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, 1948), known as Uzeyir Hajibeyov ( az, Üzeyir Hacıbəyov, links=no, Arabic script: , ) was an
Azerbaijani composer,
conductor,
publicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a company, a brand, or public figure – especially a celebrity – or for a work such as a book, film, or album. Publicists are public relations specialists who ...
,
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
, and social figure. He is recognized as the father of
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
i composed classical music and opera. Uzeyir Hajibeyov composed the music of the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...
of
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), or simply as Azerbaijan in Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920,''Bulletin d'Information de l'Azerbaidjan'', No. I, September 1, 1919, pp. 6–7''125 H.C.Debs.'', 58., February 24, 1920, p. 1467. Caucasian Az ...
(which was re-adopted after Azerbaijan regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991). He also composed the anthem used by
Azerbaijan during the Soviet period. He was the first composer of an opera in the Islamic world. He composed that first oriental opera Leyli and Majnun in 1908 and since then Azerbaijani people have been honored him for bringing to life the written masterpiece of the world literature.
Early life
Uzeyir Hajibeyov was born in
Aghjabadi
Aghjabadi ( az, Ağcabədi) is a city in and the capital of the Aghjabadi District of Azerbaijan. It is situated in central Azerbaijan.
Notable natives
* Uzeyir Hajibeyov — composer. He is recognized as the father of Azerbaijani classical mu ...
in the
Elisabethpol Governorate
The Elizavetpol Governorate, also known after 1918 as the Ganja Governorate, was a province ('' guberniya'') of the Caucasus Viceroyalty of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Yelisavetpol (present-day Ganja). The area of the governorate st ...
of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
, which is now part of
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
. His father, Abdul Huseyn Hajibeyov, was the secretary to
Khurshidbanu Natavan
Khurshidbanu Natavan ( az, خورشیدبانو ناتوان / Xurşidbanu Natəvan; 6 August 1832 – 2 October 1897) was an Azerbaijani poet and philanthropist. She is considered one of the best lyrical poets of Azerbaijan. Her poems are in ei ...
for many years, and his mother, Shirin, grew up in the Natavan household. Growing up, Hajibeyov was strongly influenced by Natavan's work.
[Naroditskaya, Inna (2000) "Azerbaijanian Female Musicians: Women's Voices Defying and Defining the Culture" ''Ethnomusicology'' 44(2): pp. 234-256, p.242]
Shusha
/ hy, Շուշի
, settlement_type = City
, image_skyline = ShushaCollection2021.jpg
, image_caption = Landmarks of Shusha, from top left:Ghazanchetsots Cathedral • Yukhari Govhar ...
, often dubbed as the cradle of
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
i music and culture, had a reputation for its musical heritage. The town was also referred to as "the Music Conservatory of the Caucasus" because of its many talented musicians and singers. And the fact that Hajibeyov grew up in Shusha explains how at 22, in 1908, with very little formal musical education, he was capable of writing a full-length opera.
Hajibeyov received his early education in a religious school (
madrasah
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
), where he perfected his
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
and
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
. Later he studied at a two-year Russian-Azerbaijani school. Here, with the help of his favourite teacher
Mirza Mehdi Hasanzadeh
Mirza may refer to:
* Mirza, Kamrup, town in Assam, India
* Mirza (name), historical royal title & noble
* ''Mirza'', the genus of giant mouse lemur
* "Mirza", song by Nino Ferrer
* ''Mirza – The Untold Story'', Punjabi action romance film wri ...
, he familiarized himself with the heritage of the famous classic writers of the East and the West. The richness of the musical performance tradition of Shusha greatly influenced the musical education of Uzeyir Hajibeyov. He would later reflect on his experiences: "The first musical education I got as a child in Shusha came from best singers and
saz-players. At that time I sang
mugham
Mugham ( az, Muğam) or Mughamat ( az, Muğamat) is one of the many classical compositions from Azerbaijan, contrasting with tasnif and ashik.
It is a highly complex art form that weds classical poetry and musical improvisation in specific l ...
s and tasnifs. The singers liked my voice. They would make me sing and teach me at the same time." Uzeyir Hajibeyov's first teacher was his uncle
Agalar Aliverdibeyov, an excellent connoisseur of Azeri folk music. In 1897–1898, when Azerbaijani playwright
Abdurrahim Hagverdiyev and singer
Jabbar Garyagdyoglu staged the episode ''Majnun on Leyli's grave'' from ''
Leyli and Majnun'', 13-year-old Uzeyir sang in the choir.
From 1899 to 1904 Uzeyir Hajibeyov studied at the
Gori Pedagogical Seminary. There, along with general education, he also acquired music. In this school Hajibeyov learned to play the
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
, the
violoncello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D ...
and the
brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips. Brass instruments are also called labrosones or labrophones, from Latin a ...
. After his graduation from the Pedagogical Seminary, Uzeyir Hajibeyov was appointed a teacher to the village of
Hadrut in
Upper Karabakh. Having worked there for a year, Hajibeyov permanently settled 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 ...
, where he carried on his career in teaching
mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
,
geography
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...
,
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
,
Azeri
Azerbaijanis (; az, Azərbaycanlılar, ), Azeris ( az, Azərilər, ), or Azerbaijani Turks ( az, Azərbaycan Türkləri, ) are a Turkic people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. They are the second-most numer ...
and
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 ...
languages, and
music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
. He wrote the ''Turkic-Russian and Russian-Turkic Dictionary of Political, Legal, Economic and Military Terms, Used in Press'' in 1907 and the textbook ''Arithmetic Problems'' in 1908, and had them published by the Orujov Brothers Publishing House 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 ...
.
Hajibeyov was no stranger to the tragic chaos of war; he lived through the Revolutions of
1905 and
1917, the fall of the
Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), or simply as Azerbaijan in Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920,''Bulletin d'Information de l'Azerbaidjan'', No. I, September 1, 1919, pp. 6–7''125 H.C.Debs.'', 58., February 24, 1920, p. 1467. Caucasian Az ...
in 1920, and both World Wars. The political repercussions of these military conquests often manifested in other forms of chaos. For example, between 1920 and 1940, the alphabet systems for writing Azeri were changed three times — from Arabic to Latin, and from Latin to Cyrillic — a process which greatly hindered and interrupted the educational and cultural process and may well have been one of the factors influencing Uzeyir Hajibeyov to present his ideas verbally on the musical stage.
Merging traditional and Western styles
Throughout all the tumultuous change in Azerbaijan that took place between 1900 and 1940, one characteristic consistently reflects the character of Uzeyir Hajibeyov. He always searched for ways to merge and integrate the past with the present rather than to discard either form. Rather curiously, even files at the Gori Pedagogical Seminary have shown his persistence in holding on to his own roots even under pressure. On December 3, 1900, when he was 15, it is noted that "the student, Uzeyir Hajibeyov, was rebuked because he was talking in his native language." Conversely, when Russian-influenced musicians tried to ban traditional Azerbaijani instruments like the
tar
Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black bit ...
,
zurna
The zurna (Armenian language, Armenian: զուռնա zuṙna; Classical Armenian, Old Armenian: սուռնայ suṙnay; Albanian language, Albanian: surle/surla; Persian language, Persian: karna/Kornay/surnay; Macedonian language, Macedonian: з ...
and
kamancha
The kamancheh (also kamānche or kamāncha) ( fa, کمانچه, az, kamança, hy, Քամանչա, ku, کەمانچە ,kemançe) is an Iranian bowed string instrument used in Persian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian, Turkmen, a ...
, Hajibeyov and his colleagues pushed to incorporate them into the Western orchestra, thereby, giving them an even higher status and ultimately a chance to survive. The great composer Ü.Hacıbeyli had the opportunity to open music schools that combined various educational systems. In these schools, national cadres who could integrate into the world music culture were trained. History and music theory of Azerbaijani music were researched and education classes were written. Uzeyir Hajibeyli in the field of music education combined and created in Azerbaijan Western and East traditions.
Musical contributions
In 1908, Hajibeyov wrote his first opera, ''
Leyli and Majnun'', based on the
tragic love story by the 15th century poet
Fuzûlî
Mahammad bin Suleyman ( Classical Azerbaijani: ), better known by his pen name Fuzuli ( az-Arab, فضولی ; ;
* ota, محمد بن سلیمان فضولی ;
* fa, محمد بن سلیمان فضولی . – 1556), was a 16th century ...
