Khachaturian was asked to write music for a production of Masquerade being produced by director Ruben Simonov.[8] The famous waltz theme in particular gave Khachaturian much trouble in its creation. His former teacher, Nikolai Myaskovsky, attempted to help Khachaturian by giving him a collection of romances and waltzes from Lermontov's time; though these did not provide immediate inspiration, Khachaturian admitted that "had it not been for the strenuous search" for the appropriate style and melodic inspiration, he would not have discovered the second theme of his waltz which acted "like a magic link, allowing me to pull out the whole chain. The rest of the waltz came to me easily, with no trouble at all."[9] Khachaturian dedicated the waltz to the actress who played Nina, Alla Kazanskaya.[1]
Masquerade premiered on 21 June 1941 at the Vakhtangov Theater [ru] in Moscow,[10] directed by Andrei Tutyshkin and starring Iosif Tolchanov as Arbenin and Alla Kazanskaya as Nina. On the following day, Germany invaded the Soviet Union and the production run was cut short.[1] On 23 July 1941 German air-bombing completely destroyed the Vakhtangov Theater, killing many actors and personnel and destroying the elaborate stage decorations. Tutyshkin continued successful performances of Masquerade after evacuation to Siberia.
In the Soviet Union, along with Khachaturian's Violin Concerto and excerpts from the ballet Gayane, the Waltz from Masquerade was often played in concerts and on the radio during World War II.[11]
Suite
In 1944, Khachaturian extracted five movements from the music to make a symphonic suite.[12] The movements are:[2][13]
Alexander Demchenko described the suite as an "absolutely Russian classic."[14] Peter J. Rabinowitz of Fanfare described it as a "certified hit with a strong back catalog."[15] Another Fanfare reviewer, Phillip Scott, called it "Khachaturian’s light music at its best."[16] Critic Maya Pritsker noted that it is considered Khachaturian's "best known score of incidental and film music."[17] Ronja Persson distinguished the three dance movements (Waltz, Mazurka, and Galop) from the two sentimental movements in between (Nocturne and Romance).[18]
In 1948, several recordings of the suite were made in the United States. Billboard wrote that the Masquerade Suite was composed by "Khachaturian, the Russian, brooding, colorful, nationalistically melodic" and not "[Khachaturian], the Armenian, swirling, rattling and temperamentally heady" and that only "Galop" "rings out what presumably is the popular Khachaturian.[13] Maurice Hinson agreed that it "contains little evidence of Khachaturian's Armenian background, as it was written to convey the atmosphere of the Romantic period of the play."[19]
The Youngstown Vindicator wrote that it is in the tradition of Tchaikovsky and Glinka, "rich in color and melody."[20]Deseret News wrote that "although there is nothing original or particularly great about the 'Masquerade,' it is a lively and attractive suite."[21] The St. Petersburg Times noted that in writing the suite Khachaturian was influenced by Russian composers and called it "swirling [and] flamboyant." It noted that the five pieces are "so different from each other as to mark them as individual entr'actes rather than as an entire suite." It continued, "The graceful melting rhythm predominant in both the 'Waltz' and 'Romance' gives way to wistfulness in the brooding sentiment shadowing the 'Nocturne' and 'Romance' [...] 'Galop,' runs rampant with irresistible joyousness."[22]
Harry van Vugt, a Windsor Star reviewer, opined in 1973 that Khachaturian's Masquerade Suite is written in a "conservative idiom" although by a composer who is still living. He called the Waltz "both burly and deflated", the Mazurka "lighthearted", and the Galop "mercurial".[23] Seth Arenstein described the suite as a "bit of Russian pop" and the Galop as "comically dissonant."[24] Hilary Finch of The Times wrote: "the loudest and longest waltz you’d ever heard, a wild carousel of a mazurka, complete with raspberry-blowing trumpets — and, at its heart, a sophisticated salon nocturne."[25] Steven J. Haller, writing in the American Record Guide, noted that the Waltz has a "glorious sweep, a richness of string sound and texture" that "immediately compels attention." He called the Mazurka "bracing", the Romance "wistful" and the final Galop having a "raucous circus atmosphere and heady high spirits."[26] Daniel Chetel described the Waltz as "fully romantic", the Mazurka as "energetic", and the Galop as "kinetic."[2]
