Who is Scheherazade briefly. Who is Scheherazade? The trick that gave birth to love

There was a king, his name was Shahriyar. One day it happened that his wife cheated on him... And this is where a sad night that lasted more than 1000 and one night began.

Shahryar became so angry that he began to take out all his anger on the others. Every night a new wife was brought to him. Innocent, young. After spending the night with the beauty, the king executed her. Years passed. And, probably, the Persian kingdom would have been left without, but a brave maiden was found who decided to be Shahriyar’s next wife.

Scheherazade, according to legend, was not only beautiful and smart, but also very educated, because she came from the family of one of the viziers of Shahriyar.

The trick that gave birth to love

Scheherazade decided to outwit the bloodthirsty king. At night, instead of love pleasures, she began to tell the ruler a fairy tale, and in the morning the fairy tale ended at the most interesting moment.

Shahryar was impatient to find out the continuation of the most interesting story, so he did not execute Scheherazade, but left her life to hear the continuation. The next night, Scheherazade appeared even more beautiful, she slowly began to tell the king the continuation of the story, but by the morning this one also ended at the most interesting place.

The vizier's family, who could lose their beautiful daughter at any moment, was horrified, but the wise maiden assured that nothing would happen to her for 1000 and one nights. Why exactly this amount? The life of a female slave in the slave market in those days cost 1000 and one coin; the wise Scheherazade valued her life on the same number of nights.

Is there a lie in the fairy tale?

Scheherazade told the ruler a variety of tales, some of which were so believable that Shahriyar easily recognized in the heroes his own courtiers, himself and the merchants from the medina, where he was simply forced to go, intrigued by the stories of the beauty.

Scheherazade's stories were so interesting and unusual, so fantastic and fascinating that the king listened to her for a thousand and one nights! Imagine, for almost two years, my wife told Shahriyar fairy tales at night.

So how did it all end? Do you think that one day she told an uninteresting story, and the king executed her? Not at all! Over many months of meetings with the beauty, the king sincerely fell in love with her, moreover, Scheherazade’s edifying instructive stories made it clear to the sovereign that he should not kill innocent girls just because his wife turned out to be unfaithful to him, because the rest were not to blame for this.

Scheherazade's tales were stories where there was meaning, where they talked about good and evil, about what is true and what is a lie. Maybe Shahriyar’s anger would still have lived in him if he had not met Scheherazade, who with her wisdom, beauty and patience gave the ruler a new love.

Scheherazade is a legendary character from the Arabian Nights, a girl of amazing beauty combined with a sharp mind and rare eloquence. She is a symbol of female cunning and ingenuity, and even those who do not know exactly who Scheherazade really is have one way or another heard of her as a skilled seductress.

Scheherazade was the daughter of the vizier of the formidable and oppressive Persian king Shahryar. It is known that Shahriyar was very unkind to women. Thus, having once caught his wife being unfaithful, he enragedly ordered her to be killed immediately, but even this seemed not enough to him. And then Shahriyar conceived a new revenge - every night he demanded a new young woman into his bedchamber, and in the morning he invariably ordered the killing of his nightly mistresses. Thus, the formidable ruler took revenge on all women for his wife’s betrayal. This went on for several years.

At that time, his vizier grew up a daughter named Scheherazade, a girl of extraordinary beauty and sharp mind. So, one day she asked her father to marry her to Shakhriyar. The vizier was horrified by such a proposal - giving his own beautiful daughter to the despot seemed to him complete recklessness, because all that awaited her ahead was inevitable death. But Scheherazade knew how to insist on her own, and soon Shahriyar already called a new young wife to his bedroom.

Unlike all the previous girls, Scheherazade was not content with the mere function of a mistress, but began to tell the king a fairy tale. The plot of this tale turned out to be so exciting that when dawn came, the king wanted to hear its continuation. And then Scheherazade promised him that if he lived until the next night, Shahriyar would certainly hear the continuation of the fairy tale. This is how she managed to survive the night with the formidable ruler, which, alas, no other girl had ever managed before. Scheherazade probably managed to make a considerable impression on the ruler, and when the next night came, he, contrary to his rules, ordered to call her again.

Scheherazade again told her tale - and the night was barely enough to reach the end, and when the tale ended, the ruler immediately demanded a new tale, and as a result, she managed to stay alive again, and Shahriyar again waited for the next evening.

This went on for a thousand and one nights, and over these years Scheherazade managed not only to tell Shahryar a huge number of fairy tales, but also to give birth to three sons. Shahryar simply adored his eloquent wife, demanding from her more and more fairy tales, of which Scheherazade was a great master. When, after a thousand and one nights, all of Scheherazade’s tales ended, the formidable ruler already loved her so much that he could not even think about her execution.

