trigi” sounds invitingly at the horns

Capturing in its accelerating movement all the new registers and groups of the orchestra, the music grows to a powerful sound. Energetic rhythmic interruptions, temperamental chanting of tonics, second shifts in degrees of mode, persistent intonational repetitions, reminiscent of piercing, as if choking tunes of zurna, will crush the dance with special masculinity, swiftness.
This dance of strength and youth leads to the scenes (3-a-3-a), where the main characters of the ballet are exposed and a dramatic conflict begins.
It's time for rest on the field. They bring jugs of water and wine, bread, meat, fruits. Roll out carpets. Collective farmers are located under a tree, some in the shade of a canopy. The youth are dancing. Only Gayane is sad and preoccupied. Her husband Giko gets drunk, offends his family, quit his job on the collective farm. Now he demands that his wife leave with him. Gayane flatly refuses. Collective farmers are trying to reason with him. A quarrel arises between Giko and Gayane's brother Armen.
At this time, the commander of the border detachment Kazakov, accompanied by two fighters, arrives at the collective farm. Giko disappears. Collective farmers greet the border guards, give them flowers, treat. Kazakov chooses a large red razor and gives it to Gayane. After the departure of Kazakov and the fighters, Giko reappears. He again demands that Gayane quit her job, rudely insults her. Outraged collective farmers drive Giko away.
To characterize each character, the composer creates portrait dances, finds individualized intonations, leitmotifs. Courageous, energetic marching rhythms, strong accents marked Armen's dance (No. 7), which is close in character to Armenian folk dances of the Kochari type. contrasting voice (horns and cellos).
The fourth and eighth numbers ("Kazakov's Arrival" and "Departure") are saturated with strong-willed, inviting intonations, jumping rhythms, fanfare signals, dynamic pressures.)
Even in the introduction to the ballet, a decisive, heroic motif sounded (beginning with an active ascending fifth). In these scenes, he acquires the meaning of Kazakov's leitmotif.

In the full of life, temperament Dance of Nune and Karen (No. 5), Gayane's friends are depicted - a joker, a merry fellow Karen and a perky Nune. The scherzo character of the duet is conveyed both by lively playing motifs (strings, and then wooden ones), and by a bizarre rhythm beaten out by timpani, snare and large drums, and the piano.
In the music of the quarrel scene (No. 3-a), a leitmotif appears that characterizes the enemy forces; (here he is associated with Giko, and later will be associated with images of intruders). Either ominously creeping (on the bassclarinet, bassoon, double basses), or threateningly attacking, it contrasts sharply with the intonations with which positive images are associated.
This motif develops especially intensively in the symphonic painting "Fire"; in the presentation of thirds, sixths and, finally, tritones, it becomes more and more menacing.

The image of Gayane is exhibited with the greatest completeness in Act I. Khachaturian gave all the expressive power of his melos, all the richness of the shades of the lyrical sphere of his music to the depiction of her beautiful, deeply human nature, the disclosure of her emotional experiences. It was in connection with Gayane that especially humane, psychologically expressive, lyrically warm intonations entered the ballet music.

The music that characterizes Gayane, as it were, absorbed the intonations of many of Khachaturian's lyrical themes, in particular from the piano and violin concertos. In turn, many lyrical pages of the Second Symphony, the cello concerto, as well as the ballet Spartacus (the image of Phrygia) will be connected with this sphere.

The image of Gayane is in the full sense of the word the central image of the ballet. It is inextricably linked with mass chains. For the first time, Gayane's characterization is given in Act I in the scene of a quarrel with her husband (No. 3-a) and in her two dances (No. b and 8). In the scene of a quarrel, a motif arises (for violins, cellos and horn), which will later be associated with the most active sides of Gayane's nature. Saturated with emotional power, full of inner drama, it conveys Gayane's feelings, her anger, indignation, and steadfastness in the struggle.

At the most dramatic moments in the ballet, this motif of Gayane and the motif of enemy forces will collide more than once (in Act II, Nos. 12, 14; in Act III, No. 25).
In the final episode of the quarrel scene, other sides of Gayane's character are also embodied: femininity, tenderness. This episode is an emotional climax.
After a short improvisational introduction based on sadly alarmed bassoon phrases, an expressive, heartfelt melody of the solo violin appears, against the background of evenly rhythmic chords of a harp and a string quintet.

Singing, surprisingly plastic, she draws beautiful, full of tenderness and poetry.
the appearance of Gayane creates a feeling of moral purity and spiritual nobility. This melody acquires the meaning of Gayane's leittheme and will repeatedly appear in the music of the ballet, changing and varying depending on the development of the musical stage action.
Further disclosure of the image of Gayane in Act I; occurs in two of her dances (Nos. 6 and 8).
In the first of them, the above leitme is stated by cellos, and then it is developed into a two-part invention (violins with mutes).

The music is saturated with intonations of prayer, restrained mental pain. The second dance, which is based on a tremulously excited harp arpeggio, is evoked with bright sadness.
So, the first act of the ballet is an exposition of characters, the beginning of a musical-dramatic conflict, the beginning of the clash of the forces of "action" and "counter-action".
In conclusion, the first dance ("Cotton picking") is played again, throwing the intonation and tonal arch from the beginning to the end of the act.
Act II takes the viewer to Gayane's house. Relatives, girlfriends, friends are trying to entertain her. Full of charm, grace, the first dance - carpet-weaving girls (No. 9). Fine weaving of melodies, soft undertones, imitations, colorful modal juxtapositions (motifs in different modal spheres are superimposed on the sustained tonic in the bass), and finally, with its amazing melodiousness, this dance resembles some girlish lyrical choirs and dances of Komitas or Spendiarov.

The compositional structure of the dance approaches the form of a rondo. The musical themes are very diverse and close in structure to Armenian folk music (one of the themes is based on a fragment of a genuine folk melody “Kalosi irken” - “Rim of the wheel”). Freshness of the sound is given by second tonal comparisons of episodes.
The Dance of the Carpet Weavers is followed by "Tush" (No. 10) with its elevated festive intonations and full of playfulness and ingenuous slyness Nune's Variations (No. 10-a) with their capriciously bizarre rhythm and intonations of Sayat-Nova's famous song "Kani vur janem" ( "As long as I'm your darling"). Accordingly, with the image of Nune, the composer gave the lyrical melody of Sayat-Nova a cheerful, lively character.

