Musical and Ontological Possibilities of Mugham Creativity in pre-Soviet, Soviet, and post-Soviet Azerbaijan by Polina Dessiatnitchenko A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosoophy Graduate Department of Music University of Toronto © Copyright by Polina Dessiatnitchenko 2017 Musical and Ontological Possibilities of Mugham Creativity in pre-Soviet, Soviet, and post-Soviet Azerbaijan Polina Dessiatnitchenko Doctor of Philosophy in Ethnomusicology Graduate Department of Music, University of Toronto 2017 Abstract The different angles from which the phenomenon of mugham creativity can be approached all point to the significance of sung ghazal poetry. Even in instrumental renditions of mugham, the overriding presence of sung texts manifests itself through the musical structure, pace, technique and, most importantly, an imaginative and interpretive engagement with meanings that musicians undergo. In this dissertation, the link between music and poetry and its role in mugham creativity are investigated from both diachronic and synchronic perspectives. First, pre-Soviet, Soviet and post-Soviet contexts are examined to reveal how changes in musical and textual parameters influenced creativity and shaped its historical trajectory in Azerbaijan. Second, native terminology, musical examples, characteristics and experiences of creativity are explored using hermeneutic phenomenology in order to shed light on the creative process in the moment of performance. It is my contention that interpretation based on meanings in ghazal – ii – poetry that are rooted in Islamic sciences opens up both musical and ontological possibilities for musicians embarked on the mugham journey. This creates a state that is often difficult to express discursively as musicians themselves resort to phrases such as “revelation”, “explosion of thinking”, and “the self is taken from the self” that show only the limits of language to explain what goes on. The dissertation concludes with questions about how scholarship can further our understanding of the enigmatic flashes of musical discovery that are essential to Azerbaijani mugham and to musical traditions across cultures. – iii – Acknowledgments I am immensely grateful and indebted to all who have made it possible for me to pursue this study of Azerbaijani mugham. It was a wonderful coincidence that the first moments of my fascination with mugham occurred as I started to develop a strong interest in ethnomusicology, and I was truly fortunate to combine two of my greatest passions. My deepest gratitude goes out to Dr. James Kippen, my mentor from the start whose unwavering support and guidance have made all the difference. He sparked my interest in ethnomusicology from the very first class I took with him in my undergraduate years and he is the one who endorsed my dream to study Azerbaijani mugham and set me on the path, the product of which is this dissertation. Special thanks to Professors Farzaneh Hemmasi, Stephen Blum, Jeff Packman, Joshua Pilzer, and Nasim Niknafs for reading drafts of my work and offering their invaluable feedback. My two and a half years of fieldwork in Azerbaijan were made possible by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the W. Garfield Weston Foundation. This financial support allowed me to immerse myself in the culture of Azerbaijan for an extended period of time, taking lessons in tar playing, mugham singing, Azerbaijani language, and ghazal poetry. The biggest contribution to this project rests with my teachers in Azerbaijan who have generously and tirelessly imparted their knowledge, leading me on my journey through the infinite world of mugham. The time, expertise, patience, encouragement, and inspiration were the most precious gifts that my teachers readily gave me, continuously expanding the horizons of my understanding of musical experience. In addition to the masters I learned from, numerous other musicians and scholars have been very helpful informants whose views and ideas have – iv – shaped this work. Feeling humbled, I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation to all my teachers and informants: Elkhan Mansurov, Valeh Rahimov, Ramiz Guliyev, Elkhan Muzaffarov, Aslan Maharramov, Mohammad Amanollahi, Tohfa Malikova, Tarlan Guliyev, Konul Gambarova, Teyyub Aslanov, Haji Agil Melikov, Vamig Mammadaliyev, Vasim Mammadaliyev, Ilhama Hasan Mammadova, Ismayil Hajiyev, Firuz Aliyev, Malik Mansurov, Mahmud Salah, Rashad Ibrahimov, Jeffrey Werbock, Thomas Goltz, Gazanfar Abbasov, Janali Alekperov, Vagif Aliyev, Namig Abuzarov, Sanubar Bagirova, Farida Melikova, Munis Sharifov, Shamil Ismayilov, Mehman Mikayilov, and the connoisseurs of mugham from Nardaran and Mashtaga. Many individuals at institutions in Baku were of tremendous help with my fieldwork research and projects. I wish to thank Hafiz Pashayev, Fariz Ismailzade and Anar Valiyev at ADA University, Yagub Madatov at the State Sound Recording Archives of the Azerbaijan Republic, Marif Teymurov and Gizilgul Babayeva at the State Archive of Literature and Art of the Azerbaijan Republic, Sardar Farajov and Aytan Heydarova at the Uzeyir Hajibeyov Museum, Alla Bayramova at the State Museum of Musical Culture of Azerbaijan, Siyavush Karimi and Yagut Seyidova at the Azerbaijan State National Conservatory, Farhad Badalbeyli, Yegana Akhudova, Fattah Khaligzade, Jamila Gasanova, Ariz Abdulaliyev at the Hajibeyov Baku Academy of Music, Nazim Kazimov at the Asaf Zeynalli Music College, and Teymur Goychayev at the Secondary Music School named after Bulbul for their kind assistance in my endeavour. The unmatched hospitality and geniality of the Azerbaijani people often made me forget that I was a foreigner, instead making me feel most welcomed and at ease during my entire stay in Azerbaijan. Finally, I wish to offer a genuine thank you to my family. Unable to contribute to this project with their engineering skills, my parents Lioudmila and Iouri and brother Val nevertheless provided me with what has been most important along the way by being a constant – v – source of confidence and drive, reminding me to follow my aspirations. My biggest ally, whose presence can be found in and between the lines of every page in this dissertation, is my husband Khagani. In addition to helping me with translations and editing, he has taught me much about patience and perseverance, which have become the backbone of this work. – vi – Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... vii Terminology, transliteration, and translation ................................................................................. x List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ xiii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... xiv Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 Music and Poetry of Azerbaijani Mugham: the Two Wings of Creativity ................................................................................... 13 1.1 Defining mugham ................................................................................................................ 14 1.2 The mugham trio ................................................................................................................. 17 1.3 The Azerbaijani tar ............................................................................................................. 21 1.4 Dəstgah................................................................................................................................ 24 1.5 Ghazal poetry ...................................................................................................................... 31 1.6 Əruz ..................................................................................................................................... 36 1.7 Guşə, cümlə, and avaz ......................................................................................................... 42 1.8 Case Study: Şur ................................................................................................................... 46 Chapter 2 Pre-Soviet Shusha and Baku: the Burgeoning of Mugham Creativity .................................................................. 67 2.1 Nationalism and cultural enlightenment in pre-Soviet Azerbaijan ..................................... 67 2.2 Shusha‟s Sadigjan ............................................................................................................... 74 2.3 Shusha‟s xanəndə traditions ................................................................................................ 84 2.4 Baku məclis tradition ........................................................................................................... 89 2.5 The tarzəns of pre-Soviet Baku ........................................................................................... 96 2.6 Şur