Baku awaits ballet premier

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

The State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater is getting ready to stage a new ballet inspired by the work of great poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi.

"The year 2021 is declared by the President Ilham Aliyev as the Year of Nizami Ganjavi and the poet's 880th anniversary. This is not only a symbolic gesture, but also a manifestation of the real, deep strategy of the Azerbaijani state in the field of national culture, which has taken the form of a state tradition in the country's modern history. This action also shows the concern of the President for the preservation and enhancement of national cultural values. " the message said.

In 2019, the theater staged a bright, modern, and at the same time academic performance dedicated to the life of the great poet and philosopher Nasimi.

The work done by the theater was highly appreciated not only in Azerbaijan, but also beyond its borders.

Despite all the challenges that COVID-19 has thrown at Azerbaijan, the country does not stop holding a number of cultural projects.

Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater focuses on implementation of this strategy at high level.

The theater is pleased to announce a new ballet "Nizami" dedicated to the life and work of the  great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi.

The musical is based on the last ballet work of the eminent composer Fikrat Amirov.

The chief conductor of the theater, Honored Artist Ayyub Guliyev has been appointed as a musical director of the project initiated by the theater's director Honored Art Worker Akif Melikov.

The dramaturgy of the performance compositionally corresponds to "Khamsa" (Quintet), the best known work of Nizami Ganjavi.

The ballet will link the poet's biography and his stories. The author of the libretto is the playwright Ajdar Ulduz.

The ballet will be choreographed by Honorary Professor of the International Academy of Choreography, People's Artist Kamilla Huseynova. The art director of the performance is Honored Worker of Culture Tehran Babayev.

The new ballet is expected to be staged in spring after lifting of the quarantine restrictions.

Rehearsals are underway in the theater. Final edits of the dramatic and musical material are being carried out, sketches of scenery and costumes are being completed.

The State Opera and Ballet Theater hopes that the project will be met with great interest among the audience.

The State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater was established in 1920 as the United State Theater. 

The theater was erected 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, the theater has marked its 100th anniversary. 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 provided insight into the country's opera art as part of "Bizi birl??dir?n m?d?niyy?t" (United by Culture) project.