Gara Abulfaz oghlu Garayev ( az, Qara Əbülfəz oğlu Qarayev, russian: Кара́ Абульфа́зович Кара́ев (Kara Abulfazovich Karayev), February 5, 1918 – May 13, 1982), also spelled as Qara Qarayev or Kara Karayev, was a prominent

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

Azerbaijani composer. Garayev wrote nearly 110 musical pieces,Azad Sharifov
"Remembering Gara Garayev: A Legend in His Own Time - 80th Jubilee"
in Azerbaijan International, Vol. 6:3 (Autumn 1998), pp. 24-32 including

ballets Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

operas Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...

symphonic A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning com ...

and

chamber Chamber or the chamber may refer to: In government and organizations * Chamber of commerce, an organization of business owners to promote commercial interests *Legislative chamber, in politics * Debate chamber, the space or room that houses delib ...

pieces, solos for piano,

cantatas A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of t ...

, songs, and

marches In medieval Europe, a march or mark was, in broad terms, any kind of borderland, as opposed to a national "heartland". More specifically, a march was a border between realms or a neutral buffer zone under joint control of two states in which diff ...

, and rose to prominence not only in

Azerbaijan SSR Azerbaijan ( az, Азәрбајҹан, Azərbaycan, italics=no), officially the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR; az, Азәрбајҹан Совет Сосиалист Республикасы, Azərbaycan Sovet Sosialist R ...

, but also in the rest of the Soviet Union and worldwide.

Early life

Garayev was born into a family of pediatricians, which was famous in

Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...

. His mother, Sona, was among the first graduates of the Baku-based school of the

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

Music Society. Garayev's younger brother, Mursal, became a surgeon and Doctor of Medicine. In 1926, at the age of eight, Gara Garayev first entered the junior music school at the

Azerbaijan State Conservatoire The Hajibeyov Baku Academy of Music (Azeri: ''Hacıbəyov adına Bakı Musiqi Akademiyası'') is a music school in Baku, Azerbaijan. It was established in 1920 in Baku and was previously known as the Hajibeyov Azerbaijan State Conservatoire. H ...

, currently known as the

Baku Music Academy The Hajibeyov Baku Academy of Music (Azeri: ''Hacıbəyov adına Bakı Musiqi Akademiyası'') is a music school in Baku, Azerbaijan. It was established in 1920 in Baku and was previously known as the Hajibeyov Azerbaijan State Conservatoire. ...

. Due to his musical talents, Garayev was allowed to enroll simultaneously in two faculties at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire in 1933. Among his teachers were Georgi Sharoyev, Leonid Rudolf, and the prominent Azerbaijani composer

Uzeyir Hajibeyov Uzeyir bey Abdulhuseyn oghlu Hajibeyov ( az, Üzeyir bəy Əbdülhüseyn oğlu Hacıbəyov; russian: Узеир Абдул-Гусейн оглы Гаджибеков, translit=Uzeir Abdul-Guseyn ogly Gadzhibekov; September 18, 1885November 23, 19 ...

. In 1937, Garayev joined the Union of Composers of

Career

In 1938, at the age of twenty, Garayev composed his first musical piece, a cantata "The Song of the Heart" to the poem by

Rasul Rza Rasul Rza (real name Rasul Ibrahim oghlu Rzayev – az, Rəsul İbrahim oğlu Rzayev) (1910 – 1981 in Baku), was an Azerbaijani writer, Hero of Socialist Labour (1980), People's Poet of Azerbaijan, Laureate of Soviet State Award and the Chair ...

. It was performed in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Bolshoi Theater The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...

in the presence of

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

in the same year. Garayev conducted his cantata during the Decade of Azerbaijani Art festival in the Bolshoi Theater, an event also attended by Stalin. In the same year, Garayev moved to the Moscow State Conservatoire, where he became a student and a good friend of

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich), First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throug ...

