Libretto by Renat Kharis
2013 Production
Music by Rezeda Akhiyarova
CREDITS
Musical Director: Rustem Abyazov
Staged by George Kovtun (St.-Petersburg)
Set Design by Andrey Zlobin (Kiev)
Costume Design by Anna Ipatieva (Kiev)
Chorus master - Nurija Dzhuraeva
The world premiere of a ballet Golden Horde, with music by Rezeda Akhiyarova and choreography by Georgy Kovtun, has been a great success. The authors prepared for it for more than 3 years and finally presented their brainchild to the audience, Tatar-inform reports.
The authors from the very start said it would be an artistic interpretation of the great history. The storyline besides unfamiliar names includes some well-known ones, like Golden Horde khan Toktamysh and Timur, emir of Samarkand. The show includes a choir singing in Tatar, as well as theatre’s mimic ensemble and Kazan Choreography College students.
The performance includes battle scenes, sumptuous meals and a love triangle. The spirit of khan Batiy that throughout the show tries to save the Golden Horde from collapse plays an important part in conveying the message. Historical facts are presented with maximum accuracy and at the same time the authors, with the help of artistic fiction, highlight the main idea, that one needs to cherish one’s native land and protect it from war and irreversible destruction.
Age category 12+
Synopsis
Act I
Prologue
The vast expanses of their possessions roam the alarmed Spirit of Batu Khan, carrying the Arba of fate of the powerful and rich Golden Horde.
Toktamysh appears - the Khan of the Golden Horde, his adviser Vizier and Murza - the invincible commander of the khan. The spirit of Batu Khan once again reminds them of their responsibility for the well-being of the great state created by him.
Here the girl Dzhanike - the daughter of Khan Toktamysh and the boy Nuradin - the son of the commander Murza, who grow up and bring up at the Khan's court, amuse themselves.
Meanwhile, on the remote outskirts of the khanate, another internecine war intensifies.
The spirit of Batu Khan is concerned: will his state be preserved and who will get the power, the symbol of which is the golden helmet of the Spirit of Batu Khan. Smart and treacherous Vizier has long dreamed of taking power in the Golden Horde into his own hands, and he is plotting evil ...
Scene 1
Park at the palace of Khan Toktamysh. Beauty Janice has fun with her girlfriends. They are joined by the young hero Nuradin. The boy and girl are in love with each other.
They are watched by the ubiquitous Vizier, who also dreams of marrying the daughter of the khan and thus even closer to the throne.
With a campaign with another victory, the army of Murza returns. Nuradin was the first to meet him. The father sees how his son matured and became a real warrior and a worthy bridegroom. Behind the meeting of father and son, the insidious Vizier keeps an eye on.
Scene 2
Palace of Khan Toktamysh. In honor of the winners, the khan arranges a magnificent reception. Murza presents the khan with rich trophy gifts and asks his hands for Janika for his son Nuradin. Khan agrees. But the Vizier, in order to upset the wedding of the young, all-round accuses Murza of plotting a coup with his son and wants to take possession of the golden helmet of the Spirit of Batu Khan.
Toktamysh is furious. He orders to seize Murza. A battle ensues. Nuradin fights on the side of his father. Murza with several warriors escapes from the palace, and the guards of Toktamysh grab Nuradin.
Scene 3
The square in front of the palace of Khan Toktamysh. Janika yearns and suffers for Nuradin, who is imprisoned in prison.
Using the situation, the Vizier again tries to achieve reciprocity with Janice, but in vain. Rejected, he enrages in a dungeon to Nuradin and announces that he will marry Janika.
Act II
Scene 4
Toktamysh Palace. Khan reflects on the fate of his country, the betrayal of the best commander, the fate of his daughter. The spirit of Khan Batu hovers over him, but Toktamysh rejects his help.
And the smart, insidious Vizier is right there - he tells Toktamysh a tricky idea: to destroy Murza with the hands of his son.
Nuradin is brought into the palace and, with him, they cover the kalfak of Janika with the helmet of Murza: this means that Murza encroached on the honor of the Khan's daughter. Nuradin is offered to kill his father, promising a coveted reward for this - marriage to Janika. Blinded by the promised happiness, overwhelmed by jealousy and a thirst for revenge, Nuradin agrees.
Scene 5
Palace of Timur. Concubines and polonaise from different countries delight the formidable emir of Samarkand with dances.
Murza appears with gifts from the treasures of the Golden Horde and presents them to Timur. Murza tells the all-powerful emir about the treachery of the Vizier. Timur invites the invincible commander to remain in his service ...
Nuradin arrived at the palace of Timur. Father is glad to have such a meeting. But Nuradin is gloomy and severe - he unexpectedly accuses his father of unheard of sin and betrayal - of an encroachment on the honor of his beloved Janika. Murza is trying to convince his son of the falsity of his accusations. In the end, he is forced to swear on the Quran. Murza and Nuradin reconciled.
Murza asks the emir to punish Toktamysh and Vizir for their treachery and invites him to invade the Toktamysh khanate and restore order there ... Wise and no less treacherous Timur agrees and sends the army led by Murza to the Golden Horde - let his eternal rival Khan Toktamysh be destroyed by his same minion.
The spirit of Batu Khan beats in despair, foreseeing the death of the state founded by him.
Scene 6
Toktamysh Palace. Preparations are under way for engagement to Janika and the Vizier.
Janika is desperate, but she cannot disobey her father.
A stir begins - Timur’s army, led by Murza and Nuradin, is about to capture Toktamysh’s palace. The palace servants flee, Toktamysh disappears ... Timur's warriors burst into the palace, destroying and sweeping away everything in its path.
The Vizier is trying to force Janica away, but she is desperately resisting, and the Vizier is killing her - let no one get it.
At this time, Nuradin bursts into the palace with his soldiers. A fierce battle ensues between the Vizier and Nuradin, in which Nuradin receives a mortal wound.
The dying Nuradin says goodbye to Janique: pictures of childhood run through his eyes, in which he and Janice happily spent time ...
Murza bursts into the palace and sees the Vizier's villainy. He catches up with the Vizier and kills him ...
Looking around, Murza suddenly realizes what he has done: having brought a foreign army to his country and allowing it to be robbed and destroyed, he lost his son, daughter-in-law, and Motherland ... But it’s too late ...
Timur is triumphant.
At this time, the Spirit of Khan Batu is trying to collect the fragments of the fragments of the great Golden Horde recently in Arba of fate ...