Azerbaijan marks 139th anniversary of National Music Day

September 18 - the day when the genius composer of Azerbaijan Uzeyir Hajibeyli was born is celebrated as National Music Day in our country. According to the relevant Order of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, a series of events are held every year in different regions of Azerbaijan on the occasion of this day.

Today marks the 139th anniversary of the birth of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, a genius composer, founder of the professional music art of Azerbaijan, musicologist-scientist, author of the first opera in the East, and public figure, Azernews reports, citing Azertag.

The National Leader Heydar Aliyev left the tradition of celebrating the great composer's birthday as a holiday. With the Decree signed by the National Leader in 1995 on the eve of the 110th anniversary of the birth of the great composer, September 18 is celebrated as National Music Day in our country.

The day of the famous composer's birth is also marked by the opening of the Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival. Organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture, this festival is announced every year on September 18 and is held for 10 days.

According to the program presented within the framework of the festival, performances are held in the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic named after M. Magomayev, Hall of Chamber and Organ Music, Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, Azerbaijan Composers' Union, Baku Music Academy named after U. Hajibeyli, composer's house-museum, State Museum of Musical Culture. The works of Hajibeyli, other representatives of Azerbaijani classical music, and world-famous composers are presented to music lovers and performed by local and foreign musicians.

The rich program of this international music festival, which will be organized for the 16th time this year, includes the performances of Azerbaijan's artistic collectives and soloists, as well as the performances of invited musicians from the USA, Russia, Germany, Spain, Austria, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, Brazil, India, and other countries. As part of the festival, in addition to Baku, concerts, performances, exhibitions, scientific conferences, and master classes will be presented in open and closed spaces in Shusha, Ganja, and a number of cities.

Uzeyir Hajibeyli is an artist known as the founder of the first opera in the East, in addition to his multifaceted activities as a composer, scientist, writer, publicist, and political figure. Thanks to his selfless work, the history of Azerbaijani national opera began with the opera "Leyli and Majnun", which was staged 111 years ago. The first conductor of the opera was Abdurrahim Bey Hagverdiyev, and its director was Huseyn Arablinski. The immortal artist Huseyngulu Sarabski played the role of Majnun, and Abdurrahim Farajov played the role of Leyli. The first performance was played on January 12 (25), 1908, in Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev's theater in Baku.

"Leyli and Majnun" based on the poem of the same name by the great Azerbaijani poet Muhammad Fuzuli is the first opera not only of Azerbaijan but also of the East. The opera history of the Old East started from this day. Encouraged by the success of the first opera, Uzeyir Bey wrote one after the other "Sheikh Sanan" (1909), "Rustam and Sohrab" (1910), "Shah Abbas and Khurshidbanu", "Asli and Karam" (1912), "Harun and Leyla" (1915). ) wrote national operas such as

The peak of Uzeyir Hajibeyli's creativity is the opera "Koroglu". It is one of the shining examples not only in Azerbaijani culture but also among world operas. "Koroglu" opera also charmed the Moscow audience. This huge work, which brought success to fate, was performed many times in the opera and ballet theaters of the former Soviet republics.

There was also an unfinished opera by Uzeyir Hajibeyli called "Furuza". Among the musical pieces of this opera based on folk tales, the aria of "Furuza" is particularly noteworthy. Perhaps that is why, although the opera was left unfinished, the aria was skillfully performed by singers for many years.

The creation of the first operetta genre in the East is also connected with the name of Uzeyir Hajibeyli. The first musical comedy of the genius composer is "Husband and Wife" consisting of three acts. This work is the first example of musical comedy in Azerbaijan. The first performance of the work was in 1910. H. Sarabski (Marjan Bey), A. Aghdamski (Ms. Minnet Khanum), and others acted in the roles.

The author's second musical comedy is "Let it be, let it be". The first performance of the work took place in April 1911 in Baku. Later, the musical comedy was translated into different languages??and staged.

The third and last musical comedy of the immortal artist is "Arshin mal alan". This operetta has been translated into about 70 foreign languages ??and played on the stage of more than 100 theaters. "Arshin Mal Alan" was screened five times and was repeatedly recorded on the gramophone shaft. The first feature film based on this musical comedy was shot in 1916. It was a silent film.

The literary heritage of Uzeyir Hajibeyli is also very rich and valuable. This unforgettable personality, who served Azerbaijani culture and music throughout his life, composed more than 300 folk songs, marches, cantatas, fantasias, songs and romances, chamber and choral works. Interestingly, the anthems of both Azerbaijan People's Republic and Soviet Azerbaijan belonged to a genius artist. After gaining our independence, we still love to sing the first anthem that brought the glory of freedom to our people.

Uzeyir Hajibeyli not only composed music but also prepared various tools to convey the theoretical foundations of folk music to the next generation. The scientific work "Fundamentals of Azerbaijani folk music" published in 1945 is still used as a music textbook today as a relic of Uzeyir Hajibeyli's excellent activity as a musicologist-scientist. This unforgettable personality, who served Azerbaijani culture and music throughout his life, wrote and created more than 300 folk songs, marches, cantatas, fantasy, songs and romances, and chamber and choral works. He is a real genius who created a radical change in Azerbaijani music. Today, Uzeyir Hajibeyli, whose name we celebrate with great pride, is remembered as the creator of the first opera, the first musical comedy, and the first examples in a number of other genres in the history of Azerbaijani music, in addition to laying the foundations of new paths of development and the national composition school in the history of Azerbaijani musical culture. His bright memory will live forever in the hearts of his people.