On the other side of Araz
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| On the other side of Araz Azerbaijani: Arazın o tayında | |
|---|---|
| by Jahangir Jahangirov | |
| Composed | 1949 |
| Premiere | |
| Date | October 1949 |
| Location | Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall |
| Conductor | Niyazi |
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On the other side of Araz is a vocal-symphonic poem written by the Azerbaijani composer Jahangir Jahangirov in 1949. The work describes the events that took place in the 1940s in the Iranian Azerbaijan. This work of the composer is written on the theme of the struggle for freedom.
The vocal-symphonic poem "On the Other Side of Araz" is one of the first large-scale works of the composer Jahangir Jahangirov, which brought him the popularity. The poem for choir, soloist and symphony orchestra was written on the lyrics of the poets from the Iranian Azerbaijan Madina Gulgun and Ali Tudeh. In this work, for the first time, the tendencies that determine the main direction of the composer's work were manifested.
The epic narrative feature of Jahangir Jahangirov's music is felt at the beginning of the poem and in the auxiliary part. The programmatic idea of the composition is presented in the form of a sonata. The form in the poem is unconventional, it arises in the process of the musical images formation and is organically realized in the symphonic development.
The main part of the poem is effective and decisive. The strong-willed character of the theme is marked by string instruments and the energetic rhythm of the French horn. The Supporting Party tells the story of the people happiness who have won the freedom. The previous tone turns into a light As-major. The development section begins with a particularly poignant, harsh rhythmic theme. The organ point in "C flat" reflects the image of the forces that treacherously attack the people's power.
The premiere of the poem took place in October 1949 in Baku on the stage of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society named after Muslim Magomayev.
History[edit]
In his work, the composer Jahangir Jahangirov gravitated towards the vocal and instrumental music, the genre of mass song. Thus, his creation played an important role in the development of the Azerbaijani choral music and popular songs.[1] His cantatas, oratorios, suites, operas, concerts, vocal and symphonic works have won the sympathy of the general public.[1]
The vocal music is a special stage in the composer's work. Returning to Baku in 1946, the composer continued his musical education and work on new compositions.[2] In 1947, in connection with the 800th anniversary of the poet Nizami Ganjavi, he created two vocal works: the romance "Gul Jamalyn" and "Ghazal" for the choir.[3]
In 1948, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary since the birth of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, Jahangirov composed a song for the choir "Do not ask" (Azerbaijani: Soruşma) on the lyrics of thepoet, a dance for an orchestra of folk instruments and a sonatina for violin and piano.[2] In the same year, the song "Don't ask" was recognized as the winner of the republican competition. 1949 was a significant date in the work of the composer.[4]
The vocal-symphonic poem "On the other side of Araz" became one of the first large-scale works of Jahangirov and brought him a great popularity.[4] The poem for choir, soloist and symphony orchestra was written on the lyrics of the poets from the Iranian Azerbaijan - Madina Gulgun and Ali Tudeh. In this work, for the first time, the features that determine and develop the main direction of the composer's work were manifested.[5]
The authors of the poems talk about the events that took place in the Iranian Azerbaijan in the 1940s. At that time, people created a democratic state throwing off the yoke of the foreign rulers and local feudal lords, but this government was soon overthrown, and the previous power was restored. Many died in this struggle. Nevertheless, the people do not lose faith. Undoubtedly, the poem reflects the impressions of the composer himself from his stay in the Iranian Azerbaijan. [6]
Jahangirov's appeal to the topic of the liberation struggle is not accidental.[7] In the 1940s, this theme was reflected in the works of other composers of the USSR and Azerbaijan. During these years, Fikret Amirov's symphonic poem "In the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War" was written being dedicated to his comrade of arms, Ashraf Abbasov's symphonic poem "The day will come" based on the novel of the same name of Mirza Ibrahimov and other similar works.[6]
The work on the poem was completed in early 1949.[8] Jahangir Jahangirov was 27 years old when he wrote it. He studied in the third year of the Azerbaijan State Conservatory.[9] The vocal-symphonic poem "On the other side of Araz" was a new genre that combined the features of both symphonic and cantata-oratorio music. In this work, the national flavour of the musical language and the sincerity of emotional expressions characteristic of the work of Jahangir Jahangirov are very clearly and vividly heard.[6]
Music[edit]
Introductory part[edit]
The composer includes in the symphonic genre the vocal and symphonic fragments - chorus and solo. Thanks to this synthesis, the music becomes more convincing and understandable.[10] Jahangir Jahangirov tries to reveal the inner world of people, their feelings and emotions in the main idea of the work. The music tells the story of events in the form of an epic narrative.[6]
The epic narrative feature of Jahangir Jahangirov's music is felt at the beginning of the poem and in the auxiliary part. The epic trends in the poem are designed to link the audience with the contemporaneity. The listeners always think that the main theme here is the events of the recent, new time.[6]
The programmatic idea of the poem is presented in the form of a sonata. At the same time, the form in the poem is unconventional, it arises in the process of the formation of musical images and is organically realized in the symphonic development.[6] The opposition of the people's image and the oppressors, and the development of conflicting pictures help to reveal the content of the poem.[6]
The exposition begins with a very serious, all-encompassing introduction that leads to a melody of an active dramatic nature.[11] Music, as it was, describes the image of the powerless, oppressed people. The bassoon sound gives the sad music a slightly exhilarating the character. Humayun's fret turn, slow tempo and low register emphasize the narrative of the intro.[12]
Gripping, sad music intensifies in the second half of the intro. The progressively discordant seventh chord chain, organ point, and muted beats of the dominant bass add to the overall spirit of the intro.[12]
Gradually, towards the end of the introduction, the melody fades away, only the percussive sounds of the bass remain - this theme, conventionally referred to as "national grief", is repeated many times in the poem. It kind of reminds of the people grief and sets them up for struggle. This theme is more visible in the development of the auxiliary part. Thus, the repetition of the plot is in a sense understood as a leitmotif.
