Qabala is concluding its sixth international music festival today. Azerbaijani pianist and composer Farhad Badalbeyli, its founder and head, described the festival and its participants in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza.
- What is the sixth festival memorable for?
- It is memorable for meeting two great new groups. They are the wonderful Kiev soloists of the chamber ensemble and the Johannesburg Orchestra – a very interesting group with history, [pianist and conductor Anton] Rubenstein and [pianist Vladimir] Gorovits played with them. They have distinguished themselves here, performing works of Tchaikovsky, Rakhmaninov – all in one rehearsal. They are very professional musicians. The ballet from Israel was very interesting, it was staged with music of [composer Kara] Karayev. They were trying very hard. It was very interesting. We will have a meeting with our musicians and Israeli jazzmen.
- What genres can be seen at the festival besides classical music?
- Its ballet, mugham. We believe that it is interesting. Any good music has the right to be at such a festival.
- Representatives of which countries are taking part in the festival this year?
- Israel, Ukraine, Russia, America, Spain…
- How does this festival differ from its predecessors?
- First of all, its performers. This year we seem to have fewer stars but more opportunities for young musicians, ours and foreign. There were very interesting new talents. Very good violinists from Azerbaijan, Spain. In general, the festival has such features – classical, jazz, folk – all the best in music.
- Considering that the festival is being organized for the sixth year in a row, can we say that the Qabala Festival has become one of the main platforms setting a tone for world music?
- We get many requests for invitations. This year, the very interesting Vienna Ensemble of Chamber Music asked the Azerbaijani embassy to allow it to join the festival. We get many such requests from various countries. Next year we will invite [Russian opera singer] Anna Netrebko. She will arrive with her husband, our compatriot [tenor] Yusif Eyvazov. It will be very interesting, because she is a world star.
But there is a problem of expenses. Big orchestras – the Vienna and the Berlin ones – cost millions. They rest in the summer and our festival is in the summer. But there are many fascinating orchestras, including the orchestra from Johannesburg that performed with a most interesting program at the Qabala Festival.
- Is the local population interested, considering that Qabala is not the capital?
- We had a performer who said: “Fantastic, I performed a concert at Carnegie Hall last year, they clap after the first part there, they do not clap here. Does it turn out that the audience here is smarter than in Carnegie hall?” It is just that there is an enlightenment moment here. Before every performance, especially in a chamber hall, a lecturer speaks. He speaks about the composers, about the works, in the Azerbaijani language, i.e. he brings audience into the world of the music that will be performed. It is much easier to hear music when the audience is prepared. People started talking less on the telephone, talking less during the concert. Those are very positive changes. People with families arrive from districts by car. The tendency is positive. So the work should doubtlessly continue.
- Have there been any improvisations, joint performances this year?
- Yes. Our and Israeli ones. Our jazzmen make many appearances with different musicians and always achieve great success. Mira Avad – one of the most notable singers of Israel – will perform, she is Palestinian and sings in Arabic. That is an improvisation. We will see how it goes at 1.00am.
Says Farhad BadalbeyliQabala is concluding its sixth international music festival today. Azerbaijani pianist and composer Farhad Badalbeyli, its founder and head, described the festival and its participants in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza.- What is the sixth festival memorable for?- It is memorable for meeting two great new groups. They are the wonderful Kiev soloists of the chamber ensemble and the Johannesburg Orchestra – a very interesting group with history, [pianist and conductor Anton] Rubenstein and [pianist Vladimir] Gorovits played with them. They have distinguished themselves here, performing works of Tchaikovsky, Rakhmaninov – all in one rehearsal. They are very professional musicians. The ballet from Israel was very interesting, it was staged with music of [composer Kara] Karayev. They were trying very hard. It was very interesting. We will have a meeting with our musicians and Israeli jazzmen.- What genres can be seen at the festival besides classical music?- Its ballet, mugham. We believe that it is interesting. Any good music has the right to be at such a festival.- Representatives of which countries are taking part in the festival this year?- Israel, Ukraine, Russia, America, Spain…- How does this festival differ from its predecessors?- First of all, its performers. This year we seem to have fewer stars but more opportunities for young musicians, ours and foreign. There were very interesting new talents. Very good violinists from Azerbaijan, Spain. In general, the festival has such features – classical, jazz, folk – all the best in music.- Considering that the festival is being organized for the sixth year in a row, can we say that the Qabala Festival has become one of the main platforms setting a tone for world music?- We get many requests for invitations. This year, the very interesting Vienna Ensemble of Chamber Music asked the Azerbaijani embassy to allow it to join the festival. We get many such requests from various countries. Next year we will invite [Russian opera singer] Anna Netrebko. She will arrive with her husband, our compatriot [tenor] Yusif Eyvazov. It will be very interesting, because she is a world star.But there is a problem of expenses. Big orchestras – the Vienna and the Berlin ones – cost millions. They rest in the summer and our festival is in the summer. But there are many fascinating orchestras, including the orchestra from Johannesburg that performed with a most interesting program at the Qabala Festival.- Is the local population interested, considering that Qabala is not the capital?- We had a performer who said: “Fantastic, I performed a concert at Carnegie Hall last year, they clap after the first part there, they do not clap here. Does it turn out that the audience here is smarter than in Carnegie hall?” It is just that there is an enlightenment moment here. Before every performance, especially in a chamber hall, a lecturer speaks. He speaks about the composers, about the works, in the Azerbaijani language, i.e. he brings audience into the world of the music that will be performed. It is much easier to hear music when the audience is prepared. People started talking less on the telephone, talking less during the concert. Those are very positive changes. People with families arrive from districts by car. The tendency is positive. So the work should doubtlessly continue.- Have there been any improvisations, joint performances this year?- Yes. Our and Israeli ones. Our jazzmen make many appearances with different musicians and always achieve great success. Mira Avad – one of the most notable singers of Israel – will perform, she is Palestinian and sings in Arabic. That is an improvisation. We will see how it goes at 1.00a
