PRODUCTIONS OF «ABAY» OPERA BY A.ZHUBANOV AND L.KHAMIDI IN TERMS OF HISTORY AND MODERNITY OF NATIONAL CULTURE

Abstract

The Abay opera by Zhubanov A. and Khamidi L. takes a special place in the history of opera art in Kazakhstan. The stage life of the opera since 1944 to this day is presented by new musical stage readings, which explains its relevance in the study of modern art history. Along with the previous study of this opera as an artwork and in terms of composers’ creativity, the purpose of studying its productions is to determine the vectors of the development of the opera art in Kazakhstan. The subject of study in this article is the production of the Abay opera in 2014 at Abay Kazakh National Theater of Opera and Ballet. It was created based on a new musical version by conductor Buribaev A. and new staging by director Cigni A.

Archival data on its productions and performances were studied to determine the place of the Abay opera in terms of the history of national culture. The study of the 2014 production as well as the means of translating the director’s idea was based on a comparative analysis with the 1976 production. The methodology for studying opera performances was based on theoretical literature on the problems of opera dramaturgy, stage directing, classification of opera performances, and stage texts.

The chronological picture of productions and performances of the opera "Abai" studied in the process of the work made it possible to establish its constant presence in the repertoire of the Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theater named after Abai, which is explained by public demand. The concept of the 2014 production under consideration, without denying the national identity of the opera and its original intention, was based on the drama of high universal moral values ​​of the main characters of the opera in interaction with the existing surrounding world of people and nature. The success of the modern production of the opera "Abai" is a clear confirmation of the development of the opera culture of Kazakhstan, which is being integrated into the world musical and theatrical business.