. In 1941 Garayev returned to Baku to teach at

Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society The Muslim Magomayev Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall ( az, Müslüm Maqomayev adına Azərbaycan Dövlət Akademik Filarmoniyası), located in Baku, is the main concert hall in Azerbaijan built in 1910. Since 2006 Murad Adigozalzade i ...

. In 1945, both he and

Jovdat Hajiyev Ahmad Jovdat Ismayil oglu Hajiyev (June 18, 1917 - January 18, 2002) was one of the major Azerbaijani composers of the Soviet period. He is remembered for his monumental orchestral works, having been the first Azerbaijani to compose a symphony (1 ...

wrote the ''Motherland'' ("Vətən") opera, for which they were awarded a prestigious

Stalin Prize Stalin Prize may refer to: * The State Stalin Prize in science and engineering and in arts, awarded 1941 to 1954, later known as the USSR State Prize The USSR State Prize (russian: links=no, Государственная премия СССР, ...

. In 1948, at the age of 30, Garayev was again awarded this prize for his symphonic poem ''Leyli and Majnun'', based on the same-titled famous work of

Nizami Ganjavi Nizami Ganjavi ( fa, نظامی گنجوی, lit=Niẓāmī of Ganja, translit=Niẓāmī Ganjavī; c. 1141–1209), Nizami Ganje'i, Nizami, or Nezāmi, whose formal name was ''Jamal ad-Dīn Abū Muḥammad Ilyās ibn-Yūsuf ibn-Zakkī'',Mo'in, ...

. Upon the death of

in 1948, Garayev became the Chair of the Union of Composers of

and the

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the

. In this latter position, Garayev retained Uzeyir Hajibeyov's traditional emphasis on Azerbaijani folk music in teaching, and also promoted contemporary genres, such as

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

in Azerbaijani music. In 1948 Garayev also became the delegate to the First National USSR Congress of Soviet Composers. In the same year Garayev also headed the Music Department at the Azerbaijan Architecture and Art Institute. In 1952, under the direction of the choreographer P. A. Gusev, Garayev's ''

Seven Beauties ''Seven Beauties'' ( it, Pasqualino Settebellezze, "Pasqualino Sevenbeauties") is a 1975 Italian language film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller and starring Giancarlo Giannini, Fernando Rey, and Shirley Stoler. Written by Wertmüller, the ...

'' ballet was staged at the Azerbaijani Theater of Opera and Ballet. Based on Nizami Ganjavi's famous poem, ''Seven Beauties'' ("Yeddi gözəl") opened a new chapter in the history of classical music of Azerbaijan. Garayev's only other ballet, '' Path of Thunder'' ("İldırımlı yollarla"), staged in 1958, was dedicated to racial conflicts in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. In the same year, Garayev also wrote the score for the documentary film ''A Story About the Oil Workers of the Caspian Sea'', directed by

Roman Karmen Roman Lazarevich Karmen (real name Efraim Leyzorovich Korenman) (russian: Роман Лазаревич Кармен; – 28 April 1978) was a Soviet film director, war cinematographer, documentary filmmaker, journalist, screenwriter, pedagogue and ...

and set at the

Oil Rocks An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

. During his teaching career at the

, Garayev tutored a number of prominent Azerbaijani musicians and composers, including

Galib Mammadov Galib Mammadov (born April 19, 1946) is an Azerbaijani-Norwegian composer. He is influenced by both Western and Eastern music traditions and composed a wide range of musical pieces for various instruments and orchestras. Biography Galib Mammadov ...

Arif Malikov Arif Malikov (also Melikov; Baku, 13 September 1933 – Baku, 9 May 2019) was an Azerbaijani composer. He graduated from the Baku Conservatory as a music composer in 1958. He shot to fame in 1961 when his first major composition " Legend of Lov ...

