Azernews.Az

The grand presentation of the famous composer Arif Malikov's "Legend of Love" ballet at the Heydar Aliyev Palace is several hours away, Azernews reports.

On September 18 - National Music Day, the opening ceremony of the XV Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture will be with the world-conquering ballet "The Legend of Love".

Preparations for the ballet, which will be performed on the stage of the Heydar Aliyev Palace, have been going on for a long time, and rehearsals for the performance have been held in Baku for more than a month.

The "Legend of Love" staged in the composer's homeland after many years featured the artists of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and the Azerbaijan State Dance Ensemble, as well as soloists invited from foreign theaters.

On September 18, Princess Mehmene Banu, will be performed by the leading soloist of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, laureate of international competitions of ballet artists, presidential award winner Ayan Eyvazova, Farhad will be performed by the premiere of the famous Russian "Bolshoi" Theater, laureate of international competitions of ballet artists, Denis Rodkin, and Shirin will be performed by the leading soloist of the Bolshoi theater, laureate of international competitions of ballet artists, Maria Vinogradova.

For the historical presentation, more than 200 costumes, as well as decorations and props, were prepared by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation based on the original sketches of the artist Simon Virsaladze.

This presentation will amaze the audience with its great music, stage setting, and design.

Arif Malikov composed the ballet "Legend of Love" to the libretto written by the well-known Turkish poet Nazim Hikmat based on the drama "Farhad and Shirin". The premiere of the ballet was held on March 23, 1961, at the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater (now St. Petersburg State Academic Maria Theater). Ballet master Yuri Grigorovich, artist Simon Virsaladze, conductor of the play was maestro Niyazi. In July 1962, the premiere of the work was held on the stage of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

The ballet master-directors of the presentation on September 18 and 19 are Yuri Grigorovich's assistant, Ruslan Pronin, chief ballet master of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, and Oksana Tsvetnitskaya, Grigorovich's other assistant.

The mysterious music of Arif Malikov will be performed by the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli, conducted by People's Artist of Azerbaijan Yalchin Adigozelov.

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