Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Azerbaijan

Birth

:

September 17, 1885 in Agjabedï

Death

:

November 23, 1948 in Baku, Azerbaijan

Genre

:

Opera

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Orchestral

 

Uzeir Hajibeyov was a prominent Azerbaijani composer, musicologist, and playwright who is widely regarded as the father of Azerbaijani classical music. He was born on September 18, 1885, in the city of Shusha, which was then part of the Russian Empire and is now located in Azerbaijan. Hajibeyov was born into a family of musicians, and his father, Abdul Huseyn Hajibeyov, was a renowned composer and conductor. Hajibeyov's musical education began at an early age, and he was trained in both traditional Azerbaijani music and Western classical music. He studied at the Gori Pedagogical Seminary in Georgia and later at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in Russia, where he studied under the renowned composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Hajibeyov was one of the first Azerbaijani musicians to receive formal training in Western classical music, and he was instrumental in introducing Western musical techniques and instruments to Azerbaijani music. Hajibeyov's early compositions were heavily influenced by traditional Azerbaijani music, and he was particularly interested in the mugham, a form of Azerbaijani classical music that is characterized by improvisation and virtuosity. He composed his first opera, Leyli and Majnun, in 1908, which was based on a popular Azerbaijani folk tale. The opera was a huge success and is still performed today. Hajibeyov went on to compose several other operas, including Sheikh Sanan (1909), Rustam and Zohrab (1910), and Asli and Karam (1912). His operas were notable for their fusion of Western classical music and Azerbaijani folk music, and they helped to establish a distinct Azerbaijani classical music tradition. In addition to his work as a composer, Hajibeyov was also a musicologist and scholar. He was particularly interested in the history and theory of Azerbaijani music, and he wrote several books and articles on the subject. His most famous work is the five-volume Mughams of Azerbaijan, which is considered a seminal work on Azerbaijani music. Hajibeyov was also a prolific playwright, and he wrote several plays that were performed in Azerbaijani theaters. His most famous play is Arshin Mal Alan (The Cloth Peddler), which was first performed in 1913. The play tells the story of a wealthy cloth merchant who falls in love with a poor girl and disguises himself as a cloth peddler to win her heart. The play was a huge success and has been adapted into several films and musicals. Hajibeyov's contributions to Azerbaijani music and culture were recognized during his lifetime, and he was awarded several honors and awards. He was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1938 and was posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan in 1995. Hajibeyov died on November 23, 1948, in Baku, Azerbaijan. His legacy as a composer, musicologist, and playwright continues to be celebrated in Azerbaijan and around the world. His works have been performed by orchestras and opera companies in Europe, Asia, and North America, and his influence on Azerbaijani music and culture is still felt today.

More....