By the way, many researchers are inclined to believe that during those years when Shahriyar killed every new woman, he managed to become a severe psychopath, and Scheherazade, with her fairy tales, conducted competent and effective psychotherapy sessions, ultimately finally improving her husband’s sick psyche.

The image of the beautiful and at the same time cunning and seductive Scheherazade has inspired composers and poets many times. Thus, under the influence of “Arabian Tales,” N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote his famous symphonic suite; there is also a classical ballet of the same name, as well as several films.

The story of Shahriyar and Scheherazade is one of the most profound and amazing stories in literature. It is known that originally in Arabic tales this woman was called Shirazad (Šīrāzād), but today everyone knows her as Scheherazade.

Surprisingly, in many comments to The Arabian Nights, Scheherazade is praised not so much as an intelligent and talented woman, but as an insidious and cunning seductress, as if she did not save the lives of herself and thousands of innocent girls with her eloquence. Alas, sometimes history turns out to be cruel and unfair.

“Do not be trusting of women, Do not believe their vows and oaths; Their forgiveness, as well as their malice, are connected with lust alone,” it is believed that these words at the beginning of the book indirectly relate to Scheherazade.

However, be that as it may, the image of the narrator Scheherazade is still associated primarily with an oriental beauty, seductive and desirable, soft-spoken and eloquent.

Those with the name Scheherazade, as a rule, turn out to be trendsetters for a narrow circle. You belong to a rather thin layer of society, whose representatives, regardless of age and social status, claim that they can “afford not to follow fashion.” That's how it is. You carefully monitor how your body itself looks, take care of it tirelessly, thanks to which you have the opportunity to change your style at least every day depending on your own mood. That is why you give the impression of youth for quite a long time, each time appearing in a new look, which allows you to influence the tastes of others.

Compatibility of the name Scheherazade, manifestation in love

Scheherazade, for you, marriage symbolizes the beginning of the ascetic path, and your partner must be prepared for the fact that every day he will receive the “moon from the sky.” At first glance, this is wonderful, but there is a small problem: you definitely need the same “moon” in response, since the adequacy of the reaction, gratitude and admiration are necessary for your peace of mind. The slightest doubt that you are selflessly loved and highly valued demoralizes you, and then your carefully built well-being can collapse overnight.

Motivation

Your heart is full of love and compassion for others. The basis of your spiritual aspirations is the desire to protect everyone for whom you can do this from troubles. Even to the detriment of their own interests. To do good and not ask for rewards for it is your choice in any situation.

At first glance, this is the life of a saint. But not everyone enjoys constant care and intrusive expressions of participation. Even the closest people can get tired of everyday care. Moreover, you will suffer, because by relieving them of the need to do at least something on their own, you deprive them of the opportunity to develop, turning them into “plankton”.

This means that sooner or later you will probably hear a reproach. And your confidence that self-sacrifice can really bring the results you expected will be dealt a severe blow. Then instead of satisfaction you will get disappointment.

Therefore, the desire to nurture and protect should be limited within reasonable limits. Remember this, and your peace of mind will be preserved.

N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov "Scheherazade" (Scheherazade)

N. Rimsky-Korsakov's symphonic suite “Scheherazade” crowns the list of beautiful works of the mid and late 19th century based on oriental themes. Among them " Khovanshchina » Mussorgsky, " Ruslan and Lyudmila "Glinka, and " Prince Igor "Borodin, and many more chamber vocal and symphonic works. During this period, Russian composers were especially attracted to the motifs of the mysterious East, and they willingly included them in their creations. But Rimsky-Korsakov was able to feel this theme most deeply and embody its subtlest nuances in his suite.

History of creation "Scheherazades" Rimsky-Korsakov, the contents of the work and many interesting facts, read on our page.

History of creation

In letters to a close friend Glazunov Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov admitted that the idea of an orchestral suite based on the fairy tale “1000 and 1 Night” was born to him a long time ago, but he decided to start it only in 1888. At this time, the composer and his family were on the estate of a close friend near St. Petersburg. According to the author, the first bars were given to him with great difficulty, but soon he began to achieve approximately what he had in mind. This could not but please Nikolai Andreevich, whose writing activity had recently faded into the background.

In the 80s he took the position of one of the most authoritative and sought-after musical figures. On his shoulders lay the work of a professor at the conservatory, and participation in the management of the Court Singing Chapel, and cooperation with the publisher M.P. Belyaev. In addition, he could not ignore the unfinished works of many of his musician friends, and undertook to finish them.

