Opera in two acts
Composer M. Makhmudov
Libretto by U. Azimov based on A. Kadiri's novel "The Days Gone By"
Production group:
Musical director and conductor - Honored Art Worker of Uzbekistan Fazliddin Yakubjanov
Stage Director - Honored Artist of Russia Irkin Gabitov
Conductor - Kamoliddin Azimov
Set Designer - Honored Worker of Culture of Uzbekistan Zubaidullo Batyrov
Costume Designer - Lobar Palvanova
Chief Choirmaster - People's Arts of Uzbekistan Suleiman Shadmanov
Choreographer - Charos Jurabaeva
Choirmaster - Natalia Kupriyanova
Concertmasters - Shakhnoza Tashpulatova, Dilyara Akhmetshina, Zarina Shametova
Director Assistant - Rakhmatillo Khasanov
Summary
Prologue
I’ve conceived the novel "Past Days" -
only the first attempt, only a dream of this kind.
With this in mind, I decided to devote my narrative to the past,
recently bygone days, the most bloody,
the dirty and dark days of our history – "the time of the last khans". (Abdullah Qadiri)
The first act
The first scene
Navruz
The holiday of Navruz in the Margilan garden. People gathered, tightrope walkers, masqueraders are here. Everyone congratulates each other. Here is Atabek too, he came from Tashkent to establish trade. Seeing the stranger, Khamid and Rakhmat approach him to find out who he is and where he came from.
Girls appear, they are having fun, Kumush is among them. Atabek, struck by Kumush's beauty, buys a white handkerchief for her and passes it through a masquerader. Kumush accepted it gladly. Khamidpasses the handkerchief too, but this time Kumush rejects the gift. Khamid looks at Atabek with hatred. Heralds announce sayil (festivities).
The second scene
Appointment
The gate of the house of cutidor, there are willows in a narrow street, casting a shadow. Khamid wanders for a long time at the gate of cutidor, dreaming about his beautiful daughter – Kumush, then leaves. Kumush comes out of the gate to get some water. Looking at her reflection in the water, she takes out a donated handkerchief and plunges into the memories of a young man. Atabek hides behind a tree and peeps behind her. Kumush, realizing that she is being watched, runs into the yard and drops the handkerchief. Atabek picks up the handkerchief and stands as rooted to the spot. Khasanali watches the scene from the sidelines. And, having understood what’s the matter, he learns from the newly appeared Khamid about the girl and her family and offers Atabek to marry Kumush..
The third scene
Wedding
The house of the cutidor. The girls gathered. The matchmakers bring Kumush, but she was not cheerful at all. All her thoughts were of the young man who had given her the handkerchief. Her heart is bleeding, thinking that she will no longer meet her beloved.
Atabek enters the house with friends. Atabek and Kumush are led to each other and left alone. Kumush stands without looking up and moves away from him when he wants to take her hand. Atabek holds out a handkerchief. Kumush raises his head. There is no limit to her surprise and happiness. Before her is the one who wrapped her soul with love. Numb with unexpected happiness, they hold out their hands to each other.
At this time, maddened Khamid stood at the gates of the cutidor burning with rage. Now he will take revenge on the opponent. He gives the money to Kurbashi to take from him a paper denouncing Atabek.
The fourth scene
Tribunal
Kushbegi sits in his office, next the Secretary Pirmat, Kurbashi and other noble people of the city. Before him is Atabek and Mirzakarim the cutidor on their knees, with their hands bound. Kushbegi reads the sentence of their arrest, accusing them of rebellion. They are sentenced to death by hanging. The executioner takes the prisoners away. At this time, Pirmat reports that a woman came, she brought paper. Kushbegi, having read the letter, asks to return the arrested as soon as possible.
This letter is from Tashkent, thanks to which Atabek and Mirzakarim Kutidor are acquitted. Atabek’s father condemns the actions of Azizbek, the enemy of Kushbegi and Khan of Kokand. Kushbegi orders to judge the slanderers. Atabek and Kumush are together again.
The second act
The fifth scene
Conspiracy
Tashkent. House of Yusufbek Khaji, Atabek's father.
The Uzbek-aim is sitting happily in the yard and preening. Only Yusufbek is not very happy, he understands that Atabek himself does not want to get married a second time. But Uzbek-aim has already seized the bride in Tashkent, and it is not good for a noble family to be unfaithful to this word. Atabek warns his mother that she can make a poor girl miserable because he does not love her at all. But that did not stop her.
A year has passed. Atabek sends Khasanali to Margilan for Kumush. Uzbek-aim, Mokhira and other women enthusiastically accept Kumush. All are amazed at the beauty of the daughter-in-law from Margilan. Only Zaynab is not happy, she meets a rival with a tight smile, unlike Kumush, who greets her as a sister.
Khasanali, knowing the long separation of loved ones, arranges a meeting between Atabek and Kumush alone. Yearned, they throw themselves into each other's arms. Kumush's eyes, wet with tears, glow with happiness.
Zaynab day by day is more unhappy, she sees how her husband goes crazy with love for Kumush and burns with jealousy. She shares her feelings with her sister, who advises her not to put up with her fate, and incites her to poison Kumush. Zainab decides that she will not give her husband to Kumush and takes poison from her.
The sixth scene
Death
Loud joyful female exclamations are heard. The cry of a newborn with a call to prayer sounds especially solemn. Otabek became a father! He hurries to Kumush’s room. On the way he meets Zainab, who carries a cup for Kumush, seeing Atabek congratulates him on the birth of her son, her speech is thrilled. Atabek, noticing her confusion, tries to find out the reason. But Zainab says that she was just scared of childbirth, and how she worries about Kumush, because she suffered, poor girl. Atabek was surprised, because his mother told him that the birth was easy. Zaynab, saying that this is not a man’s business, sends him to eat, and she decides to pour poison into Kumush’s food.
Kumush is exhausted. A doctor came to examine Kumush. He understands that the matter is not in childbirth, here is something else. He wondered if Kumush had eaten today, and were there any food leftovers? Atabek gives the cup, which he saw in Zainab’s hands, to the doctor. He dips the tip of the finger, carefully tasting, immediately spits out, saying that there is poison. Atabek shouts to Zaynab "Talok, Talok, Talok" (divorce). Yusufbek curses her. Zainab, having lost her mind, rushes to Atabek calling herself as Kumush. They drive her away. She's going crazy.
Kumush is in agony. Atabek asks Kumush not to leave him, because life without her does not make sense to him, but she dies. Heartbroken Atabek, takes his son in his arms and realizes that he is not alone.