Arshin Mal Alan (operetta)
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''Arshin Mal Alan'' () is a 1913 comic and romantic
operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...
by
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
i composer
Uzeyir Hajibeyov Uzeyir bey Abdulhuseyn bey oghlu Hajibeyov (18 September 188523 November 1948) was an Azerbaijanis, Azerbaijani composer, musicologist and teacher. He is recognized as the father of Azerbaijani classical music. He composed the music of the AzÉ ...
about a cloth peddler in 1900s
Shusha Shusha (, ) or Shushi () is a city in Azerbaijan, in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Situated at an altitude of 1,400–1,800 metres (4,600–5,900 ft) in the Karabakh mountains, the city was a mountain resort in the Soviet Union, Soviet ...
, who is looking for a wife. Hajibeyov composed the operetta in
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
and it was staged on October 25, 1913. The operetta is rich in national characteristics and realism. Following the opening in Azerbaijan, ''Arshin Mal Alan'' was performed in theatres of
Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, áƒąáƒ€áƒ˜áƒšáƒ˜áƒĄáƒ˜, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...
,
Yerevan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...
and
Ashgabat Ashgabat (Turkmen language, Turkmen: ''Aßgabat'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Kopet Dag, Kopetdag mountain range in Central Asia, approximately 50 km (30  ...
, as well as
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
and
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of TĂŒrkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
.


Synopsis

The plot is centered on a bachelor named Asker, who wants to see and choose his bride before marriage. However, in 19th century Azerbaijan, women were kept at home and, when allowed out in public, they were heavily covered in
hijab Hijab (, ) refers to head coverings worn by Women in Islam, Muslim women. Similar to the mitpaងat/tichel or Snood (headgear), snood worn by religious married Jewish women, certain Christian head covering, headcoverings worn by some Christian w ...
. Asker's friend, Suleyman, suggests that he disguise himself as a fabric peddler, a sure way to meet women. Asker agrees and starts to visit houses, selling fabrics. Asker meets a woman called Gulchohra and they fall in love, even though Asker's actual identity remains unknown to Gulchohra. Asker reveals his identity to Gulchohra's father, the wealthy
Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
Bey Bey, also spelled as Baig, Bayg, Beigh, Beig, Bek, Baeg, Begh, or Beg, is a Turkic title for a chieftain, and a royal, aristocratic title traditionally applied to people with special lineages to the leaders or rulers of variously sized areas in ...
, and asks for permission to marry her. Sultan Bey agrees, but Gulchohra objects because she loves the peddler. When Gulchohra realizes that the rich businessman that her father has chosen is actually her beloved peddler, she agrees to the marriage. The operetta ends with four couples getting married at the same time.


International performances

Arshin Mal Alan has been staged in many languages and in theaters in over 60 countries, including Vienna, Austria (2006),
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
, China (2010), and
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, California, U.S. (2013).


Characters


First act

Asker, a young and wealthy merchant, is upset. His aunt, Jahan, believes him to be ill, and his malevolent servant, Veli, conceals the reason for his master's “illness”. Suleyman, one of Asker's friends, declares that it is time for Asker to get married. According to
islamic tradition The term Islamic tradition may refer to: * Islamic Traditionalist theology, Islamic scholarly movement, originating in the late 8th century CE *''Ahl al-Hadith'', "The adherents of the tradition" * Traditional Islamic schools and branches * Islami ...
, a fiancé cannot see his fiancée before the wedding. Asker would rather marry for love, and Suleyman offers to disguise him in the clothes of a peddler (''arshin-malchi''), ensuring his access to private homes.


Second act

Gulchohra, the daughter of the highborn, but impoverished, Sultan Bey, knows that her father intends to find a rich fiancé. Gulchohra doesn't want to marry a stranger, preferring to marry someone she knows and loves. Gulchora's father is tired of being lonely, and would like to marry if he can find an appropriate widow. When the arshin malchy appears with his goods, he is allowed access to the women of the house. While they look at the goods, Asker looks at them. He sees Gulchohra, and falls in love. Gulchohra is also charmed by the arshin malchy. When the women leave, Asker makes a declaration of love. Aunt Jahan goes to Sultan Bey, as a matchmaker, at her nephew's request. Bey is glad to meet such a charming widow and makes a proposal of marriage to her. Asker agrees to give his aunt away in marriage to Sultan Bey but, in return, he wants to marry Gulchohra. The sultan is outraged at the idea of giving his daughter away to an arshin malchy. Sultan Bey furiously turns them out of the house.


Third act

Suleyman Bey visits Sultan Bey, and proposes wealthy Asker as a husband to Gulchohra. Sultan Bey agrees with joy. While at Sultan Bey's house, Suleyman Bey meets, and falls in love with, Asia, Sultan Bey's niece. Asia returns his feelings. Gulchohra is upset when her father informed her about the upcoming wedding. She begs her father not to force this marriage on her, but he is unbending. Wishing to avert her daughter's resistance, he fakes her abduction and sends her to Askar's house.


Fourth act

Gulchohra decides to put an end to her life rather than marry a man she doesn't love. Asker comes in at the last moment and explains everything to Gulchohre, and she is very happy. Only Sultan Bey, knowing that they deceived him, becomes angry. Aunt Jahan quickly calms the quick-tempered bey, promising to marry him. In the end four weddings are celebrated with a happy feast: Askar to Gulchohra; Sultan Bey to Aunt Jahan, Suleyman to Asia, and Valli (Asker's servant) to Telli, Sultan Bey's servant.


In popular culture

In 2013,
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created a
Google Doodle Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running annual Bu ...
based on ''Arshin Mal Alan'' for the Azerbaijani version its homepage.


See also

*
The Cloth Peddler (1917 film) ''The Cloth Peddler'' () was a full-length Azerbaijani silent comedy film made in the capital city Baku in pre-Soviet Union 1917, based on the operetta by the Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov. Plot Set in Baku at the turn of the 20th c ...
* The Cloth Peddler (1945 film)


References

{{reflist Compositions by Uzeyir Hajibeyov Music of Azerbaijan Operettas 1913 operas Azerbaijani-language operettas