Baku, the Philharmonic and Shostakovich
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D O C U M E N T A R Y I I I Baku, The Philharmonic and Shostakovich Aida Huseynova On January 27, 2004 a quite special event took place in Baku, A z e r b a i j a n ’s capital: the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall opened after seven years of complete renovation. A splendid ceremony was held in the presence of Ilham A l i y e v, President of the Azerbaijan Republic and other dignitaries. A z e r b a i j a n ’s State Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Rauf Abdullayev also performed works by local composers - big names of the twentieth century in fact - namely which Azerbaijan passed during the common words heard at school at the Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Kara Karaev and past century: N i k o l a y e v s k a y a ( i n end of each day. Baku Philharmonic Fikrat A m i r o v. honour of the last Russian Ts a r, Nicolas had a reputation as one of the best II), Kommunisticheskaya (each city or concert halls in the Soviet Union. The Then came a solo performance by even a small village in the Soviet Union beauty of its architectural design and Mstislav (‘Slava’) Rostropovich of had a street named corresponding to the i n t e r i o r, the perfect acoustics, the B a c h ’s S a r a b a n d e from the Suite No. ruling party) and now I s t i g l a l i y y a t intellect and Eastern warmth of the 3 followed by the premiere of a piece (‘Independence’, in Azerbaijani). T h e audiences – aspects of A z e r b a i j a n i “Ithaf” [D e d i c a t i o n] by A z e r b a i j a n i Philharmonic, too, played a part with musical culture that benefited many composer Firangiz Alizade, conducted various activities taking place through outstanding guests such as: Mravinsky, by the world-renowned cellist. these three periods, each one with its K l e m p e r e r, Sanderling, Fedoseyev, Rostropovich can hardly be termed a own particular social and cultural R i c h t e r, Gilels, Oborin, Flier, guest in Baku - he was born and spent realities: sessions of the Public S o f r o n i t s k y, Van Cliburn, Oistrakh, his early childhood in the city. Since Assembly in the Russian imperial Kogan, Polyakin, Kremer, Spivakov, 1997 he has been paying annual visits times, official ceremonies and meetings Bashmet, Rostropovich, Shafran, to Azerbaijan, playing in concerts and held by Communist Party officials and Arkhipova, Sinyavskaya, Kazarnov- giving masterclasses at the Baku Music finally with memorial services skaya and many others. And of course Academy (the former Conservatory). dedicated to the honoured citizens of the name of Dmitri Shostakovich The S a r a b a n d e was performed as a the country. occupies a quite special place here. tribute to the memory of A z e r b a i j a n ’s President Heydar Aliyev who passed It is only since 1936, when the Philhar- Shostakovich is regarded among key away in December 2003, a requiem monic Society was established in the figures who helped to establish and filling this splendid new hall with a c o u n t r y, that the building served as one develop musical tradition in A z e r b a i - spirit of eternal harmony and wisdom. of the prime symbols of contemporary jan. Kara Karaev stated in 1976 that, Slava asked that the audience not musical culture in the country. All the “Now A z e r b a i j a n ’s Composers’S c h o o l , applaud after the performance, and successes and failures of the country’s the foundation of which was laid by played with his back to the audience, young music tradition, established in Uzeyir Hajibeyov, rightfully considers addressing his music to the President’s the early part of the twentieth century, itself a successor to Shostakovich’s tra- portrait placed on the stage. were debated here in the white oval ditions.” He continued: “Of course, it hall, with its glittering chandelier and would be naive to assert that they are Baku Philharmonic, a splendid incredibly beautiful bas-reliefs over- on the same level as the works of the Renaissance-style building constructed laying the walls and ceiling. great master; nevertheless the broad in 1912, stands as one the most striking principles are being handed down, historical and architectural landmarks Students of the A z e r b a i j a n allowing us to rank