. This would be the first of 7
opera
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 librett ...
s and 3
musical comedies
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
that Hajibeyov would compose throughout his life. In ''Leyli and Majnun'', the uniqueness of the traditional modal music of
mugham
Mugham ( az, Muğam) or Mughamat ( az, Muğamat) is one of the many classical compositions from Azerbaijan, contrasting with tasnif and ashik.
It is a highly complex art form that weds classical poetry and musical improvisation in specific l ...
was incorporated into a Western genre with the use of instruments indigenous to both traditions.
Hajibeyov's second opera ''
Sheikh Sanan'' was written in 1909 in a form that was entirely opposite to the first. This time Hajibeyov employed a purely European style. ''Sheikh Sanan'' received raves as a musical composition, but the content was too progressive for the period. In this opera, Hajibeyov advocated that marriage should not be bound by nationality or religion - in essence, it was another form of integration. But this time, it backfired. The story line follows a religious
sheikh
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
on his way to
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
who meets a very beautiful
Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
lady. To his horror, the lovely creature's father turns out to be a swineherd, caring for what, to him, was a forbidden animal. In the end, the sheikh denounces his religion to win the woman. It is said that when the opera was performed, many people were offended and walked out, leaving Hajibeyov with the realization that he had outpaced his generation too much this time. As a result, he made a drastic decision and burned the score. When asked by
Ramazan Khalilov, his assistant, how he could do that, Hajibeyov replied: "I didn't destroy my opera. It's my own creation so it's always in my head." Khalilov said that Hajibeyov went on to use this same magnificent music 27 years later to create ''
Koroğlu'', an opera that many acclaim to be his finest.
In contrast to ''
Sheikh Sanan'', Hajibeyov's operas ''
Rustam and Sohrab'' (1910), ''Asli and Karam'' (1912), ''
Shah Abbas and Khurshid Banu'' (1912), and ''Harun and Leyli'' (1915) were entirely based on Azeri folk music elements, primarily
mugham
Mugham ( az, Muğam) or Mughamat ( az, Muğamat) is one of the many classical compositions from Azerbaijan, contrasting with tasnif and ashik.
It is a highly complex art form that weds classical poetry and musical improvisation in specific l ...
.
In October 2006, the musical comedy ''
Arshin Mal Alan'' ("The Cloth Peddler") by Uzeyir Hajibeyov, written in 1913, was announced to be performed on western stages for the first time.
One of Hajibeyov's greatest legacies was bringing forward the idea of establishing a professional music school. Hence the
Baku Academy of Music
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 ...
(known then as the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire), was founded in 1920 and named after Hajibeyov after his death. The school has trained Azerbaijan's finest composers such as
Gara Garayev
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 pr ...
,
Fikrat 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 Azer ...
,
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 ...
,
Soltan Hajibeyov
Soltan Ismayil oghlu Hajibeyov ( az, Soltan İsmayıl oğlu Hacıbəyov, russian: Солтан Исмаил оглы Гаджибеков, also transliterated as Sultan Gadzhibekov; 5 May 1919 – 19 September 1974), was a Soviet Azerbaijani comp ...
,
Tofig Guliyev
Tofig Alakbar oglu Guliyev ( az, Tofiq Ələkbər oğlu Quliyev, tr, Tevfik Elekber oğlu Guliyev; 7 November 1917, Baku – 4 October 2000, Baku) was a Soviet and Azerbaijani composer, pianist, and conductor.
Biography
Tofig Guliyev was born in ...
, and
Vagif Mustafazade
Vagif Mustafazadeh ( az, Vaqif Mustafazadə; March 16, 1940 – December 16, 1979), also known as Vaqif Mustafa-Zadeh, was a Soviet- Azerbaijani jazz pianist and composer, acclaimed for fusing jazz and the traditional Azerbaijani folk music known ...
. His statue "sits" in front of this grand building that is still devoted to the synthesizing Eastern and Western musical traditions.
In 1931, Hajibeyov helped in establishing the Azeri Folk Instruments Orchestra affiliated with the Radio Committee. This orchestra performed European classical pieces, such as those by
Mikhail Glinka,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
,
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...
,
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', whi ...
and others. Hajibeyov thus was the first musician to adapt the note system to traditional Azeri musical instruments.