Waltz
The opening Waltz, which runs for around four minutes,[2][27] has become a popular piece[28][24] and is often played on its own.[29]Anthony Tommasini described it as "seldom-heard,"[30] while Anne Midgette opined that it is "music that you know even if you think you don't."[31]Rossiyskaya Gazeta wrote that "probably everyone has heard it at least once."[32]
Irakly Andronikov, a scholar of Lermontov, praised it as a "culmination of romantic waltz-like essence, its quintessence."[6] Writing for BBC Music Magazine, David Nice argued that the Waltz is "up there with the best of Prokofiev’s."[33]Bachtrack's Jane Shuttleworth opined that "Khachaturian cleverly evokes the style and atmosphere of the early 19th-century ballroom, whilst adding a large dash of menace."[34]The Spokesman-Review's Lonna Baldwin argued that Khachaturian's Waltz is "not a light Viennese romp but a heavy, wonderfully ornate work."[35]Ivan March said it has an "engaging carousel flavour".[36]
Other critics have characterized it as "slightly menacing",[37] "eerie",[38] "circusy",[16] "lush and slightly portentous",[39] "weighty, boisterous, and energetic",[29] "heavy and borderline militaristic",[29] and as having "visceral edginess."[40] Maya Pritsker, a Russian-American music critic, asked rhetorically in a New York Times piece, "Is it shameful to be moved to tears by the Waltz from Masquerade?"[17]
It has been listed as a "spooky" piece of classical music.[41]Jay Nordlinger has described the waltz as "spooky, haunting, marvelous",[7] and "dark, Halloweeny",[42] while Charles Lavazzi said it has a "tinge of darkness" to it.[43] Baldwin called the opening passage by the cellos "haunting."[35] Consequently, it has often been recommended for[b][41] and played in Halloween concerts in the United States.[45][46]
Jim Waddelow recommended the waltz for both teachers and students of string instruments: "Students will like this hypnotic tune, and this is a great intermediate piece for the teacher who wants to introduce a waltz style." He also wrote that it is a "great piece for a director who wants to work style."[44]
In 1954, Khachaturian recorded the Waltz, Nocturne, and Mazurka from the Suite, conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra for Columbia Records (also recording some of his other scores in the same sessions).[48][49][50][51]
Khachaturian offered a solo piano arrangement in 1952,[4] but earlier, in 1946, he had approved Alexander Doloukhanian's version for solo piano.[53][19]
The first two movements, Waltz and Nocturne, were arranged for violin and piano by Mikhail Fichtenholz and Khachaturian respectively.[54]
In 1986 Irish flautist James Galway made a flute transcription of the Waltz along with other works of Khachaturian.[55]
Greg Keane of Limelight magazine argued that the "grim-sounding waltz" opening the ballet Seven Beauties (1948) by the Soviet Azerbaijani composer Kara Karayev has "predictable suggestions of Khachaturian" and "sounds like" the Waltz from his Masquerade,[60] a view echoed by Andy Martin of the Bournemouth Daily Echo.[61]
The English/Australian instrumental rock band Skycovered the Waltz in their 1982 single "Masquerade" from their album Sky 4: Forthcoming.[62]
The score, written by Edmund Butt, of the 2013 television film An Adventure in Space and Time, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the British sci-fi TV series Doctor Who, was inspired by Khachaturian's Waltz. It was suggested by the writer Mark Gatiss, who described it "as having the feel of ‘the whirligig of Time’. Romantic, bright but with a slightly off-kilter, out of control feel – like the TARDIS."[63]
^ abc"Works". khachaturian.am. Virtual Museum of Aram Khachaturian. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023.
^Ter-Sahakyan, Karine (7 June 2014). "Արամ Խաչատրյանը հանճար էր բառիս բուն իմաստով" (in Armenian). PanARMENIAN.Net. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Նույնիսկ երաժշտությունից անտեղյակ մարդը գիտի, թե ով է գրել «Սուսերով պարը» և Լերմոնտովի «Դիմակահանդես» դրամայի վալսը:
^Pappenheim, Mark (January 1999). "Viktor: Express 30.1.99". Theatre Record: 92. (via the Daily Express) "The Waltz from Khachaturian's Masquerade swells and swirls, sweeping us up into a heady whirl of grand romance."
^Bergeron, Marie-Josée (March 27, 2010). "Véronik Mallet". YouTube (in French). Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
