Kyz Zhibek

The folk poem about Kyz Zhibek (the Silk Maiden) expresses a dream of happiness. The opera is based on the story of the faithful love and tragic deaths of Zhibek and Tulegen, who confront the forces of hatred engendered by the feudal order.

The beautiful Zhibek rejects the marriage proposal of the wealthy and powerful feudal lord Bekezhan. She will marry only the man she loves. Her chosen one is Tulegen, who has come from afar, drawn by reports of the young woman’s beauty. But Bekezhan treacherously kills him. In despair, Kyz Zhibek takes her own life.

This is the first Kazakh opera. Its music is rooted in national folklore. The score incorporates melodies of improvising akyns, as well as traditional ritual and work dances and games. In the original version, the work and its staging combined the poetry of love doomed in a clash with the clan-based social order with an admiration for the ritual aspects of everyday life. Later, the composer and the theatre created a new version of the opera.