In 1936, Hajibeyov assisted in founding of the Azerbaijani State Choir within the
Azerbaijan Philharmonic Society. One of the most serious problems he faced was the mono-voiced repertoire of Azeri folk songs, which allowed harmonization distort style of the song and, on occasion, even alter the melody line when it changed modes. Hajibeyov resolved this problem by using
contrapuntal
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tradi ...
polyphony
Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, h ...
and
unison
In music, unison is two or more musical parts that sound either the same pitch or pitches separated by intervals of one or more octaves, usually at the same time. ''Rhythmic unison'' is another term for homorhythm.
Definition
Unison or per ...
-doubling rather than four-part singing in the problematic sections.
Hajibeyov devoted much energy to the idea of integrating woman's role and status into the male-dominated world. The concept of women's emancipation runs through many of his works often in the form of comedy or satirization as in the case when he makes fun of the process of selecting marriage partners, a process hindered by the fact that women were still wearing veils until the 1920s when the Soviet regime prohibited them.
Publications
From 1919 to 1920 Hajibeyov served as editor-in-chief for the newspaper ''Azerbaijan'', the main governmental media body of the
Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), or simply as Azerbaijan in Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920,''Bulletin d'Information de l'Azerbaidjan'', No. I, September 1, 1919, pp. 6–7''125 H.C.Debs.'', 58., February 24, 1920, p. 1467. Caucasian Az ...
.
In 1927, Hajibeyov published ''Collection of Azerbaijani Folk Songs'' along with composer
Muslim Magomayev. For the first time, more than 300 pieces of Azeri folk music were documented by notation. In 1945, he published the book entitled ''Principles of Azerbaijan Folk Music'', which has been translated into several languages including
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
in 1985 devoted to the centenary of his birth.
Operas
“Leyli and Majnun”
The opera art was established art not only in Azerbaijan, but also in the entire Muslim East by means of Hacibeyov's opera
"Leyli and Majnun" which premiered on January 12, 1908, at the theatre of
Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev
, image = Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev.jpg
, image_size = 250px
, caption =
, birth_date = 25 January 1823[Jeyhun Hajibeyov
Jeyhun Hajibeyli (Hajibeyov, Gadjibekoff) (1891–1962) was an Azerbaijani publicist, journalist and ethnographer.
Jeyhun was born in Shusha, and was a brother of the Uzeyir Hajibeyov. After graduating from the Russian-Tatar Azeri school in Shus ...]
this libretto of the opera based on poem of the same name written by
Fuzuli.The first performance was made by actor and director
Huseyn Arablinski
Huseyn Arablinski ( az, Hüseyn Ərəblinski), born Huseynbala Mammad oghlu Khalafov (1881, Baku – 17 March 1919, Baku), was an Azerbaijanis, Azerbaijani actor.
Life and career
Born to a poor family, Huseyn Arablinski lost his father at a young ...
. The band-master was the writer-dramatist
Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev
Abdurrahim bey Asad bey oglu Hagverdiyev ( az, Əbdürrəhim bəy Haqverdiyev) (17 May 1870 – 11 December 1933) was an Azerbaijani playwright, writer and cultural figure, stage director, politician, public figure, one of the five first Azeri Dep ...
. Huseynqulu Sarabski was in the role of “Majnun” and Abdurrahim Farajov in the role of “Leyli”.In next performances, Hajibeyov himself and his close friend and colleague, composer Muslim Magomayev performed as band-master.
This role was acted for the first time by Huseyinqulu Sarablinski. Then, these people - Sidghi Ruhulla, Khanlar Hakhverdiev, Aliovsat Sadıghov, Shirzad Hüseynov, Gulagha Mammadov, Mais Salmanov, Gulu Asgarov, Bakir Hashimov, Ali Mehdiyev, Arif Babaev, Baba Mirzaev,
Janali Akbarov, Safa Gahramanov, Alim Gasımov and Mansum İbrahimov performed in a role of Majnun at the next performance.
“Koroglu”
“Koroglu opera” premiered firstly on April 30, 1937 at the Azerbaijan Opera and Ballet Theatre. This is the first classical opera that based on the motives of heroic epic in Azerbaijan.
In this opera, Hajibeyov created arias, mass choral scenes, various ensembles, ballet numbers and recitatives.
In the next years of his life, he worked on "Firuza" opera.
