THE GREATNESS OF UZEYIR

The initiative to mark 18 September as National Music Day came from Heydar Aliyev. On this day we honour the memory of Uzeyir Hacibayov, an outstanding historical figure who was the first person to transcribe Azerbaijani national music. Concerts at which his works are performed, exhibitions and other celebratory events are held on 18 September.

For all of us Uzeyir Hacibayov is first of all a marvellous composer, who laid the foundation for professional music in Azerbaijan. He is the author of seven operas, three operettas, romances and dozens of major musical works. It was Uzeyir bey who started many of these musical genres in the East. At the same time he was an outstanding writer, dramatist, teacher, researcher who left a large school as his legacy, and finally a public figure who played a significant role in the development of the people, mired in ignorance.

Twists and turns of Uzeyir's life

Uzeyir Hacibayov was born on 18 September 1885 in what is now Agcabedi District. He spent his childhood in Shusa. He received his primary education in Shusa's madrassah, then the Russian-Tatar school, the Gori seminary and finally the St Petersburg Conservatoire. He began work as a teacher in Hadrut village school. When the Armenian-Muslim conflict began in 1905 and the Armenians stormed the village, the elders, who knew how important Uzeyir bey was to his people, got him out at night and sent him to Yevlax District. After this, he taught in Bibi Heybat village school and then in Saadat School.

Publishing his first satirical article in 1903 in the Tbilisi newspaper, Sarqi Rus, Hacibayov took up journalism in 1905. This erudite young man, who criticized the failings of his era and religious fanaticism in particular, was soon known for the harsh attacks in his material. During his journalistic years, he was published in Kaspi, Hayat, Takamul, Yeni Iqbal, Azarbaycan and Irsad. They published more than 2,000 of his articles and satirical pieces. During these years Hacibayov created pieces that are considered today to be outstanding achievements in Azerbaijani music. At the age of 22 he wrote the first opera in the East, Leyli and Macnun. Husband and Wife, which Hacibayov wrote in 1909, lay the foundation of musical comedy in Azerbaijan.

In 1920 the composer began work to develop music in his homeland. Thanks to his higher education and ability to play four instruments, he created the first music school in Azerbaijan. Many talented Azerbaijani children, who did not have the opportunity to study abroad, got their musical education here. In 1921 Hacibayov founded the Azerbaijani Conservatoire.

From 1937 to the end of his life he was a deputy to the USSR Supreme Soviet. He was awarded orders and medals for his contribution to science and public life and won the Stalin prize. This is just a short chronology of this outstanding figure's 67 years and his 45 years of constant creativity. These dry facts conceal the life path of someone of enormous potential and boundless energy.

Armenian hands reach for Arsin Mal Alan

Even though Hacibayov twice witnessed the unimaginable violent excess committed by armed Armenian groups against Azerbaijani civilians in 1905 and 1918, he fell into the Armenians' web of hypocrisy because of his typical Azerbaijani naivety.

Over many centuries the Armenians sent the money earned in our land to create their thoroughly false history, taking not only our land and culture but also our music. They tried to prove the antiquity of their culture, even thinking to appropriate Hacibayov's work.

This began in 1913. This was the year that Uzeyir Hacibayov's work travelled around the world. Studying at the St Petersburg Conservatoire, the composer wrote that year a three-act operetta, Arsin Mal Alan, and as his first obligation showed his work to the rector of the conservatoire, the famous Russian composer Glazunov. Having read the operetta, Glazunov said that it would become a masterpiece of the East and be known throughout the world. Uzeyir bey sent the score to his artistic brothers in Baku, Muslum Magomayev and Huseynqulu Sarabski who immediately began to work on a stage production. Completely discarding the unwritten rules of the era, the comic operetta soon won widespread love and affection. It was translated into other languages of the Caucasus and welcomed everywhere.

In 1905 an Armenian by the name of Magalyan told Uzeyir bey that he would like to translate the operetta into Armenian and stage it. Having received the author's written consent and without paying him a penny, Magalyan translated the piece into Armenian and staged it in 1921 in Turkey and then in Greece. Seeing that this brought in a good income, the pushy director went further. The operetta was performed in America without any mention of its real author under the invented title of On the Basis of Eastern Motifs. The piece brought Magalyan far more profit than he expected. Thanks to Uzeyir Hacibayov's work he soon gained a great deal of capital and renown. He even opened a hotel named Arsin Mal Alan for a steady income. But that's not all. The avaricious Armenian director and another Armenian called Mamulyan made a film of the same name in 1930 based on Uzeyir Hacibayov's operetta Arsin Mal Alan and presented it as his own work. They even had the sense to sell the film to other countries. 

This film was seen by a group of Azerbaijani cultural figures (Suleyman Rustam, Samsi Badalbeyli, Qilman Ilkin and others) who were visiting Iran in 1942. On their return to Baku they met Uzeyir Hacibayov and told him about it. The angry composer approached the first secretary of the Azerbaijani Communist Party, Mir Cafar Bagirov, the same day. The first secretary telephoned the composer to express his sympathy, but said that he could not do anything to help and advised Hacibayov to approach Moscow. Taking his advice, the composer wrote to the then foreign minister, Molotov, and hoped for the support of the state in restoring his author's copyright. Molotov showed Uzeyir bey's letter to Stalin. A short time later the composer had a night-time telephone call. Apologizing for the lateness of the hour, the chairman of the USSR Union of Cinematographers, Bolshakov, said: "Uzeyir bey, Comrade Stalin has personally read your request. Unfortunately, since the USSR is not a member of the World Convention on the Protection of Copyright, we cannot directly defend your copyright. However, Comrade Stalin ordered that an eponymous film based on your work should be made by the Azerbaijani film studio and distributed throughout the world."

Even though the Second World War was under way, the Baku film studio was allocated 50m roubles in 1942 to film Arsin Mal Alan. Film critics think that this film, shot by our famous director Alisattar Atakisiyev, is one of the best film versions. The great singers Rasid Behbutov and Leyla Badirbayli took the main roles. 

The film came out in 1945 and, as envisaged, appeared simultaneously on screens across the world. Arsin Mal Alan was translated into 66 languages and successfully performed in 120 theatres in 49 countries, filmed three times in Baku (1917, 1945 and 1966) and once in the USA.

Uzeyir's spirit longs for Susa

Unfortunately, Arsin Mal Alan, which has been around the world, cannot return to its native Susa today. Karabakh, the cradle of Azerbaijani music, which gave the Azerbaijani people and the entire world Uzeyir Hacibayov and many other outstanding figures, today languishes under Armenian occupation. But sooner or later history will put everything in its place. Neither invented excavations, nor attempts to pass off Albanian crosses, memorials and churches as Armenian or to appropriate Azerbaijani historical and cultural treasures will pass the test of time. Azerbaijan will regain its age-old land and Uzeyir bey's Son of a Blind Man will ride his stallion across the steppe and Arsin the merchant will wander the ancient streets of Susa in search of his betrothed. Only then will the spirit of Uzeyir bey, hovering over Karabakh, be calm.