Azerbaijan's opera singer to perform works by national composer
By Laman Ismayilova
Azerbaijan's opera singer Fidan Hajiyeva will surprise her fans with a series of concerts.
The first concert will take place in Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall on April 6.
This outstanding concert will include a set of emotionally-charged romances sung in Azerbaijani and Russian by Fidan Hajiyeva, together with the Sonatina for piano and cello, performed by Saida Tagizade and Aleksey Miltikh.
She will perform compositions by Adila Huseynzade (1916-2005), the first Azerbaijani woman to gain a professional qualification as a composer.
Huseynzade commenced her studies at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire in 1942 as a mezzo-soprano in the vocal class of legendary tenor Bulbul.
Within a year, she had started to compose and moved to the composition class of Uzeyir Hajibeyli. Her voice is preserved for posterity on the soundtrack of the 1945 film version of "Arshin mal alan".
The extensive oeuvre of Adila Huseyn-Zade includes vocal miniatures, cantatas for choir and orchestra, symphonic poems and string quartets, which have been performed for decades by many of the most renowned musicians and vocalists in Azerbaijan. She set the stanzas of many of the most famous Azerbaijani poets to music, including Nizami and Samad Vurgun, and some of her works incorporate such Azerbaijani national instruments as the tar.
She later became an educator, and her students included such legends as Muslim Magomayev and Firangiz Alizadeh.
The second concert will take place in London's Kings Place Hall on May 16.
"I will perform 16 works accompanied by the piano at the concert. A beautiful pianist, laureate of international competitions Saida Taghi-Zade and Azerbaijan's Honored Artist, violin player Aleksey Miltikh will also perform. The works of Azerbaijani female composer will be performed for the first time in London. I have translated most of the romans into English. My goal is to deliver these works perfectly to the audience both in music and poetry," said Fidan Hajiyeva.
Huseynzade's novel written on the words of Nizami's "The Hope of the Soul", as well as the novels of Nasimi, Fuzuli, Natavan, Samad Vurgun, Nabi Khazri, Bakhtiyar Vahabzade, Rasul Rza and Nigar Rafibeyli are the pearls of our musical treasure. The "Emotions" vocal sequence, written by R.Rza and N.Rafibeyli has a special place among them. Adila Huseynzade skillfully chose poems. Composer's works combine music with poetry. Her poems she has chosen for her romance are still relevant today. The romances I will perform are very beautiful and dramatic. They were once performed by Bulbul, Shovket Mammadova, Firangiz Ahmadova, Fidan and Khuraman Gasimova" she added.
Fidan Hajiyeva became Baku’s youngest performer of the title role of Carmen in Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” opera. Her leading roles include many in Verdi’s operas such as Amneris in “Aida”, Azuchena in “II Trovatore”, Maddalena in “Rigoletto” opera, etc.
In 2006, opera singer awarded the title of “Honoured Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan” .
In 2016 Fidan realized her dream of many years by opening her own Music Centre to share her experience of all types of music to a body of students both young and old.
On December 20, 2016 Fidan represented Azerbaijan at the 7th international world forum in Minsk at the invitation of the National Academic Bolshoi Theatre of the Opera and the Ballet of Belarus, with famous vocalists from a number of countries invited to perform at a gala concert.
Following her performance she was invited by National Academic Bolshoi Theatre of the Opera and the Ballet of Belarus to perform “Carmen” in Minsk in April 2017.
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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova
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