Variations are replaced by a rather heavy comedic Dance of the Old Men (No. 11), It uses two folk dance melodies close in rhythm.
The listed dances are, in the apt expression of G. Khubov, a kind of “introductory intermezzo”, sharply contrasting, with their soft lyricism and purely peasant humor, with the intense drama of subsequent numbers.
The atmosphere of fun and friendly sincere friendliness is broken by the arrival of Giko (No. 12). The transformed lyrical theme \ Gayane (viola solo) sounds sad. The ostinato triplets of diminished seventh chords, aggravated by "groaning" arrests, pulsate anxiously. Somehow: a feeling of stiffness, alertness is introduced by a measuredly rhythmic tonic organ point in the bass, while at the same time there is a constant sensation of two tonics - d and g. The leitmotif of Gayane appears, which sounded in the quarrel scene (I act). This time, thanks to sequential pressures, strong climaxes, harmonic aggravations (mode with two extended seconds), and finally, stubbornly repeated groaning seconds, it acquires an even more excited, active character in its development (Andantino p.ffet-tuoso). And again, as in the scene of a quarrel, but in amplified sound (trombone, tuba), the ominous motive of Giko comes in opposition.

The guests leave. Gayane rocking the child. The attention of the listener switches to her emotional experiences. Lullaby Gayane (No. 13) begins - one of the most inspired numbers of the ballet.
Rocking the baby, Gayane surrenders to her thoughts. The lullaby genre, which is widespread in Armenian folk music, is translated here into a deeply psychological plane. The Lullaby begins as if with oboe sobbing phrases against the background of sad descending thirds from the clarinets. Further (at the flute against the background of a harp and bassoon, and then at the violin against the background of a horn) a gentle, soulful melody flows.

Great expression reaches the music in the middle part. The intonations of the oboe, exacerbated by ascending passages in sequence, intensely sounding chords, grow into music of passionate spiritual outpouring, despair and grief.

A fragment of the folk lyric song “Chem krna hagal” (“I can’t play”) is organically woven into the music of the Lullaby:

Attackers come to Giko. He informs them of his decision to set fire to the collective farm. Gayane tries in vain to block their way, to keep her husband from committing a crime; she calls for help. Giko pushes Gayane away, locks her up and hides with the criminals.
This scene (No. 14) is marked by intense drama; it is a continuation and development of the quarrel scene from Act I. The motives of Giko and Gayane also collide in it. But "here the clash acquires a much more conflicting character. It is embodied in a dynamic symphonic development. The theme of enemy forces in chord presentation, in polyphonic combinations, with intensive use of copper sounds menacing, ominous.
She is opposed by the anxious-sounding groaning intonations of the Lullaby, the canonically developed leitmotif of Gayane. Finally, on the ostiiate phrase of the harp, the distorted (stated by the bass clarinet) theme of Gayane enters.
This musical number organically flows into the final episode, revealing the image of a shocked young woman.
The action of Act III takes place in a mountainous Kurdish village. Already in the orchestral introduction, a new circle of intonations appears: lively, energetic Kurdish dances sound.
There is a very colorful everyday background on which the action takes place. Armen meets his beloved Kurdish girl Lishen. But the Kurdish youth Ismail also loves her. In a fit of jealousy, he rushes at Armen. Aisha's father reconciles the young people. Intruders lost in the mountains appear, looking for a way to the border. Suspecting something bad, Armen quietly sends for the border guards, and he undertakes to lead the strangers to the border.
As in previous acts, the musical stage action develops on the basis of contrasts. "The fast-paced dance music of the introduction gives way to a colorful picture of the dawn (No. 15).
The imposition of various tonal layers (colorful polytonal ratios arise), the coverage of the extreme registers of the orchestra, “flickering”, trembling octaves in the upper voices of the strings, harmonics of violas, languid sighs of cellos and harps, like frozen organ points in the bass, finally, the introduction of a melody (in the solo piccolo flute), close to the Gejas mugham, all this creates a feeling of air, space, awakening nature.

Aisha's intonational image emerges directly from the dawn music. The dance of the Kurdish girl (No. 16) with its waltz rhythm, expressive, poetic melody by the violins is full of grace and grace. Some special feeling of languor, tenderness is given to the dance by the descending move accompanying the main melody (in the lower voice) and the gentle echoes of the flutes.
The Kurdish dance begins (No. 17). It is characterized by courageous, strong-willed rhythms (sharply underlined by percussion instruments), warlike intonations. Strong accents, sharp tonal shifts create a feeling of unstoppable, spontaneously bursting energy.

And again the gentle music of Aisha sounds (No. 18): her waltz is repeated in a compressed form. A developed three-part form is formed, uniting sharply contrasting images.
This is followed by the love duet of Aisha and Armen (No. 19). It is based on the motive of Armen and the expressive melody of Aisha.
After a small scene (No. 20, Ismail's jealousy and his reconciliation with Armen), there is an Armenian-Kurdish dance full of energy and strength, reminiscent of the Kochari folk dance (No. 21).
The following episodes (Nos. 22-24, scene, Armen's Variations, the appearance of malefactors and their struggle with Armen) prepare the climax of the act, which is at the same time the denouement of a dramatic conflict.
The border guards, led by Kazakov, rush to help Armen and detain the intruders (“Disclosure of the Conspiracy”, No. 24-a). In the distance, the glow of a fire flares up - these are the collective farm warehouses set on fire by Giko (Fire, No. 25). Collective farmers put out the fire. Having committed a crime, Giko tries to hide, but he is stopped and denounced before the people of Gayane. In a fit of anger and despair, Giko stabs her with a knife. The offender is taken into custody and taken away.
In these scenes, the music reaches a great dramatic tension, a genuine symphony of development. The ominous motive of the enemy forces sounds again, growing stronger, cutting through the powerful tutti of the orchestra. He is opposed by the heroic motif associated with the image of Kazakov, but here it acquires a more generalized meaning. Each new implementation of the motive of enemy forces gives rise to new motives opposing it, strengthening and expanding the range of heroic images of the struggle. One of these motifs is associated with the sound of the tocsin theme in Khachaturian's Second Symphony, and the other will later be included as an intonational fragment in the National Anthem of the Armenian SSR written by the composer.
In the scene of the fire, the motives of Giko, the enemy forces again collide with the motives of anger, Gayane's resilience.
Marked rhythms, syncopated shifts of accents, howling chordal passages in the upper registers, strong pressures of ascending sequences, an increase in dynamics to powerful fortissimo, and finally, anxious exclamations: brass - all this creates an image of a raging: elements, enhances the dramatic, tension. This dramatized musical scene turns into a lyrical statement by Gayane (Adagio) - the emotional conclusion of the whole picture. The lyrical theme of Gayane acquires here the character of the first mournful lamentation; it evolves from a mournful cor anglais melody (against a background of tremolo violins and groaning seconds of violins and violas) to a dramatically tense orchestral tutti.

The last, IV act is the semantic result of the ballet.
Time has passed. The collective farm "Happiness", which suffered from the fire, is back in operation and is celebrating the harvest of the new crop. Guests arrived from other collective farms, from military units: Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians, Kurds. Joyfully meet Kazakov and Gayane, who has recovered from her wound. They are connected by a feeling of sublime and pure love. The love of Gayane and the Russian warrior is not only the lyrical theme of the ballet, but at the same time it symbolizes the idea of ​​friendship between the Russian and Armenian peoples. The fun dances begin. The holiday ends with the announcement of the forthcoming marriage of Gayane and Kazakov, Aisha and Armen, Nune and Karen. Everyone greets the young, glorifies free labor, the friendship of peoples, the Soviet Fatherland.

The music of the last act seems to be illuminated by the moons of the sun. Already the beginning of it (No. 26, introduction, scene and Gayane's adagio) is imbued with a sense of light, life, the fullness of happiness. Against the background of harp arpeggios, flute and clarinet trills, an enthusiastic improvisational tune arises, reminiscent of 1 folk hymns to the sun - "Saari".
Framed by joyfully sounding dance melodies, Gayane's leittema reappears. Now it grows into a romantically poetic cantilena with a wide range. Sad, mournful intonations disappear in it and everything bright, jubilant blossoms (major arpeggios in triplets by the harp, coloring tonal comparisons, light registers of the “tree”). (See example 15).
Adagio Gayane is replaced by a graceful Dance of Pink Girls and Nune (No. 27), a mass scene (No. 28), built on the music of Act I (from No. 4), and a sedate Dance of Old Men and Old Women (No. 29).
This is followed by a detailed dance suite based on the dance melodies of various nations - guests who have arrived from the fraternal republics are dancing.
The suite begins with the fieryly temperamental Lezginka (No. 30). Using the techniques of motive development, sharp rhythmic interruptions, characteristic tonal shifts for a second, the introduction of undertones, asymmetrical sentences, Khachaturian achieves a huge increase in dynamics.
The lively tunes of balalaikas are heard in the orchestra: lazily, as if reluctantly, the melody of the Russian dance music (No. 31) enters.

With each new holding, she is gaining momentum, strength, energy. The composer showed a subtle understanding of the peculiarities of Russian folk music. The dance is written in variational form. The motives, rhythms, timbres of the orchestra vary with great skill, lively ornamental voices are introduced, sharp tonal shifts are used, etc.
Full of courageous strength, enthusiasm and prowess, the Russian dance is replaced by the equally brilliantly orchestrated and symphonically developed Armenian dances: "Shalakho" (No. 32) and "Uzundara" (No. 33). I would like to note the exceptional rhythmic sharpness of these dances (in particular, the presence of mismatched accents, asymmetric sentences), as well as their modal originality.
After the extended Waltz (No. 34) marked with an "oriental" modal flavor, one of the most brilliant and original numbers of the ballet, the Saber Dance (No. 35), enters.
In this dance, the fiery temperament, energy, impetuous elemental force of the rhythm of the warlike dances of the peoples of Transcaucasia are especially clearly embodied (see example 17).
The composer achieves a great effect by introducing into this frenzy of rhythm a captivating melodic melody (on the alto saxophone, violins, violas, cellos), familiar to us even before the duet of Armen and Depriving Act III. The soft undertones of the flutes, based on the intonations of “Kalosi prken”, give it a special charm. Elements of polyrhythm attract attention: a combination of two- and three-part in different voices.

melodious melody (from the alto saxophone, violins, violas, cellos), familiar to us from the duet of Armen and Depriving Act III. The soft undertones of the flutes, based on the intonations of “Kalosi prken”, give it a special charm. Elements of polyrhythm attract attention: a combination of two- and three-part in different voices.

The act ends with a stormy Gopak (No. 36), written in a form approaching a rondo (in one of the episodes, the Ukrainian folk song “How the goat went, went” was used), and a festively jubilant final March.
The ballet "Gayane" embodies the leading ideological motives of A. Khachaturian's creativity. These are the ideas of high Soviet patriotism, the blood connection in our society of personal and social interests. The ballet glorifies a happy working life, the fraternal friendship of the peoples in our country, the lofty spiritual image of the Soviet people, and stigmatizes the crimes of the enemies of socialist society.
Having largely overcome everydayism, dramatic looseness, and in some places even the far-fetchedness of the libretto, Khachaturian managed to embody the content of the ballet in music realistically, through clashes of human characters, against the backdrop of folk scenes and romantically poetic pictures of nature. The prosaism of the libretto gave way to the lyricism and poetry of Khachaturian's music, the ballet "Gayane" is a realistic musical and choreographic story about the Soviet people, "one of the amazing and rare in terms of emotional brightness phenomenon of modern art."

The score contains many impressive colorful scenes of folk life. Suffice it to at least recall the harvest scene or the finale of the ballet embodying the idea of ​​friendship between peoples. Directly connected with folk scenes and musical landscapes in ballet. Nature here is not just a picturesque backdrop; contributing to a more complete and vivid disclosure of the content of the ballet, it personifies the idea of ​​abundance, the flourishing life of the people, and its spiritual beauty. Such, for example, are the colorful musical pictures of nature in Acts I (“Harvesting”) and III (“Dawn”).

