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Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijan's public and cultural figures have paid tribute to the outstanding composer, People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of the State Prizes of the USSR and Azerbaijan, Gara Garayev (1918-1982), Azernews reports.

This year marks the 107th anniversary of the birth of the prominent composer.

Deputy Culture Minister, People's Artist Murad Huseynov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Composers' Union, People's Artist Frangiz Alizade, Vice-Rector of the Baku Music Academy, People's Artist Yegana Akhundova, composers Tural Mammadli and Ilaha Gismat highlighted Gara Garayev's contribution to national music.

They pointed out that Gara Garayev was an innovative composer who opened new paths with his work, recognized on a national and universal scale.

The premiere of each of his works became a special significant event in the musical life, a holiday, a turning point in the Azerbaijani culture. The works of the world-famous composer were successfully performed at major musical events in most of the republics of the former USSR, the USA, Poland, Egypt, Spain, Italy, France, Japan, Germany and other countries.

Gara Garayev's creativity covers all genres, the composer's works are included in the treasury of world musical culture.

The ballets "Seven Beauties" based on the poem of the same name by Nizami and "The Path of Thunder" based on the libretto by the novel by South African writer Peter Abrahams created by the composer were successfully staged in many countries around the world.

Gara Garayev's First Symphony occupies an important place among the works in this genre created in Azerbaijan. Such works as the symphonic engravings "Don Quixote", the symphonic poem "Leyli and Majnun" based on the work of Nizami, "Vietnamese Suite" are valuable pages of the composer's work. He created music for many films, including "Conquerors of the Sea", "Golden Echelon", "The Tale of the Caspian Oilmen", "On the Distant Shores" and others. Gara Garayev is the author of the opera "Motherland" (together with Jovdet Gadzhiev) and the mono-opera "Tenderness" based on the work of the French writer Henri Barbusse.

The composer turned to the genre of chamber instrumental music, his cycle of 24 preludes, sonata for violin and piano, string quartets gained great fame.

The romances "I loved you" and "On the hills of Georgia" created by Gara Garayev based on the poems of Alexander Pushkin, the cantatas "Song of the heart", "Song of happiness" are wonderful examples of Azerbaijani music.

The composer's daughter, director of the Gara Garayev House-Museum, pianist and teacher Zuleikha Garayeva-Baghirova expressed gratitude to the participants of the event for their attention to the memory and creative heritage of her father.