The Soviet Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian was one of the leading music writers in the USSR. Some of his first concertos, including 1936 Piano Concerto, 1940 Violin Concerto and 1946 Cello Concerto, brought him recognition beyond the Soviet Union. Khachaturian has also 3 bright symphonies and over 2 dozen film scores.
But what I love most in his repertoire is no doubt the ballet music. The 1942 “Gayane” ballet with its famous "Sabre Dance" excerpt that got the most covers in pop culture is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Khachaturian’s ballet creations. However, last night Gayane was not something that got me totally charmed and submerged in the beauty of the music...
It was the Adagio from the “Spartacus” ballet that did all the magic. With the harmonies so rich and rhythms so captivating, the Armenian master made the piece, just like the entire ballet, virtuously colourful and sensuous. The storyline of the ballet describes the slave uprising led by the hero Spartacus, which implies the music to be heroic and dynamic itself, but adagio is something different. It’s rather a lyrical digression, beautiful and tender. Have a listen below.
In 1995, Aram Khachaturian extracted music from his Spartacus to arrange it for 4 orchestral suites. Suites No.1 and No.2 also have amazing adagios; however, it was the original ballet piece that stole my soul.
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| "Spartacus" on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow |
It was the Adagio from the “Spartacus” ballet that did all the magic. With the harmonies so rich and rhythms so captivating, the Armenian master made the piece, just like the entire ballet, virtuously colourful and sensuous. The storyline of the ballet describes the slave uprising led by the hero Spartacus, which implies the music to be heroic and dynamic itself, but adagio is something different. It’s rather a lyrical digression, beautiful and tender. Have a listen below.
In 1995, Aram Khachaturian extracted music from his Spartacus to arrange it for 4 orchestral suites. Suites No.1 and No.2 also have amazing adagios; however, it was the original ballet piece that stole my soul.
