AISULU

S. Mukhamedzhanov
"AISULU"
Opera in 2 acts
Libretto by K. Shangitbayeva and K. Baiseitova
Characters:
Serke – young man, in love with Aisulu
Aisulu – young girl
Hasen – young scientist
Aubakir – young poet
Abdykadyr – famous director
Maibatyr – advertising agent
Gulshara – assistant director
Nursulu – dancer
Zhansulu – poetess
Make-up artist – friend of Aisulu
Beautiful girl – director's assistant
Pianist

Symphony orchestra, choir and ballet of Abay Kazakh state academic opera and ballet theater

 

Production team:

Production-director - MURAT SHALABAEV, Honored Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Production-artists - PAVEL DRAGUNOV, SOFIA TASMAGAMBETOVA

Choreographer - GULZHAN TUTKIBAEVA, People's Artist of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Choirmaster - ALIYA TEMIRBEKOVA

History

Sydyk Mukhamedzhanov wrote the first comic opera in the history of the Kazakh musical theater. The libretto of Kuandyk Shangitbaev and Kanabek Baiseitov is based on the life of modern Kazakh youth, and at its center are comedic situations in which lovers fall. For the first time, a comic opera was staged at the Opera and Ballet Theater. Abay in Alma-Ata in 1964. Of the four operas created by the Kazakh composer Sydyk Mukhamedzhanov, the opera Aisulu brought him the greatest fame as the author of the first comic opera in Kazakh musical art. Some arias and individual musical fragments from this opera became popular - such as Cavatina Serke, Aria Aisulu and the waltz from the first act.

 

“Unfortunately, there are not many Kazakh national opera performances in the repertoire of our theater, and they are mostly of a tragic character. Please note: in the opera “Birzhan and Sarah” Birzhan dies, in the opera “Kyz Zhibek” Tulegen is killed, in the opera “Abay” Aydar was poisoned ... It would be unfair to ignore the only, perhaps, Kazakh comic opera created by Sydyk Mukhamedzhanov, ” tells the director of the opera - Murat Shalabaev.

 

The new production of the opera is based on a plot from the life of modern youth, whether in the 80s of the twentieth century or in the tenths, already twenty-first. The authors of the first libretto of 1964 were Kanabek Baiseitov and Kuandyk Shangitbaev, the second version was made in 2014, its authors were Askhat Mayemirov and Murat Shalabaev. And, it should be noted, it is significantly different.

The plot of the play tells about the life of young people in the period when they are looking for their soul mate, their love. The main character Aisulu, having left for a beauty contest without the consent of her young man, realizes that all career ups are nothing if there is no loved one nearby. Through the songs performed by Aisulu, one can feel the purity and naivety of the girl.

The musical language of Sydyk Mukhamedzhanov possesses the beauty of Kazakh traditional music, its melodiousness, melody and originality. The melodies express all the feelings experienced by the heroes of the opera - sadness, joy, love, admiration. They cause some degree of nostalgia due to the lack of such musical works at present.

The scenery of this production is modest enough for a modern beauty contest, during which all actions unfold. Unless this is a competition of a provincial town, there is not enough glitter, rhinestones and glamor: a modest beauty contest, with the exception of a beautiful curtain with a picture of a crown made of Kazakh patterns in gold. But at the same time, individual outfits of characters are made in such a way that they make the viewer smile: funny men's costumes made of fabric in a cage, an advertising agent’s vest, a retro car restored by theater workers.

 

In 2014, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the birth of Sydyk Mukhamedzhanov and the 50th anniversary of the writing of the opera, the Abay KGBATP presented a comic opera on its stage. The wonderful music of Mukhamedzhanov and the comic nature of the situations definitely pleased the public.