REVAZ LAGIDZE

(1921 – 1981)

SELECTED WORKS

MUSIC FOR THE THEATER

1974 – “Lela” – Opera in 3 Acts – (libretto – L. Chubabria) – based on M. Maeterlinck’s drama “Mona Vana”)

1950 – “Friends” – Musical Comedy in 3 Acts – (libretto – L. Chubabria)

1957 – “Komble” – Operetta in 3 Acts – (libretto – G. Nakhutsrishvili; text – P. Gruzinski) – Based on the Georgian Folk Tale “Komble”

The First Georgian Children’s Operetta

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

1949 – “For the Motherland” – Symphonic Poem

1952 – “Wrestling” – Symphonic Picture

1974 – “Lakhti” – Symphonic Picture

CHAMBER-INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

1949 – Prelude for Piano

1951 – Musical Moment – ​​for Piano

1951 – “Gavotte” – for Piano

1957 – “Rondo-Toccata” – for Piano

1979 – Children’s suite – for Piano

1951 – “Elegy” – for Cello and Piano

1953 – “Song” – for Cello and Piano

1953 – “Poem” – for Cello and Piano

1954 – “Mukhambazi” – for Cello and Piano

1971 – “Song” – for Horn and Piano

VOCAL AND VOCAL-INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

1952 – “Hymn to Samgori” – for Mixed Choir and Symphonic Orchestra – (text – L. Chubabria)

1958 – “Song of Tbilisi” – for Soloist, Chorus nd Symphonic Orchestra – (text – P. Gruzinski)

1961 – “Georgia” – Cantata for Soloists, Chorus and Symphonic Orchestra – (text – P. Gruzinski)

1968 – “Vardzia Is Waiting Me” – Choral Poem for Choir And Symphonic Orchestra – (text – I. Abashidze)

1969 – “Ode to Meskheti” – for Soloist, Mixed Choir and Symphonic Orchestra – (text – I. Abashidze)

1969 – “Ballad of the vine” – for Soloist, Mixed Choir and Symphonic Orchestra – (text – I. Noneshvili)

1970 – “Song of the Forests” – for Soloist, Men’s Choir and Symphonic Orchestra – (text – folk)

1952 – “Georgia” – A Song for Soloist and Chorus, Accompanied By The Mefandureta Ensemble (three-stringed lute) – (text – A. Mirtskhulava)

1952 – “May has Come” – A Song for A Two-Part Children’s Choir, Accompanied by a piano – (text – M. Lebanidze)

1956 – “Song of the Motherland” – A Song for A Three-Voice Choir, Accompanied By The Ensemble Of Folk Instruments – (text – G. Grigolashvili)

1960 – “Song about Batumi” – for Soloists, Choir and Piano – (text – F. Khalvashi)

1961 – “Mukhambazi to Tbilisi” – for Choir and Piano – (text – L. Chubabria)

1962 – “Song of Friendship” – Song for Soloist, Chorus and Piano – (text – P. Gruzinski) – from the movie “Good People”

1966 – “Homeland” – Song for Mixed Choir and Piano – (text – L. Chubabria)

1968 – “Mokhevuri ballad” – for Soloist, Choir and Piano – (text – V. Pshavela)

1968 – “Young Waltz” – for Mixed Choir and Piano – (text – S. Pashalishvili)

1972 – “Hymn to Kutaisi” – for Soloist, Choir and Piano – (text – I. Noneshvili)

1973 – “Waltz” – for Children’s Choir and Piano – (text – P. Gruzinski)

1977 – “The Heart Sings” – Song for Choir and Piano – (text – M. Fotshishvili)

1952 – “Georgian Fighter” – for Mixed Choir a Cappella – (text – D. Guramishvili)

1960 – “Celebratory” – for Mixed Choir a Cappella – (text – K. Lortkipanidze)

1952 – “One girl I loved” – for Mixed Chorus a Cappella – (text – G. Shatberashvili)

1962 – “My Favorite Part” – for Mixed Chorus a Cappella – (text – I. Chavchavadze) – from the movie “The Story of Glakho”

1962 – “It Has Sprung, Almonds Have Blossomed” – for Mixed Chorus a Cappella – (text – P. Gruzinski)

