Gayane Khachaturian's ballet summary. Analysis of musical works

"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, the most prominent at that time political figure Anastas Mikoyan expressed his 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 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 melodies began. native land. 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. took over the rehearsals famous conductor Konstantin Saradzhev is a student of Artur Nikish.
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. October 24, 1939 the ballet "Happiness" was staged in Moscow in 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 weak sides of his essay. 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", according to figurative expression 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 Soviet theme who 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 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.

A. Khachaturian ballet "Gayane"

The ballet "Gayane" stands apart not only in the musical heritage A.I. Khachaturian but also in history ballet theater. This a prime example works of art created by political order. "Gayane" owns the undeniable palm in terms of the number of performances. At the same time, each subsequent librettist changed the plot outline of the performance to suit the historical moment, and the composer, in turn, redrawn the score to fit the new dramaturgy. But, no matter how the images of the main characters are interpreted, in which direction the plot concept changes, this ballet was received enthusiastically by the audience on all stages of the world where it was performed, thanks to the originality of the music, which harmoniously combined classical foundations and a pronounced national character.

Summary of Khachaturian's ballet "" and many interesting facts read about this work on our page.

Summary of "Gayane"

The plot takes place in the 30s of the XX century in Armenia, not far from the border. On a dark night, near the mountain village, an Unknown appears, who is plotting sabotage. In the morning, the villagers go to work in the garden. Among them is the foreman of the girls' collective farm brigade, the beautiful Gayane, with whom two young people, Giko and Armen, are in love. Giko tries to tell the girl about his feelings, but she rejects his claims.

Geologists arrive in the village, headed by the head of the group Kazakov, among them the figure of the Unknown flickers. Armen shows Kazakov and his comrades pieces of ore that he accidentally found in the foothills, and escorts the group to this place. It turns out that he managed to discover deposits of a rare metal. When Unknown finds out about this, he enters the house of Hovhannes, where the geologists are staying, wanting to steal documents and ore samples. Gayane finds him at the scene of the crime. To cover his tracks, the Unknown sets fire to the house where the girl is. But Giko saves Gayane and exposes the stranger, who is taken away by the border guards who came to the rescue. The apotheosis of the ballet is a common holiday, at which all the characters glorify the friendship of peoples and the Motherland.

In the modern version of the ballet, only love triangle Gayane, Armen and Giko. Events take place in an Armenian village. Among its inhabitants is the young beauty Gayane, with whom Armen is in love. Their love wants to be broken by the unfortunate rival of Armen Giko. He tries his best to win over the girl. He does not succeed, and he decides to take revenge. Giko arranges the kidnapping of the beauty, but the rumor about the atrocity quickly spreads throughout the village. Outraged residents help Armen find and free Gayane, and Giko is forced to flee from the contempt of his fellow villagers. The ballet ends with a merry wedding, where everyone dances and has fun.

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Interesting Facts:

• The author admitted that "Gayane" occupies a special place in his heart and work, since it is "the only ballet on the Soviet theme that has not left the stage for 25 years."
• The dance divertissement, which includes "Saber Dance", "Lezginka", "Lullaby" and other numbers from the ballet, for almost 50 years has remained an indispensable part of the performances of graduates of the Academy of Russian Ballet. Vaganova.
• The most popular all over the world "Saber Dance" was not originally in the score of "Gayane". But shortly before the premiere, the theater director asked Khachaturian to add a dance number to the final act. The composer flatly refused at first, but then changed his mind and in just 11 hours was able to create real masterpiece. Giving the score of this number to the choreographer, he angrily wrote on title page: "Damn it, for the sake of the ballet!"
• Contemporaries claimed that incendiary " Saber dance "Even Stalin was forced to stomp every time to the rhythm - so the work sounded on the radio almost every day.

• Music for the ballet "Gayane" brought to its author Aram Khachaturian high award- Stalin Prize I degree.
• Three symphonic suites, which Khachaturian "carved out" from the ballet score, brought worldwide fame to the music of Gayane.
• The Saber Dance has become the most recognizable music from the Gayane ballet. In the United States, Khachaturian began to be called "Mr. Sabredans" ("Mr. Saber Dance"). His motive can be heard in films, cartoons, figure skaters' programs. Since 1948 it has been played on American jukeboxes and became the first recording by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
• The two main creators of the first version of the Gayane ballet, librettist Konstantin Derzhavin and choreographer Nina Anisimova, were not just a creative tandem, but were a married couple.
• In 1938, a black streak began in the life of the future director of Gayane, Nina Anisimova. She, a world-famous dancer, was accused of participating in theatrical banquets, which were often attended by representatives of foreign delegations, and sentenced to 5 years in the Karaganda labor camp. She was saved by her husband, librettist Konstantin Derzhavin, who was not afraid to stand up for the dancer.
• In the 40-70s of the last century, the ballet "Gayane" could be seen on foreign theater stages. During this period, the performance was repeatedly staged in the GDR, the FRG, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Poland.
• The motif of "Sabre Dance" can be heard in the animated series "The Simpsons", in the cartoon "Madagascar 3", the sixth issue of the cartoon "Just you wait!", in the films "Lord of Love", "Paper Birds", "Ghost City", " Silly Defense", "A Simple Desire", "Uncle Tom's Cabin", " Twilight Zone"and others.

Popular numbers from the ballet "Gayane"

Saber Dance - listen

Lezginka - listen

Waltz - listen

Lullaby - listen

The history of the creation of "Gayane"

He first became interested in ballet in 1939. The reason for this was a friendly conversation between the composer and the Soviet party leader Anastas Mikoyan, who, on the eve of the decade of Armenian art, expressed the idea of ​​the need for the emergence of a national Armenian ballet. Khachaturian enthusiastically plunged into the work process.

The composer faced a difficult task - to write music that would become a fertile basis for a choreographic production and at the same time have a well-recognized national identity. This is how the ballet "Happiness" appeared. The libretto was written by Gevorg Hovhannisyan. Deep dive into the world of national musical culture, rhythms and melodies Armenian people Together with the original talent of the composer, they did their job: the performance staged at the Armenian Opera and Ballet Theater was brought to Moscow, where it was a great success. However, critics did not fail to point out the disadvantages of "Happiness", in the first place - the dramaturgy, which turned out to be much weaker than the music. The composer himself realized this best of all.

In 1941, at the suggestion of the leadership of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater. Kirov, started working on updated version ballet with a different libretto written by a famous literary critic and theater critic Konstantin Derzhavin. He left many fragments of the score intact, retaining all the most interesting finds that distinguished the first edition. New ballet was named "Gayane" - in honor of main character, and it was this performance that took over the baton of "Happiness" in preserving the traditions of the Armenian national music and culture on the ballet stage. Work on "Gayane" began in Leningrad, and continued already in Perm, where the composer was evacuated with the outbreak of war, like the theater troupe of the Kirov Theater. The conditions in which Khachaturian's new musical brainchild was born corresponded to the harsh wartime. The composer worked in a cold hotel room with only a bed, a table, a stool and a piano. In 1942, 700 pages of the ballet score were ready.

Productions

The premiere of "Gayane" fell on December 9, 1942. These days, the heroic battle for Stalingrad was unfolding at the front. But the hall Perm theater opera and ballet was full. The action, unfolding on stage to the life-affirming music of Khachaturian, strengthened the belief in victory in the souls of the audience. Nina Anisimova, one of the brightest dancers of the characteristic plan of the Kirov (now the Mariinsky) Theater, who studied with Agrippina Vaganova herself, made her debut as director of a four-act performance. Brilliant school, deep understanding of nature national dance and an impeccable sense of style allowed Nina Aleksandrovna to create a performance that was fixed in the theater repertoire for long years. From the very beginning of work on the ballet, Anisimova had a dream of “creating her own Armenia”. For this purpose, she invited an Armenian dancer, who showed her the elements of the Armenian folk dance.

The performing staff of the premiere performance was truly stellar. In the role of Gayane, the prima of the theater and the favorite of the public Natalia Dudinskaya appeared on the stage, her partners were Konstantin Sergeev, Nikolai Zubkovsky, Tatyana Vecheslova, Boris Shavrov. The success of the premiere was due not only to the talent of the actors, but also to the dramaturgy of the performance, the leitmotif of which was the defense native land from enemies.

After returning to Leningrad in 1945, the Kirov Theater showed "Gayane" on the native stage, but with some plot changes and updated scenography created by the artist Vadim Ryndin. In 1952, the play was reworked again.

