Brief Description of Abesalom and Ethery opera
Libretto: P. Mirianashvili.
Ethery - Tsisana Tatishvili (soprano)
Abesalom - Zurab Sotkilava (tenor)
Murman - Shota Kiknadze (baritone)
Nethela - Liana Tatishvili (mezzo-soprano)
Marih - Lamara Chkonia (soprano)
Abio - Irakli Shushania (basso)
Naana - Olga Kuznetsova (soprano)
Thandaruh - Abrek Pirtskhalava (tenor)
Guest - Edisher Gelashvili (tenor)
Palace servant - Nikoloz Kapanadze (baritone)
Chorus and Symphonic Orchestra of Soviet Radio (former USSR)
Conductor: Didim Mitshulava
Action 1.
Poor but very nice girl Ethery lived at her stepmother's house. She worked hard but her stepmother disliked her. She had no friends and nobody could defend her. While she was sitting in the spring in the forest thinking about her hard and unhappy life she fell asleep. There was a hunter song coming from a group of hunters headed by Abesalom and his vizier Murman. They reached a spring and stopped at the Ethery startled by her beauty. Abesalom liked Ethery and offered gifts to her, explaining that he fell in love with her. The girl did not believe him – she was a poor girl and he was czarevich. But vizier Murman liked a girl as well. He was jealous since Ethery was unreachable for him.
Action 2.
Abesalom persuades Ethery and there is a wedding party at Abesalom's father's palace. Abesalom and his bride entered the palace and the tsar blessed them. Abesalom noticed Murman's absence but in a short time, he appeared to have a small hutch decorated with diamonds. This hut has a secret power – it will drive an illness to Ethery and only Murman knows how to cure her. Ethery accepted the gift since she did know Murman's demonic thoughts.
Action 3.
There was a deep mourning at the palace – Ethery was striking with enigmatic sickness. Each day she was getting worthy. Abesalom was roaming along the palace's numerous rooms. His mother and sisters asked him to send Ethery to her native house – maybe the sunlight would recover her, but Abesalom rejected this idea. Ethery herself told him it was a bad idea to bring an unsophisticated girl to the palace and asked him to release her. Murman decided that there was a proper moment to act – he promised to heal her stipulating that she would belong to him. After a long hesitating Abesalom agreed to his proposal.
Action 4.
Ethery was sitting very sad at the Murman's castle. She was unhappy both with Murman's gallant attention and mindful concerns of his sisters. She was full of love for Abesalom. One could hear the sounds of trumpets – Abesalom was approaching the Murman's castle. It was too hard to stay far away from Ethery for him. But Ethery did not want to meet him since he ratted her by succumbing to Murman. Abesalom ordered Murman to travel to a distanced destination for business. Abesalom sent his mother to Ethery to persuade her to come back. Ethery rejected this offer. Then Abesalom's sister Marih accompanying chonguri (Georgian stringed musical instrument) singed Ethery about her brother's pains who was dying from love. Finely inflamed Ehtery decided to get out from the castle. Abesalom met her with happiness but he was too weak and died. Ethery suicide herself since she could not stand Abesaloms' death.