Georgian Music

The haunting sounds of the Georgian polyphonic song are a highly unique musical tradition, appreciated around the globe. Songs are usually sung in three-part harmonies in a slightly discordant style (only recently "rediscovered" in modern music) and echo up from the mountains of pre-history. They express the full range of daily emotion experienced while harvesting, courting, warfare, healing, grieving - as being a simple celebration of nature's profound beauty. Each part is considered equal and together result in a tapestry in which the harmony is more important than the ever-weaving melodic thread.

This musical style is so rooted in antiquity that the Greek historian Strabo records the multi-voiced chants of Georgians riding into battle in the 1st century BC. This music is not relegated to the church and concert hall but is an integral part of Georgian culture and can commonly be heard around the Georgian table in restaurants and cafe's.

Georgian choirs - like the Rustavi Choir - have been touring internationally almost non-stop for many decades and today other nations are catching on, forming their own local choirs dedicated to Georgian polyphony.

But our music is does not remain in the past and nor is it a static art form. Contemporary composers such as Gia Kancheli, continue to make significant contributions to the cannon of modern orchestral music. As a result Tbilisi can boast a thriving Conservatoire of Music and several excellent concert halls, like the Philharmonia.

With such a strong musical background it should be no surprise to discover a fine Opera House and company in Tbilisi, with singers and musicians frequently finding themselves cherry picked by top international companies. The magnificent neo-Moorish style Paliashvili Opera and Ballet house on Tbilisi's Rustaveli Avenue perfectly embodies our ability to blend the European with the Asian - on stage as well as in city life beyond. The quality of our performances are a match for any in the world and the Opera provides a full calendar of Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, not to mention our own composers like Zakaria Paliashvili - whose first opera "Abessalom and Eteri" was composed in 1918.

Tbilisi Zakaria Paliashvili State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet

Upon your desire a visit to Tbilisi Zakaria Paliashvili State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet can become part of your tour itinerary, please chek out our offers or fill in our request form.

Tbilisi Zakaria Paliashvili State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet is a certain symbol of the many-centuries original culture of Georgia. It has a long history of existence. 2001 has been the 150th jubilee of this Theatre.

Foundation of the opera theatre in Georgia was the reflection and continuation of those general political and cultural processes, which involved the country after its annexation by the Russian Empire. In 1896 on the Golovin prospect (now Rustaveli Avenue) there was finished the constructions of the new Opera Theatre projected by the architect Schreter. The new building was calculated to hold 1200 spectators (This is the modern building of the Opera Theatre). This so called ‘Treasury Theatre’ was opened on 3rd November 1896 by Glinka’s opera ‘Ivan Susanin’. This stage was implemented by a Russian opera group, owing to the repertoire of which the Georgian society got acquainted to the opera works of Russian composers. Famous opera and ballet groups used to perform on this stage at various times: Italian Opera (1897-1898, 1910), Vienna Empire Operetta (1903), Moscow and St. Petersburg comic operas (1907), St. Petersburg Empire Ballet (1907-1908, 1913). There used to sing the brilliant singers of the 19th and 20th centuries: Shalyapin, Sibiryakov, Mozzhukhin, Davidov, Sobinov, etc. It is remarkable that the Tbilisi Philharmonic Society, founded in 1905, has implemented the staging of Russian and West European operas in the Georgian language. This fact supported to the further democratization of the opera art and, accordingly, used to attract wide layers of the population. All this, together with the Georgian singing and poetic traditions, contributed the creation of the Georgian national opera, connected with the first stage of the history of new Georgian professional music. The first Georgian opera, presented on the stage of the Tbilisi Opera Theatre, was Gogniashvili’s ‘Kristine’ (17th June 1918). Though the first classic examples of this genre are believed to be the operas staged in 1919 on the stage of the Tbilisi Opera Theatre: on the 5th February, Dimitry Arakishvili’s ‘Legend of Shota Rustaveli’, on 21st February, Zakaria Paliashvili’s ‘Abesalom and Eteri’, on 11th December, Victor Dolidze’s ‘Keto and Kote’. The first Georgian opera is connected with the name of Meliton Balanchivadze. Fragments of his opera, ‘Tamar Tsbieri’ (Tamar the insidious) was staged on 20th December 1897 in St. Petersburg, though entirely it was staged only in 1925-1926 in Tbilisi Opera Theatre. These operas from the very first representations have determined the national image of the Georgian Opera Theatre. 1937 the Tbilisi Theatre of Opera and Ballet bears the name of the Georgian classicist, Zakaria Paliashvili.

