Abdulmuslim Muhammad oghlu Magomayev ( az, Əbdülmüslüm Məhəmməd oğlu Maqomayev; 18 September 1885 in

Grozny Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьлжа-ГӀала, translit=Sölƶa-Ġala), also spelled Groznyy, is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2010 census, it had a pop ...

– 28 July 1937 in

Nalchik Nalchik (russian: Нальчик, p=ˈnalʲtɕɪk; Kabardian: //; krc, Нальчик //) is the capital city of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Russia, situated at an altitude of in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains; about northwe ...

), commonly known as Muslim Magomayev ( az, Müslüm Maqomayev), was an

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 ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and conductor. He is the grandfather and namesake of Azerbaijani opera singer Muslim Magomayev.

Early life

He was born Abdulmuslim Magomayev into a family of a blacksmith on the same day another 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 ...

was born.Muslim Magomayev
by Uzeyir Hajibeyov. ''Bakinski Rabochi'' newspaper. 28 July 1938. Retrieved 1 January 2007 He had studied at a primary school in Grozny before being admitted to the Gori Pedagogical Seminary (in present-day

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

) in 1900. There Magomayev developed passion for music and conducting. That was also where he first met Uzeyir Hajibeyov, then his fellow student. However Magomayev found musical career financially unpromising and decided to focus on teaching. In 1905, he acquired his teaching certificate at the Tiflis Teachers' College and was appointed a teacher to the village of Bekovichi (now Kizlyar,

Republic of North Ossetia–Alania A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

). In 1906, he was voluntarily reappointed to

Lankaran Lankaran ( az, Lənkəran, ) is a city in Azerbaijan, on the coast of the Caspian Sea, near the southern border with Iran. As of 2021, the city had a population of 89,300. It is next to, but independent of, Lankaran District. The city forms a dis ...

(present-day

). In 1911, he received a license that allowed him to teach in

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

s and moved to a

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 ...

suburb, Sabunchu. While teaching at a school he took up music and conducting once again.

Career

In 1916, Magomayev wrote his first opera entitled '' Shah Ismayil'' based on the homonymous

Azeri Azerbaijanis (; az, Azərbaycanlılar, ), Azeris ( az, Azərilər, ), or Azerbaijani Turks ( az, Azərbaycan Türkləri, ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic people living mainly in Azerbaijan (Iran), northwestern Iran and the Azerbaijan, Republi ...

folk epic. Unlike other early Azeri operas, ''Shah Ismayil'' was less focused on the ethnic musical component and embodied European opera styles. Magomayev's most major work was '' Nargiz''. Written in 1935, this successful propaganda opera depicts Azerbaijani

communists Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a so ...

in their fight against the short-lived

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 ...

. Overall, Magomayev was the author of 15 musical compositions, mostly

rhapsodies Rhapsody may refer to: * A work of epic poetry, or part of one, that is suitable for recitation at one time ** Rhapsode, a classical Greek professional performer of epic poetry Computer software * Rhapsody (online music service), an online m ...

. In 1927, together with Hajibeyov, he published '' The Collection of Azerbaijani Folk Songs''; a book where over 300 pieces of folk music had been documented in notes. In 1935 Muslim Magomayev was selected Honoured Arts worker of Azerbaijan SSR.

Personal life

In 1905, Magomayev married Baydigul Jamal Teregulova (whose younger sister Maleyka later married Uzeyir Hajibeyov making the two composers relatives) and fathered two sons.Childhood Motives
by Muslim Magomayev (Magomayev's grandson). ''Magomaev.ru''. Retrieved 1 January 2007 In 1937, he died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

while visiting

(

Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria The Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рская Респу́блика, ''Kabardino-Balkarskaya Respublika''; kbd, Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ, ''Ķêbêrdej-Baĺķêr Respublik� ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

) and was buried in Baku. The Magomayev Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society is named after Muslim Magomayev.

''Shah Ismayil''

Muslim Magomayev’s mugham opera ''Shah Ismayil'' was composed in 1915-1916 and consists of 6 acts and 7 scenes. Libretto and text were written by composer Mirza Gadir Ismailzade. The premiere of the opera was held on March 7, 1919 in Baku, with a benefit performance of Huseyngulu Sarabski. Muslim Magomayev was conductor and Huseyn Arablinski was director of the opera. Actors were: H.Sarabski - Shah Ismail, M.H.Teregulov - Aslan Shah and Huseynagha Hajibababeyov – Gulzar.

''Nargiz''

''Nargiz'' is the second opera by Muslim Magomayev, written in 1935.

Mammed Said Ordubadi Mammad Said Ordubadi ( az, Məmməd Səid Ordubadi; 24 March 1872, Ordubad - 1 May 1950, Baku) was Azerbaijani writer, poet, playwright and journalist. Ordubadi, started his career as a poet. His articles and poetry were published in many of ...

is the author of a libretto to the opera. It is considered the most significant composition of Muslim Magomayev. Music of the opera consists of folk songs of Azerbaijan. In 1938, the opera was shown during the Decade of Azerbaijani Arts in Moscow, with the editorship of Reinhold Glière. It is also noted that, the opera narrates about a struggle of Azerbaijani peasants for the Soviet Power. “Nargiz” is the first Azerbaijani opera on a modern theme.

References