Musical comedies
“Husband and wife”
The first musical comedy of Hajibeyov is “Husband and wife” which is consist of three scenes. This is the first example of Azerbaijani musical comedy. The first premiere of it was in 1910. H.Sarabski and A.Aghdamski performed in the roles of Marjan and Minnat. Hajibeyov wrote the sketch of the comedy himself.
“
If Not That One, Then This One
''If Not That One, Then This One'' (; ), also known as ''Mashadi Ibad'' (; ) is a 1910 Azerbaijani operetta in four acts written by composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov. The comedy reflects social and everyday life relations in prerevolutionary Azerbaija ...
”
After “Husband and wife” opera, he began to write the second operetta of him. The first premiere of it was at the theatre of Mailovs brothers in Baku in 1911. “Mən nə qədər qoca olsam da” song and “Uzundere” national folk music are sounded in this opera with some changes on it.
Later, this opera was translated into various languages, performed in Caucasian countries, Turkey, Bulgaria and other countries.
"Arshin Mal Alan"
The first feature film based on “Arshin Mal Alan” Musical comedy was shot in 1916. This film was the silent film.
For the next time it was screened at "Baku movie studio" in 1945 with some changes on it. The main role of film belonged to Rashid Behbudov.
This comedy again was screened in Baku, in 1965. Director of the film was Tofiq Taghizade and Fikrat Amirov performed as a music redactor. It was translated into many languages such as English, German, Chinese, Arabic, Persian, Polish etc.
Official honours
Hajibeyov was the creator of the first
opera
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 librett ...
s and
operettas in the
Orient. In 1938, he was awarded with the title of
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 ...
. He was also honored with the
Order 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 ...
and the
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, ...
which he won twice, once in 1941 for the opera ''Koroghlu'' (1936), and the other time in 1946 for the 1945 film based on his opera ''Arshin Mal Alan''.
Hajibeyov was a professor at the
Baku Academy of Music
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 ...
(of which he was also head in 1928–1929 and 1939–1948) and Active Member of the
Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan. For the last 10 years of his life, he was Chairman of the
Union of Azerbaijani Composers.
Hajibeyov joined the
Communist Party
A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...
in 1938. He served twice as a deputy of the
Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, the highest legislative institution in the Union.
Hajibeyov died of
diabetes
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...
at the age of 63, and was 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 ...
in Baku.
On September 18, 1995 the 110th anniversary of Hajibeyov's birth has been celebrated. No one in the history of modern music in Azerbaijan is recognized for having done more to lay the foundation for Azerbaijani music as it exists today, especially with its unique synthesis of Eastern and Western traditional musical instruments and musical forms.
In 2008 the
National Bank of Azerbaijan
The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA, az, Azərbaycan Mərkəzi Bankı) is the central bank of Azerbaijan Republic. The headquarters of the bank is located in the capital city Baku.
The National Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan was establis ...
minted a 100
manat gold
commemorative coin
Commemorative coins are coins issued to commemorate some particular event or issue with a distinct design with reference to the occasion on which they were issued. Many coins of this category serve as collectors items only, although some countries ...
dedicated to Hajibeyov's memory.
In June 2011 President of Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Heydar oghlu Aliyev ( az, İlham Heydər oğlu Əliyev, ; born 24 December 1961) is the fourth president of Azerbaijan, serving in the post since 31 October 2003.
The son and second child of the former Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev, ...
and President of
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
Tadic unveiled a monument of Hajibeyov on the Dunavski kej in
Novi Sad
Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...
, Serbia.
On the occasion of the 130th birthday anniversary of the composer, Los Angeles Mayor
Eric Garcetti
Eric Michael Garcetti (born February 4, 1971) is an American politician who served as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 until 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected in the 2013 election, and reelected in 2017. A fo ...
proclaimed September 18, 2015 as the "Uzeyir Hajibeyli Memorial Day" in the City of Los Angeles and called on all residents to join this celebration. Also U.S. Congressman
Paul Gosar
Paul Anthony Gosar ( ; born November 27, 1958) is an American far-rightMultiple sources:
*
*
* politician and former dentist who has been the U.S. representative for since 2013. A Republican, he was elected in 2010 to represent the neighbor ...
from Arizona extended a Congressional Record recognizing Hajibeyov's achievements.
