Gara Abulfaz oghlu Garayev (February 5, 1918May 13, 1982) was a prominent

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Azerbaijani composer. Garayev wrote nearly 110 musical pieces,Azad Sharifov
"Remembering Gara Garayev: A Legend in His Own Time - 80th Jubilee"
in Azerbaijan International, Vol. 6:3 (Autumn 1998), pp. 24-32 including ballets,

operas Opera is a form of Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a li ...

, symphonic and chamber pieces, solos for piano,

cantatas A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning ...

, songs, and

marches In medieval Europe, a march or mark was, in broad terms, any kind of borderland, as opposed to a state's "heartland". More specifically, a march was a border between realms or a neutral buffer zone under joint control of two states in which diffe ...

, and rose to prominence not only in the

Azerbaijan SSR The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, also referred to as the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic, Azerbaijan SSR, Azerbaijani SSR, AzSSR, Soviet Azerbaijan or simply Azerbaijan, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union be ...

, but also in the rest of the Soviet Union and worldwide.

Early life

Garayev was born into a family of pediatricians, which was famous in

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

. His mother, Sona, was among the first graduates of the Baku-based school of the Russian Music Society. Garayev's younger brother, Mursal, became a surgeon and Doctor of Medicine. In 1926, at the age of eight, Gara Garayev first entered the junior music school at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire, currently known as the Baku Music Academy. Due to his musical talents, Garayev was allowed to enroll simultaneously in two faculties at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire in 1933. Among his teachers were , , and

Uzeyir Hajibeyov Uzeyir bey Abdulhuseyn bey oghlu Hajibeyov (18 September 188523 November 1948) was an Azerbaijanis, Azerbaijani composer, musicologist and teacher. He is recognized as the father of Azerbaijani classical music. He composed the music of the Az� ...

. In 1937, Garayev joined the Union of Composers of

Career

In 1938, at the age of twenty, Garayev composed his first musical piece, a cantata "The Song of the Heart" to the poem by Rasul Rza. It was performed in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

's Bolshoi Theater in the presence of

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

in the same year. Garayev conducted his cantata during the Decade of Azerbaijani Art festival in the Bolshoi Theater, an event also attended by Stalin. In the same year, Garayev moved to the Moscow State Conservatoire, where he became a student and a good friend of

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded as a major composer. Shostak ...

. In 1941 Garayev returned to Baku to teach at Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society. In 1945, both he and Jovdat Hajiyev wrote the ''Motherland'' ("Vətən") opera, for which they were awarded a prestigious Stalin Prize. In 1948, at the age of 30, Garayev was again awarded this prize for his symphonic poem ''Leyli and Majnun'', based on the same-titled famous work of

Nizami Ganjavi Nizami Ganjavi (; c. 1141 – 1209), Nizami Ganje'i, Nizami, or Nezāmi, whose formal name was Jamal ad-Dīn Abū Muḥammad Ilyās ibn-Yūsuf ibn-Zakkī,Mo'in, Muhammad(2006), "Tahlil-i Haft Paykar-i Nezami", Tehran.: p. 2: Some commentators h ...

. Upon the death of

in 1948, Garayev became the Chair of the Union of Composers of

and the rector of the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire. In this latter position, Garayev retained Uzeyir Hajibeyov's traditional emphasis on Azerbaijani folk music in teaching, and also promoted contemporary genres, such as

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

in Azerbaijani music. In 1948 Garayev also became the delegate to the First National USSR Congress of Soviet Composers. In the same year Garayev also headed the Music Department at the Azerbaijan Architecture and Art Institute. In 1952, under the direction of the choreographer P. A. Gusev, Garayev's ''

Seven Beauties ''Seven Beauties'' (, "Pasqualino Sevenbeauties") is a 1975 historical black comedy drama Italian film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller and starring Giancarlo Giannini, Fernando Rey, and Shirley Stoler. Written by Wertmüller, the film ...

'' ballet was staged at the Azerbaijani Theater of Opera and Ballet. Based on Nizami Ganjavi's famous poem, ''Seven Beauties'' ("Yeddi gözəl") opened a new chapter in the history of classical music of Azerbaijan. Garayev's only other ballet, '' Path of Thunder'' ("İldırımlı yollarla"), staged in 1958, was dedicated to racial conflicts in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. In the same year, Garayev also 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. During his teaching career at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire, Garayev tutored a number of prominent Azerbaijani musicians and composers, including Galib Mammadov, Arif Malikov, Khayyam Mirzazade and among others. Garayev's son, Faraj (born 1943), also became his student and went on to compose single-act ballets such as ''Shadows of Qobustan'' ("Qobustanın kölgələri") and ''Kaleidoscope'', and later led the musical

avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

movement in Azerbaijan. During the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

in June 1961, Garayev and Tikhon Khrennikov were the only two Soviet composers who attended the first International Los Angeles Music Festival held at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

. The festival programmed works by fifteen composers from around the world, including

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...

and

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...

