One Thousand and One Nights
Ballet, two acts
F.Amirov
Libretto by M. and R.Ibragimbekovs and N.Nazimova based on “One Thousand and One Nights” Arabian fairy tales
Choreographer-director is Andrei Petrov
Scene designer is T.Salakhov
Costume designer is Olga Polyanskaya
Assistants to choreographer-director are Lyudmila Charskaya and Valery Ryzhov
The basis of libretto is a masterpiece of medieval Arabian literature, a collection of fairy tales and parables told by Scheherazade. Our childhood favorites Sinbad, Aladdin, Jinn and Princess Badroulbadour…
On stage you see a colorful choreographic extravaganza, a harmony of vivid music and classical choreography, and a spicy charm of the East in the staging with the music composed by Fikret Amirov, a People’s Artist of the USSR.
For many years the ballet has been performed with great success on different stages of Russia and other countries. However, “One Thousand and One Nights” performed by the Kremlin Ballet Theatre is the first direction of the famous ballet on Moscow stage.
Choreographer-director of the ballet, people’s artist of Russia, artistic managing director and founder of the Kremlin Ballet Theatre Andrei Petrov made a choreographic fairy tale expressing the magic of the Arabian East.
Scene designer of the performance is an outstanding designer, Hero of Socialist Labour, people’s artist of the USSR, laureate of the State awards of the USSR and Azerbaijan Tair Salakhov. He made grand decorations in his peculiarly special noble way where the gracefulness of lines is next to the contrasts and richness of colors.
Costumes by the designer Olga Polyanskaya are distinguished by a delicate taste, sense of style and are harmonious with decorations.
The performance is accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra Radio Orpheus (Artistic managing director and Principal conductor - Sergey Kondrashov)
Act One
This story has occurred in very ancient times when the terrible tsars ruled the world, the infidelity in love was punished by death, and customs of people were different, than now.
Somehow one of tsars – young and powerful Shahryar, hav¬ing suspected the wife in infidelity left for hunting, but unexpectedly returned to a palace. He found an orgy there and his beloved wife in embraces of the slave. The deceived husband severely executed the adulteress and slaves, but visions of the killed be¬loved persuaded him everywhere, running him at times in almost unconsciousness.
In an attack of fury he comes to terrible decision – to execute all young girls of the country. All their entreaties are in vain. But here the world of a harm and violence appears Beauty and Wisdom with Sheherezada. She is full of desire to rescue girls and to soften violent anger of the tsar. And there is a miracle. In fierce heart of Shahryar the love wakes up. But he is unshakable, even falling in love. Sheherezada must die. Then the beauty starts to tell Shahryar her fairy tales.
She tells the stories about young Alladin falling in love with tsarevna Budur and, being rescueed from a pursuit of guards, he appears in authority of the spiteful sorcerer who by means of Alladin wishes to extract a magic lamp. But the sorcerer fails and Alladin with the help of magic gin from a lamp, expels the sorcerer and his award is beautiful tsarevna Budur.
Act two
She tells the stories about the haughty and malicious Sultan, satiating all entertainments, has conceived a joke: he changed clothes with the beggar and forced him all the day to rule the country. Court bursts in laughter to a joke of the Sultan. But everyone is surprised of correctness of decisions of the beggar. And even the wife of the Sultan ignored by her husband is amazed by courtesy and caress of the poor man and falls in love with him.
The Sultan returns the beggar on a street of the city, in a dirt and poverty. When it decides to repeat the joke and the beggar again appears on a throne, the present Sultan casually perishes. Court and the wife of the Sultan, wishing to hide the incident, leaves the wise sultan-poor on a throne to reign the country.
The other tales are about Sindbad the sailor who falls in love with the girl captivated by a terrible bird – Ruh. He rescues the girl and kills an ominous bird.
And Aly-Baba who finds the treasures of the robbers and takes hold of it.
His servant Mardzhana helps him to get rid of a gang of villains.
One thousand and one night will lead Shahryar in the fine country of fairy tales by Sheherezada before the reason will win hatred and he will find belief in love and good again.
Shahryar and Sheherezada lived in love and happiness. Shah¬ryar kept on going hunting, and Sheherezada as the legend says, was always true for him.