The Heart of the Tenth Symphony by Aida Huseynova admired for many years Shostakovich’s ra presented her Baku Music Academy, Azerbaijan portrait containing his written dedication Piano Preludes “To dearest Elmira from Dmitry during the Discoveries concerning the Tenth Sym- Dmitriyevich”. And, quite symbolically, ‘Decade of Music phony comprise one of the best-docu- our conversation took place right next to of the Transcau- mented stories to emerge within this portrait, hanging on the wall in casian Republics’ Shostakovich studies in recent times. Fol- Nazirova’s study. She didn’t seem to be in Tbilisi, Geor- lowing Nelly Kravetz’ revelations sur- excited; rather, what I noticed in her eyes gia, where her composing and perform- rounding the contents of correspondence was an immense sense of relief as she ing talents were highly regarded by many between Dmitry Shostakovich and Elmi- spoke, able to reveal so much after so prominent Soviet musicians including ra Nazirova, a pianist and composer from many years of silence. Reinhold Gliere[4]. However, the person Azerbaijan[1] a number of articles here who played a crucial role in Naziro- appeared in which aspects of the Tenth Nazirova’s preoccupation was for her pre- va’s future was Uzeir Hajibeyov, revered Symphony were now viewed in the light cious manuscripts. “We are all aware of in Azerbaijan as a national genius and the of this new biographical data: broadly how complicated the issue of emigration founder of in the country. speaking, the emotions the composer is,” she said. “Passing through customs Hajibeyov suggested that Elmira should experienced towards his ex-student[2] and and a lot of various official channels: I continue her education at the world-reput- the place these emotions forged them- really don’t know what the destiny of ed Conservatory: and so it was that she moved to study piano there with selves in his work. these letters will be. That’s why I request you read them now: I hope you will write Yakov Zak and composition with Dmitry Shostakovich. The author of this article was probably about this story some time.” among the first in whom Elmira Naziro- She spoke to me quite nostalgically about va confided this chapter of her life. This What I heard about and read about that the unique atmosphere in Shostakovich’s was in August 1990, just prior to her emi- day was so startling that my article class, where the students were encouraged gration to Israel. “We need to talk, Aida”, formed itself in my mind almost imme- to delve into the inner workings of cer- she requested during a phone conversa- diately, but because of many reasons it tain composers’ creative minds, where tion. “It’s really important. Could you stop has not been published. More than ten heated discussions occurred on a variety by my place, please?” We were already years later and these facts have lost their sensational edge, but to my mind the full of issues in literature and in art and where very close - Nazirova was more than performances took place of Haydn and merely my piano professor at college and story of Dmitry Shostakovich’s sincere, pure and quite desperate love remains to Beethoven symphonies on two pianos, then Conservatory, she was my genuine and so forth. spiritual mentor and had a tremendous be told. When and in what circumstances did Shostakovich and Nazirova meet and influence on me as a musician and as a At this time Elmira witnessed the deeply person. It was no accident that I devoted how did their relationship grow? How were the facts that surround this episode tragic period in Shostakovich’s life fol- my first scholarly article to my favorite of the composer’s life sublimated in the lowing the infamous 1948 Decree in teacher[3]. At the appointed time I entered music of the Tenth Symphony? And, which the composer was singled out for Nazirova’s nice, cozy apartment in down- above all, who is this woman who entered particular criticism. She remembers how, town Baku. I dearly loved this place as it the life and the music of the great man? during one of the concerts in the Great reminded me of my piano classes, Naziro- Hall of the , she va’s enjoyable birthday parties and meet- They first met in the autumn of 1947 in chose a seat somewhere near ings with her wonderful family. At that Moscow. By this time Elmira was already Shostakovich or, more precisely, within time I often simply stopped by to say known in Azerbaijan as a promising young the ‘vacuum’ around him, and how the hello or to share problems, both profes- musician. She had been a genuine child composer asked her, surprised, “Aren’t sional and personal. prodigy and at Baku Music School, oper- you scared?” ating under the Azerbaijani Conservatory, Our confidential talk seemed to last an Elmira was admitted into a separate group Nazirova rejected the idea of her hav- eternity. It was my exposure to another, for gifted children. Nazirova’s first pro- ing been aware of anything different, parallel world that had remained hidden fessional achievements were so impres- or special in Shostakovich’s manner beneath the surface - a surface with which sive that in 1942, at the age of 14, she was of relating to her at this time. “I I was very familiar. I had always known honoured with membership of the Azer- could not even imagine anything of that Nazirova and Shostakovich had been baijani Composers’ Union! In 1944 Elmi- that kind - I was so abashed in his well acquainted with each other; I had presence!” she explained to me.

