1920-1939 | 1939-1956 | 1956-1974 | 1974-1991 | 1991- 2002

Hajibeyov Azerbaijan State Conservatoire, now Baku Musical Academy, is 85. Azerbaijan Musical Institution had a thorny path. However, there were achievements and success. Conservatoire assisted to develop national musical culture. It gained authority and recognition far outside the republic.

People's Conservatoire, the direct predecessor of Azerbaijan State Conservatoire, was opened according to decision of People's Commissariat on Education of May 25, 1920. They accepted thousand students, desired to study music without any exams. It was aimed "to popularize music arts among working population."

The ancestor of new ways to develop Azerbaijan music Uzeir Hajibeyov understood necessity of other institution establishment. It should be aimed to special musical education. Uzeir Hajibeyov reported to People's Commissariat on Education in details. This report was the program and charter of the new institution, and Uzeir Hajibeyov became its legal founder. So, Conservatoire was founded by the Governmental Decree signed by People's Commissariat Chairman N. Narimanov and People's Commissar on Education D. Buniyzat-zadeh on August 2,1921.

Conservatoire included three traditional stages of musical education: primary, secondary, and higher. The latter was named Musical Academy. Its role was to manage the system of professional music education in the country.

Hajibeyov's charter was based on the structure of Moscow and St. Petersburg Conservatoires. However, his object was more comprehensive and necessary task from the historical point of view. He said "this task would give us approach to our eastern folk music from scientific and theoretical side. It should enlighten the problem." That time Hajibeyov submitted theoretical problem to interrelate music cultures of the East and the West. This problem became essential for the music culture of XX century. And now it is the same for XXI century, as well.

Uzeir Hajibeyov solved this problem hardily and actively within 1920th. He initiated the Eastern Department headed by himself. There were two teaching methods. One of them was traditional: "oral" play on folk instruments. Another was based on traditional written European system. The composer thoroughly elaborated the second method. He taught to read music for tar, and created the first models of repertoire for this instrument by himself. Violinist L. Bretanitsky taught to play kemancha in musical notation.

It was one of Hajibeyov's most pioneering decisions. It involved folk instruments into development of composers' creation. And it became the general way of national music culture. That time there were conservative musicians. They considered musical notation to level national peculiarity of Azerbaijani music. However, Hajibeyov was uncompromising and consequently realized his organizational and creative idea. It is significant that later other Conservatoires: in Kiev, Tashkent, Alma-ata, and Moscow Gnesins Institute opened the similar departments of folk music instruments.

Other important Hajibeyov's innovation: starting from 1925, he taught in "Classes of studying the eastern music." From this year he started to create his classical theoretical book "Principles of Azerbaijani folk music." It was issued in 1945.

So, due to Hajibeyov's creative ideas and practical efforts, State Conservatoire became Azerbaijan one not only for geographical location, but also for educational orientation.

There has appeared an actual and complicated problem at the first decade of Conservatoire's existence. It was to train actively national music specialists. There was minimal number of Azerbaijan students.

U.Hajibeyov's wisdom could solve the problem as usual. He created Azerbaijan Turkic musical school afterwards reorganized in Musical college. He headed this college, where they admitted mainly Azerbaijan students, by himself. At the first year of being 350 of 383 students were Azerbaijanis. Famous in future musicians have started education there: composers Asaf Zeinalli and Said Rustamov, conductor A. Hasanov, musicologist Kh. Agayeva, and others. Memorable event was a performance of musical comedy "Arshin Mal Alan", by power of School's students. Author conducted the performance himself.

The school ceased its existence in 1926 amalgamating with Conservatoire. National composition of students significantly enriched. Conservatoire's structure was transformed in 1928-1929. Two stages separated from it. And there have appeared the network of musical institutions in the republic. From that time Conservatoire was the only higher musical institution. This structure in total is the same in nowadays.

Professors L.Ab and B.V.Karagichev with studens of different specialties (1928)

Conservatoire carried out both educational and artistic functions. That is why its superior body - the Board - was named as Artistic Board.

There was carried out the task of great importance: to collect, record, and process Azerbaijani folk song. Ateacher invited from Russia, participated in this job, as well. However, edition of the first collection "Azerbaijani folk songs" in 1927 became the especial event in musical life. Its authors were U.Hajibeyov and M. Magomayev. Their creative work clearly demonstrated possibility to amalgamate Azerbaijan tune-inflexion system with European major-minor key system that was formed in European music through centuries.

Non-Azerbaijan musicians mainly carried out education process in Conservatoire within 1930th. Many of them arrived to Baku from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Saratov. There were among them: - cellist L.V.Rostropovich (father of Mstislav Rostropovich, future first cellist in the world); - pianist G.Sharoev (its name was given to one of Baku musical schools); - composer and theorist L.Rudolf; - oboist V.Knyazkov; - French horn player and theorist S.Berolsky, etc.

Teachers and students of Conservatoire (1930)

Later new teachers joined them: - pianist M. R. Brenner, who created one of the pianist schools in Azerbaijan; - musicologist and theorist N. S. Chumakov, the initiator of the Azerbaijan musicologists school; - composers B. I. Zeydman, F. Amirov's tutor, S. Hajibeyov, J. Jahangirov, A. Rzayev, H. Rzayev. R. Mustafayev, and others.

Conservatoire's management was instable those years.

The first rectors were pianists L. Pressman, I. Aceberg. Later other persons substituted them. However, U.Hajibeyov was the soil and real leader of Conservatoire. He guided it along repeated development way of Azerbaijani music culture. He courageously and effectively carried out synthesis of national classic traditions with basic features of European composer creation.

He said: "Do we, Azerbaijan Turks, need waste our time, energy, and meas to learn general music? In other words, to study European music?" "Yes, - he responded, - It is needed and necessary, for learning European music we:

- firstly, study this art, which was developed for centuries, and gave a number of geniuses. No one nation pretending to be cultural, could be outside, because their creative works have universal international importance. They are powerful forces to develop mankind…

- secondly, learning general music would bring us knowledge that sensible and rational music influences greatly to aesthetic and intellectual capacity of human being…

- thirdly, learning general music, we, Azerbaijan Turks, join to human culture…

- fourthly, learning general music and moving correctly, Azerbaijan population could reveal its implicit talent in musical sphere."

U.Hajibeyov underlined "Nobody could deny that Azerbaijani in total is musical folk with healthy aesthetic instinct. They need only to be oriented in proper way."