Maiden Tower (ballet)

Maiden Tower
A scene from the first staging of the ballet, 1940.
MusicAfrasiyab Badalbeyli
LibrettoAfrasiyab Badalbeyli
Premiere18 April 1940
Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, Baku

Maiden Tower is the first Azerbaijani ballet[1] and the first ballet in the Muslim Eastern countries.[2][3] It consists of three acts with a prologue and epilogue. Afrasiyab Badalbeyli is the author of the music and libretto.[1]

The premiere took place on 18 April 1940 at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, and a new version of the ballet was presented on 24 October 1999.This new version did not include the Soviet propaganda the previous version did.[4] Yulana Alikishizade was the author of the new version. Madina Aliyeva and Gulaghasi Mirzoyev danced the main parts. Farhad Badalbeyli was the author of the revised score. Members of Azerbaijan State Song and Dance Ensemble under the guidance of Afag Malikova took part in the performance.[5][6]

  1. ^ a b Музыкальная энциклопедия. Гл. ред. Ю. В. Келдыш. Т 1. А — Гонг. 1072 стб. с илл. М.: Советская энциклопедия, 1973
  2. ^ Чингиз Абдуллаев: «Вместо того, чтобы отталкивать нас, россиянам надо менять свои взгляды и отношение к народам бывших союзных республик» Archived 2014-05-31 at the Wayback Machine

    …первый балет на мусульманском востоке появился у нас.
  3. ^ Большая Советская Энциклопедия. Гл. ред. А. М. Прохоров, 3-е изд. Т. 1. А — Ангоб. 1969. 608 стр., илл.; 47 л. илл. и карт, 1 отд. л. табл.
  4. ^ Azerbaijan International (7.4) Winter 1999.
  5. ^ Azerbaijan music Afrasiyab Badalbayli Dance of Azerbaijan girls from ballet Maiden Tower, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJG3PlAdpN8
  6. ^ Alsu Gimadiyeva in "Maiden Tower" ballet. Iranian dance, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCw-iUEUWYg