Synopsys
Prologue. “Friendship”
The men are hunting in the mountains. Two friends Armen and George notice the approaching thunderstorm and hurry to join their mates who have gone far ahead.
It is getting dark. There are thunder squalls and thunderclaps.
There appears Aisha, a mountain dweller. In search of a lamb that has got lost from the flock she climbs a cliff. The girl practically reaches the top of the mountain when a whirlwind attacks her and throws her off to the foot of the cliff.
The hunters approach the place where Aisha fell down. Fighting with the roaring storm they are making their way forward. Armen stumbles and nearly falls down into a precipice but George doesn’t let him go and supports his friend. Suddenly the friend’s attention is attracted by the motionless figure that is prostrate at the foot of the rock. They lift up Aisha carefully and follow their way.
Act I
Scene I. “Spring”
The scene is taking place in Gayane’s orchard. The girls and Gayane are finishing a huge carpet. The girls embrace Gayane warmly because it was her who made up this intricate pattern and chose the splendid colouring of the carpet.
The young men run into the orchard. All young people surround Gayane and start dancing round her. The girls start the dance, and then Gayane’s friend Nune changes them. The young men enter swiftly into the dance. After that all of them demand that Gayane as the heroine of the occasion should dance in return. Gayane is dancing.
Dark clouds cover the sky. Merrymaking stops. Everybody anxiously looks at the thunderclouds. It is clear that the storm has broken out in the mountains and the hunters are in danger.
Gayane’s heart sinks – Armen who she loves for long, hiding her feeling from everybody, is among these hunters. Now the girl can’t keep herself in check. She rushes to the gate but runs into George and Armen who are carrying senseless Aisha into the orchard. Armen notices Gayane’s excitement.
Aisha comes to senses for a moment. She opens her eyes and smiles gratefully at the people who bend over her and faints again. George brings her into the house. The people go away quietly.
Night comes. Armen who has been dreaming about Gayane noiselessly appears near the gate. It is dark and silent in the house; at last the door opens slowly and Gayane appears in the door. The excited sweethearts go to each other, they are happy.
Scene II. “Recovery”
It is early morning near Gayane’s house. Aisha is dozing in the orchard under the blossoming trees. She is has almost recovered and could return to her house in the mountains but Gayane who made friends with her doesn’t let her go.
Aisha gets awake and starts dancing in the orchard. Hearing Gayane’s and Nune’s steps she pretends to be sleeping. The girls try to get to the gate noiselessly but Aisha’s loud laughter stops them. Delighted with her own trick Aisha is running around the orchard hiding from her friends who are trying to catch her. Koren joins the frolic girls. However, everybody leaves but Aisha.
George comes up to the gate. Having made certain that there is nobody in the orchard but Aisha and himself he comes up to her and passionately makes a declaration of his love. Aisha is embarrassed and keeps silent. The proud young man blushes. He turns round abruptly and leaves hurriedly.
At that moment Armen comes with a bunch of flowers for Gayane. He cannot see Aisha who is hidden behind the trees. The latter decides to play a trick on Armen and suddenly snatches the flowers from his hands. She runs away but Armen catches up with her and takes the flowers back. He heads to the little house. Aisha stops his – Gayane has not come yet. Then Armen asks Aisha to give flowers to Gayane, and she promises. Armen embraces her with gratitude before George’s eyes who returned by accident. He is shocked – Aisha loves Armen! Being seized by jealousy he runs away.
Gayane appears in the orchard. Pointing at Armen, Aisha gives her the flowers. Armen leaves. Two friends are standing in the orchard lit with the sun absorbed in thought.
Act II
Scene III. “Jealousy”
The dwellers of the valley get together at the foot of the mountain. Koren is being tested before his first hunt. He passes the exam and the hunters take him in their family. The young people loudly celebrate his seeing-off.
Only George does not share this common joy. He avoids meeting Aisha and Armen. Armen tries to find out what is the matter but George refuses to speak to Armen. A bugle sounds and warns that it is time to set off to hunt.
Dancing farewell with Aisha George tries to make a declaration of his love again. His passionate declaration frightens Aisha and she runs away. Having parted with Gayane Armen meets tear-stained Aisha and asks her about the cause of her sadness. Touched by his tenderness Aisha bursts into bitter tears bending her head over his shoulder. George again sees them together and threateningly rushes at Armen. Aisha cries for help. Gayane appears and asks the friends to make it up. George grimly shakes hands with Armen. Only when Armen disappears George starts ascending in the mountains.
Aisha understands that she must take a leave immediately. There in the mountains she will be able to understand her feelings. Aisha says good bye to the valley.
Scene IV. “Crime”.
Nature in the mountains is silenced by the coming storm.
The hunters are walking in line disappearing among the rocks. Lonely George comes out from behind the cliff. Hearing the steps he hides behind the ledge of the rock. Hung with the hunter’s trophy Armen runs out. He throws his gun off and climbs the rock. At this moment George notices the bear’s head that shows itself from behind the rock. He takes the aim but suddenly Aisha’s image springs up in front of his eyes. George lowers the gun. The animal attacks Armen and they fall down into the cleft.
The storm breaks out. The hunters are coming from different directions. Koren finds Armen’s gun. Helping each other the hunters are descending from the rock and find Armen’s lifeless body in the cleft.
Armen comes to his senses and opens the eyes. Pitch darkness screens everything. He has got blind! Armen faints. The hunters carry him away. George stays alone. Seized with horror he realizes that he committed the crime and betrayed his friend.
Scene V. “Love”
In the orchard near Armen’s house Gayane is decorating the terrace of the hose with flowers. Today Armen is going for a walk on his own for the first time. There is the sound of unsteady steps. Gayane runs away into the orchard. Armen comes out of the house leaning on a walking stick. He makes a clumsy uncoordinated movement and nearly falls down. Gayane rushes to help him revealing herself. Armen is in despair – he doesn’t want Gayane to see him in such a helpless condition. Why should she bind her life with an invalid? Gayane turns Armen’s words down and says they will be happy together. It is the first time when after the misfortune Armen feels lust for life again. Gayane takes Armen into the house.
George enters the orchard. He wants to tell the truth to his friend. Suddenly the door of the house opens. Armen stands on the threshold. George sees him for the first time after the accident. It is beyond his power to confess to his crime. Holding his breath he retreats stealthily. The only thought is to take flight from the valley! He rushes away.
Act III
Scene VI. “Conscience”
Night is coming to the mountain settlement where Aisha lives. Aisha is sitting hear her saklya, sad and deep in her thoughts. She is thinking about George. Now she realizes that she loves him. Aisha enters the saklya.
The shepherds start dancing but it is getting late and they go away. Everybody and everything falls asleep. George appears among the rocks. He decided to pass by Aisha’s settlement leaving his native valley.
Unexpectedly Aisha comes out of the saklya. George wants to disappear but she holds him. All of a sudden George shrinks back – he has no right to love her. Blind Armen separates them. George decides to confess and redress his fault. He rushes away in the darkness. Aisha follows him.
Scene VII. “Atonement”
Indian summer. All highlanders are celebrating the harvest festival. Armen spends this day among his friends for the first time. Koren who returned from the hunting hurries up to Armen. Occasionally the blind man’s hand touches Koren’s hunting rifle. Armen shudders. He takes the rifle in his hands and painfully recollects the days when he could see and could go hunting… In his despair Armen throws the bandage off hiss eyes. What a surprise! He can see again! Everybody is happy. They start dancing.
George appears at the height of dancing and Aisha runs in following him. He tells Armen and his home-folks what happened in the mountains during the hunting. Learning the truth everybody turns their backs. Hanging his head George is about to take a leave. However, Armen stops him. He shakes George’s hand and hugs him heartily.
