“A Thousand and One Nights” from the Mariinsky Theater covered the capital of Qatar

A colorful ballet about the secrets of the East was shown in Doha

The ballet “One Thousand and One Nights” to the music of composer Fikret Amirov and choreography by the chief choreographer of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theater, Eldar Aliyev, has gained phenomenal success among the Russian public since its premiere two years ago in Vladivostok. Now the production is being presented in Doha – on the stage of the Qatar National Congress Hall. The audience received the ballet with a bang.

“A Thousand and One Nights” is a unique ballet in its popularity and mass appeal. In September it was shown on the historical stage of the Bolshoi Theater and in the branch of the Mariinsky Theater in Vladikavkaz, in October it visited China at the Days of Culture of the Primorsky Territory in Harbin. And each performance packed the hall to capacity, invariably receiving a well-deserved ovation. Now the ballet troupe and orchestra of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky (and this is no less than 200 people) have set off to conquer the capital of Qatar with their art.

Showing a performance based on Arabic and Persian fairy tales in the East is a special responsibility. Moreover, this is the first tour of the Mariinsky Theater in Qatar. However, the excitement that accompanies the appearance of artists on any new stage turned out to be unnecessary – the Qatari audience was delighted.

– It was important for us that the performance, which was based on a literary monument of Persian and Arabic literature, was perceived by the public of the Middle East as congenial. We sought to reflect in it the best traditions of Eastern culture. As a result, the performance “A Thousand and One Nights” was received with a bang,” said Eldar Aliev, chief choreographer of the Mariinsky Primorsky Stage, after the first show. – I would like to thank the organizers of the event and the sponsor – the Rosneft company. I think this is the beginning of cultural ties that will develop further. We really have something to show and something to be proud of.

On the stage of the National Congress Hall, prima ballerinas Anna Samstrelova and Liliya Berezhnova, premieres Sergei Umanets and Viktor Mulygin, soloists Yuri Zinnurov, Saki Nishida, Arina Nagase, Lada Sartakova, Alexandra Shalimova, as well as ballet dancers Sergei Borovykh, Lev, shone in the main roles Ponomarev and Erlan Suyunbek. The skill of Russian artists, who told oriental tales through the language of dance, captivated us with their precision and grace of performance. It seemed that they merged with music that had magical powers, and about the author of which Dmitry Shostakovich once said: “Melody is the soul of his work.” In the ballet “A Thousand and One Nights”, the oriental flavor and mysterious atmosphere are conveyed by a rich palette of percussion instruments: bongos, tam-tams, xylophone, vibraphone, drums, bells, cymbals and gongs, and the Azerbaijani string instrument – tar. In Qatar, the ballet is accompanied by the Mariinsky Theater Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Eyyub Kuliev.

One of the spectators of the premiere performance of the ballet “A Thousand and One Nights” in Doha was the composer’s compatriot, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Qatar Mahir Mammad oglu Aliyev: “This is not just an orchestra, this is a great orchestra. I am proud that today I was among the spectators of this amazing work. No one has yet caught up with Russian ballet. By the way, next year marks 45 years since Fikret Amirov wrote the music for the ballet “A Thousand and One Nights,” which is very important for us,” the diplomat shared his opinion after the performance. Russian Ambassador to Qatar Dmitry Dogadkin also agrees with his colleague, who highly appreciated the production: “Magnificent costumes! Great music and performance. Everyone had great fun! Many representatives of the country’s leadership and the diplomatic corps were present at the performance, and we were convinced that Russian culture cannot be abolished. It is in demand in most countries of the world. This performance is clear proof of that.”

After a series of performances in Qatar in February-March, the ballet “A Thousand and One Nights” will be shown in St. Petersburg on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater. Then he will go to Beijing, and towards the end of the season he will return to his native stage in Vladivostok.

It must be said that this is not the first project that Rosneft supports. In 2018, as part of the Russia-Qatar Cross Year of Culture, the company organized concerts of the Sretensky Monastery Choir, and also became the general partner of the exhibition of painting collections at the Tretyakov Gallery “Russian Avant-Garde: Pioneers and “Lineal Heirs”. In 2019, with the support of Rosneft, the premiere of Boris Eifman’s ballet Anna Karenina took place in Qatar.