28 March 2024

Thursday, 23:53

COMPOSER OF THE WORLD

Tomris HUSEYNOVA: "My father did everything to promote the musical culture of Azerbaijan in the most difficult times."

Author:

01.08.2021

Music is immortal, as is its creator. Many of the greatest personalities have left us already, but their creations continue their journey around the world, conquering the increasing number of hearts. Same as the creations of the violin virtuoso, composer, creator of the first national classical Japanese opera Kodayu, the ballet Queen Aba, author of two operas The Little Prince, sonatas for piano, violin, cello, cantatas for soloists, chorus and orchestra, which performed in many cities of the former USSR and abroad, the Azerbaijani composer Farhang Huseynov.

In 1972, as a young musician and a member of the orchestra of the Moscow Conservatoire, Mr. Huseynov took part in the Herbert von Karajan Competition held in West Berlin. He was awarded an honorary gold medal. In 1991, his composition Time Travel won a prize at the international composers competition in Tokyo, and in 1995 at the competition Let there be peace on Earth!, he received a special UN prize for his oratorio.

Since 1992, Farhang Huseynov has moved to Turkey and continued to work there as the head of the Department of String Instruments at the State Conservatoire of the Cukurova University in Turkey. In 2010, Farhang Huseynov left this world, but his contribution to the world heritage made his name immortal. This summer, the orchestra hall of the Cukurova State Conservatoire was renamed to his name.

His daughter, pianist Tomris HUSEYNOVA, shared her memories of her father with us.

 

"Thank you for agreeing to talk about your father – a great musician who left a rich musical heritage. But since we can find little information about your father in the media, I suppose that Farhang-bey was a very modest man..."

"Thank you for having me. Yes, that's right, my father was a very modest man. But he was also a demanding person. Due to his success outside Azerbaijan, he has become famous in the musical realm of Azerbaijan too. Yet he was little known publicly."

"This summer the orchestra hall of the State Conservatoire of the Cukurova University in Adana was renamed to the Farhang Huseynov Orchestra Hall. Tell us about this significant event for you and for Azerbaijan. Who was the initiator?"

"My father worked at that conservatoire for 18 years. He had many students, obviously. During his career, he conducted an orchestra, wrote the ballet Queen Aba and many other things to contribute to the development of this institution. The decision to rename the orchestra hall was made by the university’s Board of Directors as a tribute to Farhang Huseynov's merits. This is a significant event. And I am very proud of that."

"Are there any facts or events that were not mentioned in the media, but you consider it necessary to share them with us?"

"Yes, we can talk a lot about Farhang Huseynov. My father was an erudite and loved reading a lot. He knew geography perfectly, right down to the flags of all states. Even the small island countries. He had deep knowledge in ancient history. It was his love for antiquity that prompted him to compose the Queen Aba – a ballet about a warrior woman, the queen of Cilicia, the ancient name of region in the south of present Turkey."

"Japanese opera singer Eiko Aoki asked Farhang Huseynov to compose the opera Kodayu, which is about the relations between Russia and Japan. Can you tell us about the history of this opera?.."

"Yes, my father's work is the first national classical opera in Japan composed back in 1993. It was also staged in Japan for the first time. But this story has a background, which dates back to 1990s. In 1993, UNESCO initiated an international competition of symphonic works called The Silk Road. The competition accepted 278 works from 10 countries. After the first qualifying round, my father's symphony concert Time Travel was also among the 10 chosen ones. According to the results of the next qualifying round, Time Travel also made its way to the top five of the competition, eventually becoming the second best. Then the chairman of the jury, presenting him with the award, said that "for the first time, Japan got to know Azerbaijan in your person." The Japanese princess also noted my father in her speech: “It is the first time the word Azerbaijan is on everyone’s lips in my country. Your country should be proud of you, because your talent and creation won the hearts of the Japanese and mine. We consider you a family member." The success of Time Travel, a concerto for orchestra, was so great that Eiko Aoki invited him to write an opera based on her libretto about the brave sailor Kodayu, who’s considered a legendary person in Japan. The full title of the opera is The Russian Odyssey of Daikokuya Kodayu. It is about the first Japanese who visited Russia and even talked with Empress Catherine II. Daikokuya Kodayu lived in 1751-1828, and was the captain of a merchant ship. Once a storm carried his ship far to the north, to Amchika in the Aleutian Islands. The ship, battered by storms, became unsuitable for further use. Then Kodayu, with 17 other team members, tried to return home overland. The journey took him 11 years, which he spent travelling the whole of Russia. In Irkutsk, he met the famous Russian naturalist Kirill Laxman. Thanks to his support, Kodayu reached St. Petersburg and was introduced to Catherine the Great. The empress helped him return to Japan on a Russian ship – a trade mission was set up to establish ties with the distant eastern country. However, the Japanese shoguns, absorbed in internal problems and unwilling to open the country to foreigners, refused to negotiate with the Russians, and Kodayu himself was declared a traitor.

