Opera – (Italian – essay, work, labor, occupation) – is one of the most complex types of theatrical art.
The opera’s homeland is Italy. It was created as part of a mystery-religious spectacle. Thus, the musical part of the mystery was called an opera. For the first time in Bevery’s religious comedy The Return of St. Paul (1480), music and opera were given an important place, and throughout the performance the events were accompanied by music from beginning to end.
In the middle of the 16th century, attempts to include mono in musical performances gave impetus to the rapid development of opera. The authors of these attempts called their musical-dramatic works drama in musica or drama per musica: the name “opera” began to be used in the middle of the XVII century. However, some opera composers (Richard Wagner) later returned to the name of “musical drama”.
The first opera house for the general public was opened in 1637 in Venice. Until now, opera was considered only palace entertainment. Jacopo Perry’s Laurel, written in 1597, is considered the first major opera. After Italy, the opera genre began to spread to other European countries. Heinrich Schutz (“Laurel” in 1627) in Germany, “Cumberland” in France (“La Pastorale” in 1647), and Pierrell in England are considered pioneers of opera.
In the opera, theatrical drama combines orchestral music and vocals. This type of art combines various artistic means: solo and choral performances, different ensembles, symphony orchestra, elements of fine arts (costumes, decorations, etc.), ballet.
Operas, in which ballet scenes also play an important role, are called opera-ballets. This type of opera was widespread in France in the 17th and 18th centuries (Ramo’s “Elegant India”) and is sometimes found in later times (for example, Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Mlada”).
The staff of the opera includes soloist, choir, orchestra, military orchestra and organ. In the opera, the voices are mainly divided into two parts – male and female voices. In turn, there are types. Soprano, metso-soprano, contralto are female sounds, and countertenor, tenor, baritone and bass are male sounds.
It consists of operas, pictures, scenes and performances. Acts begin with a prologue and end with an epilogue.
Recitative, ariozo, songs, arias, duets, trios, quartets, ensembles are parts of opera, overture, introduction, intermissions, pathomima, melodrama, marches, and ballet music are symphonic forms.
Opera art began to take shape in Azerbaijan at the beginning of the last century.
The foundation of opera art in Azerbaijan was laid on January 12, 1908 (25) by the genius Uzeyir Hajibeyli at the H.Z. Tagiyev Theater.
It was staged with Leyli and Majnun, the first opera of the Muslim world.
The building of the theater was built in 1910 by the famous civil engineer Bayev. On October 18, 1918, the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) decided to buy this building and officially turn it into a state theater, and the history of the State Opera House dates back to that time.
For a long time, ie before the establishment of the Soviet power in Azerbaijan, our national opera, thanks to the works of U. Hajibeyov – “Sheikh Sanan” (1909, opera), “Husband and wife” (1909, operetta), “Rustam and Sohrab” (1910, opera ), “Let it be, let it be” (1911, operetta), “Farhad and Shirin” (1911, opera), etc. – lived and developed. In the following years, Zulfugar Hajibeyov (“Ashig Garib” 1916), Muslim Magomayev (“Shah Ismail” 1919), Afrasiyab Badalbeyli (“Nizami” 1948), Fikret Amirov (“Sevil” 1955) and other prominent composers also contributed to the national opera. . The works of the mentioned authors, especially U.Hajibeyov, are still in the repertoire of the National Opera and Ballet Theater.
The theater has received the status of Academic Theater since 1959.
Many world-famous artists have performed on the stage of the Opera and Ballet Theater at different times – Fyodor Shalyapin, Leonid Sobinov, Valery Barsov, Irina Arkhipova, Yelena Obraztsova, Maria Bieshu, Maya Plisetskaya, Vyacheslav Gordeyev, Zurab Sotkilava, Vladislav Pyavko, Vladislav Pyavko Zakharova and b. He spoke and still speaks today.