Under the sounds of the Vienna waltz, autumn comes in Ashgabat
On the evening of October 24, it is cool in Ashgabat. Wearing in windbreakers, couples are in haste. Cavaliers – in lounge suits, while ladies – in elegant evening dresses. They color the dusk descending on the city.
They all hurry in one direction – towards the State Cultural Center of Turkmenistan. To the Vienna Ball!
Residents of Ashgabat were looking forward to this event. For the fourth time, this magical event has gathered lovers of classic music and young people enchanted by the beauty of the waltz.
Before its start, the guests of the evening look at each other with interest, discuss the upcoming music program, and take a memory photo. After all, there was such a wonderful reason to get out of everyday routine, put on the best outfits and dance, dance, dance!
Here are the musicians of the State Symphony Orchestra of Turkmenistan. Atageldy Garyagdyev’s golden baritone opens the evening program. People’s artist, as always, is magnificent and organic in the atmosphere of the ball. He could easily perform on the stage both 100 and 150 years ago. A singer for ages!
The evening is featured with the traditional dance of the Vienna Ball – the polonaise. Ladies in light white dresses with minimalistic Turkmen embroidery, while their partners are in tailcoats and bow ties. It seems that the darkening sky over the Turkmen capital does not shine with stars, but with a reflection of their smiles.
The musical part is very organically continued by the composition of the Turkmen composer Veli Mukhatov “City of Love”. It is about Ashgabat. Then works by Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Khachaturiyan. Works by Turkmen composers – Mukhatov, Nurymov, Ashirov – are successfully woven into a wreath of melodies and musical rhythms of different cultures.
The famous arias are performed by Austrian opera singers Neyvi Martinez and Andreas Yankovic along with Turkmen artists – Leyli Okdirova, Atadjan Berdiyev, Nury Nuriyev and others.
The panoptic show of sounds and dances mesmerizes, hypnotizes. And there are no boundaries between “here” and “there”, there is only unity and harmony of cultures – perfect combined with perfect.
And here the culmination of the ball – waltz of Johann Strauss “On the Beautiful Blue Danube” that is the symbol of Austria as the composer himself. In spite of the fact that more than 150 years have passed since its writing, the musicians still proud to perform it, while guests – to listen to it.
The public welcomes the dancers Marek Bobosik and Marta Nitranova from Slovakia. They are the personification of the waltz, as if the figurines waltzing in the music boxes of the 19th century that are fragile and inexpressibly beautiful. The youngest participants in the ball are elegant as well.
“The Wedding Song” performed by Janna Sayan and Nury Nuriyev is coming next. It is the logical conclusion of ball moments that sometimes are prim and proper, but filled with a sense.
It is time to say goodbye. Wish the ball could last forever and keep us in its arms. However, a fairy tale cannot be eternal.
Or could it? After all, tomorrow is a new day and a new reason to be wonderful debutants of your own life.
