In honor of the 180th anniversary of the great poet-educator, composer, and philosopher Abai Kunanbaev, a series of significant events is planned at "Astana Opera." The first of these will be the concert "Ұйықтап жатқан жүректі ән оятар," scheduled for March 2 at the Chamber Hall named after K. Baiseitova, reports Kazpravda.kz
The performer and creative inspiration behind the concert is the People's Artist of Kazakhstan, laureate of the state award of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Shakhimardan Abilov.
Joining him for this musical evening will be the winner of international competitions, graduate of the International Opera Academy at Astana Opera, tenor Nursultan Anuarbek, as well as the laureate of international competitions, student of the third academic season of the academy, soprano Sara Sadygulova. The piano part will be performed by the honored figure of Kazakhstan, Raushan Beskembirova.
The theater's press service noted that for the first time, a cycle of romances by composer Yerkegali Rakhmadiyev set to the verses of Abai Kunanbaev will be performed on the stage of the Chamber Hall named after K. Baiseitova. Shakhimardan Abilov emphasized that these seven romances represent the first vocal cycle in the history of Kazakh classical romance.
“In 1981, while preparing for my concert at the conservatory, I discovered a romance by Yerkegali Rakhmadiyev based on the famous poem by Abai 'Қалың елім, қазағым, қайран жұртым,' written during his student years. This romance remained unpublished and unperformed. Its melody is broad, the sound is high, and the vocal part requires powerful breath in the upper octaves. In 1986, I performed it for the first time at the plenary session of the Union of Composers. Upon hearing my performance, Yerkegali Rakhmadiyev expressed his gratitude for giving new life to his work. Inspired by this, he wrote seven more romances on Abai's verses specifically for my voice. Thus, the first vocal cycle in the history of Kazakh professional music was created, consisting of 7 romances on the verses of the great poet,” – said Shakhimardan Abilov.
The opera singer also emphasized the importance of popularizing the works of the great Abai.
“The leitmotif, the harmony of Abai's verses are unusual. The themes of his works are incredibly diverse. Mood, love and hatred, nature, social and civic lyricism – all of this is our life. Each of his poems is a separate philosophy, a separate wisdom. If we understand and follow such a great thinker as Abai, we will take our rightful place in the world,” – he noted.
The famous cycle of romances by Yerkegali Rakhmadiyev includes Abai's verses 'Қалың елім, қазағым, қайран жұртым,' 'Жаздыгүн шілде болғанда,' 'Көңілім қайтты достан да, дұшпаннан да...,' 'Қажымас дос халықта жоқ,' 'Сіз – қырғауыл жез қанат,' 'Қара қатын,' 'Көңіл құсы құйқылжыр шартарапқа...'.
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Currently, opera singer Shakhimardan Abilov and the musical consultant of the "Astana Opera" theater, Raushan Beskembirova, are preparing these seven romances for presentation to the public in the format of two monocycles.
Additionally, the program will include four romances by Nagima Mendygalieva set to Abai's verses: 'Мен сәлем жазамын,' 'Ғашықтың тілі – тілсіз тіл,' 'Кейде есер көңіл құрғырың,' 'Ғашықтық, құмарлықпен – ол екі жол,' arias from the opera "Abai" by Akhmet Zhubanov and Latifa Khamidi, as well as songs based on the poet's verses written by Sydyk Mukhamediyev, Mansur Sagatov, and Evgeny Brusilovsky.
“Many composers have written romances to Abai's verses, but Yerkegali Rakhmadiyev's style is unique and contemporary. His cycle of seven romances is a work that is performed extremely rarely. Until today, these romances have only been performed by Shakhimardan Abilov,” – noted concertmaster Raushan Beskembirova.
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According to her, in the romances based on Abai's verses, Yerkegali Rakhmadiyev deeply reveals the poet's philosophical reflections, connecting them with modern harmony. The piano part in these works is characterized by high richness and requires from the performer not only impeccable technique but also a deep understanding of the musical image.
“The complexity of performance is due to the necessity of conveying the expressive dramaturgy and emotional nuances embedded in the composer's music. Currently, together with Shakhimardan Kairdarovich, we are re-examining all seven romances. During the preparation for the concert, a new edition of this cycle is being created. It will become a valuable resource for future generations of musicians,” – added Raushan Beskembirova.
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She also noted that the concert "Ұйықтап жатқан жүректі ән оятар" will kick off a series of events dedicated to the 180th anniversary of Abai Kunanbaev at the theater, with several more concerts featuring works by other composers who have written music to his verses planned for the fall.
It is worth recalling that the repertoire of "Astana Opera" includes works that reflect the life path and creativity of Abai. Thus, in 2015, the premiere of the opera "Abai" by A. Zhubanov and L. Khamidi based on the libretto by M. Auezov took place on the stage of the Grand Hall of the theater. For this production, the theater was awarded the state prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2018.