The theme of spiritual beauty and heroism of the Soviet woman Gayane runs through the entire ballet. Having created a multifaceted image of Gayane, truthfully conveying her emotional experiences, Khachaturian came close to solving one of the most important and complex tasks of Soviet art - the embodiment of the image of a positive hero, our contemporary. The image of Gayane reveals the main humanistic theme of the ballet - the theme of a new person, the bearer of a new morality. And this is not a "resonant figure", not a carrier of an abstract idea, but an individualized image of a living person with a rich spiritual world, deep psychological experiences. All this gave the image of Gayane charm, amazing warmth, genuine humanity.
Gayane is shown in the ballet both as a tenderly loving mother, and as a brave patriot who finds the strength in herself to expose her criminal husband before the people, and as a woman capable of great feelings. The composer reveals both the depth of Gayane's suffering and the fullness of the happiness she conquered and acquired.
The intonational image of Gayane is marked by great internal unity; it develops from a poetic monologue and two lyrical dances of Act I, through a quarrel scene and a Lullaby to an enthusiastic love adagio - a duet with Kazakov in the finale. One can speak of symphonism in the development of this image.
The music that characterizes Gayane is organically connected with the lyrical sphere of the Armenian folk melos. The most inspirational pages of the ballet are dedicated to the heroine. In them, the composer's expressive means, usually saturated, decorative, become softer, more tender, more transparent. This manifests itself in melody, and in harmony, and in orchestration.
Gayane's girlfriend Nune, Kurdish girl Aisha, Gayane's brother Armen have well-aimed musical characteristics. Each of these images is endowed with its own circle of intonations: Nune - playful, scherzo, Aisha - tender, languid and at the same time marked by an inner temperament, Armen - courageous, strong-willed, heroic. Less expressively, one-sidedly, mostly only with a fanfare motif, Kazakov is depicted. His musical image is not convincing enough and somewhat sketchy. The same can be said about the image of Guiko, which is mostly depicted with only one color - ominous, creeping chromatic moves in the bass.
With all its intonation diversity, the musical language of the actors, with the exception of Giko and the malefactors, is organically connected with the musical language of the people.
The ballet "Gayane" is synthetic; marked by features of lyrical-psychological, everyday and social drama.
Khachaturian boldly and talentedly solved the difficult creative task of achieving a genuine synthesis of the traditions of classical ballet and folk-national musical and choreographic art. The composer makes extensive use of various types and forms of "characteristic dance", especially in mass folk scenes. Saturated with intonations and rhythms of folk music, and often based on authentic samples of folk dances, they serve as a means of depicting a real everyday background or characterizing individual characters. Let us point out, for example, the male dance in Act I, the Kurdish dance in Act II, the dances of the girls full of grace and grace, the musical characterization of Karen, etc. The portrait dances figuratively characterize the main characters - Gayane, Armen, Nune, etc. the classical forms of variations, adagio, pas de deux, pas de trois, pas (faction, etc.) are saturated in the ballet. Recall, for example, such different variations of Armen, Nune, Gayane's adagio, pas de deux Nune and Karei - a comedy duet, evoking associations with Armenian folk duets like “Abrban”, finally, a dramatic scene of a quarrel (II act) - a kind of pas d action, etc. Especially in connection with the deeply human image of Gayane, the composer turns to musical and choreographic monologues, ensembles " and "disagreements") - forms that later (in "Spartacus") will acquire special significance.
Characterizing the people, Khachaturian makes extensive use of large musical and choreographic ensembles. Here (and to an even greater extent in the ballet Spartacus) the corps de ballet acquires an independent and dramatically effective role. The score of the ballet "Gayane" contains detailed pantomimes, symphonic paintings ("Dawn", "Fire"), directly included in the development of the action. They showed the talent and skill of Khachaturian the symphonist especially brightly.
There is an opinion that Khachaturian did not succeed in the final, allegedly excluded from the through action and bearing a divertissement character. It seems that this is not so. First of all, the history of the ballet genre has shown that divertissement not only does not contradict musical and choreographic dramaturgy, but, on the contrary, is one of its strong and impressive elements, but, of course, if it helps to reveal the idea of ​​the work. This is how the final divertissement appears to us - a competition of dances of various peoples. These dances are written so brightly, colorfully, saturated with such emotional power and temperament, they complement each other so organically and merge in a single stream of sound growing towards the finale that they are perceived inextricably linked with the whole course of the event in the ballet, with its central idea.
Musical and choreographic suites play a big role in "Gayane"; they serve as a means of "advancing" the action, depicting "typical circumstances", embodying the image of a collective hero. The suites appear in various forms - from the microsuite at the beginning of Act II to the extended final divertissement.

