BY GALINA BEKKAR
Great music cannot stay local for long. It is, by definition, universal, and must be enjoyed by all. This is a core stance that animates the work of Maestro Constantine Orbelian, Artistic and General Director of the Yerevan Opera House.
A globally renowned conductor and pianist, Orbelian has led some of the world’s most illustrious orchestras, in Moscow, St. Petersburg, the United States, and elsewhere. And just as much as he derives artistic fulfillment from the performance of masterworks of the classical canon, he thrives on the joy of bringing them to diverse audiences. Today, Maestro Orbelian is once again transforming the Yerevan Opera House into a wonderful crossroads for musical excellence — by both bringing major classical productions to Armenia, and taking treasured Armenian works abroad. Orbelian’s latest effort in this regard is a new production of Aram Khachaturyan’s famed Gayane ballet, which will be performed by Yerevan Opera House at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow on July 22, 2018.
In the interview below, conducted in Yerevan, Maestro Orbelian talks about the significance of staging Gayane at the iconic Bolshoi.
GALINA BEKKAR: What makes Gayane a great ballet?
CONSTANTINE ORBELIAN: Gayane is one of the most outstanding works ever composed by the great Aram Khachaturyan, and one that is immediately recognizable as a genuinely Armenian ballet, given its national character and melodic authenticity, as well as emotional depth. Of course the most famous parts of Gayane remain the “Sabre Danceâ€
