I. suite: 1. Sword Dance; 2. Ajse's dance; 3. Dance of the rose-maidens; 4. Kurdish dance; 5. Lullaby; 6. Dance of the young Kurds; 7. Variations; 8. Lezginka
II. suit; 1. Russian Dance; 2. Introduction; 3. Gajane's Adagio; 4. Fire

National form – socialist content: this definition of socialist realism, as formulated in the 30s and 40s in the Soviet Union and also in those parts of Eastern Europe that came under Soviet influence, served as a starting point for countless artistic ideological discussions. The “national form” of Gajane, written in 1942, was underwritten by its the Armenian folk music roots, while the socialist content is in the content (text by K. N. Gyerzsavin). (The daily life of Soviet Armenian agricultural collective is disturbed by Zsiko, who joins a group of smugglers, and carries out enemy activities. Zsiko sets fire to the collective and plots against his wife and daughter. Kazakov prevents his murderous plans, and after seeing that the scoundrel is properly punished, marries Gajane.) To be fair, it has to be said that compared to other patriotic and similar cantatas written in the late 1930's, the events of this ballet are not especially “political”. Gajane was staged in the Leningrad Kirov Theatre in the year of its composition. Khachaturian (1903-1978) was awarded his second Stalin Prize for the work. Needless to say, when the political winds changed, the work suffered precisely because of its political associations. With the passing of further years, listeners are now able to approach the work with less preconceptional baggage, and must decide just where the musical merits place this work, written by a composer who is another representative of the twentieth century folklore movement.