Uzeyir Hajibayli's operetta "Husband and Wife" has been warmly received in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Azernews reports.
The performance was staged in the Turkmen language at the Main Drama Theatre named after Saparmyrat Turkmenbashy, the Great.
Originally written in 1909 and recognized as the first operetta of the East, the work drew enthusiastic applause from the Ashgabat audience.
Staff members of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Turkmenistan, along with their families, attended the performance. Following the show, embassy representatives met with the creative team and presented bouquets to the actors and stage crew in appreciation.
Uzeyir Hajibayli's legacy continues to hold a significant place in Turkmenistan's cultural and theatrical landscape. Alongside "Husband and Wife," his celebrated operetta "The Cloth Peddler" is regularly staged in various theaters across Ashgabat, consistently earning high praise from both local and international audiences.
"Husband and Wife" is a three-act musical comedy with both music and libretto composed by Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibayli, and represents an early example of this genre in Azerbaijan. It is the first work in Hajibayli's trilogy of musical comedies, followed by "If Not That One, Then This One" and "The Cloth Peddler"
The operetta explores themes related to family and everyday life, including familial oppression and the role of Azerbaijani women in society. Its premiere took place on May 24, 1910, in Baku, at the Nikitin brothers' theatre-circus.
The leading roles were performed by Huseyngulu Sarabski (Marjan bey), Ahmed Agdamski (Minnat khanim), M.H. Teregulov (Safi), and Mirzagha Aliyev (Kerbelayi Gubad), with Huseyn Arablinski serving as stage director and Hajibeyov himself conducting.
Following its debut, "Husband and Wife" was performed in several other theaters across Azerbaijan, including in Nakhchivan, Aghdam, and Shaki.
Uzeyir Hajibayli significantly shaped national musical identity, achieving the distinction of composing the first opera in the Islamic world.
His opera "Leyli and Majnun" (1908) drew upon traditional folk music and dance, forms of expression transmitted orally.
Hajibayli's subsequent operas, including "Sheyh Sanan," "Rustam and Sohrab," "Asli and Karam," "Shah Abbas," "Khurshudbanu and Harun," and "Leyli," also prominently featured national folk music elements, particularly mugham.
Beyond opera, Hajibayli composed three comedies: "Husband and Wife" (1910), "If not this one, that one" (1911), and "Arshin Mal Alan" (1913).
"Arshin Mal Alan," or "The Cloth Peddler," stands out as one of his most beloved and enduring operettas.
This operetta has enjoyed widespread international success, with performances in numerous languages across over 60 countries, encompassing the U.S., Austria, France, China, Greece, India, Russia, and Turkiye.