May 22, 1957 premiere ballet "Gayane" was held at the Bolshoi Theater. Based on the proposed libretto by Boris Pletnev, the stage director Vasily Vainonen made a ballet out of the original four-act version, consisting of a prologue, 3 acts and 7 scenes. For this edition of the ballet, Khachaturian reworked almost a third of the previously written music. The parts of Gayane and Armen were brilliantly performed by Bolshoi soloists Raisa Struchkova and Yuri Kondratov. Total on stage Grand ballet Gayane went through three editions. The last one was released in 1984.

Until the beginning of the 1980s, the ballet was performed with constant success on the stages of domestic and foreign theaters. One of the most interesting artistic solutions was proposed by Boris Eifman, who staged "Gayane" as his graduation performance in 1972 on the stage of the Leningrad Maly Opera and Ballet Theater. The choreographer focused on social drama. The period of the formation of the Soviet order in Armenia was chosen as the historical background for the plot. Giko in this version turned into Gayane's husband. Being the son of the fist Matzak, he cannot renounce his father. His wife Gayane comes from a poor family, and she has to choose between her love for her husband and her beliefs. The main character makes a choice new government, which is represented by Armen in the ballet. The performance in the artistic interpretation of Eifman has 173 shows.

In the 21st century, the Gayane ballet has virtually disappeared from the stage. main reason This was the scenario that has lost its social relevance. But "Gayane" still remains one of the main cultural symbols of Armenia. In the Armenian repertoire academic theater opera and ballet Spendiarov's ballet Khachaturian takes place of honor. The performance staged people's artist Armenia by Vilen Galstyan, was a huge success not only in Russia, but also abroad - in Egypt, Turkey, Bahrain, United United Arab Emirates. In 2014, the ballet Gayane, after almost a half-century break, was shown at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, from where it began more than 50 years ago. big way performance by theater scenes peace. Galstyan, who spoke in this case also as a screenwriter, removed everything from the libretto storylines, Related political motives. From the original ballet, only the soul-touching love story and the music of Aram Khachaturian, captivating with its energy, remained.

Separate dance numbers written by the composer for "", - such as "Lezginka", "Waltz", "Lullaby" and, of course, the unsurpassed " Saber dance ”, - have long stepped over the boundaries of ballet and found independent life. They are an adornment of many concerts, they are danced on all stages of the world, and their popularity only grows over the years. In their original music and choreography there is depth, sincerity, passion, love - everything that is close and understandable to every human heart.

Video: watch the ballet "Gayane" Khachaturian

Libretto by K. Derzhavin. Choreographer N. Anisimova.

Characters

Hovhannes, chairman of the collective farm. Gayane, his daughter. Armen, shepherd. Nune. Karen. Kazakov, head of the geological expedition. Unknown. Giko. Aisha. Ishmael. Agronomist. Geologists. Head of the Border Guard.

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 wounds. Limping heavily, he walks away towards the village.

Sunny morning. Boiling in collective farm gardens spring work. Slowly, lazily stretching, Giko goes to work. 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 the Girl. He tells her 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 shiny pieces of ore. He shows them to the Girl. Giko looks jealously at Armen and Gayane.

During the rest hours, the collective farmers start dancing. Suitable about. He wants Gayane to dance with him, tries to hug her again. Armen protects the girl from importunate courtship. Giko is furious. He is looking for a reason to fight. Grabbing the basket of seedlings, Giko throws it furiously. He doesn't want to work. The collective farmers reproach Giko, but he does not listen to them and attacks Armen with raised fists. Between them is Gayane. She demands that Giko leave immediately.

Collective farmers are outraged by Giko's behavior. The young collective farmer Karen comes running. He says that guests have arrived. 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 warmly welcome visitors. Restless Nune and Karen start dancing in honor of the guests. Dancing and Gayane. The guests also watch with admiration the dance of the shepherd Armen. A signal is given to start work. Hovhannes shows visitors the collective farm gardens. Gayane is left alone. Everything pleases her eyes. The girl admires the distant mountains, the fragrant gardens of her native collective farm.

The geologists are back. Gayane advises Armen to show them the ore he brought. Armen's find interested geologists. They are ready to go exploring right now. Armen shows the route on the map, undertakes to accompany the geologists. At this moment, an unknown person appears. He keeps a close eye on Armen and the geologists.

Road trips are over. Gayane tenderly says goodbye to Armen. Giko, who approaches, sees this. Seized with jealousy, he threatens after the shepherd. An unknown person's hand rests on Giko's shoulder. He pretends to sympathize with Giko, and inciting his hatred, slyly offers friendship and help. They leave together.

After work, Gayane's friends gathered. Karen plays the tar. The girls perform an old Armenian dance. Kazakov enters. He stayed at the house of Hovhannes.