1968 – “On Shota’s grave” – for Mixed Chorus a Cappella – (text – O. Kuprava)

1973 – “Crying of a Georgian from Fereidne” – for Mixed Chorus a Cappella – (text – L. Sulaberidze)

1977 – “Salaghobo” – for Mixed Chorus a Cappella – (text – L. Asatiani)

FILM AND THEATER MUSIC

AUTHOR OF MUSIC FOR MORE THAN 40 PLAYS.  INCLUDING:

“Make me happy”, “Lily”, “Tomorrow is ours”, “Secretary of Raikom”, “Man on the fur bridge”…

FILMOGRAPHY

1955 – “Tsiskara” – director – Sergo Chelidze

1957 – “Sabudareli Chabuki” – director – Shota Managadze

1959 – “Nino” – director – Leo Esakia

1959 – “Flower in the Snow”– director – Shota Managadze

1959 – “Shark’s Tooth” – director – Shalva Gedevanishvili

1960 – “An Interrupted Song” – director – Nikoloz Sanishvili

1961 – “The story of Glakh” – director – Leo Esakia

1961 – “Good People” – director – Shota Managadze

1961 – “One Under The Sky” – director – Lana Gogoberidze

1963 – “Who will Harness the Horse” – director – Shota Managadze

1964 – “Khevisbury Gotcha” – director – Nikoloz Sanishvili

1965 – “Khevsuruli Ballad” – director – Shota Managadze

1965 – “What You Have Seen, You Will not See Again” – director – Mikheil Chiaureli

1967 – “My Friend Nodar” – director – Davit Rondeli

1968 – “Crucified Island” – director – Shota Managadze

1968 – “Alarm” – director – Nikoloz Sanishvili

1969 – “Waiting” – director – Shota Managadze, Nodar Managadze

1971 – “Tsutisofeli” – director – Shota Managadze, Nodar Managadze

1971 – “Searchers of the Sunken City” – director – Devi Abashidze

1974 – “Reflection” – director – Otar Abesadze

1974 – “Night Visit” – director – Nikoloz Sanishvili

1976 – “An Honest Eye” – director – Shota Managadze

1977 – “Disciple of Aesculapius” – director – Otar Abesadze

ANIMATION

1953 – “Urchi Tikan” – director – Shalva Gedevanishvili, Teimuraz Mikadze

1954 – “Mzechabuki” – director – Teimuraz Mikadze

Revaz Lagidze

(1921 – 1981)

Revaz Lagidze is a unique composer. The people of Georgia admire him. His work is not just a national musical art achievement, but it is also recognised internationally. Lagidze’s tunes are associated with Georgia. His songs and music for films and plays brought him a lot of affection and admiration.

It is notable that Lagidze, the discoverer of urban folklore, combined and enhanced centuries-old Georgian folk songs from all regions and dialects into his work and elevated it to new heights. His songs are distinguished by intonation and artistic emotional lineup, expressing patriotic fervour, intimate sensations, and intellectual depth. It is worth mentioning that it is the composer’s singing creativity that has resulted to his handwriting, which is based on national origins while also being distinctively unique. Direct, sonorous, cantilene, delicate,  melodic line, clear, colorful, harmonic tone, energetic rhythmic pulsation – these were the characteristics that distinguished his early works in various symphonic, chamber instrumental, chamber vocal, or choral components. The composer applied to numerous genres of academic music, and despite the small number of pieces, they were frequently recognised as expressions of national identity.

Revaz Lagidze’s creative journey began in the 1940s and 1950s of the last century. This period is highlighted by positive outcomes in a variety of professional music genres. His first serious application was a Symphonic poem “For the Homeland”. (1949), based on Ilia Chavchavadze’s poem “Dimitri Tavdadebuli.” The performance, which displayed the unique features of Lagidze’s creative handwriting, was successfully performed in Tbilisi and Moscow.

During this time, the composer was actively involved in the chamber instrumental genre. It’s worth mentioning that, at the same time, the piano and cello were the primary instruments for expressing his tremendous melodic resource. “Elegy” (1949), “Song” (1953), “Poem” (1953), and “Mukhambazi” (1954) were all inspired by the Cello. Prelude (1949), Musical Moment (1954), and Gavotte (1956) are all Piano compositions.

