‘One Thousand and One Nights’ captures audience with Arabic movements and storytelling

Photo by Khalid al Busaidi

Last weekend at the Royal Opera House Muscat, audiences were whisked away into an enchanting world of fantasy and adventure as the esteemed Mariinsky Theatre of Vladivostok and accompanied by the Mariinsky Orchestra presented the breathtaking ballet performance of “One Thousand and One Nights.”

Originally premiering in January 1979 in Baku, Azerbaijan, this captivating production, under the direction of conductor Ayyub Guliev and choreographer Eldar Aliev, transports viewers into an exotic realm filled with wonder. With a dazzling set and costumes designed by Pyotr Okunev, the stage became a vibrant tapestry, conjuring a mesmerizing world of Arabic fantasy that delighted attendees of all ages.

The curtain rose to reveal a projection of abstract splendour at the front of the stage as the orchestra performed the Overture. A ladies’ choir sung off-stage, creating a mystical atmosphere with a wordless chorus. A huge book of miniature paintings illustrated the stories yet to be told: the book of, “One Thousand and One Nights” in pictures. The screen lifted to a lavish set of Persian splendour; the Royal Court dotted with middle-eastern lampshades, golden divans, Turkish carpets, and sliding colonnades in Act 2. Effective use of changing coloured lights on the set reflected the mood of each scene, such as red in conflict and blue in dark exchanges. A central panel lifted as Sultan Shahryar and his unfaithful first wife danced a seductive pas-de-deux. Dressed in period eastern costume, the couple were played superbly by Russian Principals in an extremely demanding choreography. The impossibly agile Nurida was danced in Thursday’s cast by Lilia Berezhnova, and Shahryar by Sergei Umanetc to gasps of disbelief from the spellbound audience. Umanetc displayed stamina and strength throughout his role, including a lengthy soliloquy in Act 1 using impressive leaps and pirouettes.

The choreography was unusual, imitating Arabic sculpture and stance with extraordinary flexibility. Twenty-four male Corps de Ballet dressed in green as hunters were perfectly synchronised in their ensemble performance as they escorted the Sultan off to war. They became nymphs in silvery body stockings in a fantastic, dream-like world to the sound of the traditional long-necked lute, the Tar. Later six exactly coordinated male dancers become ghoulish executioners.

Virgin-white ghosts representing the Sultan’s dead wives performed precise pirouettes to a primal percussion rhythm. An other-worldly choir of heavenly beauty was heard off-stage, with Anastasia Kikot providing a celestial vocalise (echoes of Rachmaninov) to further enhance the surreal quality of ‘The Nights’

Here the narrative becomes subordinate to the articulation of the dances and brilliant ballet score by Azerbaijani composer, Fikret Amirov. His new genre of sweeping epic music was as impressive as the visual experience, and is a sterling example of Nationalistic writing in the 20th century. Amirov’s ingenious blending of Western (Russian) forms with Eastern scales, and folk melodies with irregular, uneven metres (3+3+2 is one example he exploits) resulted in an effective pastiche of orientalism. He benefitted from knowing the scores of Borodin’s, ‘Polovtsian dances’ and Khachaturian’s ‘Sabre Dance’, not to mention Rimsky-Korsakov’s ‘Scheherazade’ itself. He uses extremes of registers in orchestration - piccolos, xylophones and glockenspiel against the deep resonance of trombones, timpani and gongs - to give an illusion of Arabic exoticism which provides an almost filmic soundtrack to complement what is happening on stage.

Shahryar’s beautiful and intelligent wife, Scheherazade appeared in a blue tutu, spinning into the Sultan’s favour by the end of Act 1. She was played with captivating grace by Anna Samostrelova, receiving tumultuous applause in the Finale.

Act 2 introduced some lively, bold characters from ‘The Nights’, starting with Georgy Stelmakh as Sinbad the Sailor symbolised by a blue, rippling silk sea. He rescues Lada Sartakova as the maiden in distress and overcomes death in the form of the evil Bird Roc (Shizuru Kato).

Suddenly the scene is awash with colour in a peasants’ lively dance, joyous and exhilarating. The walled city of Baghdad is illustrated behind as a child’s dream accompanied by light folk music. The costumes are faux-arabian including six Iraqi dancers - clichés in assorted bright colours. Aladdin (Sergei Amanbaev) is accompanied by his side-kick, the mischievous Wizard (Erlan Suynbek) whirling and spinning with athletic energy, a full turn in a jump, clutching the Lamp. Later an animated Ali Baba (Vladuslav Rzhevsky) appears, leaping in double spins, turning in the air as the troupe journey towards the Thieves’ den in ancient Mesopotamia. An Egyptian style belly-dancer, Marjana (performed with bewitching guile by Natalia Demyanova) entertains them, gaining an appreciative whoop of delight from the audience.

The mesmerising solos melt into a sustained love duet between Shahryar and Scheherazade in the final, magnificent pas-de-deux, filled with triumph and transformation. A colourful pageant ensues as the full cast and towns people assemble in a grand Royal Ball to bid the couple farewell as they depart – on a magic flying carpet!