Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater is the city's major venue for drama, opera and ballet. The theater always delights its guests with fascinating ballets, operas, and other theatrical performances.

Opera lovers have a chance to learn a history behind the theater as part of the "Architectural Monuments of Baku".

Initiated by Baku City Main Cultural Department and Khazar Library System, the new project highlights the theater's history as well as architectural style of the building.

The State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater was established in 1920 as the United State Theater.

The theater was erected at the request of magnate Daniel Mailov and funded by magnate Zeynalabdin Taghiyev.

The theater's building was erected in 1910-1911. On October 18, 1918, the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) decided to officially turn this building into a state theater.

Since 1920, Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater has been operating at the building.

The State Opera and Ballet Theater has played a major role in shaping the Azerbaijani opera art.

"Leyli and Majnun" by Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the first opera of the entire East, was first performed at the theater in 1908.

The opera laid the foundation of the new genre in musical culture of the world, which synthesizes oriental and European musical forms, resembling a dialogue of two musical cultures of East and West.

It was followed by multiple national operas such as "Sheikh Sanan" (1909), "Rustam and Zohrab" (1910), "Shah Abbas and Khurshid Banu" (1911), "Asli and Kerem"(1912), "Harun and Leyla" (1915), "Koroghlu " (1932).

Today, the theater continues to delight its guests with fascinating ballets, operas, and other theatrical performances.

Recently, the theater has marked its 100th anniversary. The theater's chief director, Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Hafiz Guliyev as well as the soloists - Honored Artist Ilaha Efendieva, Jahangir Gurbanov and Farid Aliyev provided insight into the country's opera art as part of "Bizi birləşdirən mədəniyyət" (United by Culture) project.

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