The 1960s are particularly important for the beginning phase of Lagidze’s development as a playwright, which occurred during this period. He is associated with musical theatre, having written the musical comedy “Friends” (1950). Libretto by Levan Chubabria). In 1957, he composed the first children’s operetta, “Komble” (libretto by Guga Nakhutsrishvili).

For many years, this work has been produced with great success at the Tbilisi Musical Comedy Theatre. It attracted audiences of all ages by recounting a Georgian fairy story and resurrecting the presence of old Tbilisi through precise, clear, melodic patterns, colourful, and beautiful sounds. Among the works written in the 1950s, the symphonic picture “Sachidao” (1952) distinguishes, as it received great resonance. “The young composer Revaz Lagidze wrote the orchestral picture “Sachidao” wonderfully,” noted composer Dimitri Shostakovich after one of the piece’s first performances. This piece, together with his excellent composition for cello, which was performed at a chamber concert, demonstrates  the author’s exceptional talent.” The composer elaborated on the folk “Sachidao” (Wrestling) motif in this work, creating timbral colours, intriguing rhythmic movement, and imitation of folk instruments, the Georgian tradition, in its simplest form, creates a vivid image of a classic conflict, which has an impressive influence on listeners of various ethnicities and ages with every sound. “Sachdao” is becoming one of Georgian professional music’s identifying signs. The virtuoso piano composition “Rondo Toccata” is a significant addition to Revaz Lagidze’s artistic legacy as well as Georgian professional music. (1957). There is   explosion that produces images within the framework of the piano. A powerful energy atmosphere develops in the piece by expressing the folk topic and enhancing rhythmic dynamism. This composition is a clear expression of our identity. Rondo Toccata received great recognition from the very beginning due to Tengiz Amirejibi, a prominent Georgian pianist. The composition achieved international resonance at the first International Competition of Musicians in Tbilisi, where it was performed with a variety of distinct, unique interpretations.

Revaz Lagidze’s choral compositions have attracted audiences since the late 1950s. This field was particularly significant for the composer since it brought him closer to folk music while also allowing the chanting beginning of his creation to sound forcefully.

The desire for a monumental sound evolved to the composition of song cantatas such as Hymns for the Homeland (1949), “Georgia” (1961), and “Mukhambazi to Tbilisi” (1961). “Vardzia is waiting” (1966),  “Mokhevian Song” (1969), “Hymn to Kutaisi” (1972), “Hymn to Mother Tongue” (1977), etc…

The opera “Lela” symbolises an important achievement in Revaz Lagidze’s artistic creation and mastery of Georgian opera music. (1974. Levan Chubabrias’ libretto by  Maurice Maeterlinck’s drama “Mona Vana”), in which the composer’s aesthetic world appears in an organic and substantial state. The compositions combines Lagidze’s different intonations of vocals and other genres, the patriotic spirit is enhanced with new breath and effort, and Lagidze the author of the play presents himself to us at new height. Effective representations of the characters enhance  the opera’s charm. The author appears to be a master of massive preferences. The composer’s desire for choral music has been totally represented  here. “Lela belongs to a series of Georgian Choral Operas that have been presented until today with the works of Zakaria Paliashvili, Shalva Mshvelidze, and Otar Taktakishvili,” says musicologist Manana Akhmeteli. Revaz Lagidze’s opera provided his own example of innovative reinterpretation of Georgian, folk, choral, and National Opera traditions.”

Revaz Laghidze’s works, particularly his songs, have constantly gained symbolic value in national life. His “Song about Tbilisi” became a musical emblem of Georgia’s capital and foreign singers performed it to express their feelings about Tbilisi. Revaz Laghidze’s melodies were usually performed at important moments in Georgian history. During the agitation of Georgia’s national movement in the 1990s, Revaz Lagidze’s song, composed long ago for the film and based on the poem “Chemo Kargo Qveyanav” by the famous Georgian writer and public figure Ilia Chavchavadze, was being played in the streets. This song became Georgia’s unofficial anthem during that time.

Even nowadays, in Georgia, Revaz Lagidze’s melodies reflect emotions such as love, despair, patriotism, and the atmosphere is strong enough that it will always be that way.

Musicologist
Tamar Tsulukidze
English Language Translator
Tamar Kharadze