Sufi Symbolism in Tolib Shakhidi’s Televised Ballet The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Abstract

In the article devoted to one of the most well-known compositions by the Tajik composer Tolib Shakhidi the means of reflection of Sufi symbolism in the synthetic genre of the televised ballet are researched. Stemming from the essential parameters of the symbol (taking into account the formed traditions of study of this category), the authors propose their own perspective of the issue. The role of the symbol is shown in expounding by artistic means of the Sufi path of perfection (Tarikat) as a bridge between the two worlds. The orientation on the multilevel complex of sets (musical, scenographic, choreographical, scenic or poetical) and the specificity of the chief Sufi principle of zohirbotin (the inner vs. the outer) made it possible to carry out the analysis of the indicated phenomenon on the basis of a differentiated approach toward symbol. As a result, symbol-images are revealed (the main characters are the Poet, his Muse and Death), which are the most multifaceted and acquiring the features of allegory and metaphor; symbol-signs, frequently carrying out the functions of leit-symbols (a pitcher, a chalice of wine, fire, a flute) and in virtue of Sufi cryptography acquiring signs of the symbol-emblem. The possession of the verbal row (the sounding Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam) aids the comprehension of Sufi conception with its metaphoricity. Research has shown that the examined symbolism is presented on the following level: in scenic dramaturgy, in the images of the main dramatis personae, in their musical manifestation, in the utilization of symbolic poetry, in color solutions in the attributive formatting of the televised ballet. Keywords: Sufi symbolism, televised ballet, Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, the principle of zohir-botin, Tolib Shakhidi.