Tag: Georgian Opera

With Sandy Steiglitz feeling under the weather, we emerge from under the thumb of Mother Russia with a recording of the Georgian national opera, “Abesalom and Eteri,” by Zakharia Paliashvili.

Paliashvili (1871-1933) studied composition at the Moscow Conservatory under Sergei Taneyev (a pupil of Tchaikovsky). He then returned to Georgia to collect folk songs, co-found the Georgian Philharmonic Society and head the Tblisi Conservatory.

Though virtually unknown in the West, “Abesalom” is a landmark in Georgian art music. Based on a medieval Georgian folk poem, the opera tells the tale of a star-crossed love between a prince and a shepherdess, the machinations of a treacherous chamberlain, and the gift of a poisoned necklace.

To underscore the work’s continued patriotic appeal, the Tblisi Opera House and Ballet Theatre – a structure which has been through its share of political turmoil and even been burnt to the ground twice – marked its most recent grand reopening in January with a run of performances of what is described as “the traditional season opener.”

http://www.georgianjournal.ge/arts-a-culture/32141-tbilisi-to-reopen-opera-house-that-has-survived-tsars-soviets-and-civil-war-the-guardian.html?slcont=0

You don’t have to be Georgian to be caught up in the haunting melodies of this beautiful, neglected opera. Join me this morning from 7 to 10 a.m. EDT (remember to take into account the change of clocks for Daylight Saving Time), as I sit in for this week’s “Sunday Morning Opera,” on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Sandy!

PHOTO: The 165 year-old Tblisi Opera House and Ballet Theatre has survived burning (twice), civil war, and financial hardship to preserve and promote Georgian culture – including annual performances of “Abesalom and Eteri”