Following the classical traditions of ballet creativity, relying on the richest experience of Soviet musical and choreographic art, Khachaturian proceeds from the understanding of ballet as an integral musical stage work with an internal musical dramaturgy, with consistently sustained symphonic development. Each choreographic scene must be subject to dramatic necessity, the disclosure of the main idea.
“It was a difficult task for me to symphonize ballet music,” the composer wrote, “I firmly set this task for myself, and it seems to me that anyone who writes an opera or ballet should do this.”
Depending on the dramatic role of this or that scene, this or that number, Khachaturian turns to various musical forms - from the simplest couplet, two- and three-part to complex sonata constructions. Achieving internal unity of musical development, he combines individual numbers into detailed musical forms, musical and choreographic scenes. Indicative in this respect are the entire act I, framed by an intonational and tonal arch, and the Dance of the Clap, which is similar in structure to the form of a rondo, and, finally, act II, continuous in its dramatic growth.
A significant place in the musical dramaturgy of the ballet is occupied by leitmotifs. They give unity to the music, contribute to a more complete disclosure of images, symphonization of the ballet. Such are the heroic leitmotifs of Armen and Kazakov, the ominous leitmotif of Giko, the enemy forces, which contrasts sharply with them.
Gayane's lyrical leit-theme is most fully developed: gently, softly sounding in act I, it becomes more and more excited in the future; dramatically tense. In the finale, she sounds enlightened. Gayane's leitmotif, the motive of her anger and protest, also plays an important role.
They occur in ballet and leitinttonations, such as the intonations of the folk song “Kalosi prken”, appearing in the Carpet Weavers’ Dance, in the duet of Armen and Aisha, and in the Saber Dance.
The strongest side of ballet music is its nationality. Listening to the music of “Gayane”, one cannot but agree with the words of Martiros Saryan: “When I think about the work of Khachaturian, I get the image of a mighty, beautiful tree, deeply rooted in its native land, absorbing its best juices. In the beauty of its "fruits and leaves, the majestic crown lives the power of the Earth. Khachaturian's work embodies the best feelings and thoughts of his native people, his deepest internationalism."
Genuine examples of folk music are widely used in "Gayane". The composer turns to labor, comic, lyrical, heroic songs and dances, to folk music - Armenian, Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Kurdish. Using folk melodies, Khachaturian enriches them with diverse means of harmony, polyphony, orchestra, and symphonic development. At the same time, he shows great sensitivity in preserving the spirit and character of the folk model.
“The principle of a careful and sensitive attitude to folk melody, in which the composer, leaving the theme intact, seeks to enrich it with harmony and polyphony, expand and enhance its expressiveness with the coloristic means of the orchestra and choir, etc., can be very fruitful”1 These words A. Khachaturian are fully applicable to the ballet "Gayane".
As already mentioned, the folk melody “Pshati Tsar” was used in “Cotton Harvest”, subjected to intensive development: the composer boldly uses rhythmic and intonation variation, motive fragmentation, and the unification of individual motive “grains”. The cotton dance is based on the melodies of the lyrical folk song-dance "Gna ari mai ari" and two mass dances - gyonds. The impetuous Dance of men (I act) grows out of the motifs of folk men's dances (“Trngi” and “Zok wedding”). The color of Armenian heroic and wedding dances, the nature of the sound of folk instruments are wonderfully conveyed (here the composer introduced folk percussion instruments - dool, daira) into the score. The music of this dance is also a characteristic example of the symphonic development of folk rhythm intonations.
Great symphonic development is received in the IV act by folk dances "Shalakho", "Uzundara", Russian dance, hopak, as well as the Ukrainian song "How the goat went, went". Enriching and developing folk themes, the composer showed an excellent knowledge of the peculiarities of the music of various peoples. “When processing folk (Armenian, Ukrainian, Russian) motifs,” writes K. Sarajev, “the composer created his own themes, accompanying (counterpointing) folk ones, stylistically related in spirit and color to such an extent that their organic solidarity amazes and makes admire."
Often Khachaturian “encrustes” individual tunes, fragments of folk melodies into his music. So, in the Variation of Armen (No. 23), a motive fragment of the “Vagharshapat Dance” was introduced, in the Dance of the Old Men and Old Women - the folk dance “Doi, doi”, in the Dance of the Old Men - the folk dances “Kochari”, “Ashtaraki”, “Kyandrbas”, and in Armenian-Kurdish dance - melodies,. accompanying the folk wrestling game (Armenian "Koh", Georgian "Sachidao").
The composer turned to the motive fragment of the folk song “Kalosi,prken” three times (in the Dance of the Carpet Weavers, in the duet of Armen and Aisha - the first section of the folk melody, in the Saber Dance - the last section), and each time it has a new rhythmic appearance.
Many features of folk music, features of its character and intonations penetrate into Khachaturian's original, own themes, they are based on echoes and ornaments. Typical in this regard are, for example, episodes such as the Dance of Armen, the Dance of Karen and Nune, the Armenian-Kurdish dance, the Saber Dance, and Lezginka.
Variations of Nune are also characteristic in this respect: - in the first measures, one feels closeness to the initial rhythmic intonations of the folk dance songs “Sar Sipane Halate” (“Sipai peak in the clouds”) and “Pao mushli, mushli oglan” (“You are from Mush, a guy from Mush ”), and in the second sentence (bars 31-46) - to the intonations of the folk song “Ah, akhchik, tsamov akhchik” (“Ah, a girl with a scythe”) and Sayat-Nova’s well-known song “Kani vur janem” (“Until I'm your darling."

Lullaby can serve as a wonderful example of the nationality of the musical language. Here, literally in every intonation, in the methods of singing and intonation development, one can feel the features characteristic of Armenian folk lyrical songs. The introduction (bars 1-9) is based on the intonations of folk rhymes; the initial moves of the melody (bars 13-14, 24-Г-25) are typical for the beginning of many folk lyric songs ("Karmir vard", "Red Rose", "Bobik mi kale, pushhe" - "Bobik, don't go away, it's snowy", etc. .); at the end of the middle section (bars 51–52 and 62–63), the motif of the poetic female dance song “Chem, than krna hagal” (“No, I can’t dance”) is organically introduced.
With great skill, with a deep penetration into the style of Armenian folk and ashug music, Khachaturian uses the techniques characteristic of folk intoning: melodic singing of fret stops, the main motive
“grains”, predominantly progressive movement of melodies, their sequential development, improvisational nature of presentation, methods of variation, etc.
The music of "Gayane" is a wonderful example of processing folk melodies. Khachaturian developed the traditions of the classics of Russian music and Spendiarov, who gave amazing examples of such processing. Typical for Khachaturian are also techniques of retained melody - (with changing harmony and orchestration), combining several folk melodies or their fragments, involving folk intonations in a powerful stream of symphonic development.
The whole intonation and metro-rhythmic aspects of ballet music are based on the folk basis.
Khachaturian often uses and develops the methods of rhythmic ostinatos, a complex change of accents, shifting strong beats and rhythmic stops, which are so common in folk music, giving internal dynamics and originality to simple two-, three-, four-part meters. Let us recall, for example, the Dance of Nune and Karen, Variations of Nune, Kurdish dance, etc.
The composer also skillfully uses the mixed meter, asymmetric constructions, elements of polyrhythm (Dance of Cotton, “Uzundara”, etc.), which are often found in Armenian folk music, various techniques and forms of rhythmic variation. The dynamic role of rhythm in the Kurdish dance, the Saber Dance and many other episodes is great.
In "Gayane" the richest world of Armenian dances came to life, sometimes gentle, graceful, feminine (Dance of the Carpet Weavers), sometimes scherzo (Dance. Nune and
Kareia, variations of Nune), then courageous, temperamental, heroic (Dance of men, "Trn-gi", Dance with sabers, etc.). When you listen to the music of the ballet, Gorky's words about Armenian folk dances, quoted above, involuntarily come to mind.
The national character of the ballet is also associated with Khachaturian's deep comprehension of the modal features of Armenian music. So, in the dance "Shalakho" a minor mode is used, which is based on harmonic tetrachords (mode with two increased seconds); in Waltz (No. 34) - major, with two extended seconds (low II and VI degrees), natural and reduced VII degree; in the Dance of men - major with signs of the Ionian and Mixolydian modes; in the Dance of Aisha - minor with signs of natural, melodic and harmonic inclinations; in "Cotton Picking" - natural minor in one voice and with a Dorian VI degree in another; in the dance "Uzuidara" harmonic minor in melody and minor with Phrygian II degree in harmony. Khachaturian also uses variable modes common in Armenian music with two or more foundations and centers, with different intonational “filling” with one tonic and different tonic centers with one scale.
By combining higher and lower steps, using small seconds, skipping thirds, the composer creates a sound effect that approaches the untempered scale of folk music.
Harmony is organically connected with the folk basis. This can, in particular, be traced on the logic of functional-harmonic and modulation relations and on the chord based on the steps of folk modes. Numerous alterations in harmonies, in most cases, are caused by the desire to convey the features of extended, variable modes, modulations in Armenian folk music.
It should be emphasized the variety of methods of using and interpreting the major sphere of folk modes in the harmonies of Gayane.