The main part of the poem contains a strong appeal. The strong-willed character of the theme is emphasized by the strings and the energetic rhythm of the French horn.
There is no contradiction between the introduction and the main party, which outwardly differ in pace and character. They are a logical consequence of each other. We can say that one theme continues another.
The theme of the main part, gradually enriched with chromaticism and auxiliary sounds, becomes more dynamic. For a long time, a simple harmony - the triad of the main degree - corresponds to a diatonic melody. The harmonic language, orchestration, and texture are becoming more complex. A new set of tools is added. Wood and brass instruments are added to stringed instruments. The composer enriches the modal-tonal plan by juxtaposing - As- major-cis-minor, D-major-h-minor, g-minor-As-major. All this leads to a strong development in the second part of the main party, which has become a symbol of the image of the people who have risen to fight. The dynamics of development weakens in the reprise of the main party.
The subsidiary party is the people image who have achieved freedom and happiness. The previous tone changes to a light As-major.
The main melody, which tells about the fulfilled dreams of people, is performed by a soloist-baritone. Jahangir Jahangirov's love for the choir is also reflected here-the soloist often joins the choir.
The auxiliary batch consists of three sections. The periodic repetition of a certain rhythm, phrase, and motives combines the lyricism and narration in an auxiliary part. Here the composer uses elements of folk songs, a characteristic sequence, variant development. At the same time, the transparent orchestration and emotional tension give the music a melodiousness.
The composer introduces the "timbre matching" in an original and interesting way. The author uses a closed-mouth singing style.
The intro theme, introduced in the middle section of the auxiliary part, once again reminds of the dark sides of the past. These thematic elements resonate, so the composer does not stop the soloist's performance and brings the listener back to the beginning of the story.
Development[edit]
The development begins with a particularly poignant and harsh rhythmic theme. The organ point in "C flat" reflects the image of the forces that treacherously attack the people power.
The three parts of the development section consistently reflect the suffering, courage, determination to fight, etc. The reduced intonation "quart" adds rigidity to the theme and completely delaminates the three parts of the development. This intonation is especially noticeable in the first part of the development. The marching episode also attracts the attention, whose theme develops canonically. It is replaced by a sad description of the people’ defeat. The groans of mothers are heard from everywhere mourning for their sons. The choir performs the sad theme of the poem’s introduction without words in a slightly modified and expanded form. Thus, the theme sounds again, reminiscent of the approach of enemies and the past hard life.
The reprise confirms the main idea of the work - the people’ will and the desire for victory. There is no supporting topic here, which can be explained by a programmatic idea. However, Jahangir Jahangirov voices in "C major" the heroic images of the poem in the code performed by the choir and ends the poem.
The musical form of the poem attracts attention by the correct division of the main material and logical development. Also, the vocal-symphonic poem has a tendency to all-round development. First of all, it is necessary to note the intonation, rhythm and harmonious affinity of the material. For example, the main theme is in the form of a code whose rhythm is used in development. The theme of the introduction is repeatedly used as a leitmotif throughout the creation.
Use of folk music[edit]
Jahangir Jahangirov widely uses the elements of mugham. For example, in the introduction one can trace a closeness to the mugham "Humayun", in the development - to "Shahnaz", in the auxiliary part - to "Rast". The influence of Azerbaijani folk music is manifested in the wide use of the organ point, melismas, sequential construction, variant development of the melodic basis, etc.
Jahangir Jahangirov does not deviate from the folk song basis skilfully using and developing intonations, rhythms and traditional modes of the native Azerbaijani music.
