Folklore

Georgian Music Georgian polyphonic music tradition is world-renowned and calls upon an enchanting combination of ancient and modern harmonies. In 2001 UNESCO acknowledged this music as “a masterpiece of the world’s intangible cultural heritage”. Its unique, slightly dissonant style has not changed for centuries. The Greek historian Strabo recorded the multi-voiced chants of Georgians riding into battle as early as in the 1. century BC. The songs, made up of three-part harmonies, are still in the blood of modern society. They can be heard in churches and monasteries across the country; down Tbilisi’s back-streets of an early evening; or across the village fields in summer. They are also very much a part of the Georgian feast (supra).

Georgian Dance Georgian dance, like the national polyphonic songs, remain a major cultural export. The Georgian State Dance Ensemble tours the world for most of the year. The vigorous, vibrant men leap high in the air; clash swords amidst flying sparks and razor sharp daggers are thrown into the floor in a frenetic, breathtaking choreography. All this is contrasting with the women’s graceful, elegant and beautiful dances. Fabulous multi-colored costumes from the many mountain regions, wild drumming, accompanied by sound of pipes and accordions… The impression is mesmeric and truly unforgettable! Ballet The Tbilisi Ballet has recently undergone a major refurbishment inspired by the returning of Nino Ananiashvili, former Principal Ballerina at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The performances are now of the highest quality, and they follow the tradition of dance forged by the former great Georgian dancers like George Balanchine.

Z. Paliashvili Opera And Ballet State Theatre

“This is the only theatre in the city, the interior of which is totally Moorish in style, and it is undoubtedly one of the most elegant, beautiful and fascinating theatre buildings that mankind has seen.” (L’Illustration, October 25, 1851) The history of the Tbilisi Opera House began 165 years ago. On April 12, 1851, the first opera house in Transcaucasia was inaugurated with a Grand Masked Ball, attended by the high society of Tbilisi. But on October 11, 1874, this opera house was destroyed by a fire. In 1896, the present building, designed by the architect Victor Schröter, was completed.

This building, too, suffered damages in the course of time, but was restored to its original form in 1978 (architects: Leri Medzmariashvili, Murtaz Chachanidze), preserving the oriental, neo-Moorish style of the building. Six rehearsal halls were included in the structure (three for ballet, two for opera and one for the orchestra), and in the foyer of the theatre, three remarkable halls – called the Red Hall, the Blue Hall and the Mirror Hall – host vocal and chamber music concerts and exhibitions.