“Eiko Aoki told my father that she ‘was looking for fish for many years, but caught a whale’, her way of expressing admiration. According to her, of all the composers she knew in the Soviet period, only Farhang Huseynov could make her dream come true by creating an opera on the Russian-Japanese relations. My father accepted the offer.

“But there was a moment when he could not adapt his music to the proposed libretto. And then he decided to ask his old friend, a very talented poet and musician Azik Efendi, to re-write a libretto. Together, working day and night, they created this masterpiece. And to better concentrate on his work, my father moved to our dacha and left it only three months later, when this historical piece was over.”

"Where do your father's compositions are staged currently?"

"Of course, in Japan, Israel, Sweden, Russia, England, Turkey, South America. In 2022 we are planning to stage Kodayu in Azerbaijan as well. After all, 2022 has been declared the Year of Friendship between Azerbaijan and Japan."

"Farhang Huseynov was spiritually closely connected with Japanese culture and traditions. What did contribute to this love in him?"

"My father was in love with Japan. Endless love, knowledge of geography and history helped him master all the complexities and ambiguities of Japanese traditions and culture. Although he has never heard of Japanese music before, he perfectly learned how to play the Japanese national musical instruments thanks to his intellectual and educational background."

"What memories of Baku did your father like to share the most?"

"About the period 1990s. 1991 became a turning point in his creative life, when his works were appreciated in Azerbaijan. He was called the hero of Azerbaijan, because he became the first Azerbaijani who won the award and recognition in Japan. By the way, my father learned about this competition from the late Tofig Guliyev. And upon his return from Japan, Mr. Guliyev was the first my father hurried to inform about his victory. Can you imagine how happy my father was? And, of course, my big thanks to Tofig-muallim... They got to know about Azerbaijan somewhere there, in the distant Japan, thanks to my father's music."

"Who else were the friends of your fathere here in Azerbaijan?"

"Faraj Garayev, Ogtay Zulfugarov, Firangiz Alizade, Arif Melikov, Farhad Badalbeyli, Azad Aliyev, Farah Aliyeva, Polad Bulbuloglu, Azer Rzayev. He loved and respected all musicians of Azerbaijan very much."

“What was the environment your father liked to work in?”

"He had everything to immerse into the world of music at home, which was his absolute creative environment. But his main muse was my mother. He would always, before starting to do something, ask her opinion and approval. He trusted only her. And she trusted him (smiles)."

"You have a creative family. You are a pianist yourself. What role did your father play in your musical life?"

"I grew up in a family where classical music was an integral part of it. Thanks to my father, I began to love my work and dedicate hours of my daily life to music. He taught me to treat my classes with love and respect."

"In addition to a wonderful musical family, Farhang-muallim had a lot of students. Which of them you can call the followers of your father?"

"Indeed, he left a great legacy, his students, who continue to perform solo in the most prestigious orchestras in Europe and America. These include Deniz Tahberer in Berlin, Onder Baloglu, Ozgur Baskin in Ankara, Bella Gelladova in Israel, Farhad Agamalizade, Ozan Uludag, Yusuf Yalchin. They are all followers of his school of music and culture."

"What words or instructions from your father guide you through life?"

(Thoughtful) “He has always considered me a fighter... He noted my willpower and love for work. It has always been important for my father to remain an honest musician and person and to be devoted to art. Always! And he has been a great role model for me.”

"Farhang Huseynov managed to represent Azerbaijan internationally in the difficult 90s..."

"Those times were really very difficult for the country, both from a political and economic points of view. My father did everything to promote the musical culture of Azerbaijan. He was a very humble man and considered it his duty. For example, he was very proud that after winning the prize in Japan, the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society organised a special concert conducted by Rauf Abdullayev. It is important to note that the Silk Road competition was not the only victory in my fathers creative life.

“In 2000, another competition was held in Paraguay dedicated to José Asuncion Flores, the famous Paraguayan composer and conductor, creator of the Guarania lyric songs genre - songs of a group of Indian peoples in South America. My father composed Capriccio Quarani for this competition. Thus, he left behind 100 other applicants, was awarded the first place and received the highest UNESCO prize. Members of the jury, including composers and conductors from Italy, Spain, Argentina and other Latin American countries, highly appreciated his composition, and noted: "Even if you are an Azerbaijani by nationality, you are also the national composer of Paraguay." 

"What professional goals or wishes of your father yet to come true? What did he dream about the most?"

"One of his unfulfilled wishes was the staging of Queen Abba in Azerbaijan. Also, in the last years of his life he really wanted to write symphonies for Azerbaijan. But, unfortunately, he failed to realise this dream."

"But there are still wishes that his descendants, we can fulfil. After all, it is our duty to revive and preserve everything created by great figures."

"Right. And I believe that together we will make every effort to make all unfulfilled wishes come true. We will also pass on Farhang Huseynov's compositions to the next generations."



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