Gayane and her friends show Kazakov the flowery carpet they have woven, and start a game of hide and seek. Drunk Giko arrives. The game gets frustrated. Collective farmers try to persuade Giko, who is again chasing Gayane, and advise him to leave. After seeing off the guests, the collective farm chairman tries to talk to Giko. But he does not listen to Hovhannes and persistently sticks to Gayane. The angry girl sends Giko away.

Geologists are returning from the campaign together with Armen. Armen's find is not an accident. A rare metal deposit has been discovered in the mountains. Kazakov decides to examine him in detail. Giko, who lingered in the room, becomes a witness to this conversation.

Scouts bowels are going to go. Armen tenderly gives his girlfriend a flower brought from the mountainside. This is seen by Giko, passing by the windows with the unknown. Armen and Hovhannes are sent along with the expedition. Kazakov asks Gayane to save the bag with ore samples. Gayane hides him.

Night has come. 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 jumps up and starts looking for materials from the geological expedition.

Returning Gayane understands that the enemy is in front of her. Threatening, the unknown person demands that she tell where the materials of geologists are located. During the fight, the carpet that covered the niche falls. There is a bag with pieces of ore. An unknown person ties Gayane, takes a bag and, trying to hide the traces of the crime, 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. He carries the girl out of the house on fire.

Starlight Night. High in the mountains there is a camp of collective farm shepherds. Passes a squad of border guards. Shepherd Izmail entertains his beloved girl Aisha by playing the flute. Aisha starts a smooth dance. Attracted by the music, the shepherds gather. And here is Armen. He brought geologists. Here, at the foot of the cliff, he found precious 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 the reflections of the fire flashed the figure of an unknown person. 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. At this moment, an unknown person overtakes Giko. He 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 runs to help. 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.

Autumn. The collective farm had a bountiful harvest. Everyone converges on a holiday. Armen hurries to Gayane. On this wonderful day, he wants to be with his beloved. Armena stops the kids and starts a dance around him.

Collective farmers are baskets of fruit, jugs of wine. Arriving invited to the festival 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, lezginka, warlike mountain dance with sabers and others.

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

A. I. Khachaturian "Gayane"

Ballet in four acts

In the autumn of 1941 A. Khachaturian starts work on the score of the new ballet. The work proceeded in close collaboration with the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre, located at that time in Perm. The premiere took place on December 3, 1942 and was a great success.

In 1957, a new production of the ballet was staged at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. The libretto was changed, and Khachaturian rewrote more than half of the previous music. Ballet entered the history of the ballet art of our country. The music for it formed the basis of three large symphonic suites, and individual numbers of suites, such as "Saber Dance", gained worldwide fame.

The ballet "Gayane" is a work deeply folk in spirit, integral in musical language, marked by an extraordinary brilliance of instrumentation.

Plot:

Gayane, the daughter of collective farm chairman Hovhannes, helps to catch and neutralize the Unknown, who secretly entered the territory of Armenia in order to steal the secrets of geologists. Her friends and loving Gayane Armen help her in this. Rival Armen Giko pays with his life for involuntary assistance to the enemy.

History of creation

Shortly after graduating from the conservatory, in the late 1930s, Khachaturian received an order to write music for the ballet Happiness. A performance with a traditional plot for that time about happy life"under the Stalinist sun" and just as traditional motif espionage and enemies of the Soviet government was preparing for a decade of Armenian art in Moscow. Such decades dedicated to art, in turn, all the republics that are part of the USSR, were held regularly. The composer 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 the native land began, folk art...» Hard work on the ballet lasted six months. In September, the ballet was staged at the Armenian Opera and Ballet Theatre, and a month later it was shown in Moscow and was a great success as the first attempt of this genre in Armenian music. However, shortcomings were noted in it, relating, in particular, to the script and musical dramaturgy. A few years later, the composer returned to this idea, focusing on a new libretto written by the famous theater critic and philologist K. Derzhavin (1903-1956). The reworked ballet, called "Gayane" - after the name of the main character, was being prepared for staging at the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater named after Kirov (Mariinsky). However, the beginning of the Great Patriotic War ruined all plans. The theater was evacuated to Perm. The composer also came there to continue joint work on the ballet. “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 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. In November 1942, the composer wrote in his diary: “At the request of the theater, after the end of 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 next day 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, and on the ballet, and on those present in the hall ... "