Khayyam Mirzazade Khayyam Hadi oglu Mirzazade ( az, Xəyyam Hadı oğlu Mirzəzadə; 5 October 1935 – 30 July 2018) was an Azerbaijani composer and professor. Biography Khayyam Mirzazade was born on October 5, 1935, in Baku. In 1957, he graduated from Azerbaija ...

and Ismayil Hajibeyov among others. Garayev's son,

Faraj Faraj is a name of Arabic origins, found in many locations including in Kuwait, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, Iran, and others. The name derived from Arabic meaning "joy after sadness", and can also hold the meaning "to cur ...

(born 1943), also became his student and went on to compose single-act ballets such as ''Shadows of Qobustan'' ("Qobustanın kölgələri") and ''Kaleidoscope'', and later led the musical

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

movement in Azerbaijan. During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

in June 1961, Garayev and

Tikhon Khrennikov Tikhon Nikolayevich Khrennikov (russian: Тихон Николаевич Хренников; – 14 August 2007) was a Russian and Soviet composer, pianist, and General Secretary of the Union of Soviet Composers (1948–1991), who was also known ...

were the only two Soviet composers who attended the first International Los Angeles Music Festival held at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

. The festival programmed works by fifteen composers from around the world, including

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...

and

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...

. On June 11,

Franz Waxman Franz Waxman (né Wachsmann; December 24, 1906February 24, 1967) was a German-born composer and conductor of Jewish descent, known primarily for his work in the film music genre. His film scores include ''Bride of Frankenstein'', '' Rebecca'', ...

conducted the Festival Symphony Orchestra with a suite from Garayev's '' Path of Thunder''. In 1962 Garayev became a member of the

Supreme Soviet of the USSR The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( rus, Верховный Совет Союза Советских Социалистических Республик, r=Verkhovnyy Sovet Soyuza Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respubl ...

and visited the United States, Ethiopia, and Lebanon. In 1972 he visited Poland.

Later life

Garayev suffered from heart disease, which prevented him from attending his own 60th jubilee celebration held in

, where he was awarded the title of the

Hero of Socialist Labor The Hero of Socialist Labour (russian: links=no, Герой Социалистического Труда, Geroy Sotsialisticheskogo Truda) was an honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It repre ...

. Garayev spent the last five years of his life in Moscow, away from the public, although his love for

remained strong and was reflected in his writing: Garayev died on May 13, 1982 in Moscow at the age of 64. His body was flown to Baku and buried at the

Alley of Honor The Alley of Honor ( az, Fəxri Xiyaban, Honorary ''Allée'') is a public cemetery and memorial in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Alley includes burials of famed Azerbaijanis and Azerbaijan-affiliated expatriates, including several Presidents, scientists a ...

Appraisals

, Russian composer and Garayev's mentor: *

Niyazi Niyazi Zulfugar oghlu Taghizade Hajibeyov ( az, Niyazi Zülfüqar bəy oğlu Hacıbəyov) (1912–1984) was a prominent Soviet Azerbaijani conductor, and composer of the renowned symphonic mugham "Rast". Early life Niyazi was born on August 2 ...

, Azerbaijani conductor and composer: *

Tahir Salahov Tahir Salahov ( Azerbaijani, in full: , russian: Таир Теймур Салахов; 29 November 1928 – 21 May 2021) was a Soviet, Azerbaijani painter and draughtsman. He was First Secretary of the Artists' Union of the USSR (1973–1992), V ...

, Azerbaijani painter: *

, Russian composer: *

Rodion Shchedrin Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin ( rus, Родион Константинович Щедрин, , rədʲɪˈon kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ ɕːɪˈdrʲin; born 16 December 1932) is a Soviet and Russian composer and pianist, winner of USSR State ...

, Russian composer: *

Fikret Amirov Fikret Mashadi Jamil oghlu Amirov ( az, Fikrət Məşədi Cəmil oğlu Əmirov; November 22, 1922, Ganja – February 20, 1984, Baku) was a prominent Soviet and Azerbaijani composer. Biography Fikret Amirov grew up in an atmosphere of Azerba ...