Aisha decides to go with the beloved to help him to turn a new leaf. Gayane and Armen believe that George will become a new man beside her and deserve her love and other people’s credit. After this they will return to the native place.
Agitated all highlanders are watching Aisha and George leaving.
The ballet Gayane that was completed by Aram Khachaturian (1903–1978) during the Great Patriotic War (1942) passed through a complicated process of creating and realization on the stage. It took its origin in 1939 when the composer was suggested writing some ballet music dedicated to the coming Decade of the Armenian Art. Being involved into composing music for the ballet Happiness (that was the name of the first ballet by Khachaturian) the composer started to collect and study Armenian folklore. He wrote, “I would like the songs, dancing music created by people to enter organically the ballet, being an inseparable part of it”. The score written after the Armenian producer Gevork Ovanesyan’s theme was ready half a year later. His music was really full of the intonation of the old Armenian music. Many original folklore themes, intonations and rhythms were used there. The pulsating rhythms of folk dances were caught skillfully. The Armenian folk dances Shalaho and Uzundara were symphonically developed. The outstanding conductor Konstantin Saradghev noticed the surprising “folkloreness” of the ballet. In the first version of the ballet the created scenes of life and work of the Armenian people became the background of love story of the village girl Karine and the frontier guard Armen.
In spite of a successful first night that accompanies every ballet there were many essential drawbacks in the libretto and drama as well. That caused the subsequent remaking of the score. The famous specialist in drama study and passionate ballet admirer Derzhavin took up writing a new libretto; at the same time Nina Anisimova, his wife headed the choreographic part of the production. “This is not the old ballet Happiness”– wrote Khachaturian in the letter, “It is a new ballet, and by the way, it is named Gayane: this is the name of the heroine. A new ballet and the music is also new by 60-70%”. The action takes place on the eve of the Great Patriotic War in a small Armenian village, and the heroes are kolkhozniks (peasants) and Red Army soldiers.
Many pieces of music were composed specially for Gayane including Sable Dance. The composer recollected, “Sabre Dance was created absolutely by chance…At the desire of some theatre workers I added The Kurds’ Dance that later was named Sabre Dance. I began composing at 3 p.m. and worked till 2 a.m. without any break. Sabre Dance impressed both the orchestra and the ballet dancers and all those who were present in the hall”.
The production of Gayane that took place at the height of Stalingrad battle was a complete success due to the magnificent ballet dancers N. Dudinskaya as Gayane and K. Sergeev as Armen. Music of Gayane attracted attention of many musical theatre leaders but the drawbacks that remained in it got choreographers to create their own stage versions of the ballet. In the 70-ies being the author of two ballets Gayane and Spartacus Khachaturian bitterly noticed, “My ballet is staged in five countries but the scores, the librettos are confusing, there is arbitrariness and distortion”.
Being displeased with the state of affairs the composer decided to make one more version of Gayane for staging it at the scene of the Bolshoi Theatre in 1957. “As the author I am not completely convinced which of the versions of the plot is the best? It seems to me that time will reveal the truth. That is why I came to the decision to have the ballet with the subject by B. Pletnev and the score corresponding to the new libretto published. This edition … will provide the theatre choreographers with the right of choice in future productions. ”
In the second version one third of the numbers was written anew by the composer. Narrating about the hunters’ life in the mountains of Armenia the new libretto praises the bonds of love and friendship, condemns selfishness and betrayal.
The record of this ballet presented on these disks was made inter vivo of Aram Khachaturian under outstanding Georgian conductor Dzhansug Kakhidze. It is the second edition of the ballet that the composer considered to be best in his last years. Shostakovich who highly appreciated Khachaturian’s ballet stated, “Gayane is one of the most brilliant samples of implementation of contemporary theme in choreography. Courageous innovation, subtle feeling for dance, bright sparkling optimism conquer many generations of audience”.
