ORIENTAL SYMBOLISM OF THE BALLET “SEVEN BEAUTIES” BASED ON THE POEM BY NIZAMI GANJAVI

Abstract

The author explores creative interpretations of the work “Seven Beauties” written by a humanist poet Nizami Ganjavi (7th century) from the “Hamse” cycle. The poet was a genuine erudite, connoisseur of not only Koranic texts, history, ancient and Muslim philosophy, but astronomy as well. This article is an attempt to trace the oriental symbolism in the images of Ganjavi in one of the creative interpretations of the poem “Seven Beauties” through the prism of choreographic and scenographic art. The method of research is a semiological analysis, the object of study is the ballet “Seven Beauties”, combining the achievements of modern European choreography and medieval Eastern poetry with its inherent imagery, set to the music of Azerbaijani composer Kara Karayev. The composer K. Karayev actively used authentic musical traditions of Azerbaijan (musical harmonies, Ashug melodics and elements of Azerbaijani folk modes), combining them with European melodies and rhythms. Analyzing the film-ballet “Seven Beauties” (1982, directed by Felix Slidovker) and the new production of the Theater of Opera and Ballet named after M.F. Akhundov (2011), the author traces the transformation of the libretto and offers his own rendition of symbolism in the metaphorical work of the classic Nizami Ganjavi. The search for truth, beauty, and justice has always been a part of a thinking person. Eastern poets chanted this search, this long and difficult road to the truth, the ideal world. Court intrigues, the luxury of the palace and the daily life of the common people, nobility, guile and love intertwined in this metaphorical Eastern parable, which formed the basis for several interpretations of the ballet “Seven Beauties”. Despite the great degree of conventionality inherent in this genre of stage art, the film ballet is characterized by dramaturgical diversity, organic entwinement of developing storylines, dynamic interrelation of social and lyrical-psychological conflicts. The transformation of the libretto to the ballet “Seven Beauties” testifies to a new, deeper reading, its coming closer to the ideological and philosophical metaphorical concept of the original poem by Nizami Ganjavi, to eternal search for the truth, love and justice sung by the poet with oriental imagery characteristic for him.