Legend of Azerbaijani Music: 93 Years Since the Birth of Arif Melikov

Today, September 13, marks the 93rd anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Azerbaijani composer, People's Artist Arif Melikov. Arif Jahangir oglu Melikov was born in 1933 in Baku. In 1960, he graduated from the Azerbaijan State Conservatory named after Uzeyir Hajibekov, studying composition under Gara Garayev.

As BAKU.WS reminds, from that same year A. Melikov began teaching at the conservatory, where he worked as a professor and head of the composition department until the end of his life. A. Melikov's work is distinguished by a unique combination of national musical traditions with the achievements of 20th-century music, which allowed him to become one of the most progressive composers of his time.

The works of Arif Melikov are characterized by high ideological depth, profound content, and vivid emotional-psychological expression of imagery. The composer gained worldwide fame with his first major ballet "The Legend of Love," created to a libretto by the famous Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet.

Another significant success was the ballet "A Poem of Two Hearts," based on a work by Uzbek writer Sh. Rashidov. This ancient Eastern legend about the dancer Komde and the singer Modan was elevated by the composer to philosophical heights, becoming a symbol of the eternity and power of art.

By his creative nature, Arif Melikov was first and foremost a symphonist. His works reflect a constant search for new forms and structural solutions, demonstrating the breadth and versatility of the composer's talent.

The music of Arif Melikov has been performed in many countries around the world, including Russia, the USA, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Turkey, Brazil, Austria, Norway, Finland, Italy, Egypt, Thailand, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia.

A. Melikov also made a significant contribution to cinema, composing music for such films as "The Magic Robe" (1964), "Twenty-Six Baku Commissars" (1966), "The Legend of Love" (1969), "The Last Pass" (1971), "Haji Gara" (2002), "Mountain Bread" (2007), and "Maestro" (2002).

In 2016, the complete collection of Arif Melikov's musical scores was published in 28 volumes, which became a true gift for admirers of his work.

Arif Melikov received the title of professor in 1979, and from 1982 he headed the composition department at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory. The great composer passed away in 2019 at the age of 86 and was buried in the Alley of Honorable Burial in Baku, leaving behind an extraordinarily rich musical legacy.