“Each national melody must be correctly understood from the point of view of its internal harmonic structure,” writes Khachaturian. In this, in particular, he saw "one of the most important manifestations of the activity of the composer's ear."
“In my personal search for the national certainty of harmonic means,” emphasizes Khachaturian, “more than once I proceeded from the auditory idea of ​​the specific sound of folk instruments with a characteristic tuning and the resulting scale of overtones. I really love, for example, the sound of the tar, from which virtuosos are able to extract amazingly beautiful and deeply exciting harmonies, they contain their own regularity, their own hidden meaning.
Often Khachaturian uses the melody in quarts, quarto-fifth chords or sixth chords (with an underlined upper quart). This technique comes from the practice of tuning and playing some oriental stringed instruments.
An important role in the score of "Gayane" is played by various types of organ points and ostinato, which also go back to the practice of folk performance. In some cases, organ points, bass ostinatos enhance the dramatic tension, the dynamics of the sound (the introduction to Act III, the scene "Disclosure of the plot", the Saber Dance, etc.), in others they create a feeling of peace, silence ("Dawn").
Khachaturian's harmonies are saturated with small seconds. This feature, characteristic of the work of many Armenian composers (Komitas, R. Melikyan, and others), is not only of coloristic significance, but is associated with overtones that arise when playing some musical instruments of the peoples of Transcaucasia (tar, kamancha, saz). Secondary tonal shifts sound very fresh in Khachaturian's music.
Khachaturian often uses melodic chord connections; the vertical is often based on a combination of independent melodic voices (“singing harmonies”), and in different voices different modal spheres are emphasized. One of the characteristic features of the Armenian folk modes - the change in the modal centers - Khachaturian often emphasizes in harmony with the use of variable functions.
Khachaturian's harmonic language is rich and varied. A remarkable colorist, he masterfully uses the possibilities of colorful, timbre harmony: bold tonal deviations, enharmonic transformations, fresh-sounding parallelisms, multi-layered harmonies (in a wide arrangement), chords that combine different steps and even keys.
In contrast to this type of harmonies, which are mainly associated with poetic pictures of nature, the score of "Gayane" contains many examples of emphatically expressive harmony, contributing to the disclosure of the emotional experiences of the characters,
These are harmonies emphasizing the lyrical, lyric-dramatic nature of the melos. They abound with expressive delays, altered harmonies, dynamizing sequences, etc. Many pages of music that reveal the image of Gayane can serve as examples. So, in Gayane's solo (scene No. 3-a), the composer uses the major subdominant in the minor key (along with the natural one), as well as an increased triad of the third degree, which brings some enlightenment to the sad structure of the melody. D-dur and b-moll, along with other expressive means, conveys the delight that gripped the heroine. Emphasizing the spiritual drama of Gayane (scenes No. 12-14), Khachaturian widely uses diminished and altered chords, replete with delays, sequences, etc.

A different type of harmony characterizes enemy forces. These are mainly sharp-sounding, dissonant chords, harmonies on a whole-tone, tritone basis, rigid parallelisms.
Harmony for Khachaturian is an effective means of musical dramaturgy.
In "Gayane" Khachaturian's penchant for polyphony was manifested. Its origins are in some features of Armenian folk music, in samples of classical and modern polyphony, and finally, in Khachaturian's individual tendency to linearity, to the simultaneous combination of diverse musical lines. It should not be forgotten that Khachaturian was a student of Myaskovsky, the greatest master of polyphonic writing, who was well aware of the dramatic possibilities of developed polyphony. In addition, while creatively translating Armenian folk music, Khachaturian largely relied on the experience and principles of Komitas, who, as is known, was one of the first to give brilliant examples of polyphonic music based on Armenian folk intonations.

Masterfully uses Khachaturian polyphonic techniques, outlining Armenian folk melodies. Surprisingly organically, he combines contrapuntal lines - he introduces "complementary" chromatic or diatonic moves, sustained notes, ornamenting voices.
The composer often uses multi-layer constructions - melodic, rhythmic, timbre-register, and much less often refers to invention polyphony.
As the strongest means of dramaturgy, opposition of intonational images, contrasting polyphony is of great importance in the music of "Gayane" (for example, in the symphonic picture "Fire").
The enormous life-affirming force, the enormous charge of energy inherent in Khachaturian's music, manifested itself in the orchestration of "Gayane". She has little watercolor tones. First of all, it strikes with intense, as if penetrated by the rays of the sun, colors, juicy color, replete with contrasting juxtapositions. In accordance with the dramatic task, Khachaturian uses both solo instruments (for example, the bassoon at the beginning of Gayane's first Adagio, the clarinet in her last Adagio), and powerful tutti (in emotional climaxes associated with the image of Gayane, in many mass dances, in dramatic scenes, like "Fire" for example). We meet in the ballet both transparent, almost openwork orchestration (wood, strings, harp in a wide arrangement in "Dawn"), and dazzlingly multicolored (Russian dance, Saber Dance, etc.). Orchestration gives a special juiciness to genre, everyday scenes, landscape sketches. Khachaturian finds timbres that are close in color and character to the sound of Armenian folk instruments. The oboe in carrying out the theme in "Cotton Picking", two flutes in the Dance of the Old Men, a clarinet in "Uzundar", a trumpet with a mute in the Dance of Cotton, a saxophone in the Dance with sabers resemble the sounds of duduk, zurna. As noted, the composer also introduced authentic folk instruments into the score - dool (in dance No. 2), daira (in dance No. 3). In one version of the score in dance No. 3, kamancha and tar are also introduced.
Various percussion instruments (including tambourine, snare drum, xylophone, etc.) are brilliantly used, beating the rhythm of dances, as in folk music (Saber Dance, Lezginka, Armenian-Kurdish dance, etc.).
With exceptional skill, orchestral timbres are used as a means of characterizing the characters. So, in the musical description of Gayane, lyrical, emotionally expressive timbres of strings, wooden, harp prevail. Let us recall the first Adagio Gayane with the touching phrases of the bassoon and the solo violin, the most poetic invention set out by the strings in the Dance of Gayane (I act, No. 6), the harp arpeggio in another dance from the same act (No. 8), the sad phrases of the oboe at the beginning and the cellos in at the end of the Lullaby, the enlightened sounds of wood against the background of the arpeggio of the harp and the sustained chords of the French horns in Adagio Gayane (IV act). In the characterization of Armen and Kazakov, light timbres of wood, “heroic” copper dominate, while Giko and the malefactors have gloomy sounds of bass clarinets, contrabassoons, trombones, and tuba.
The composer showed a lot of ingenuity and imagination in orchestrating Nune's playfully scherzo Variations, Aisha's languid Waltz, the charming Dance of the Carpet Weavers, the Dance of the Pink Girls and other numbers.
Instrumentation plays an important role in enhancing the contrasts of melodic lines, in the relief implementation of polyphonic imitations, in the combination or confrontation of musical images. Let us point out the comparison of brass (Armen's leitmotif) and strings (Aisha's leitmotif) in the duet of Armen and Aisha, bassoon (Giko's motive) and English horn (Gayane's theme) in the finale of act III, to the "collision" of strings, wood and horn, on the one hand, trombones and trumpet, on the other, at the culmination of the symphonic picture "Fire".
Orchestral colors are used in a variety of ways when it is necessary to create strong emotional pressures, combine individual numbers with a through symphonic development, and figuratively transform leitmotifs. Above, attention was drawn, for example, to what changes Gayane's leitme underwent, in particular due to changes in orchestration: the violin in the first Adagio, the violins with mutes and the cello in the invention, the harp in the dance (No. 8-a), the bass clarinet solo in the finale of act II, the dialogue of the cor anglais and flute in the finale of act III, the horn and then the cor anglais at the beginning of act IV, the solo clarinet, flute, cello, oboe in the Adagio of act IV. In the score of "Gayane" the composer's excellent mastery of the "dramaturgy of timbres" was manifested.

