Azernews.Az

100 years have passed since the first opera in the entire East was staged in Azerbaijan.
The performance took place on a cold and wintry day of January 1908, marking a milestone in Oriental culture that emerged notwithstanding the tribulations of people experiencing hard and volatile times.
A product of two Azerbaijani greats - prominent composer Uzeyir Hajibayov and writer Fuzuli - the "Leyli and Majnun" opera, which is based on a love story, was revolutionary for Oriental culture and went down in history as a precursor of drastic changes in the world of art.
The masterpiece that gained wide acclaim was not just a contribution to Eastern culture. It was also a successful step toward forming a global and unified outlook on culture. The opera helped a great a deal to bridge the gap between the East and West, which already had long-standing traditions of opera art. On January 25, 1908, the first and important step in that direction was taken.
A series of events have been scheduled in Azerbaijan to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the historic date. The State Opera and Ballet Theater conducted special preparations on this occasion. An outstanding performance will be held on Friday and Sunday and attended by representatives of the musical and theatrical community of the capital Baku. The lead roles in the performance will be played by Nazakat Teymurova (Leyli) and Mansum Ibrahimov (Majnun). Special stage decorations and costumes have been ordered for the spectacular event.
The functions include an exhibition describing the road covered by "Leyli and Majnun" to be held on the same day at the lobby of the Theater Museum. The event will feature photos covering passages from the opera, which has been staged by a number of art directors so far. The exhibition will cover various periods of the century-long history of the opera, which has been performed by Azerbaijani Mugham (folk music) masters.
The roles in "Leyli and Majnun" have been played at all times by the most prominent and skillful actors of the country, and this is still the case. Although some of them have passed away, leaving an abundant legacy of opera art, others remain living legends of the national culture to this day. The brilliant performers who once played the roles of the two main characters - Leyli and Majnun - will be following the jubilee performance.