The composer Gara Garayev notes:
The vocal-symphonic poem "On the other side of Araz" is a work remarkable in its plot and development. This vocal-symphonic poem is as powerful as a theatrical performance.
Reaction and performance[edit]
Jahangirov completed the work on the poem in early 1949 and presented it to the public in October of the same year. In 1950, the composer published the score for the poem "On the other side of Araz".
The poem was firstly performed in October 1949 in Baku, on the stage of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society named after Muslim Magomayev, at the viewing of the works of the Azerbaijani composers by the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra under the direction of the conductor, People's Artist of the USSR, Niyazi Tagizada-Hajibeyov. The soloist was Idris Aghalarov. The Azerbaijani composers highly appreciated this work. The composer Dmitri Shostakovich specially came to Baku to listen to this poem.
Subsequently, the poem was repeatedly performed by various conductors in many republics and cities of the Soviet Union.
In 1950, the poem was performed in the Column Hall of the House of Unions in Moscow by the choir of the Radio Committee under the direction of the conductor Kuvykin and the All-Union Radio Symphony Orchestra under the artistic direction of the conductor Niyazi. The concert was attended by numerous foreign and Azerbaijani composers. The work was highly appreciated in the USSR.
In the same year, the poem "On the Other Side of Araz" and the suite "Holiday", written by Jahangirov, while still studying at the Conservatory, were performed under the direction of the conductor Nikolai Rabinovich in Leningrad. In 1950, the All-Union Radio of the USSR ordered the recording of the poem on tape for the "Golden Fund". The work was successfully recorded and a copy was transferred to the State Radio of Azerbaijan.
After a short period, the vocal-symphonic poem "On the other side of Araz" was banned in the USSR and excluded from the repertoire on the territory of the Union. For the fact that the work was dedicated to the national liberation movement of the Iranian Azerbaijan, Jahangirov was persecuted and deprived. Until 2005, the work was kept in the library of the State Radio of Azerbaijan. A video recording of the poem is now available.
Jahangir Jahangirov, impressed by the performance of his work in Moscow and Leningrad, said:
The vocal-symphonic poem "On the other side of Araz" for choir, soloist and symphony orchestra, which I completed with great difficulty and hardships in 1949, brought me a lot of joy. The orchestration of the piece was rich in the true sense of the word, and I got a great pleasure and joy from the performance of my piece in Leningrad and especially in the capital, Moscow. Conducted by Nikolai Semyonovich Rabinovich, in one word - a masterful work. I wrote the score of the poem accurately and subtly. While performing the piece in Leningrad, I once again saw the original melodic expressions and invisible intonations. Such a beautiful performance of this
poem, I think, is a great artistic success.
After watching the works of the Azerbaijani composers, Peoples Artist of the USSR Gara Garayev said about the poem "On the other side of Araz":
In the vocal-symphonic poem of the talented young composer, the modern theme is shown completely fully and vividly. Jahangir Jahangirov successfully coped with this important task.
The poem "On the other side of Araz" brought a great success to the composer, made him famous throughout the USSR. In 1950, Jahangir Jahangirov was awarded the Stalin Prize of the third degree for this work.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Guliyeva 2014, p. 49.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mehmandarova 1967, p. 50.
- ↑ National Library of Azerbaijan 2011, p. 7.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Guliyeva 2014, p. 7.
- ↑ National Library of Azerbaijan 2011, p. 4.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Guliyeva 2014, p. 78.
- ↑ Mehmandarova 1967, p. 51.
- ↑ National Library of Azerbaijan 2011, p. 10.
- ↑ Tahir Abbaslı (June 17, 2017). "Cahangir Cahangirov -ecazkar "Şəbi-hicran..." nəzmini füsunkar "Füzuli" kantatası nəğməsinə də çevirən böyük bəstəkarımız" (in azərbaycanca). medeniyyet.az. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ↑ Mehmandarova 1967, p. 49.
- ↑ Guliyeva 2014, p. 78-79.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Guliyeva 2014, p. 79.
Literature[edit]
- Leyla Guliyeva (2014). Cahangir Cahangirov. Baku: Şərq-Qərb nəşriyyatı. Search this book on
- Leyla Mehmandarova (1967). Cahangir Cahangirov. Baku: Azernashr. Search this book on
- Zemfira Safarova (2018). Azərbaycan musiqi tarixi/History of Azerbaijani music (PDF). III. Baku: "Elm" nəşriyyatı. ISBN 978-9952-514-45-2. Search this book on
- Azərbaycan Milli Kitabxanası (2011). Azərbaycan görkəmli şəxsiyyətləri / Prominent personalities of Azerbaijan. Baku: "Elm" nəşriyyatı. Search this book on
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