By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan-American Music Foundation (AAMF) has released the first American publication of the Azerbaijani composer Tofig Guliyev's  piano piece "Gaytagi".

The edition includes an original solo composition, as well as the two-piano, and one piano, four-hand arrangements allowing additional ensemble playing opportunities for pianists wishing to explore this exciting piece.

The chief editor of the publication is jazz pianist Emil Afrasiyab. The publication was originated and co-edited by the head of the Azerbaijan-American Music Foundation Jamila Javadova-Spitzberg.

The edition was released with the assistance of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan-American Music Foundation as well as Lala Guliyeva, daughter of the composer .

Gaytagi is a folk dance of Gaytags (later evolved as Lezgins), a Turkic people living in the Azerbaijan region of the Caucasus. Throughout history, dozens of minorities residing in the Caucasus developed their energetic, fiery dances, such as Gaytagi. These dances are fast-paced, melodically vivid, exciting, and captivating. Gaytagi is danced by men who demonstrate complex and technically challenging leg work filled with rapid movements symbolizing the masculine spirit and energy.

"Tofig Guliyev's Gaytagi is a virtuoso solo piano piece, a nearly direct interpretation of the original dance choreography for the keyboard instrument. It is percussive and, throughout, imitates the sound of nagara, a double-headed drum instrument of Azerbaijan. Guliyev's Gaytagi is permeated with the national flavor and is expressive in content. The fierce temperament of the piece is characteristic of folk dance music. Master of the national song genre, Guliyev created a work that is easily encoded into memory and leaves an enduring impression on listeners," the message said.

Tofig Guliyev (1917-2000) made a significant contribution to Azerbaijani film and theater music and the development of the national jazz music culture.

He was one of the first composers of Azerbaijan, who accomplished note records of mugham.

Guliyev went down in history as the founder of the first Jazz Orchestra in Baku.

He was the author of melodies and songs to many films, including "Meeting" (1955), "Favorite song" (1955), "Stepmother" (1958), "Telephonist girl" (1962), "Nesimi" (1973), "Dervish is blowing up Paris" (1976), "A lion ran away from house" (1977), "Value of happiness" (1976), "Mother-in-law" (1978), etc.

The prominent composer also wrote poems for piano and a lot of songs for dramatic plays.