NEWS

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev presented an order to the prominent Kazakh poet Olzhas Suleimenov.

Report informs, that President Ilham Aliyev recalled that Olzhas Suleimenov had been presented with several high awards of Azerbaijan.

Olzhas Suleimenov also noted with satisfaction the reconstruction work carried out in the liberated territories under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev.

President Ilham Aliyev recalled that Olzhas Suleimenov had been presented with several high awards of Azerbaijan, adding that he had been awarded the “Sharaf” Order May this year in recognition of his contributions to the development of cultural ties between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, and presented the order to the prominent Kazakh poet.

On Oct. 23, MGM Resorts, the US global hospitality and entertainment company, will sell 11 works of Pablo Picasso that could bring in as much as $104 million, Report informs referring to Bloomberg.

The sale, which will take place live at the Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, and be conducted by Sotheby’s, will include paintings, works on paper, and ceramics.

The top lot is expected to be Picasso’s 1938 painting Femme au Béret Rouge-Orange, which depicts the artist’s lover and muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter, and carries an estimate of $20 million to $30 million.

The portrait of Marie-Thérèse hung above a sideboard; the 1969 painting Buste d’Homme, estimated between $10 million and $15 million, hung behind the restaurant’s bar.

And the large-scale Homme et Enfant, also from 1969 and estimated to sell between $20 million and $30 million, hung over a different sideboard in the restaurant’s lounge.

Other major works were in similarly accessible locations. The 1942 still life Nature Morte au Panier de Fruits et aux Fleurs, estimated to sell between $10 million and $15 million, hung over a banquette alongside the 1943 Nature Morte aux Fleurs et au Compotier, which has an estimate of $6 million to $8 million.

There’s also a handful of comparatively lower-priced lots. A white terra cotta pitcher from 1954 is estimated between $60,000 and $80,000; a gouache (a type of watercolor) on paper from 1967, Tête d’Homme, carries an estimate of $1.5 million to $2 million.

The Culture Ministry and Samsung Electronics have launched a new project "Journey to the Art Universe".

The project offers a fascinating virtual journey through the museum`s collections and provides more detailed information about the exhibits.

A virtual tour to the National Art Museum has been already organized as part of the project 

AZERTAC reports that the building of the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art, one of the charming architectural samples of the capital, colorful paintings on display, interesting carpets, sculptures, ceramics, art metal and other works of art were filmed in detail in an hour-long film.

Founded in 1937, National Art Museum consists of two buildings standing next to each other. Over 3,000 items in 60 rooms are on permanent display at the museum. Moreover, about 12,000 items are kept in storage.

Art connoisseurs have a chance to enjoy the best examples of decorative-applied arts of Western Europe.

Art works of Italian, French, German and Polish painters are displayed at the museum.

The second edifice built in 1885 houses Eastern art, is represented particularly by Persian, Turkish, Chinese and Japanese art.

Russian art is represented by paintings of Karl Briullov, Alexey Venetsianov, Vasily Vereshchagin, Isaac Levitan, Vladimir Makovsky, Valentin Serov, Vladimir Borovikovsky, Vasily Tropinin, Konstantin Korovin and Ivan Shishkin. There are also restored samples of Russian avant-garde.

The works of Azerbaijani artists such as Mir Mohsun Navvab, Bahruz Kangarli, Tahir Salahov, Azim Azimzade, Salam Salamzade, Vidadi Narimanbeyov, Mikail Abdullayev, Togrul Narimanbeyov and sculptor Omar Eldarov are also kept in the museum halls. 

The Culture Ministry is getting ready for Baku International Book Fair 2021.

The main purpose of the event is to promote reading habits, to familiarize readers with the national and foreign publications, as well as to create cooperation opportunities between national and foreign publishing houses.

The 7th Baku International Book Fair will mark the 880th anniversary of prominent poet and philosopher Nizami Ganjavi.

Baku International Book Fair 2021 offers a great chance to showcase and sell printed products, negotiate and conclude contracts with local and foreign publishing houses.

About 200 international companies, including representatives of  the publishing houses, printing companies, bookstores and cultural centers are expected to take part in the book fair.

The five-day book fair will feature various events for book lovers. 

Baku International Book Fair 2021 is supported by the company Caspian Event Organisers.

In 2019, Baku International Book Fair brought together 81 local and 40 foreign publishing houses, bookstores and other organizations from 22 countries. 

At the same time, a number of book presentations and book signing sessions were organized as part of the book fair. 

Azerbaijan's Culture Ministry has released a video dedicated to Juma Mosque in Baku as part of the project "Let's know our Islamic heritage".

The mosque was built in the 15th century on the site of an ancient fire temple. A magnificent minaret was constructed at the northern wall of the mosque.

The vertical minaret and the conical dome enriched the mosque's architecture with new elements.

There are small yards between the worship hall and the minarets. The most ancient part of the mosque is a square-shaped worship room.

This stylistic trend is also brilliantly reflected in the Shirvanshahs' Palace. The mosque has been rebuilt several times.

There are traces of a Zoroastrian temple at the site. Some scientists believe that the Juma Mosque was built on the remains of a temple of fire-worshippers.

Notably, the Culture Ministry has previously released videos about  Bibiheybat Mosque and Imamzadeh Mausoleum.

A series of videos provided insight into the religious monuments.

The Culture Ministry has also launched the "Know your Christian heritage" project, covering the history of state-protected churches and other temples in Azerbaijan.

The videos dedicated to the Albanian church in Sheki's Kish village, the Alban-Udi Chotari church in Gabala's Nij village, the 19th Kurmyuk temple in Gakh region, the Albanian church (Three Saints Church) and German Lutheran Church in Sheki, Orthodox church in Ganja as well as the Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral in Baku were also released as part of the project.

