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Autumn 2001 (9.3)
Page
58
Arshin Mal Alan
(The
Cloth Peddler)
  
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The music in
Uzeyir Hajibeyov's comedy "Arshin Mal Alan" [1913]
has been described as the most optimistic music of pre-Revolutionary
Azerbaijan [prior to 1920]. No work expresses more hopefulness
and optimism for the future than this one.
Stalin understood this optimism. At the height of World War II,
when the Soviet Union was suffering immense casualties, he organized
for this musical comedy to be made into a film. The movie was
released in 1945. The following year, it was awarded the Stalin
Award. This honor was also bestowed upon the composer, the producer,
the musical editor and the conductor, Niyazi, Hajibeyov's nephew.
Niyazi refused the medal, insisting that it was the composer
of the score and libretto - Hajibeyov - who alone deserved the award. However, Hajibeyov
is said to have passed the money on to Niyazi, who had been involved
in adapting the original score for film.
In "Arshin Mal Alan", Hajibeyov continues to develop
his favorite theme of freedom and choice for young people in
choosing their marriage partners. It was the same thread that
defined his first opera, "Leyli and Majnun" (1908),
and reappeared in the two musical comedies that preceded this
one: "Husband and Wife" (1910), and "O Olmasin,
Bu Olsun" (1911).
At the turn of the 20th century, it was customary for Azerbaijani
families to choose spouses for their sons and daughters. Many
parents guarded their daughters so well that young men never
even had a chance to get a glance at them, much less get to know
them. But Hajibeyov felt that for such an important, life-determining
step, young people themselves ought to take part in the decision-making
process. He believed such choices should not simply be made on
the basis of social status, wealth, class or beauty.
The story of "Arshin Mal Alan" is based on the dilemma
of a young wealthy businessman, Asgar, who feels he has everything
in life except the ability to choose his own bride. Everything
is ideal except for this one thing.
But Asgar is determined to choose his own bride and not let others
make the decision for him, as was the custom. "Look, I'm
a merchant," he would say, "don't I always examine
goods carefully before purchasing? Then why should it be any
different when it comes to choosing the woman I'm going to spend
the rest of my life with?" But despite his intelligence,
wealth and social status, he is never able to figure out how
to counter the strong practices and traditions prevalent in the
society.
Enter Suleyman, Asgar's friend. "The only man who ever gets
a chance to see any women is the peddler who sells cloth. So
why don't you take a yardstick ("arshin") and some
samples of cloth ("mal") and roam through the alleys
selling your goods? That way, you'll be invited into the courtyards
and homes, and you'll get the chance to discover the girl of
your dreams."
So Asgar disguises himself as a poor peddler and begins wandering
the streets and lanes selling material goods. All day long he
calls out, "Arshin mal alan!" (Buy measured goods!)
As the days pass, Asgar sees many women, but he can never find
one who captures his imagination or his heart.
As luck would have it, Asgar is not the only one who wants to
meet the love of his life. Gulchohra, the daughter of Sultan
bey ("bey" is a status indicating wealth), has the
same dream. And so it happens that one day, while passing Sultan
bey's house, Asgar is invited in to display his array of materials.
And that's when it happens. The moment he set eyes on Gulchohra,
he realizes that she is the woman he has been looking for. It
is love at first sight for both of them.
Soon afterwards, Asgar sends his aunt (as was the custom) to
ask Sultan bey if he can marry his daughter. Now his aunt, it
turns out, is a widow and Sultan bey just happens to be a widower
in search of a wife himself. When Sultan bey meets Asgar's aunt
in the courtyard, it doesn't take him long to propose. The cloth
peddler, who has not yet made his identity known, sees his chance
to strike a deal with Sultan bey. "I'll give you permission
to marry my aunt if you, in turn, allow me to marry your daughter."
Sultan bey becomes enraged. "What?! You scum, you scoundrel!
Never, ever would I allow my daughter to become the wife of a
poor peddler! Get out of here!" So Asgar leaves, once again
perplexed.
Suleyman again tries to come to Asgar's rescue. This time he
proposes to go to Sultan bey, whom he knows personally, and suggest
that Gulchohra be married to Asgar, whom he would describe as
the merchant that he really is, not the poor peddler in disguise.
Asgar agrees.
Sultan bey is easily persuaded by Suleyman's proposal. "Why
not?" he reasons. "Asgar is young. He's rich. And he's
one of the most respected men in the city." And so it is
settled. Except for one thing. Gulchohra has already made up
her mind that she wants to marry the peddler, and that she will
have nothing to do with any rich merchant.
And so Asgar resorts to the practice of the day of kidnapping
his potential bride. Gulchohra, still not aware of the situation,
is broken-hearted and starts to contemplate suicide until she
recognizes Asgar's voice as being the same as the cloth peddler's
that she has fallen in love with.
The final scene is a wedding, celebrating not only the marriage
of Asgar and Gulchohra, but that of three other couples as well:
Sultan bey and Asgar's aunt, Suleyman and Gulchohra's cousin
Asya, and the servants of both Asgar and Gulchohra.
Despite the buoyant optimism and enthusiasm found in "Arshin
Mal Alan", it was to be Hajibeyov's last major musical composition
before the world collapsed around him and the Bolsheviks took
Baku (1920). Nearly 25 years would pass before Hajibeyov would
again produce a major piece worthy of his genius - "Koroghlu"
(1937). Sound samples at AZER.com, AI Store.
____
From Azerbaijan
International
(9.3) Autumn 2001.
© Azerbaijan International 2001. All rights reserved.
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