There was not always enough time for his own creativity, but, nevertheless, the suite was successfully started and completed in less than a month. This can be easily established by the dates indicated by the author on the score: part 1 - July 4, part 2 - July 11, 3 and 4 - July 16 and 26, respectively. Initially, each part had a title that partly revealed its content, but in the first edition the titles disappeared at the request of the composer himself. Thus, it still remains unclear exactly which fragments of Scheherazade’s tales underlie parts of the suite.

“Scheherazade” was first presented to the public in October 1888 at the first Russian Symphony Concert. The composer himself conducted the orchestra.

Interesting facts

The “Scheherazade” suite became one of the works presented in the “Parisian Seasons” of the Russian ballet school in 1910. The production captivated French connoisseurs both with its musical structure and the oriental flavor superbly conveyed with the help of L. Bakst’s costumes.
After the second production of the ballet “Scheherazade” to music Rimsky-Korsakov in the “Paris Season” of 1911, V.A. Serov created an incredibly large curtain measuring 12 by 12 meters for subsequent performances.
The ballet production received a second life in 1994 with the light hand of Andris Liepa. Not only was M. Fokine’s choreography completely recreated, but also the characters’ costumes were re-sewn based on L. Bakst’s sketches. Since then, “Scheherazade” has been regularly performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater and other leading theaters in the world.
The oriental motifs of “Scheherazade” excited the minds of musicians in the 20th-21st centuries: there are several options for processing excerpts from it. For example, in 1968, the legendary group Deep Purple, in one of their albums, presented a version of the first part performed on an electric organ. In 1971, a revised version of the suite was released as part of the album of the group Collegium Musicum. In 2005, “Scheherazade” was adapted for wind instruments and presented in this form by the M. Patterson Orchestra. In 2010, at the jazz festival in Moscow, “Scheherazade XXI” was performed - an arrangement by jazzmen I. Butman and N. Levinovsky.
In creative heritage Prokofiev there is “Fantasy on the Theme of Scheherazade”, created on the basis of an essay by his teacher Rimsky-Korsakov.

The source of the plot for “Scheherazade” is a monument of Arabic literature, based on folk tales of India, Iran and Arab peoples, which became widely known in the 17th century. “1000 and 1 Night” was translated into Russian from French in the 1760s - 1770s. Rimsky-Korsakov became the first composer who was not afraid to turn to this plot - he frightened many with his cruelty and excessive frankness in some episodes.
Rimsky-Korsakov was a participant in a round-the-world sea voyage, and this allowed him to become a master in creating the image of the water element through musical means. This unrivaled skill of his is also presented in Scheherazade.
Initially, “Scheherazade” acquired, under the pen of the author, the classical form of a suite, because each part received its own program commentary and name. But after the composer abandoned naming the parts in favor of simple numbering, the work became more like a symphony. This is where the current full name of “Scheherazade” came from - a symphonic suite.
In the Olympic Park in Sochi you can see a show of dancing fountains to the music of “Scheherazade”. A fragment of this suite was also performed at the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Maurice Ravel He always proudly said that his reference book is the score of “Scheherazade” by Rimsky-Korsakov, from which he often learns instrumentation. In 1903, he wrote his “Scheherazade” - a vocal cycle of three poems for voice and orchestra.
In 1907, German astronomer A. Kopff discovered an asteroid, which was named “Scheherazade”.

Content

The suite consists of four parts, representing completely complete individual episodes, but united by certain leitmotifs. For example, the theme of Sultan Shahriar, as it is commonly called, is represented by sharp, menacing unisons of brass and strings. Scheherazade's theme, on the contrary, is voiced by a solo violin accompanied by a harp - it enchants and bewitches, forcing you to listen to the oriental sound intricacies. Both themes will change as the story progresses, but will remain recognizable even at the end, when Shahriar’s heart softens along with the strings moving to pianissimo.

First part was called by the author “The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship.” The introduction is marked by the appearance of Shahriar, and then of the narrator herself, Scheherazade. Next comes the turn of the marine theme - the strings are complemented by wind chords conveying the rumble of waves, and then a gentle flute depicts the running of a ship across the expanse of the sea. The storm develops with the alarming sound of the strings, sharper cries of the winds, and the interweaving of themes in the chaos of the storm. But soon a peaceful calm returns.

Second part– “The Tale of Prince Kalender” begins with the theme of the main character, and gradually turns into a bright oriental melody. It is quite intricate - the author plays with timbres, simulating a tense and fascinating narrative. In the middle of the movement, a battle theme arises, reminiscent of Shahriar's theme, but in no way connected with it. The flight of the legendary bird Roc appears against the background of the battle scene with the sound of a piccolo flute. The end of the movement is the transition from the theme of the battle to the theme of the prince, interrupted by cadences.

