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Music of the Caucasus [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc.]

Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 7:53 pm
by mballan
Rekindling my previous postings on the music of Azerbaijan - I have collectively created this thread which will cover all composers from that region of the Russian Federation.

And to start: Georgiy Zakharevich Burshtein. Born 1907, Zhitomir: died 1966, Baku. Azerbaijan composer. Graduated in 1931 from Baku Conservatoire, composition class of Karagichev. From 1928-30 worked to support the development of composers in Azerbaijan; from 1930-32 as a teacher with a Baku music school, and from 1934-35 as music editor of Azerbaijan radio. In 1935 he took up a position as choirmaster for Azerbaijan Opera and Ballet school. From 1938 taught harmony and orchestration at the Azerbaijan Conservatoire, and during the war years also acted as choirmaster for the Soviet Army of Transcaucasian Front. Piano works include:

o Nine Fugues (1929)
o Piano Sonata (1931)
o Fantasia on themes from the opera “A Blind Man’s Son” by U Gadzhibekov (1939 rev. 1955)
o Fantasia on themes from the opera “Shakh Ismail” by M Magomayev (1952)

I have posted the Fantasia on themes from “A Blind Man’s Son” by Gadzhibekov. Unfortunately the copy was extremely yellowed and fragile so apologies for the heavy shading.

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=bd21 ... a955f98962

Malcolm

Re: Music of the Caucasus [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc.]

Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:13 pm
by mballan
Tofig Kuliyev [Guliyev]. Born 1917, Baku: died 2000, Baku. Azerbaijan composer. He entered the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire in 1934, and his conducting activities started the following year whilst working in the Azerbaijan State Drama Theatre. Starting from 1938, he was much involved in collection of folk music and recorded folk songs, dances and mugams, creating a very valuable contribution towards the study of Azerbaijan folk music. Hajibeyov guided him to go to study at the Moscow Conservatoire where he developed a keen interest in more popular music, in particular, jazz. He created the first State Pops Orchestra in 1939, and so became one of the founders of Azerbaijan jazz. Owing to the disruption of WWII, he later returned to study at the Moscow Conservatoire in 1948. At that time he entered both composition and conducting classes followed then by post-graduate studies [he graduated in 1954]. Kuliyev began teaching from 1954; he led the opera and orchestra classes at the Azerbaijan State Conservatoire and from 1958-1961 was Director of Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society. Kuliyev headed the Azerbaijan Composer’s Union from 1969 - 1979 as First Secretary, and he was elected Chairman of the board in 1990, holding this position until his death. Kuliyev was noted for his numerous songs which gained considerable global popularity. Piano works include:

o Two Preludes (1960)
o Gaytaghi [Lezginka](1984)
o Jamilia’s Album (1995) 1. Riding My Bicycle 2. Mourning 3. Lezginska 4. Berceuse 5. Motor Engine 6. Lyrical Waltz
7. Dance 8. On the Lake 9. Skipping Rope 10. Strolling 11. Fairytale 12. March
o Variations
o Sen Menim Men Senin
o Gamly Mahny
o Lyric Mahny [Penjereme]
o Ilk Bahar

A site dedicated to the composer can be found at: http://tofiqquliyev.musigi-dunya.az/en/biography.html

I have posted the Two Preludes from 1960.
Kuliyev T - Two Preludes (1960).pdf
Some further scores are apparently available through the above site, but I also hope to post the Lezginka and Jamilia’s Album shortly.

Malcolm

Re: Music of the Caucasus [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc.]

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 1:30 am
by caostotale
Allow me to repost some old favorites from the last forum.

Eduard Aslanovich Abramian [Abrahamyan] - Born 1923: died 1986. Armenian composer, pianist, and Professor of Music at the Yerevan State Conservatory in Armenia. He wrote many pieces for the piano including 24 preludes. His art songs written on the poems of Armenian poets Hovhannes Tumanyan and Avetik Issakian, became part of the standard repertoire. In addition to the preludes (composed over a 20-year period and compiled in 1976) and his sonata (published in 1957), he composed a piano concerto (also published in 1957) and a set of dance/march pieces.
Abramian - 24 Preludes.rar
Abramian - Sonata no. 1.pdf

Re: Music of the Caucasus [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc.]

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:24 am
by kh0815
Very impressive new thread, thanks, Malcolm! Some six years ago, I visited Baku where I really could discover a small music shop (the most central of and in Azerbaijan, I suppose) with a more than modest choice of piano sheet music. I purchased all the (few) items of my interest at that time. As soon as I detect that petty bunch, I'll let you know.

Re: Music of the Caucasus [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc.]

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:40 am
by ilu
What about:

Karen Surenovich Khachaturian, nephew of Aram Khachaturian, was born in Moscow on 19 September 1920.
His studies under Litinsky at Moscow Conservatory were interrupted by a term of duty in the entertainment division of the Red Army. Resuming his studies in 1945, he worked with Shostakovich and Myaskovsky.
In addition to the Violin Sonata (1947), his works include a cello sonata (1966), a string quartet (1969, two symphonies (1955 and 1968) and a ballet, Chippolino (1973), as well as various other orchestral works and music for the theater.

Rhythmic drive and a careful and idiomatic use of his instrumental forces characterize his compositions. He adopts a primarily tonal approach to composition. His works have been recorded by some of the greatest artists of the 20th century, including David Oistrakh, Jascha Heifetz, Mstislav Rostropovitch, and Vladimir Yampolsky.

I hope that some PP Member can post some of his music, sounds interesting ( if copyright allows ).
ILU

Re: Music of the Caucasus [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc.]

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:24 am
by rob
Ilu

Karen Khachaturian may well still be alive! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Khachaturian

Re: Music of the Caucasus [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc.]

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:24 am
by Richard0428
Karen Khachaturian actually wrote FOUR symphonies, and they're rather good; there's a pair of CDs of them (recorded from concert performances) available on an obscure Russian label which can (or at least could) be bought cheaply from one of the Russian CD dealers on Ebay. In my view they're better than Aram's three, the fourth and last flirting atmospherically with chromatic, almost atonal harmony.

Re: Music of the Caucasus [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc.]

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:10 pm
by ilu
Thank you for the info.

ILU

Re: Music of the Caucasus [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc.]

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:53 pm
by mballan
Ilu.....Karen Khatchaturian is, to my knowlegde, alive and breathing, hence still much in copyright [a number of his works are published by Sikorski, who I really don't want to tangle with]. Strangely I have never come across his piano works at all in my researches.

As promised.......two final works by Tofik Kuliyev: the Lezginka
Kuliyev T - Lezginka.pdf
and Jamila's Album.
Kuliyev T - Jamila's Album.pdf
Apologies, some of the pages on Jamila's Album have become extremely faded, although I have tried to improve as I scanned [rather disturbing since the print run was apparently only in 1996]!!

Malcolm

Re: Music of the Caucasus [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia etc.]

Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 2:04 am
by ilu
Malcolm:

Thanks for your comment, I also can not get any of his piano scores...yet, but lets keep trying.

A question? Is lezginka a kind of Arabic dance?

ILU