Mintimer Shaimiev appreciates Tatar legend opera Black Chamber

On January 21, Tatarstan State Counsellor Mintimer Shaimiev attended the premiere of Black Chamber opera that took place at Kazan’s Karim Tinchurin State Drama and Comedy Theatre.

The opera was produced at the initiative and with financial support of the Regional Foundation of Revival of Historical and Cultural Monuments chaired by Shaimiev. The premiere shows are due on 21-22 January. The authors are well-known to Kazan citizens: composer Elmir Nizamov, librettist, poet Renat Kharis, and stage director Georgy Kovtun, a Distinguished Artist of Russia.

While conquering the Great Bolgar, the emir of Samarcand Tamerlan’s warriors capture 12 beautiful girls, one of whom is the khan’s daughter. The warriors need to deliver her to Tamerlan as a concubine but cannot find out which of the captives the khan’s daughter is. They put the girls to various trials but loyal friends of the khan’s daughter do not give her away, using different tricks to mislead the Tamerlan’s soldiers. Somebody reports, however, that the khan’s daughter does not burn in fire, after which an emir’s emissary orders all girls be driven into a stone chamber, firewood be put around it and the chamber be torched. After the flames subside, the chamber’s door opens and the khan’s daughter emerges unscathed.

The New Music orchestra, conducted by Anna Gulishambarova, was stationed on the left of the stage. The opera’s 22-strong cast that sang in Tatar, danced and performed sword stunts, included Gulnora Gatina, Ruzil Gatin, Artur Islamov and Denis Khanbaba, all performing in spectacular antiquity-styled costumes. Tatarstan People’s Artist Zufar Kharis played the part of the Narrator.

The performance was a stunning success concluding in a standing ovation the audience gave to the authors and the cast. Mintimer Shaimiev came onstage as well.

He said the Black Chamber’s premiere was a landmark event in Tatarstan cultural life, recalling that Tatarstan’s opera and ballet tradition was inseparable from Tinchurin Theatre.

“It is through pieces of music that we can proudly present ourselves to the world,” Mintimer Shaimiev said, adding that productions like Black Chamber allowed young performers to show their talent. “These talents need to be supported in the future,” he said.

Tatarstan State Counsellor went on to say that Bolgar, where the storyline was set, were included in the Unesco List as an outstanding universal asset.

“This is a story that nobody will be able to interfere with. This is the heritage that we leave and, thank God, everything we planned works out well. With all my heart I congratulate you on the premiere,” he said, adding that Tatarstan had every prerequisite to build its unique musical theatre in the future.