As mentioned, the ballet gives a vivid idea of ​​the deeply creative implementation of the traditions of Russian classical music: This is reflected in the mastery of developing and enriching folk themes and creating detailed musical forms on their basis, in the methods of symphonizing dance music, in juicy genre sound painting, in the intensity of lyrical expression, finally, in the interpretation of ballet as a musical-choreographic drama. “Thus, Aisha’s Awakening, where bold combinations of extreme registers are used to the point of insolence, makes one recall the picturesque palette of Stravinsky, and the Saber Dance, in its insane energy and joy of sharp sounding, goes back to the great prototype – Borodin’s Polovtsian dances. Along with this, Lezginka revives Balakirev's style, and the second Adagio Gayane "and the Lullaby conceal in themselves the tenderly sad outlines of Rimsky-Korsakov's oriental melodies."
But whatever the influences and influences, no matter how wide and organic the composer’s creative ties with folk and classical music, always and invariably in every note, first of all, the unique originality of the individual creative image, Khachaturian’s own handwriting is recognized. In his music, first of all, one can hear intonations, rhythms born of our modernity.
The ballet has firmly entered the repertoire of Soviet and foreign theaters. For the first time, as already mentioned, it was staged by the Leningrad Theater named after S. M. Kirov.2 New productions were staged by the same theater in 1945 and 1952. In the spring of 1943, Gayane was awarded the State Prize. Subsequently, the ballet was staged at the Yerevan Opera and Ballet Theater named after A. A. Spendiarov (1947), at the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR (1958) and in many other cities of the Soviet Union. “Gayane” is successfully performing on the stages of foreign countries. Compiled by Khachaturian from the music of the ballet "Gayane", three suites for a symphony orchestra are performed by orchestras around the world.
Already the first performance of the ballet evoked enthusiastic responses from the press. “The music of Gayane captivates the listener with an extraordinary richness of life, light, and joy. She was born of love for her homeland, for her wonderful people, for her rich, colorful nature, Kabalevsky wrote.—. There is a lot of melodic beauty, harmonic freshness, meter-rhythmic ingenuity in Gayane's music. Her orchestral sound is superb."
The stage life of the ballet has developed in a peculiar way. In almost every production, attempts were made to correct the shortcomings of the libretto, to find a stage solution that would more fully correspond to Khachaturian's score. Various stage editions arose, which in some cases led to some changes in the music of the ballet.
In some productions, stage situations were introduced that gave individual scenes a topical character. Partial plot and dramatic changes were made, sometimes even conflicting with the nature and style of Khachaturian's music.
The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Opera and Ballet Theater is performing a one-act version of the ballet; fundamental plot changes have been made at the Leningrad Maly Opera and Ballet Theatre.
For the production of the ballet on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, V. Pletnev compiled a new libretto. Narrating the life of hunters in the mountains of Armenia, it sings of love and friendship, fidelity and courage, stigmatizes treason, selfishness, a crime against duty.
The new libretto required from the composer not only a radical replanning of the ballet score, but also the creation of many new musical numbers. First of all, this is a series of dramatized dance episodes created on the basis of symphonically developed popular songs of the composer himself. Thus, the beginning of Act I - a picture of an Armenian landscape illuminated by the sun, as well as a similar episode in the last picture, are built on Khachaturian's famous "Song of Yerevan". This song is one of the best examples of the composer's vocal lyrics. In all its modal-intonational structure, organic links with the Armenian ashug melos (in particular, the passionately enthusiastic songs of Sayat-Nova) and Soviet mass songwriting are easily recognizable. "The Song of Yerevan" is a heartfelt hymn to free Armenia and its beautiful capital.

Mariam’s solo dance (I act) uses the intonations of Khachaturian’s “Armenian table table”, and in her dance in the finale of the 2nd scene of the II act – “The Girl’s Song”.
The system of leitmotifs has been greatly developed in the new score. Let us point to the temperamental march motif of young hunters. It appears in the introduction and is further dramatized. In the first dance duet of Armen and Georgy, the leitmotif of friendship sounds. Depending on the plot development, he undergoes great changes, especially in the quarrel scene, in the final episodes related to the crime of George (here he sounds mournful, tragic). The motive of friendship is opposed by the motive of crime, reminiscent of Guiko's theme in previous editions of the ballet. Of central importance in the score is Gayane's leitme, based on Aisha's intonations from previous editions of the ballet. It sounds either passionately, enthusiastically (in the love Adagio of Gayane and Georgy), then scherzo (Waltz), then sadly, pleadingly (in the finale). The leitmotifs of love, George's feelings, thunderstorms, etc., also received intensive development.
Considering the first edition of the ballet to be the main one, Khachaturian nevertheless specifically emphasized that he does not deny theaters the right to continue searching for new stage, choreographic and plot solutions. In the preface to the edition of the clavier in a new edition (M., 1962), which is fundamentally different from the first one, the composer wrote: “As an author, I am not yet completely convinced which of the plots is better and more accurate. It seems to me that time will decide this issue.” And further; "This publication, along with the existing first edition edition, will provide theaters and choreographers with a choice in future productions."
The ballet "Gayane" entered the Soviet musical and choreographic art as one of the best works on the Soviet theme. “A. Khachaturian's ballet Gayane,” wrote Yu. V. Keldysh, “is one of the outstanding works of the Soviet musical theater. The music of "Gayane" has won the widest popularity. Bright national character, fiery temperament, expressiveness and richness of the melodic language, and finally, a fascinating variety of sound palette, combined with a wide scope and dramatic imagery - these are the main qualities of this wonderful work.

