SUCCESSOR OF A DYNASTY

Eldar Mansurov is a well-known composer, a worthy successor of a musical dynasty, a descendant of the noble Mansurov family and a favourite of fans of Azerbaijani music. The people's artist of Azerbaijan is the author not only of five symphonies, two symphonic poems, a string quartet, a violin concerto and a number of instrumental and choral works, but also of music for many films and theatre productions. He has written more than 2,000 songs and instrumental pieces, many of which are performed both in Azerbaijan and abroad. His composition in the style of symphonic rock and mugam "Bahramnama" is dedicated to his father - a famous tar player and people's artist of the republic, Bahram Mansurov, and the song "Bayatilar", which is sung in many languages of the world, still remains on the air. In an interview with R+, the maestro spoke about his life, creative development and family.

- Eldar Bahramovich, how did you become a composer?

- I grew up in a musical family - my great-grandfather, grandfather and father were musicians. I graduated from a music school and college in the piano class. Then I entered the Azerbaijan State Conservatory in the composition class, where I attended classes of composer and Professor Covdat Haciyev.

- And how did your first work appear?

- I can say quite by accident: at home, I was looking through a collection of Azerbaijani folk songs, and I liked the words of one of them so much that I wrote music for it.

- They say that in your youth you played keyboard instruments in various rock bands and performed at rock festivals. Did this experience come in handy in your work?

- Oh yeah! It all started with it, and this experience was especially helpful in songwriting and in other works too. And as a pianist and accompanist I had to work in many places: at the Theatre of Opera and Ballet, at the Ballet School, and in many other places. I taught music in schools, musical colleges, art gymnasiums and in the conservatory. While working on television, I reached the post of editor-in-chief of the music programmes department, and in the house of sound recording, I was chief sound engineer. And all this was put in my creative piggy bank.

- Maestro, how do you write music - do you wait for inspiration?

- I'm a man of mood. For me it all depends on the state of my soul. Sometimes even a bad mood is expressed in music in a bright cheerful composition, and it's amazing.

- What would you do first: stage your own rock opera "Seven Beauties" and rock ballets "Cleopatra" and "Olympus" or perform one of the five symphonies you've written?

- What was once written is not forgotten, is not out of date and hasn't lost its value. But the state of my soul now is that I'd like to visit the cities of the great composers of world classics - the homelands of Bach and Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, Verdi and Bizet. This is my dream.

- When do you think a child should start studying music? Is it advisable at an early age?

- I think there's no need to start it too early, but the love of music needs to be cultivated from infancy. But still, if a child has no musical ability and no inclination to music, it's difficult to do so. After all, no matter how much water you pour into a dry well, it won't start producing water.

- What about the musical education of the younger generation at schools. Is it necessary?

- Yes, because people familiar with music are more inspired and are head and shoulders above ordinary citizens.

- What's love and friendship for you? The main components of life?

- How is it possible to live without this at all? But here I'd like to add creativity for which all my being strives.

- Eldar muallim, do you believe in God? If you were given a second life, what would you change in it?

- Yes, I believe in God. By nature I'm a fatalist, and I think that everything is predetermined from above, and I would have lived it exactly in the same way without changing anything, the main thing is dignity. This is the way I came to this world and I won't change. Active ... I live every moment and every hour with relish. Here and now, without postponing for the future the joy of communicating with those who are dear to me. For me, spending time with in a circle of people who are related to me in spirit is of great value, and for them, I'm ready to improvise at the piano for hours. I like cheerful feasts with loyal friends who fill me with cheerfulness, kindness and optimism.

- What's happiness for you? And your best happy days - what are they like?

- Everything in life runs in parallel: both good and evil, black and white, a smile and tears, happiness and misery - everything on this planet Earth exists nearby, and I accept all this for what it is, and I'm pleased that I live and that my parents gave me this life. I'm grateful to them for that. And the best happy days for me are days spent with the family, the holidays we celebrate together, memorable important events, birthdays of children and grandchildren. I love children very much. I raised two sons, but they didn't become musicians. Music is not in such demand to make it a profession. They are economists, but for me the most important thing is that they've grown up to be worthy people. I have two grandchildren - a girl and a boy, perhaps they'll become musicians.

I love to travel and travelled almost the entire Soviet Union in the past. A long time ago, I was interested in photography. And I'm a great bibliophile, I focus more on French literature and read real books, not in an electronic presentation, which spoils the vision and creates discomfort while reading.

- Maestro, do you continue your work to study the history of Azerbaijani mugam?

- The work isn't finished yet. After the publication of my book "The Mansurovs. Family History", which came out with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, to which I am very grateful, I'm now writing about the memories of my grandfather Mashadi Suleyman bay Mansurov and the memories of my father Bahram.

- Has the house of your grandfather "Mugam Evi" survived? What happened to it? Tell us a little about this and your brothers.

- This house is located in Icarisahar, it's just a house, where the best performers of mugam gathered when my grandfather was alive. I'm the eldest in our Mansurov family, my middle brother Aydin is a Public Television cameraman, and my younger brother Elxan, like my dad, is a tar player and a member of the orchestra of the Theatre of Opera and Ballet. We, people of creative professions, help each other as much as possible not only with advice. For example, Elxan performs my compositions where a part is written for the tar.

- As a master of Azerbaijani pop, how do you assess the level of pop music in Azerbaijan?

- In today's chaos of modern pop its level is low.

- They often say that the world has become unspiritual. Do you think it's possible to revive spirituality and how should it be done?

- I think through the media - television, radio, newspapers, magazines and the Internet, we promote the best examples of world literature and music more widely, and it's necessary to start from kindergartens, preparatory courses and schools.

- Next year you turn 65. Millions of your fans expect from their idol works that are equal to "Bayatilar", "Bahramnama" and other popular compositions by the resonance of the sound. Will they be heard again at the creative soiree of their favourite composer?

- I suppose that it could be something completely new, and perhaps even in another genre...