Opera and Ballet Theater to reveal all its secrets

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater is one of the best places to be for theater lovers. This is  where you can catch fascinating opera productions nearly any night of the week.

And very soon the theater will reveal all its secrets kept behind the stage on March 27.

Theater lovers have a chance to enjoy the rehearsals of solo vocalists, ballet dancers, choir and orchestra as part of the project "One day at the theater". 

They will also be able to learn about the work of technical departments that are directly involved in opera productions. 

A visit to the theater will be organized at 12.00 and 14.00. Those wishing to take part in this event can sign up by calling the theater administration: 493 94 05.

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.

In 2021, the theater celebrated 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 "United by Culture" project.

After a break amid pandemic, the theater delighted its audience with a premier. Alexander Borodin's "Polovtsian Dances" were presented in the theater for the first time.

Polovtsian Dances is a ballet fragment from the opera "Prince Igor". For almost 18 years, Borodin worked on his opera. However, he would present the work to the public as it remained incomplete following Borodin's death. The opera was completed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov.