Revaz Lagidze - Sachidao (1952)

Rewas Laghidze (Georgian რევაზ ილიას ძე ლაღიძე Rewas Ilias Dse Laghidse; Russian Реваз Ильич Лагидзе Rewas Iljitsch Lagidze. July 10, 1921, Baghdati - October 16, 1981, Tbilisi) was a Georgian composer. Symphonic Picture "Sachidao" (1952) The focus of his work were songs, partly arrangements of songs from church, rural and urban areas, partly his own song compositions for solo voice, ensemble or choir. With some of these songs, especially with the song about Tbilissi (1959), he achieved great popularity. This song, composed in 1957/58 by Laghidze after words by Pyotr Grusinski for a documentary about Tbilisi, developed under the short title Tbiliso into a popular hit, a kind of "hymn of the city". He also wrote an opera (Lela), musical comedies (Megobrebi - Die Freunde 1950), operettas (Komble 1957), cantatas, symphonic music (including the poem Für das Heimatland 1949), chamber music, piano music and romances as well as music for theater and film. The opera Lela is considered the highlight of his work. It was first performed in Tbilisi in 1974/75 and is based on motifs from the play Monna Vanna by the symbolist Maurice Maeterlinck. The plot of the opera with the subtitle A legend from Colchis takes place, unlike in the original, in the 1st century and tells of the struggle of the Georgians against the Roman conquerors. In his other vocal works he set texts to music, among others. by Alexander Pushkin, Giorgi Leonidse, Aleksandre Qasbegi, Ilia Chavchavadze, Irakli Abashidze, Vasha-Pschawela and Akaki Tsereteli. Laghidse's best-known orchestral work is the symphonic painting Sachidao (1952), named after a folk music practice that was traditionally practiced in competitions and wrestling matches.