By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Rauf Hajiyev-100 Music Festival kicked off in Baku, Azernews reports.

The festival is dedicated to the 100th birthday anniversary of the prominent composer, famous public figure, and People's Artist of the USSR Rauf Hajiyev (1922-1995).

The large-scale event was organized in keeping with the presidential order on holding Rauf Hajiyev's centenary. Within the festival, the State Academic Musical Theater presented Rauf Hajiyev's operetta Caucasus Niece (1969).

Deputy director of the State Academic Musical Theater, Ph.D. in Art Studies Vafa Muhajirova declared the festival open. The Culture Ministry representative musicologist Turan Mammadaliyeva spoke about Rauf Hajiyev's legacy. The outstanding composer created a myriad of musical masterpieces including symphonies, oratorios, and cantatas that won world fame.

Rauf Hajiyev is the author of nearly 100 songs like My Azerbaijan, Spring is coming, Baku, Leyla, around 20 symphonic and classical compositions, six ballets, and nine operettas as well as soundtracks for twenty movies.

His lyrical songs in a patriotic spirit, combining national motives and modern style, entered the repertoire of famous performers and played an important role in the development of the song genre.

Rauf Hajiyev's operetta Caucasus Niece is characterized by its superb music, interesting storyline, and subtle humor. The work was initially popular in the Soviet time and continued the line of lyrical operetta created by Rauf Hajiyev.

Honored Art Worker Ali Usubov put on Caucasus Niece on the stage of the Moscow Operetta Theater in 1969 and soon, the operetta has become a treasure in the golden fund of the Soviet classics.

For over 50 years, theater-goers from Russia, Belarus, Latvia, and other countries have been able to enjoy an operetta, which is distinguished by great music, an interesting storyline, and subtle humor.

"Caucasus niece is distinguished by its magnificent music. As the musicians like to say, there are no meaningless sounds in Rauf Hajiyev's music. The full title of the work is Caucasus niece, or Do not hide your smile since Rauf Hajiyev and his co-authors described comical situations in the operetta, especially Biberli's scams. When I started work, I thought, why don't we show the main theme in the operetta, which is romance, which is brilliantly reflected in music," Ali Usubov said.

Chief Director of the theater Javid Imamverdiyev, conductor, Honored Art Worker Fahraddin Atayev, choirmaster, Honored Artist Vagif Mastanov as well as Honored Artists Nargiz Karimova Svetlana Bulah, Boris Grafkin, actors Nijat Gabibov, Emil Heydarov, Mehriban Zaliyeva, Rauf Babayev, Alimammad Novruzov and Firuz Mammadov gave the audience a real celebration.

Well-known vocalist Qasim Xalilov shared his impressions about the operetta with Trend Life.

"Dramaturgy and staging are so organically combined with Rauf Hajiyev's music that the audience watched it with great pleasure and interest. Despite the fact that the premiere of the performance took place more than fifty years ago, it has not lost its relevance and emotional perception to this day. The actions taking place on stage and the dynamics did not let go of the audience for a second. Ali Usubov's brilliant work and the actors made it possible to both laugh and mourn, as well as plunged the audience into the romantic atmosphere," Qasim Xalilov said.

"The director superbly matched all the mise-en-scene, the movements of the actors on stage to the music, which created incredible dynamism. The music sounded in various styles - operetta, Azerbaijani pop music, folklore, and even jazz and all these music styles corresponded to acting and actors' movements on the stage. The romance was superbly played. I would especially like to note soloist Nargiz Karimova, who played the main character Lala. She created a magnificent image of a romantic girl in love," he added.

Notably, Rauf Hajiyev-100 Music Festival will run in Baku and Ganja cities until December 27.

The music festival features the composer's works as well as a scientific and creative discussion dedicated to the memory of Rauf Hajiyev.

Festival concerts, performances, and events are being held at the Heydar Aliyev Palace, at the State Academic Musical Theater, at the State Museum of Musical Culture of Azerbaijan, the Ganja State Philharmonic Hall, at the International Mugham Center, and at the State Academic Philharmonic Hall.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az.