ourselves among of the city. It is located in an elegant Conservatory lived according to two his heirs[1].” Baku downtown street, a street which equally important schedules: one was has had no fewer than three diff e r e n t for classes and the other for concerts at S h o s t a k o v i c h ’s music and personality names, corresponding to the three very the Philharmonic. “See you tonight at undoubtedly became a decisive factor d i fferent historical epochs through the Philharmonic!” were the most in establishing symphonic culture in 52 DSCH JOURNAL No. 21 - July 2004 Azerbaijan: the first national All Shostakovich’s symphonies and The vast Soviet symphonies written by Kara Karaev, many of his chamber and piano works Empire no Jovdat Hajiyev and Soltan Hajibeyov in were often performed in the Philhar- longer exists. 1943, were created under the striking monic Hall. The first notable occasion O b l i g a t o r y influence of Shostakovich’s symphonic occurred in August 1942, a critical time forms of inter- m a s t e r y. Thanks to Shostakovich or, during World War II when German Soviet cultural more precisely, through a prism of his troops were about to overrun the Cau- exchange, along aesthetics and style, A z e r b a i j a n i casus, and the Soviet Army was prepar- with a duty to proffer “brotherly help” to composers made great strides in the ing to detonate the Baku oil wells. It was Russian composers have disappeared field of twentieth century classical during those impossibly difficult times from our lives. Nevertheless it is music, firmly considering themselves a that the Seventh Symphony was played undeniably the case that the ‘Russian part of the contemporary music and in the Philharmonic by a local orchestra f a c t o r ’ did have an immense and long- culture world. consisting of musicians from the A z e r- lasting impact on the cultural psyche of baijan State Opera Theatre, the Radio Azerbaijan and certain phenomena, be Shostakovich loved Baku, often and Committee and various military bands they personalities or simply ideas, and happily visiting the city. The Philhar- under Ashraf Hasanov. This proved to have been definitively integrated into monic along with the Opera and Ballet be the start of a State Symphony the nation’s mentality, changing it Theatre, Conservatory and Composers’ Orchestra tradition that is very much f o r e v e r. Dmitri Shostakovich Union retain memories of alive today: that of the performing of undoubtedly stands among these S h o s t a k o v i c h ’s “Azerbaijani story”; his S h o s t a k o v i c h ’s symphonies. Both phenomena. His music remains a part meetings with local musicians: Uzeyir Niyazi, the country’s greatest conduc- of the new history of Azerbaijani music, H a j i b e y o v, the patriarch of the music tor who led the orchestra from 1938 to occupying a fundamental place in tradition in Azerbaijan; Kara Karaev, 1984 and Rauf A b d u l l a y e v, the current school and concert programs, scholarly S h o s t a k o v i c h ’s student who later chief conductor, have very firmly activities and quite simply people’s became his close, life-time friend; Elmi- adhered to this ideal. hearts. Musicians of an older generation ra Nazirova, the composer’s muse treasure their memories of the great whose name is forever embedded in the It is not only through his own music that master willingly sharing his Baku Tenth Symphony; Jovdat Hajiyev and S h o s t a k o v i c h ’s spirit pervades the Baku stories with their younger colleagues– Sultan Hajibeyov, who along with h a l l ’s inner walls: numerous works by even Shostakovich’s final in-life Karaev and Nazirova studied in Azerbaijani composers have been ded- portrait, painted by the prominent S h o s t a k o v i c h ’s class at the Moscow icated to him, such as the String Quar- Azerbaijani artist Tahir Salahov and Conservatory; Fikrat A m i r o v, Niyazi, tet (1947) and Musical Tribute for Piano recognized as among the best of its Arif Malikov and other A z e r b a i j a n i (1976) by Kara Karaev; the Third Sym- genre, can be seen in many music composers whom Shostakovich sup- phony by Jovdat Hajiyev (1947) and the institutions throughout the country. T h e ported and encouraged, naming them Second Symphony by Arif Malikov Baku Philharmonic, along with musical the “Excellent school of composers[3]”.