Since the 30-ies of the 20th century Georgian operas expanded beyond the borders of Georgia. From now on they were staged not only on the stage of the Tbilisi Opera Theatre, but also abroad (in Russia, the Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Czechia, Slovakia). In 1966 the Tbilisi Opera Theatre has took part in the International Festival held in Hungary, ‘Segedi’s International Plays’ and in the IV International Music Festival of Paris in France, where Aleksi Machavariani’s ‘Otello’ and David Toradze’s ‘Gorda’ were presented. With the initiative of the great friend of Georgia, Herman Wedekind, in Saarbrueken in 1974 during the days of the Georgian culture the Georgian creative group has performed ‘Abesalom and Eteri’ and ‘Daisi’ on the local stage.

Under the conductorship of Givi Azmaiparashvili premiere of the opera by Otar Taktakishvili, ‘Mindia’ was made. After the fire of 1973 the Theatre building was restored to its original form (architects: Medzmariashvili, Chachanidze). The authors of the reconstruction have succeeded to maintain the Eastern, pseudo-Moresque style of the building, which is created by arrowed arches, decorative towers, stalactitic decorations, ornamental patterns, etc. The hall of spectators of this Theatre holds 1065 people. Dimensions of the scenic portal are: 16 x 10 m. The scene has 4 mobile platforms. There are six repetition halls in the Theatre, amongst them three ballet, two opera and one orchestral hall. Construction of the orchestral pit with the lifted floor gives the opportunity to perform symphonic concerts. In the foyer of the Theatre there are remarkable halls, amongst them, a so called Red Hall, as well as mirror halls, where it is possible to gold meetings of various sorts as well as chamber concerts. In the repertoire of the Theatre together with the World’s classic opera and ballet chef-d’oeuvres there used to be present for years works by Georgian composers: Shalva Mshvelidze, Andria Balanchivadze, Aleksi Machavariani, Revaz Gabichvadze, Otar Taktakishvili, David Toradze, Revaz Lagidze, Bidzina Kvernadze, Gia Kancheli. Performances were staged by the directors: Giga Lortkipanidze, Gizo Zhordania, Guram Meliva, Robert Sturua, David Sakvarelidze; artists: Parnaoz Lapiashvili, Iuri Gegeshidze, Giorgi Aleqsi-Meskhishvili, Muraz Murvanidze. During the last years amongst the performers who came to tours there must be listed: Manuel Bertrand, Barry Anderson, Elene Obraztsova, Sergey Filin, San-Francisco’s group of ballet. in 1998-2002 the Artistic Director and chief conductor used to be the outstanding Georgian musician and public figure, Jansug Kakhidze. Artistic manufacturing workshops accompany the Theatre, fabricating models, scene decorations, suits necessary for the spectacles.

The Museum of Zakaria Paliashvili Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre

The museum was founded at the inception of the Opera House. It preserved unique exhibits, depicting the activities of the Barbierri Italian opera company (located at the Karvasla building erected by architect Scudieri in 1851), Russian ballet and opera companies, the visits of other foreign artists, as well as the materials of opera performances held at the new Opera House (modern building) built by architect Schreter in 1896, the whole history of Georgian opera and ballet art. The fire, which broke out at the Opera House in 1973, completely annihilated this rich museum. Later the funds of the museum were filled up with people’s help. Today the museum of the Opera House is located in a large hall on the fifth floor of the building. Among the exhibits are programs of both old and new performances, playbills, invitations, manuscripts, photos, negatives, paintings, drawings, sculptures, metal works, coinage, examples of applied art, books, models of the Opera House and its stages, costumes, memorial things and gifts. Today the process of reorganization of the museum is underway. Its aim is to unite archival, exhibition and scientific-educational functions. The so-called “mirror hall” of the theatre often holds exhibitions dedicated to the first nights and jubilee celebrations. Schoolchildren, students and guests of the city often come here on excursions. The Museum supplies the employees of the theatre departments, press, television, radio and other organizations as well as individual persons with the materials; carries out consultations for students and researchers. The museum is open daily from 10:00-18:00. Monday is the day off.

Library of the Theatre of Opera and Ballet

The library, which used to function ever from the foundation of the new opera theatre, has two halls. In the first (on the first floor) there is collected only the orchestra literature (500 titles), the second, much larger hall keeps opera claviers and scores (5 000 titles). Apart from the main function, the library has also the function of a museum, as it keeps original handwritten samples by famous musicians of the 19th century. The library mainly holds the musical literature printed in the first half of the 20th century, so it needs renewal and restoration for the reasons that everyone can understand. Also the library needs to be filled further and enriched under the conditions of the scarcity of modern Georgian music publications.