Azernews.Az

A concert was held to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the birth of the great Azerbaijani composer, musicologist, playwright, and pedagogue Uzeyir Hajibeyli, jointly organized by the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center under the Azerbaijani Embassy in Uzbekistan and the Alisher Navoi State Academic Bolshoi Theatre in Tashkent.

According to the Cultural Center, Azerbaijani artists and Uzbek musicians participated in the concert.

Fariz Mammadov, counselor of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Uzbekistan, stated that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had signed a decree this year to commemorate the 140th anniversary of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the creator of the first opera in the East. This decree reaffirms the country’s deep respect for the great composer. He emphasized that Hajibeyli laid the foundation of opera in the Muslim East with his work “Leyli and Majnun,” and that his operas “Koroglu,” “If Not That One, Then This One,” and operetta “Arshin Mal Alan” are considered peaks of national music.

Akif Marifli, director of the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Uzbekistan, noted that Uzeyir Hajibeyli, with his multifaceted creativity, left an indelible mark on Azerbaijani cultural history. He is the founder of the Azerbaijani compositional school and an innovative artist who enriched the national musical treasury with rare forms and genres. Hajibeyli’s contributions extend beyond Azerbaijan to the entire Turkic world. His work elevated Azerbaijani music to the world stage and contributed to the development of music and theater arts in Uzbekistan. His scientific study and notation of Azerbaijani folk music played a crucial role in shaping the national music school.

Marifli added: “It is no coincidence that from the early 20th century, the great composer’s works have been performed multiple times in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara, significantly influencing the formation of the Uzbek national theater.”

Heydarali Gasimov, the chief director of the theater, thanked the leadership of the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center for organizing such a musical celebration. He stated that Azerbaijani music and mugham are very popular in Uzbekistan and that there is hardly any festivity or wedding in Uzbekistan where Azerbaijani music is not played.

The approximately two-hour concert began with the overture of Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s famous opera “Koroglu.”

The concert was conducted by Mustafa Mehmandarov, conductor of the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli.

During the musical celebration, soloists of the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater, Nigar Jafarova and Atesh Garayev, as well as Uzbekistan’s People’s Artist Samandar Alimov and soloist Malika Normatova performed famous arias and duets from “Koroglu,” “If Not That One, Then This One,” “Arshin Mal Alan,” and “Nargiz.”

Additionally, the concert featured works such as Muslim Magomayev’s “Ceremonial March,” Soltan Hajibeyov’s symphonic suite “Karavan,” Fikrat Amirov’s “Azerbaijan Capriccio,” Suleyman Yudakov’s “Khorezm Holiday March,” among others.

The event was attended by employees of the Azerbaijani Embassy and the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center, Uzbek scholars, cultural and art figures, music lovers, and public representatives.