Azerbaijan State Film Fund displays rare photos of Maestro Niyazi

The Azerbaijan State Film Fund has enriched its collection with rare photos of Maestro Niyazi taken at various meetings, Azernews reports.

The photos were provided by veteran of the AzerbaijanFilm Studio Mammad Babayev.

Maestro Niyazi's musical talent was truly impressive. The maestro conducted the Azerbaijan State Symphony orchestra for 46 years.

His orchestra accompanied such legendary singers as Bulbul, Rashid Behbudov, Muslim Magomayev, Lutfiyar Imanov, and other outstanding performers.

Niyazi's most significant works include the opera Khosrov and Shirin (1942), and the ballet Chitra (1960). His symphonic mugham Rast gained worldwide fame. He also wrote a number of major epic pieces in the 1940s.

His military-themed music Memoirs and In the Battle were included in the program of the Decade of music of the Caucasus republics in 1944.

In 1945, Niyazi carried out a new musical edition of the musical comedy The Cloth Peddler.

Niyazi conducted many of the major symphony orchestras in Prague, Berlin, Budapest, Bucharest, New York, Paris, Istanbul, and London, promoting Azerbaijani classical music.

Many contemporaries spoke about Niyazi as a trendsetter in fashion. At that time, conductors went on stage in a tailcoat, unique shirts, and bow ties. Maestro Niyazi wore a white turtleneck under a tailcoat which became his trendy look.

The maestro died in Baku on August 2, 1984, and was buried in the Alley of Honor.

Note that Azerbaijan State Film Fund is a public fund for support of the film industry and the preservation of film history.

Established in 1993 by the order of the Azerbaijan Cabinet of Ministers, it has been operating since 1994. In 1999, the ASFF was elected a member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF).

The Azerbaijan State Film Fund carries out its activities in accordance with the recommendations and standards of the International Federation of Film Archives.

In 2023-2024, the State Film Fund organised many events dedicated to Azerbaijan's outstanding cinema and theatre figures like Shamil Mahmudbayov, Tofig Tagizade, Teyyub Akhundov, etc.