Uzeyir Hajibayli’s mugham opera “Leyli and Majnun” in the context of the world musical culture

Abstract

The beginning of the twentieth century was marked by a very important and significant event in the cultural life of Azerbaijan. In 1907, Uzeyir Hajibayli wrote the opera “Leyli and Majnun”. It was the first opera in the East. A new genre, mugham opera, was born. It was the first opera based on national folklore. Mugham is the principal musical material of the opera. It has been performed for more than a century, but still, the opera is popular and loved by the public. Moreover, it won love and recognition all over the world and is successfully performed in different countries. What is the secret of its popularity? I would like to emphasize three components, among many factors:
1) It is mugham itself – a genre that unites all Near and Middle East nations
and is admired by them.
2) It is a brilliant self-titled poem written by Fuzuli that describes the tragic story of two lovers. This theme is one of the favorite themes of the East. Academician Ignatiy Yulianovich Krachkovsky wrote: “Majnun and Leyli in the East are better known than Romeo and Juliet in the West.” There are over 40 poems dedicated to this theme in the written literature of the East, with the poems by Nizami, Nava’i, and Fuzuli being the most outstanding. Fuzuli’s “Leyli and Majnun” stands out by the beauty of its lyrics. It is emphasized by the beautiful ghazals the author wrote to enrich his poem. The poetry of the East is distinguished by the beauty of its melodic lyrics. It was born from music, and Fuzuli’s ghazals prove this. Every event described in the poem is accompanied by a relevant ghazal. The ghazals add extraordinary melody to the poem, and it’s not surprising that Uzeyir Hajibayli, an outstanding Azerbaijani composer, used particularly Fuzuli’s poem for his opera. 3) Last but not least, it is great Uzeyir Hajibayli, who could combine all these factors and create a truly brilliant work with superb and unique music. Uzeyir Hajibayli’s deep knowledge of Fuzuli’s poetry, shown in a very delicate and meticulous work with the poetic source, contributed to the creation of an integral dramatic work.