An amusing (or, depending how you look at it, slanderously counterrevolutionary) look at the ideological deficiencies of Murdeli's opera "The Great Friendship" is available at URL:
http://www.siue.edu/~aho/musov/zhito/zhitonote.html#15

If the link no longer works, let us know and we will replace it.
It is footnote #15 to Daniel Zhitomirsky, "SHOSTAKOVICH THE PUBLIC AND THE PRIVATE: reminiscences, materials, comments", Daugava (1990, No. 3), English version by Tatjana M. Norbury and Ian MacDonald
http://www.siue.edu/~aho/musov/zhito/zhito.html

In summary: The opera "The Great Friendship" showcased traditional tunes and dances of the Caucasian peoples. Muradeli irritated Comrade Stalin by trying to "improve" on at least one beloved old favorite, the "Lezginka." "The Great Friendship" was condemned by name in a Central Committee resolution dated 10 Feb 1948, though there is speculation that the real target of the anti-"formalism" drive was Shostakovich.

The staff musicologist of the All-District Council of Proletarian Musicians and Composers (VOkSovProlMuzKomp) gives us further detail:
The Lezgins are a small minority tribe in the Caucasus who have a characteristic fiery folk dance ("Lezginka"), which has often been set to music by Soviet composers. VOkSovProlMuzKomp recommends for listening the example by S. Liapunov (d. 1924) written in 1903; it is #10 (in b minor) of the "12 Transcendental Etudes."

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