. On June 11,

Franz Waxman Franz Waxman (né Wachsmann; December 24, 1906February 24, 1967) was a German-born composer and conductor of Jewish descent, known primarily for his work in the film music genre. His film scores include ''Bride of Frankenstein'', ''Rebecca (194 ...

conducted the Festival Symphony Orchestra with a suite from Garayev's '' Path of Thunder''. In 1962 Garayev became a member of the

Supreme Soviet of the USSR The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (SSUSSR) was the highest body of state authority of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. Based on the principle of unified power, it was the only branch of government in the S ...

and visited the United States, Ethiopia, and Lebanon. In 1972 he visited Poland.

Later life

Garayev suffered from heart disease, which prevented him from attending his own 60th jubilee celebration held in

, where he was awarded the title of the Hero of Socialist Labor. Garayev spent the last five years of his life in Moscow, away from the public, although his love for

remained strong and was reflected in his writing: Garayev died on May 13, 1982, in Moscow at the age of 64. His body was flown to Baku and buried at the Alley of Honor.

Appraisals

, Russian composer and Garayev's mentor: * Niyazi, Azerbaijani conductor and composer: * Tahir Salahov, Azerbaijani painter: * Tikhon Khrennikov, Russian composer: *

Rodion Shchedrin Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin ( rus, Родион Константинович Щедрин, , rədʲɪˈon kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ ɕːɪˈdrʲin; born 16 December 1932) is a Soviet and Russian composer and pianist, winner of USSR St ...

, Russian composer: * Fikret Amirov, Azerbaijani composer: * Khayyam Mirzazade, Azerbaijani composer and Garayev's student: *, Azerbaijani writer: * Arif Malikov, Azerbaijani composer and Garayev's student:

Tribute to his memory

The International Festival of Contemporary Music has been held since 1986 with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan. * In memory of Gara Garayev: ** metro station in

** an avenue in Baku ** a street in Imishli (city) ** Children's Music School No.75 in

** a ship * A memorial plaque installed on the wall of Gara Garayev's house in Baku. * In The 30th of February, the monument to Gara Garayev opened by President Ilham Aliyev in 28 May Street of Baku. * A memorial board installed at Gara Garayev's house in

. Where he lived between 1973 and 1982.

Major works

230px, upScene from the ''Seven Beauties'' ballet. *1942 – Film score for ''A Story About the Oil Workers of the Caspian Sea'' *1943 – Symphony No. 1 *1943 – Opera ''Motherland'', with Jovdat Hajiyev, premiered in Baku in 1945 *1947 – Symphonic poem ''Leyli and Majnun''. Edited Muslim Magomayev's opera ''Shah Ismayil'' *1948 – ''

'', ballet *1949 – ''Seven Beauties'', a suite for symphonic orchestra *1950 – Six children's pieces for piano *1952 – ''Albanian Rhapsody'', children's pieces for piano *1957 – '' Path of Thunder'' ballet *1958 – Film score for ''Her Great Heart'', three nocturnes for jazz orchestra *1960 – ''Don Quixote'', symphonic sketches *1960 – Sonata for violin and piano *1951-63 – 24 Preludes for piano Toccata Classics
/ref> *1964 – Symphony No. 3 *1967 – Violin Concerto

Honours and awards

Hero of Socialist Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour () was an Title of honor, honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It represented the highest degree of distinction in the USSR and was awarded for exceptional achievem ...

(1978) * Two Orders of Lenin (1967, 1978) *

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on 31 October 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferred upon individuals or groups for services furthering communis ...

(1971) *

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports ...

(1961) * Stalin Prize, twice (1946, 1948) *

Lenin Prize The Lenin Prize (, ) was one of the most prestigious awards of the Soviet Union for accomplishments relating to science, literature, arts, architecture, and technology. It was originally created on June 23, 1925, and awarded until 1934. During ...

(1967) * Azerbaijan SSR State Prize (1965) *Honoured Artist of the Azerbaijani SSR (1955) *

People's Artiste of the Azerbaijan SSR The People's Artiste of the Azerbaijan SSR () was an honorary title awarded from 1931 to 1991 (and active from 1928 to 1991), it was granted to artistes of the Azerbaijan SSR for their contributions to the development of Azerbaijani culture in th ...

(1958) *

People's Artist of the USSR People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. The term is confusingly used to translate two Russian language titles: Народный арти ...

(1959)

Notes

References

External links

"Garayev: Forgotten Music Scores from Famous Composers
" by Alla Bayramova, in Azerbaijan International, Vol. 11:1 (Spring 2003), pp. 16–17.

at http://www.musigi-dunya.az

* ttp://azer.com/aiweb/categories/music/AudioPages/Garayev/garayev.html Listen to Gara Garayev's works Music Section of Azerbaijan International * {{DEFAULTSORT:Garayev, Gara 1918 births 1982 deaths Azerbaijani composers Azerbaijani ballet composers Azerbaijani film score composers Azerbaijani academics Azerbaijani music educators Academic staff of the Baku Academy of Music Heroes of Socialist Labour People's Artistes of the Azerbaijan SSR People's Artists of the USSR Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Stalin Prize Recipients of the Lenin Prize Soviet film score composers Male film score composers Soviet Azerbaijani people Baku Academy of Music alumni Burials at Alley of Honor 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century Azerbaijani composers 20th-century male composers Honored Art Workers of the Azerbaijan SSR Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour