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| Perm |
I listened to an interested piece of music written by
Khachaturian, the Soviet composer, dating from 1939. It was originally
from the ballet "Happiness" and later changed in name to Gayane which
we know it today. If you've ever been to a European circus you know the
music - the "Sabre Dance" being the most well known if not infamous.
The piece was "the cotton picker", just one of the rather
remarkable pieces in this rather extraordinary ballet.
In 1941, during the darkest days of WWII, the Kirov ballet was
moved from St. Petersburg (Leningrad) to the city of Perm in the Urals. You
see, the Soviets, for all their issues, resolved to fight for the
Motherland...something more than just territory....but the embodiment of the
spirit of the land; cultural history, the arts, literature, etc., being part
and parcel of the mix. Parts of the sum perhaps.
I bring this up for a number of reasons. First, the
ballet Gayane is a little potboiler dealing with love and patriotic
duty...certainly at its written in the appropriate Soviet time/theme
Second, it was first performed in Perm in 1941 as mentioned
and broadcast live throughout the Soviet Union. Imagine that. We, they, Great
Britian, nearly all nations with a view and concept of "self" didn't
neglect the effect of the arts on the populace.
Last, here we are with military presence (our men and women) in dozens of
countries, fighting a couple semi-hot wars, painting ourselves in countless
diplomatic corners and what do we foresake? Art. Humanities. Our culture. All
now rendered superfluous.
What are we fighting for?