Uzeyir Music Day
September 18 is celebrated as "Uzeyir Music Day" after national leader Heydar Aliyev's decree in 1995. Different events and celebrations are usually held on this day with participation of world-famous musicians.
Stage works
* ''
Leyli and Majnun'', opera, 1908.
* ''Sheikh Sanan'', opera, 1909. Destroyed by the composer.
* ''
Husband and Wife'', operetta, 1910.
* ''O olmasın, bu olsun'' ("
If Not That One, Then This One
''If Not That One, Then This One'' (; ), also known as ''Mashadi Ibad'' (; ) is a 1910 Azerbaijani operetta in four acts written by composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov. The comedy reflects social and everyday life relations in prerevolutionary Azerbaija ...
"). Musical comedy (operetta) in four acts, 1910
* ''
Rustam and Zohrab'', ''mugham opera'', 1910.
* ''
Asli and Kerem'', ''mugham opera'' in four acts and six scenes, 1912.
* ''
Shah Abbas and Khurshid Banu'', ''mugham opera'', 1912.
* ''
Arshin Mal Alan'' ("The Cloth Peddler"). Musical comedy (operetta), 1913.
* ''
Harun and Leyli'', ''mugham opera'', 1915
* ''
Koroğlu'' ("The Blind Man's Son"), opera. Written 1936, premiered 1937.
* ''
Chirpynirdi gara deniz'' (“The Black Sea raged”), song. Written 1918.
In popular culture
In 2013,
Google
Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
celebrated Hajibeyov's 128th Birthday with
Google Doodle
A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...
on its Azerbaijani version.
Gallery
File:Uzeyir Hajibeyov Street.jpg,
File:House-museum of Uzeyir Hajibeyov.jpg,
File:Building on Uzeyir Hajibeyov Street 25 (4).jpg,
File:IX Uzeyir Hajibeyov International Music Festival.jpg,
File:Building on Uzeyir Hajibeyov Street 25 (2).jpg,
File:Meshai Ibad by Uzeyir bey Hajibeyov.jpg,
File:Editorial staff of the newspaper "Azerbaijan" (1919).jpg,
See also
*
List of People's Artists of the Azerbaijan SSR
This is a list of People's Artist of the Azerbaijani SSR (1931–1990); which after 1998, was renamed and rededicated as the People's Artist of Azerbaijan to reflect the new country leadership.
1930s
1931
* Gurban Pirimov (1880–1965), ...
References
External links
*
*Web-site dedicated to Uzeyir Hajibeyov
HAJIBEYOV.comincluding librettos, articles by and about Hajibeyov and some audio recordings of his works
*Librettos in English and Azeri Latin of most of Hajibeyov's operas and musical comedies. HAJIBEYOV.co
Monument of Uzeyir Hajibeyov to be erectedby Matt O'Brien in Azerbaijan International, Vol. 13:1 (Spring 2005), pp. 80–81.
by Aida Huseinova, in Azerbaijan International, Vol. 14:2 (Summer 2006), pp. 56–65.
* A short section of a stage production of the opera ''Köroğlu'', YouTube
(10 min 55 sec).
The
libretto
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
of this part of opera is in
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
.
* A short section of Hajibeyov's celebrated social satire ''Mashadi Ibad''
(9 min 40 sec).
Political and socio analysis of Mashadi Ibadby Abulfazl Bahadori, i
Vol. 6:4 (Winter 1998), pp. 22–23.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hajibeyov, Uzeyir
1885 births
1948 deaths
People from Aghjabadi District
People from Elizavetpol Governorate
Azerbaijani communists
Azerbaijani composers
Azerbaijani conductors (music)
Azerbaijani film score composers
Azerbaijani music educators
Azerbaijani musicologists
Azerbaijani ethnomusicologists
Azerbaijani choral conductors
National anthem writers
Azerbaijani opera composers
Soviet opera composers
People's Artists of the Azerbaijan SSR
People's Artists of the USSR
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour
Soviet composers
Soviet male composers
Stalin Prize winners
Soviet Azerbaijani people
Azerbaijani Muslims
Burials at Alley of Honor
19th-century Azerbaijani people
20th-century Azerbaijani people
20th-century musicologists
20th-century conductors (music)
Musicians from Shusha
20th-century male musicians
Writers from Shusha
Honored Art Workers of the Azerbaijan SSR
Transcaucasian Teachers Seminary alumni