"Arabian Nights" captivate ballet lovers in Vienna

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

For three decades now, the Film Festival at Vienna’s Rathausplatz displays some of the best jazz, classical concerts, opera and ballet performances from all over the word. 

For the first time at this year's festival, Fikrat Amirov's ballet "One Thousand and One Nights" was presented to the audience.

"One Thousand and One Nights" is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. Known in English as the "Arabian Nights", the work is about Scheherazade, a Sassanid Queen, who tells a series of stories to her husband, King Shahryar in order to delay her execution.

The exciting story of Scheherazade laid the foundation of the ballet of the same name. "One Thousand and One Nights" is a ballet in two acts by Fikrat Amirov to a libretto by playwrights Magsud and Rustam Ibragimbayovs.

The libretto is based on episodes from "One Thousand and One Nights". 

The ballet was premiered in 1979 at the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater. "A Thousand and One Nights" was staged last year at the Heydar Aliyev Palace in Baku and Kremlin Ballet Theater.

The ballet was highly appreciated by the viewers. Magnificent performance, stage design and colorful costumes won the hearts of the spectators.