GRACE vs FURY - Khachaturian’s Dance of Aegina (Spartacus) | Nareh live in Vienna

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In 1954 Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) created one of his most celebrated stage works, the ballet "Spartacus". It was composed for the Kirov Theatre in Leningrad and later revised for the Bolshoi in Moscow, where it became a defining work of Soviet ballet repertory.

Within the ballet, the "Dance of Aegina" («Танец Эгины») is part of a series of divertissement-like episodes and stands in contrast to the more heroic and tragic themes associated with Spartacus and Phrygia.

Aegina, the courtesan allied with the Roman general Crassus, symbolizes seduction and decadence; her dance is characterized by asymmetric rhythmic cells, driving ostinati, and syncopated accents. Khachaturian frequently employs irregular meters and displaced accents to heighten the sense of exoticism and unpredictability.

In Nareh's piano arrangement, the orchestral layers (brass fanfares, percussive drive, string tremolos) are reimagined as contrasting textures: sharp chordal attacks, rapid repeated notes, and sweeping arpeggios replicate the brilliance of the orchestral sound palette. The result is a firework of piano virtuosity. Aiming for transparency, but also giving in to the temptation to mistake the piano for a percussion instrument.

Live recording, June 18, 2025, Vienna, Haus der Ingenieure.
Bösendorfer 280VC

Transcription for piano: Nareh Arghamanyan
Ton: www.dieklangschmiede.at (Schoeps)
Video editing: Klaus Hundsbichler
https://www.nareh.net

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