Azerbaijan State Film Fund has enriched its collection with Suleyman Alasgarov's photographs and booklets of his works.

The items of the outstanding composer were transferred from Moscow, Trend Life reported.

The booklets of Suleyman Alasgarov's works received by the State Film Fund were published in Moscow 40 years ago.

One of the photographs was taken in 1973 in the city of Shusha, where Suleyman Alasgarov was captured together with the People's Artist of Azerbaijan, composer Ashraf Abbasov.

The State Film Fund plans to create a personal archive fund of the People's Artist Suleyman Alasgarov.

The prominent composer wrote two operas, twelve operettas, two symphonies, the symphonic mugham "Bayati-Shiraz", overtures for the symphony orchestra, two symphonic poems, six cantatas, works in various genres for chorus and orchestra of folk instruments.

He is an author of about 200 songs and romances as well as musical compositions for documentaries and the 1964 feature film "Ulduz".

In 1951-1952, Suleyman Alasgarov headed  the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall.

Between 1954-1956, he worked as the head of the Department of Art at the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture.

From 1956 to 1958, he conducted the Azerbaijan State Orchestra of Folk Instruments.

Since 1958, he was a teacher, and from 1968 - assistant professor of the Conservatory.

In 1958-1960, Suleyman Alasgarov was an artistic director of the Republican Committee on Television and Radio Broadcasting.

Then for 11 years, he worked as the director and principal conductor of the Theater of Musical Comedy named after Shikhali Gurbanov.

Since 1970, he headed the educational and methodological council on musical and aesthetic education of the Ministry of Education of the Azerbaijan SSR. From 1991 to 2000, he was a rector of the Shusha branch of the Conservatory, created on his own initiative.

Baku Music Academy (BMA) is pleased to announce free virtual master classes for students and teachers across the country. 

The project contributes to the further partnership between the country's musical  institutions. It also provides methodological assistance for musical institutions in order to identify and solve a wide range of cultural issues. 

Baku Music Academy has received about 30 applications from the music schools in Sheki, Yevlakh, Barda and Mingachevir.

Piano and violin master classes have already been held as part of the project. The master classes were based on the preliminary listening to the students' video recordings.

During the master classes, the head of the BMA's Piano Department Nargiz Mansurova, Honorary Professor Aisha Aliyeva, doctors of Philosophy in Art history Imina Aliyeva and Sevda Mammadova, music teachers Nurana Zeynalova, Narmina Aliverdizade, Ofelia Akhundova and Anna Israfilova as well as the head of the Orchestral Instruments Department associate professors Gulnara Guliyeva, Naira Gulamova and others shared their teaching

The BMA plans to continue this initiative focused on providing methodological assistance to regional music schools and art schools from the new academic year.

Meanwhile, Baku Music Academy celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

The Academy's anniversary was solemnly marked within the 12th Gabala Music Festival that brought together the country's most talented cultural figures.

The open-air festival of classical music has been held every summer since 2009.

The Culture Ministry invites national theaters to join "4.4 Short Plays Festival". 

The Ministry calls theater workers to stage plays dedicated to Azerbaijan's victory in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War.

The festival aims at reviving the theatrical work which has stopped amid coronavirus pandemic.

"4.4 Short Plays Festival" covers not only state theaters, but also private theater groups and independent artists.

Azerbaijani citizens and persons with a permanent residence permit in the country can also take part in the competition.

There are no restrictions on the genre of performances. Alll plays should not exceed 15 minutes. The works submitted for the competition can be also presented as a film-play. Each participant can present only one play.

Those wishing to take part in the project should send a video and a an application form to the e-mail 4.4festival@teatro.az until October 15. 

The winners selected by the jury will be awarded with cash prizes. 

Rostropovich Family Museum is expected to open in Orenburg, Russia.

The opening of the museum is timed to the 95 anniversary of the outstanding musician, who influenced next generations of the cellists. 

This museum will be the first in Russia dedicated to the life and work of Mstislav Rostropovich. Now the memorial centers dedicated to maestro operate in Azerbaijan, Germany and the USA.

Born in Baku, Mstislav Rostropovich premiered over 100 pieces and formed long-standing artistic partnerships with such prominent composers as Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Henri Dutilleux, Witold Lutoslawski, Olivier Messiaen, Luciano Berio, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alfred Schnittke, Norbert Moret, Andreas Makris and Benjamin Britten.

Rostropovich is also well known for his interpretations of standard repertoire works, including Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor and Haydn's cello concerti in C and D,[citation needed] Prokofiev's Symphony-Concerto and the two cello concerti of Shostakovich.

A Grammy Award winner was considered one of the leading conductors of the West. The musician won over 50 awards during his career. 

Starting from 2007, a festival dedicated to the eminent musician is annually held in Azerbaijan.

In 2019, the 10th International Mstislav Rostropovich Festival was held in Baku.

The festival was attended by prominent public figures, representatives of diplomatic missions, famous cultural and art figures, and numerous fans of classical music.

A new musical instrument has been created in Azerbaijan.

Although the new musical instrument is similar to the tar, it differs from it in a number of features.

The idea and copyright for a new musical instrument called "RA.TAR" belong to Ramil Iskandarov, Trend Life reported.

The new tar features cow's heart membrane. The electronic tar is made of wood and it sound in a completely new way.

Ramil Iskandarov expressed his hope that "RA.TAR" will become a popular music instrument both in Azerbaijan and abroad.

Tar or a long-necked plucked lute is traditionally crafted and performed throughout Azerbaijan

It is made from mulberry, walnut and pear trees, and the face of the instrument is made from cattle heart membrane. Its strings differ by thickness and composition.

The music and craftsmanship of Azerbaijani musical instrument, tar, was inscribed in the UNESCO list in 2012.