38 DSCH JOURNAL No. 17 - July 2002 “And he never verbalised his feelings.” written dedications. On April 4th 1953 progress. In a let- However, certain emotions, uncon- Elmira received Shostakovich’s first ter from August sciously perhaps, had already begin to letter, in which he detailed misprints 10th 1953 grow in Shostakovich’s heart. How in the first edition of his Preludes and Shostakovich tells else to explain the paragraph in a let- Fugues. This was the beginning of a her about his see- ter to Nazirova dating from July 29th correspondence that was to last for ing or, more pre- 1953 where he describes his excite- three and a half years. Every line of cisely, hearing the ment in noticing Elmira among the these precious documents contains music of the third movement in a people who came to meet him in Baku. valuable informa- dream. Finally, on August 21st Elmira In 1948, after her marriage to a student tion. Shostakovich receives the striking news concerning of the Azerbaijani Medical Institute shares with Elmira the third movement theme depicting Miron Fel, Elmira returned to Baku his philosophical her name! “This is the result”, he and resumed her studies in the Azer- ponderings about writes in this letter. “Even if I had not baijani Conservatory with Georgiy the irony of life, the arrived at this result, I would be think- Sharoyev (piano) and Boris Zeidman essence of a com- ing of you constantly - whether or not (composition). But the intensely active poser’s work in this fact is recorded in my worthless musical life in the former general and corre- manuscripts”. soon brought her into contact with her lated with his own mentor once more. Shostakovich’s Elmira Nazirova experiences. But The purpose of this paper is far from close associations with many Azerbai- above all these let- that of a detailed musicological analy- jani musicians led him to pay frequent ters reflect his incredibly profound and sis of the Tenth Symphony; my objec- visits to Baku. complex feelings in which love and tive is to reveal the psychological and admiration for Nazirova were com- conceptual inspiration behind this In 1952 he came to the city twice: in bined with the deepest respect and work and to discover how the com- March he participated in a concert appreciation of her professional abili- poser’s real life emotional experiences devoted to his own works and later, in ties and successes. Almost all the let- are transformed into musical ideas. December, he attended the premiere of ters feature this unique blend. From this standpoint the alternating the ballet Seven Beauties by Kara musical signatures D-Es-C-H and E- Karayev, his former student and close Sometimes Shostakovich chooses a A-E-D-A allude to the deepness and friend. Elmira, in turn, often went to humouristic way of expressing his profundity of Shostakovich’s feelings, Moscow, participating in various pro- feelings; in a letter from June 21st the enigmatically beseeching qualities jects organized by the Soviet Com- 1953 he simply includes the music of the motive E-A-E-D-A denoting posers’ Union: discussing profession- phrase from Lensky’s arioso with its unattainability. al issues with her colleagues from the original words “I love you!” Here, too, Moscow Conservatory, giving public he expresses his great interest in the But just how was this emotionally- performances, and so on. In 1951, works Nazirova was composing at the ground lyricism integrated so smooth- together with Sviatoslav Knushevitsky, time - Variations for Piano, Etudes, a ly into the tragic concept of the sym- she performed her Sonata in the Piano Concerto and so on, asking her phony? I have already mentioned the Small Hall of the Moscow Conserva- for the details of her own composi- source of the extreme hardships that tory. And so again and again she met tional process. “I wish you to compose Shostakovich endured at the end of the with her guru, her own special listen- a great deal of music and become a 1940s: a personal tragedy had unex- er yet remaining a severe and demand- true composer. You have all the pre- pectedly trespassed his life. But it was ing critic. requisites”, he writes in his letter from at once this tragedy that proceeded to January 25th, 1954. transform itself into a ‘musical coun- Their relationship evolved at this time termeasure’: the emotional stimulus into one of a