By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan State Academic Musical Theater has amazed its audience with “If Not This One, Then That One” music comedy.

The performance of the  theater’s leading soloists, national artists Azer Zeynalov, Akram Poladov, honored artists Inara Babayeva, Farid Aliyev, Jahangir Gurbanov, Gulustan Aliyeva, Tural Aghasiyev, Alakbar Aliyev, soloists Fahmin Ahmadli, Agakhan Sharifov left no one indifferent.

The theater’s team mesmerised spectators with their vocal and acting skills.

The music comedy was conducted by Honored Art Worker Sevil Hajiyeva.

It is difficult to meet a single Azerbaijani who does not know the immortal comedy of the great composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli.

“If Not That One, Then This One” is a 1910 operetta in four acts that reflects social and everyday life relations in pre-revolutionary Azerbaijan. It is the composer’s second work written in this genre.

The music comedy has been shown for many years by various directors not only in Azerbaijan, but also in many theaters around the world.

In his work, Hajibeyli used the Azerbaijani mugham and included extracts from Fuzuli’s ghazals in the libretto.

The premiere of “If Not This One, Then That One” was held in Baku on April 25, 1911, at the Mayilov brothers’ theater (today’s Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater).

The main roles were performed by Mirzaagha Aliyev as Mashadi Ibad, Huseyngulu Sarabski as Sarvar, Ahmed Agdamski as Gulnaz, and M. Teregulov as Hasan bey.

The musical was conducted by Uzeyir Hajibeyli. The libretto of the comedy was first published in Baku in 1912 by the Orujov brothers’ printing house.

The musical comedy has been successfully staged in Turkey, Iran, Bulgaria and other countries.

In 1956, Huseyn Seyidzade shot the movie “If Not This One, Then That One”. The film criticized backward traditions and celebrated emerging modern lifestyles. It was translated into many languages and within the next three years was shown in more than 40 countries.

“If Not This One, Then That One” film is considered one of the most famous and successful cinematographic pieces in the history of Azerbaijan’s movie industry.

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