, Azerbaijani composer: *

, Azerbaijani composer and Garayev's student: * Imran Qasymov, Azerbaijani writer: *

, Azerbaijani composer and Garayev's student:

Tribute to his memory

The International Festival of Contemporary Music has been held since 1986 with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan. * In memory of Gara Garayev: ** metro station in

** an avenue in Baku ** a street in

Imishli (city) Imishli ( az, İmişli) is a city and the capital of the Imishli District of Azerbaijan. History During the Tsardom of Russia, Qaradonlu belonged to the Javad Khan administration. In 1906, the first School of Qaradonlu region was established, ...

** Children's Music School №75 in

** a ship * A memorial plaque installed on the wall of Gara Garayev's house in Baku. * In The 30th of February, the monument to Gara Garayev opened by President Ilham Aliyev in 28 May Street of Baku. * A memorial board installed at Gara Garayev's house in

. Where he lived between 1973 and 1982.

Major works

230px, upScene from the ''Seven Beauties'' ballet. *1942 - Film score for ''A Story About the Oil Workers of the Caspian Sea'' *1943 - Symphony No. 1 *1943 - Opera ''Motherland'', with

, premiered in Baku in 1945 *1947 - Symphonic poem ''Leyli and Majnun''. Edited Muslim Magomayev's opera ''Shah Ismayil'' *1948 – ''

'', ballet *1949 - ''Seven Beauties'', a suite for symphonic orchestra *1950 - Six children's pieces for piano *1952 - ''Albanian Rhapsody'', children's pieces for piano *1957 - '' Path of Thunder'' ballet *1958 - Film score for ''Her Great Heart'', three

nocturne A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. History The term ''nocturne'' (from French '' nocturne'' 'of the night') was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensembl ...

s for jazz orchestra *1960 - ''Don Quixote'', symphonic sketches *1960 - Sonata for violin and piano *1951-63 - 24 Preludes for piano Toccata Classics
/ref> *1964 - Symphony No. 3 *1967 - Violin Concerto

Honours and awards

Hero of Socialist Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour (russian: links=no, Герой Социалистического Труда, Geroy Sotsialisticheskogo Truda) was an honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It repre ...

(1978) * Two

Orders of Lenin The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration b ...

(1967, 1978) *

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (russian: Орден Октябрьской Революции, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferr ...

(1971) *

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour (russian: Орден Трудового Красного Знамени, translit=Orden Trudovogo Krasnogo Znameni) was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to th ...

(1961) *

, twice (1946, 1948) * Lenin Prize (1967) * Azerbaijan SSR State Prize (1965) *Honoured Artist of the Azerbaijani SSR (1955) *

People's Artist of the Azerbaijani SSR People's Artist of the USSR ( rus, Народный артист СССР, Narodny artist SSSR), also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. Nomenclature and significan ...

(1958) *

People's Artist of the USSR People's Artist of the USSR ( rus, Народный артист СССР, Narodny artist SSSR), also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. Nomenclature and significan ...

(1959)

References

External links

"Garayev: Forgotten Music Scores from Famous Composers
" by Alla Bayramova, in Azerbaijan International, Vol. 11:1 (Spring 2003), pp. 16–17.

at http://www.musigi-dunya.az

* ttp://azer.com/aiweb/categories/music/AudioPages/Garayev/garayev.html Listen to Gara Garayev's works Music Section of Azerbaijan International * {{DEFAULTSORT:Garayev, Gara 1918 births 1982 deaths Azerbaijani composers Azerbaijani ballet composers Azerbaijani film score composers Azerbaijani professors Azerbaijani music educators Academics of the Baku Academy of Music Heroes of Socialist Labour People's Artists of the Azerbaijan SSR People's Artists of the USSR Recipients of the Order of Lenin Stalin Prize winners Lenin Prize winners Soviet film score composers Male film score composers Soviet Azerbaijani people Baku Academy of Music alumni Burials at Alley of Honor 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century composers 20th-century male musicians Honored Art Workers of the Azerbaijan SSR Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour