I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: at the same time
as there are people who seem continually to predict the demise
of the recorded music industry or at least its ever further
concentration on the so-called “core” repertoire, there are
companies who delight in expanding our knowledge of music by
exploring, discovering and recording the rare or the completely
unknown. The standard-bearer in this laudable enterprise is
Naxos which does the truly sterling work in shedding light on
the most unusual works. Whilst those on this disc may not be
world premieres how easy would it be to find them elsewhere
I wonder. In an interesting interview recently Klaus Heymann,
founder of Naxos, while conceding that he has accepted that
he cannot record everything in Grove, much as he’d like to,
he’s happy to continue to push the musical boundaries ever further.
I, for one, applaud that sentiment. He has a lot to go at since
he pointed out that the estimate is that since the Middle Ages
around 2 million hours of music has been written whilst a mere
100,000 hours (!) of that has been recorded.
It was the humorist George Mikes who said that composers could
be divided and then sub-divided into categories such as first
rate, second rate first rate, first rate second rate, second
rate second rate and so on, and that on such a scoring system
Bach would be first rate, while Brahms might be classed as second
rate first rate. I can imagine a lot of argument ensuing in
the world of music over who was placed where! While, if using
such a system, the composers represented on this disc may not
be placed anything like as highly as Brahms, they are certainly
worth hearing and produced some exciting music everyone can
enjoy.
From the liner-notes I have learned something about the music
of Azerbaijan: that it is particularly known for the mugam
a centuries-old highly improvisatory form of art music and that
the works on this disc have managed to incorporate the principles
of this form into the western musical tradition to produce something
both “worlds” can relate to. This is, in part due to the contribution
of Soviet composers such as Reinhold Glière who was sent to
republics like Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, as a “music development
helper” to assist in creating a modern native classical music
and for which he received an award from the Azerbaijani Republic
in 1934. In mugam the performers consist of a hanende
ensemble: tar, a plucked double-chested lute-like instrument
widely used in Middle-Eastern art music, a bowed string instrument
called kemancha and a tambourine-playing singer, the
hanende.
The first concerto on the disc is the result of a collaboration
between the composer Fikret Amirov and the pianist Elmira Nazirova
- the inspiration behind Shostakovich’s 10th symphony
in which the composer musically encrypted her name in the third
movement – you really do learn something every day! In this
concerto the piano is cast in the role of the hanende,
carrying the “story”, and not only does it successfully marry
the traditions of Azerbaijani mugam with the western
musical idiom, it further incorporates several Arabian themes
that Amirov collected on visits to Arab countries where he was
struck by the similarities with native Azerbaijani themes. Those
Arabian-sounding themes appear right at the start of the concerto,
introduced by the orchestra and quickly taken up by the piano.
They are themes you can immediately recall as the tunes weave
and turn; think belly dancer and you will get the idea, and
one is also reminded of Khachaturian’s Gayaneh as well
as his music from Spartacus - though Azerbaijanis would
probably be incensed that anyone should compare their music
with that created in Armenia. In short all the music on the
disc is unashamedly romantic, and why not. What is evident is
that the composers are great at spinning a tune and masters
at arranging them for an orchestra. The first movement is a
lively and colourful statement of these Arabian themes which
is followed by a more sombre mood in the second where there
is plenty of drama, only for that mood to be dispelled in the
final movement where the themes from the beginning of the concerto
are restated in a conversation between piano and orchestra leading
to a pulsating, energetic and exciting climax.
We remain in the same sound-world in the next work, Adigezalov’s
4th piano concerto; in fact if you didn’t know you
could be forgiven for thinking you were still listening to the
same concerto as before. This should not be construed as a criticism,
except, perhaps of the listener, simply as a result of being
unused to the sounds involved. Adigezalov, according to the
notes, was an extremely prolific composer who studied composition
with Kara Karayev who is, perhaps better known in “the West”.
His works cover just about every musical genre from oratorios
and cantatas to film music, including four symphonies and concertos
for violin and cello as well as for piano. Once again the predominant
sounds are firmly recognisable, even for western ears, as emanating
from the Middle East and very lovely they are too. I was often
reminded of Richard Adinsell’s Warsaw Concerto but I
don’t mean it in a pejorative way though I know those who are
“sniffy” about that work are so because they regard it as too
“simplistic” but why do things have to be complicated to be
more highly regarded? I am saying this because it is true that
these works are uncomplicated and lack the degree of complexity
that some regard as proof that a work is worthy. If you are
not in that camp I urge you to give this disc a try as you will
find much to enjoy if you appreciate a good tune well played
and will find yourself humming several of the themes well after
the disc is over.
To this heady mix of western musical traditions and Azerbaijani
folk rhythms the composer Tofig Guliyev adds American jazz and
this is very evident in his piece Gaytagi – dance for piano
and orchestra which he originally wrote in 1958 for piano
alone, orchestrating it in 1980 and quite brilliantly I must
say. This exuberant piece explodes from the very beginning -
think of John Adams’ Short ride in a fast machine seen
through a Middle Eastern prism - and would make a superb encore
piece with which to respond to an audience’s applause and it
would be sure to delight them into answering with more and even
louder clapping. It is great fun and even involves a resounding
Hey! from the players seconds before the final notes.
The penultimate work on this fascinating disc is written and
played by composer/pianist Farhad
Badalbeyli, the pianist on all the other piano works apart
from Adigezalov’s concerto. His work The Sea for piano and
orchestra is even more reminiscent of the Warsaw Concerto
with its lush and romantic scoring, full of sumptuous sounds
that truly evoke the sea in its most majestic and attractive
mood. The tumbling notes perfectly describe the sunlit lapping
waves, with harp joining in to help describe it petering out
suddenly at its close. The last work on the record is a piece
of vocalise, also by Badalbeyli but without his pianistic input.
It is entitled Shusha, the name of an ancient Azerbaijani
city from which most of the country’s musicians and composers
have sprung, including Fikret Amirov and the composer’s father,
and which remains a symbol of the country’s artistic heritage.
The piece is a sad lament for it following its capture in 1992
by Armenian forces, and ends with the only words in it “Where
are you Shusha, ah my sunny Shusha?” It is sung by Joan
Rodgers whose crystal clear soprano voice is absolutely perfect
for this style of singing in which the voice becomes a true
instrument soaring above the orchestra in a wonderfully evocative
way and making the piece a powerful statement of regret felt
by Azerbaijanis over their loss of a centre of their culture.
The playing by both pianists on the disc is faultless and the
orchestra’s contribution shows that it has got inside the sound
world as if “to the manner born”. This disc is a brilliant introduction
to the classical music of Azerbaijan and anyone interested in
exploring this little known corner of our musical world should
hear it and they will find some romantic treasures that reward
repeated listening and at the famously keen Naxos price represents
no risk at all. I loved it.
Steve Arloff
See also review
by Rob Barnett
Farhad Badalbeyi (piano) 
