Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater turns 100

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Medeniyyet TV continues to delight its viewers with numerous programmers, promoting Azerbaijan's rich cultural heritage. 

This time, the channel provided insight into the country's opera art as part of "Bizi birl??dir?n m?d?niyy?t" (United by Culture) project.

The show was timed to the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

The theater's chief director, Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Hafiz Guliyev as well as the soloists - Honored Artist Ilaha Efendieva, Jahangir Gurbanov and Farid Aliyev shared the history behind Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. 

The theatre was built at the request of magnate Daniel Mailov and funded by magnate Zeynalabdin Taghiyev.

The theater's building was erected in 1910-1911. On October 18, 1918, the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) decided to officially turn this building into a state theater. 

Since 1920,  Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater has been operating at the building.

The State Opera and Ballet Theater has played a major role in shaping the Azerbaijani opera art.

"Leyli and Majnun" by Uzeyir Hajibeyli,  the first opera of the entire East, was first performed at the theater in 1908.

The opera laid the foundation of the new genre in musical culture of the world, which synthesizes oriental and European musical forms, resembling a dialogue of two musical cultures of East and West.

It was followed by multiple national operas such as "Sheikh Sanan" (1909), "Rustam and Zohrab" (1910), "Shah Abbas and Khurshid Banu" (1911), "Asli and Kerem"(1912), "Harun and Leyla" (1915), "Koroghlu " (1932). 

Today, the theater continues to delight its guests with fascinating ballets, operas, and other theatrical performances.

Recently, Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater has entered the TOP 10 opera houses in the C?S.

The list was prepared by TurStat Agency for the International Day of Culture to mark the adoption of the Roerich Pact "on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historical Monuments (1935)".