Russia to host piano concert dedicated to national composer

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

A piano concert dedicated to 100th anniversary of an outstanding Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev will be held in Russia.

The concert will take place at Tchaikovsky Concert Hall on September 22.

The Tchaikovsky State Academic Grand Symphony Orchestra conducted by People's Artist of Azerbaijan Rauf Abdullayev will perform at the concert. The soloist is Alena Baeva (violin).

The concert will bring great pleasure to all music lovers, admirers of the genius Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev.

Music lovers will enjoy numerous works by national composer, including "Don Quixote" - symphonic engravings; Symphony No. 3; Concerto for violin and orchestra; "The path of thunder" - the 2nd suite from the music of the ballet. The concert starts at 7 pm.

This year marks the 100th birthday anniversary of a legendary national composer Gara Garayev. 

Having synthesized Eastern and Western musical traditions, his works cover essentially all genres. The works by the legend are performed all over the world.

He knew Azerbaijani folk music very well and loved to sing.

In 1938, Garayev composed his first musical piece, a cantata "The Song of the Heart" to the poem by Rasul Rza. It was performed in Moscow's Bolshoi Theater in the same year. He was only 20 years old at the time.

Garayev returned to Baku in 1941. He began teaching students at Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society.

In 1952, under the direction of the choreographer P. A. Gusev, Garayev's "Seven Beauties" ballet was staged at the Azerbaijani Theater of Opera and Ballet. Based on Nizami Ganjavi's famous poem, "Seven Beauties", it became the first Azerbaijani ballet and opened a new chapter in the history of classical music of Azerbaijan.

His ballet, "Path of Thunder", staged in 1958, was dedicated to racial conflicts in South Africa. In the same year, he wrote the score for the documentary film" A Story About the Oil Workers of the Caspian Sea", directed by Roman Karmen and set at the Oil Rocks.

Through his life, Garayev wrote nearly 110 musical pieces, including ballets, operas, symphonic and chamber pieces, solos for piano, cantatas, songs and marches, and rose to prominence not only in Azerbaijan, but also worldwide.

He brilliantly juxtaposed features of Mugham with jazz, blues, African music, European counterpoint styles, and developments related to the 20th century Western music such as the 12-tone technique.

Garayev died on May 13, 1982 in Moscow at the age of 64.

The composer leaved behind a legacy of music that will be felt for generations to come. The memory of great composer will always live in the hearts of Azerbaijani people.