Translated with AI
The S. Aini Tajik State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater is preparing a new artistic interpretation of the first Tajik opera, "Pulad and Gulru." The performance will be presented to the public under the title "Khurshed and Makhnoz," the theater's press service reported.
The project is dedicated to the 96th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding composer, People's Artist of Tajikistan Sharofiddin Saifiddinov, who pioneered the national opera school. His works are being revived on the country's main musical stage.
Work on the libretto has been entrusted to People's Poet of Tajikistan Ustod Ozarakhsh. Foreign specialists, with whom negotiations are already underway, will soon join the production team. The initiative has the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic.
The theater emphasized that the opera's musical text will be preserved, but the plot will change. While the original plot was based on events relevant to the 20th century, the story will now be filled with dynamic conflicts and will focus on the 16th session of the Supreme Council, which played a crucial role in the establishment of independent Tajikistan. This thematic focus was initially outlined by Saifiddinov himself, together with Ozarakhsh, but the idea was not realized during the composer's lifetime.
The production involves the theater's entire creative team—opera soloists, a symphony orchestra, a choir, and a ballet company. The premiere is scheduled for September next year and will coincide with the 35th anniversary of Tajikistan's state independence.
Sharofiddin Saifiddinov made an invaluable contribution to the development of national musical culture. Over the course of his career, he created a number of large-scale opera productions, film scores, and also gained fame as a teacher. Among his students is People's Artist of Tajikistan Amirbek Musozoda, who now heads the country's Union of Composers. Saifiddinov himself led the Union for 22 years, a period that marked the heyday of Tajik musical art.
The composer also initiated the opening of the Academy of Musical Arts in Khujand (now the Faculty of Arts of Khujand State University) and taught at the Tursunzade Tajik State Institute of Culture and Arts.
One of the Maestro's immortal creations is the song "Respublikai Man," which is rightly considered the unofficial anthem of Tajikistan. It continues to resonate today as a symbol of the patriotism and musical genius of its composer, who left a rich cultural legacy for future generations.