"GAYANE"

The history of this score goes back to the ballet “Happiness” composed back in 1939…
“When I started composing my first ballet score, I knew absolutely nothing about the specifics of ballet as a musical genre. Already in the process of work, I quickly began to grasp and realize its characteristic features. To a certain extent, probably, the circumstance helped me that, as Myaskovsky said, the element of dance lives in Khachaturian's music ... ”This is the confession of the author himself.
In a friendly conversation with the composer, Anastas Mikoyan, the most prominent politician of that time, expressed a desire to create a ballet performance for the upcoming Decade of Armenian Art (it became one of the first in the Armenian musical theater and the first of the national ballets shown in the pre-war decades). This idea fully corresponded to the composer's own creative aspirations. The theme of the ballet was born at the same time in a conversation with Mikoyan, who advised Aram Khachaturian to meet with the famous Armenian director Gevork Hovhannisyan, who recently wrote the ballet libretto “Happiness” about the life and work of Soviet border guards and collective farmers.
The deadlines were extremely tight. Khachaturian spent the spring and summer of 1939 in Armenia, collecting folklore material - it was here that the deepest study of the melodies of his native land began. This was advised to him by the writer Maxim Gorky. With the purely danceable nature of the music, Khachaturian set himself the task of "symphonizing" the ballet. He wanted the songs, dance melodies created by the people to organically enter the ballet, so that they would be inseparable from all the music of the ballet. Thus, Khachaturian quite quickly realized and formulated the main provisions of his musical and choreographic aesthetics.
Work on the score of "Happiness" lasted only six months. The famous conductor Konstantin Saradzhev, a student of Artur Nikish, took up the rehearsals.
Everything was done to ensure that the tour of the Armenian Opera and Ballet Theater named after Spendiarov, the youngest in the country (he was still 6 years old at the time), would be as successful as possible within the framework of the Armenian decade. K.Sarajev assembled a magnificent orchestra. On October 24, 1939, the ballet "Happiness" was staged in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theater and literally captivated the audience. Many participants received government awards, and enthusiastic reviews did not cease to fill the pages of newspapers.
However, this did not prevent the composer from being soberly aware of some of the weaknesses of his work. The libretto also suffered from flaws. And, nevertheless, "Happiness" turned out to be a good springboard for the true flowering of Khachaturian's ballet skills. Soon the leadership of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre. Kirov offered to stage the play "Happiness" with a new libretto on his stage ...
As a result, the entire score of "Happiness", in the figurative expression of the author himself, was "dispossessed" by him ...
It all ended with the creation of the ballet "Gayane", but it was already during the Second World War. Here is how the composer recalls this period:
“I lived in Perm on the 5th floor of the Tsentralnaya Hotel. When I remember this time, I think again and again how difficult it was for people then. The front needed weapons, bread, shag ... And in art - spiritual food, everyone needed - both the front and the rear. And we, artists and musicians, understood this and gave all our strength. About 700 pages of the Gayane score I wrote in half a year in a cold hotel room, where there was a piano, a stool, a table and a bed. It is all the more dear to me because Gayane is the only ballet on a Soviet theme that has not left the stage for a quarter of a century ... "
"Saber Dance", according to the author himself, was born by accident. After the score of "Gayane" was completed, rehearsals began. The director of the theater called Khachaturian and said that a dance should be added to the last act. The composer undertook this reluctantly - he considered the ballet finished. But he began to think about this thought. “The dance should be fast, militant. Khachaturian recalls. - Hands as if in impatience took a chord and I began to break it down like an ostinato, repeating figure. A sharp shift was needed - I took the opening tone at the top. Something "hooked" me - yeah, let's repeat in a different key! A start! Now we need a contrast... In the third scene of the ballet, I have a melodious theme, a lyrical dance. I combined the militant beginning with this theme - it is played by a saxophone - and then returned to the beginning, but in a new capacity. I sat down to work at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and by 2 o'clock in the morning everything was ready. At 11 o'clock in the morning the dance was performed at a rehearsal. By the evening it was staged, and the next day there was already a general ... "
The ballet "Gayane" to the libretto by K. Derzhavin was staged by N. Anisimova in December 1942 - when the grandiose epic near Stalingrad was unfolding. The production took place in Molotov, where the Leningrad Kirov Theater was evacuated. P. Feldt, who conducted the ballet at the premiere, surpassed himself, as the reviewers wrote. “Feldt especially pleased with that inspired ardor,” noted the composer Dmitry Kabalevsky, “which he, as a talented ballet conductor, sometimes lacked” ...
Whether you watch "Gayane" in the theater, listen to this music in a concert or recording, the impression from it is born somehow immediately and remains in your memory for a long time. The generosity of Aram Khachaturian, which has few analogues in the history of music, is melodic and orchestral, modal and harmonic generosity, generosity associated with the widest range of thoughts and feelings that are embodied in the score.
Three symphonic suites composed by Khachaturian from the score of the ballet contributed to the world fame of Gayane's music.
“The evening of the first performance of the First Suite from “Gayane” firmly stuck in my memories,” says singer N. Shpiller, “Golovanov conducted the orchestra of the All-Union Radio. Neither before nor after that day - it was October 3, 1943 - I have not heard such a flurry of applause, such an unconditional universal success of a new work, as then in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions.
After 6 years, the equally unanimous success of the Gayane music on the other side of the earth was glad to note the great composer of the 20th century, Dmitry Shostakovich, in New York, at the All-American Congress of Scientists and Cultural Figures in Defense of Peace, where the Gayane score was performed under the baton of the outstanding conductor Stokowski.
For the music for the ballet "Gayane" Aram Khachaturian was awarded the Stalin Prize of the 1st degree.