BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 6. With the organization of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, one of the masterpieces of world classical music, the "The Legend of Love" ballet of the outstanding composer, People's Artist Arif Melikov after more than half a century is again solemnly staged in the author's homeland, Trend reports.
The "The Legend of Love" ballet will be presented on the stage of the Heydar Aliyev Palace on September 18 and 19. The performance of this ballet will create a special atmosphere of celebration on the National Day of Music, combining great music, stage production and arrangement.
The performance will be staged by famous choreographer Yury Grigorovich and by famous artist Simon Virsaladze. The ballet troupe of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, dancers of the Azerbaijan State Dance Ensemble, students of the Baku Choreographic Academy will perform in it.
The work will be performed by the Uzeyir Hajibeyli Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of People's Artist Yalchin Adigezalov.
The Heydar Aliyev Foundation prepared 250 costumes for the historical presentation, as well as decorations and props based on Simon Virsaladze's original sketches.
The libretto of Arif Melikov's "The Legend of Love" ballet is based on the "Farhad and Shirin" play by the outstanding Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet. Arif Melikov has been working on this work, consisting of 3 acts and 7 paintings, since 1958 and completed it in two years.
The premiere of the "The Legend of Love" ballet took place on March 23, 1961, at the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater (now the St. Petersburg State Academic Mariinsky Theater). The choreographer of the performance was Yury Grigorovich, the artist was Simon Virsaladze, and the conductor was Maestro Niyazi.
In July 1962, the premiere of the work took place on the stage of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.
The "The Legend of Love" ballet still conquers the world stages. The work has been repeatedly staged by outstanding choreographers in more than 60 theaters in different countries. The production was enthusiastically received in the US, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, the UK, Brazil, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Türkiye, Ukraine, Japan and other countries.
It is no coincidence that Arif Melikov's "The Legend of Love" coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, as the 90th anniversary of the outstanding composer Arif Melikov is also celebrated this year.
Heydar Aliyev highly appreciated the talent and human qualities of Arif Melikov. In turn, Arif Melikov reflected in his work the love and respect for the national leader, to whom the composer's 8th symphony entitled "Eternity" is dedicated.
Tickets for the "Legends of Love" ballet on September 18-19 will soon appear at the box offices of Baku and on the website iTicket.az.