new and ever-growing He alludes to the apparent unattain- which, along with other parallel ele- intellectual intimacy. They met fre- ability of their relationship when writ- ments, won him back to life. The Tenth quently, took long walks, listened to ing “Will our paths ever get together? Symphony embodies the realization of Beethoven and Mahler symphonies, Perhaps, never. There are many, too this process, along with its resulting arguing on different issues related to many reasons for that.” (July 29th culmination. After undergoing a series either music or life. Shostakovich 1953). Nevertheless, he calls his feel- of metamorphoses in the third move- made suggestions to Elmira about her ings toward Elmira “the most impor- ment, the composer’s musical signa- new compositions, encouraged the tant event” in his life at the time (July ture is proclaimed at the final coda as young composer to turn her attention 25th 1953). In the same letter a symbol of wisdom and as a vigorous to specific genres or forms and, at the Shostakovich informs Nazirova about will to live. same time, shared with her his own getting started on his Tenth Symphony. creative ideas. From this point in time the intensity of There is one more element to the story Nazirova still treasures the scores of their correspondence greatly increas- of the Tenth which reveals the essence Shostakovich’s Preludes and Fugues, es. During the period of June 25th to of Shostakovich’s and Nazirova’s rela- the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies as October 30th Elmira received eighteen tionship: the similarity of the E-A-E- well as ’s Frauen- letters from Shostakovich. The com- D-A motive to the theme depicting the liebe und -leben, all of which the com- poser informs her about each and ominous cries of the monkey in Das poser presented to her, along with his every development of his work in Lied von der Erde by Gustav Mahler.

39

DSCH JOURNAL No. 17 - July 2002 In his letter from her works were of great importance in the And, most of all, it remains symbolized in September 17th development of piano music in Azerbaijan. the immortal music of the Tenth Symphony 1953 Shostakovich In 1971 Elmira Nazirova became Professor where those two musical signatures - expresses his at the Azerbaijani Conservatory and in 1972 “Dmitry Shostakovich” and “Elmira” will sincere she held the position of Chair in the Piano stay beside each other forever. astonishment at Department. Her activities gained official this connection, recognition and she was awarded the title of stating it as Honoured Art Worker of Azerbaijan. FOOTNOTES “interesting food for musicological [1] Kravetz, N.(1994) A New Insight Into the research.” That Shostakovich heard Later, through attending various music Tenth Symphony of Dmitry Shostakovich, Elmira’s “name” through Mahler’s forums around the Soviet Union, she was paper, Michigan University, 28 January musical language might reasonably be able to meet with Shostakovich once more, 1994; Kravetz, N.(1994) Revelations - the deduced as a consequence of his although now very infrequently. In March- Tenth Symphony (a lecture in the series “Shostakovich - The Man and His Music” - admiration of the Austrian composer and April 1956 Shostakovich attended the First Michigan University, January 1994). In: through the much-documented Assembly of the Azerbaijani Composers’ DSCH Journal, Summer 1994, p. 24-25; similarities between their styles. Union as an honoured guest; in May 1964 Kravetz, N.(1996) A New Insight Into the However, the most vital aspect is the he participated at the Decade of Russian Tenth Symphony of Dmitry Shostakovich. semantic closeness of Mahler’s and Culture in Azerbaijan. Fate also brought In: Dmitry Shostakovich. A Collection of Shostakovich’s themes; both portraying them together in July 1968 during a sum- Articles (90th Anniversary of his birth). St. tragedy (symbolizing death in case of mer vacation at the Composers’ Union Petersburg: Kompozitor; Kravetz, N. (2000) Mahler’s theme and doomed love in case Resort Centre in Diligan, Armenia. They A New Insight Into the Tenth Symphony of of Shostakovich’s). appear to have met for the last time in Octo- Dmitry Shostakovich. In: Shostakovich in ber 1972, in Baku during the Decade of Context, ed. by Rosamund Bartlett. Oxford; The composer invited Elmira to the Moscow Russian Literature and Art. Of course, the New York: Oxford University Press. premiere of the Tenth which took place on heightened emotions of the 1950s were now December 28th 1953 in the Great Hall of confined in the distant past; yet there [2] Fay, L.