Niyazi: Great maestro with magic baton

/By AzerNews/

By Amina Nazarli

The great composer and outstanding conductor Niyazi Tagizadeh entered the list of unique musicians who have contributed to the golden pages of musical history.

Azerbaijani music culture remembers him as a great master who had the gift of penetrating deeply into compositions of various genres and eras. His glorious pieces enriched national culture, putting it in the ranks of the progressive, trendy music at the time.

Being the ardent promoter of native art, Niyazi always captivated audiences with bright emotional interpretation, artistic temperament, and his sensual music.

Maestro Niyazi was always the first performer of new works by national composers, currently resonating throughout the world.

He could subtly and convincingly convey the beauty of the compositions of the great national composers such as Gara Garayev, Jevdet Hajiyev, Arif Melikov, Fikret Amirov, and Sultan Hajibeyov.

He brilliantly conducted the operas of Tchaikovsky, Bizet, Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as ballets of Tchaikovsky and Glazunov. He was an outstanding performer of the national "Koroglu" opera, which occupied a special place in his repertoire.

Niyazi was born in 1912 in Tbilisi to the family of a famous composer and theatrical figure. The musical atmosphere prevailed in the family naturally had a great influence on Niyazi.

His uncle, prominent composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli, who was also a genius of Azerbaijani classic music, played a huge role in the creative life of the young Niyazi.

The rare expressive gestures, facial expressions, and strong will made him an absolute master, able to not only subdue, but also motivate and inspire the orchestra.

He began conducting in the 1930’s, which later brought him titanic fame and glory.

With his grace, elegance, and magical hand movements, Niyazi rose to the top of the musical culture of the country.

The maestro was one of the first composers in Azerbaijan who wrote music for film and theater.

Niyazi’s activity was extremely active and diverse. He would regularly refer to world classics and he never limited his work to a specific genre.

He also wrote a number of major epic pieces in the 1940s.

His military-themed music “Memoirs" and “In the battle” were included in the program of the Decade of music of the Transcaucasian republics in 1944.

Niyazi gained wide international acclaim. The talented maestro is well-known as a symphonic and operatic conductor in many countries.

He performed at London’s Covent Garden, the Paris Grand Opera the Prague National Theater, and the Hungarian State Opera.

In his 72 years of life, Niyazi left behind huge musical heritage for the nation including opera, ballet, and rich symphonic music.