At the core third part, called “The Tsarevich and the Princess,” there are two themes that characterize the main characters of the story. One of them, the Tsarevich's theme, is more lyrical and melodic, the second complements it with playful intonations and an intricate rhythmic pattern. The themes develop, intertwine with each other, acquiring new bright colors, but at one moment they are interrupted by Scheherazade's theme performed by a solo violin.

Part four, called by the composer “Baghdad holiday. Sea. The Ship Crashes on a Rock with a Bronze Horseman" includes a combination of almost all the main themes of the suite from the previous movements. Here they are intricately intertwined, filled with new shades, and create a picture of frantic fun. The holiday gives way to a sea storm, in the depiction of which Rimsky-Korsakov achieved perfection. In the conclusion, Shahriar's theme appears, but it is clearly not as sharp and harsh as at the beginning - the formidable sultan nevertheless succumbed to the charms of the beautiful Scheherazade.

Use of music in cinema

Rimsky-Korsakov's magnificent imitation of oriental motifs remains to this day one of the great musical works that film directors take as their main theme. Almost everywhere it sounds quite appropriate, giving the film or an individual episode depth and some understatement.

List of films in which excerpts from “Scheherazade” can be heard:

“Song of Scheherazade” - USA, 1947;
"The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb" - UK, 1964;
“Prisoner of the Caucasus” - USSR, 1967;
"A Clockwork Orange" - UK, 1971;
"Nijinsky" - USA, 1980;
“The Man in the Red Shoe” - USA, 1985;
“Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” - Spain, 1988;
“Shadow Dancing” - USA, 1988;
“Tom Toumbas meets Thumbelina” - USA, 1996;
“The Diaries of Vaslav Nijinsky” - Australia, 2001;
“The Master and Margarita” - television series, Russia, 2005;
“Gradiva is calling you” - France, 2006;
“Cleanliness beats everything” - Denmark, 2006;
"Trotsky" - Russia, 2009;
“To the last moment” - Germany, 2008.

Before the creation of Scheherazade, he experienced a kind of creative crisis. But this did not hinder the composer, but rather, on the contrary, helped him create a work of unique beauty. The suite continues to be loved and listened to to this day; it has undergone many adaptations and transcriptions, and this does not make it any worse. She still enchants with the rhythms of the East and builds uniquely beautiful images in her mind. Scheherazade, the elements of the sea and the starry Arabian night, filled with the magical voice of a charming storyteller...

Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov “Scheherazade”

Everyone remembers fairy tales from childhood; it was especially fascinating to listen to Arabic tales about the Thousand and One Nights, where the character was the well-known Scheherazade.

Origin:

The name is beautiful, even mysterious. Like any other, it has a certain meaning and a corresponding influence on the fate of its bearer.

But for other people, far from the secrets of the East, everything connected with it seems secret and, accordingly, terribly interesting. And in fact it is so, history is very interesting to all people.

The meaning of the name Scheherazade is ambiguous, because on the one hand it means “daughter of the Shah” in Persian, but upon further study it turns out that it also means “born in the city.” The fact is that the very meaning of the word “Shah” in the ancient Persian language is dual, because it means both the ruler of the city and the city itself. Similar to how in Kievan Rus there were policemen or mayors in cities.

If we remember the same notorious fairy tale, then in it is the name of the vizier’s daughter, who was this young lady in the plot, and wonder what the name Scheherazade means, then it was translated as “one who has a noble origin,” that is, a girl of noble blood .

In ancient Persia, even then they attached great importance to what name to give a born child, because his fate supposedly depended on this. Names also had a class purpose, so a newborn peasant child would never be given a name whose translation was so noble.

It must be said that any name, both male and female, contains a special meaning, which is also called the secret of the name. The science of numerology helps us understand it. To calculate the number of a name, it will be enough to add the serial numbers of the letters together, and then add the resulting digits of the number. You can also use a newer method that uses a number matching table.

In the last version, it turns out that the number of this name will be six. In this case, the secret of the name Scheherazade is a symbol of peace, prosperity, stability, under the auspices of the planet Venus.

If we turn to the same numerology, then the meaning of each number is also individual. So, the same number six signifies hard work and also luck. How can one not remember the fairy tale again, because how many girls before Scheherazade were executed after just one night. And she was able to captivate, intrigue and even make the first man of the state fall in love with her, not to mention avoid death.

And her tales, it must be said, are very interesting, because who, after Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, has not tried to open doors with the help of a magic spell “sim-sim, open”, persistently looking for that very door. Isn't Sinbad the Sailor wonderful?

Most boys, hearing about his travels, imagine themselves in his place, play corresponding games and generally try to imitate in every possible way. And the great Shah learned all these tales from his bride.