(2000) Shostakovich: A Life. New the Conservatory under Yevgeny Mravin- remained alive a secret that tied their two York: Oxford University Press; MacDonald, I.(2000) Writing about Shostakovich/Dating sky. As she told me, she felt the author’s con- hearts for good. the Tenth Symphony. In: DSCH Journal, stant gaze during the entire performance. Summer 2000, p. 10-14; Meyer, K(1998) One year later the symphony was performed The musical world has long honoured fig- Shostakovich: Life, Works , Time, St.Peters- in Baku under Abram Stasevich. Shortly ures such as Clara Schumann, Meta Abegg, burg: “DSCH”, Kompozitor; Wilson, afterwards the score of the Tenth Sympho- George Sand, Mathilde Wesendonck, Har- E.(1994) Shostakovich: A Life Remembered, ny, including its dedication to Elmira riet Smithson, Emma Debussy as muses of London, Boston: Faber and Faber. Nazirova arrived at the Azerbaijani Com- the great composers, becoming the impor- posers’ Union along with the composer’s tant part of their biographies and music lega- [3] Behbudova, S. & Huseynova, A. (1988) request to pass it on to the recipient. Naziro- cy. However for certain reasons Elmira Mirza Riza gizi Nazirova. In: Promi- va smiled when she recalled how the lead- Shostakovich was not able to reveal the nent Representatives of the Piano Culture of ers of this organization were perplexed at secret of the Tenth Symphony. Primarily, he Azerbaijan, Baku: Ishig, p. 115-29 this gesture by such a nationally distin- was guided by his ethical striving not to dis- guished figure to his young colleague from rupt the peace in their respective families. [4] “Among many young composers we Azerbaijan. Besides, such a “frivolous” musical dedi- should credit Elmira Nazirova who per- formed in the concert several simple but nev- cation as that to be found in the Tenth would ertheless very expressive preludes”, Rein- And so their correspondence gradually have run counter to the dogmas of Socialist hold Gliere mentioned in the Baku Worker began to run out. In 1954 Elmira received Realism, contradicting the very image of newspaper on December 29th 1944. only five letters and in 1955 and 1956 - one the Soviet Composer. only in each year. In his final letter (Sep- tember 13th 1956) Shostakovich informs All the same, the real story behind the Tenth Aida N. Huseynova is Associate Profes- her about his getting married to Margarita Symphony was finally revealed. Elmira sor of Musicology at the Baku Music Kainova. Nazirova’s name has been integrated into Academy, Azerbaijan. She has a Ph. D in Shostakovich studies and new information Musicology from St. Petersburg State For Nazirova the mid-1950s signified a peri- has already been included in recent bio- Conservatory (1992). In 2000-2002 she od of important professional accomplish- graphical and research work devoted to was in residence in Bloomington, U.S. as ments. She undertook an extensive tour as Shostakovich. a visiting scholar at the Indiana Universi- pianist, traveling in , Georgia, Poland, ty School of Music. She has over 30 pub- Czechoslovakia, Egypt and Iraq whilst per- This story of the genius Shostakovich and lications in Azerbaijan, U.S.A. and Ger- forming with several orchestras conducted his idealised love will stay with us forever. many among which are three books: by Niyazi (Azerbaijan), Rakhlin, Stasevich It is depicted through the reminiscences of Muslim Magomayev: Opera Works (1997) (Russia), Satanovsky (Poland) etc. Naziro- a gracious, and highly talented woman dis- with Woman in Azerbaijan; Farkhad va also achieved success as a composer; for tinguished by her charisma and unbeliev- Badalbeyli: Articles and Materials (1997) example her Etudes, the Piano Concerto on able magnetism. It is mirrored in the words (co-editor) with Gapp-Poligraf and Music: Arabic Themes and the Suite for Two Pianos from the nervous, jerky hand of the com- ATemple of Sincerity Encyclopedia of on Alban Themes (these two pieces being poser that lavish the many stiffening, yel- music (2000) with Ayna. co-authored with Fikrat Amirov). Indeed, lowing letters.

40 DSCH JOURNAL No. 17 - July 2002