# Fikret Amirov



## Aggelos

Let us discuss in regard to Fikret Amirov
Something that I am particularly fond of is the exotically-scented sound world as expressed by rich and lavish orchestrations. To that extent, Fikret Amirov is one of the composers who can deliver to a satisfactory degree/manner.

_Recommended recordings_
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/July10/Amirov_Symphonic_Mugams_Naxos8572170.htm
http://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-15375/

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Dec11/Azerbaijan_PCs_8572666.htm
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Nov11/Azerbaijan_PCs_8572666.htm

http://www.classicalmusiccommunications.com/agency.php?view=news&nid=5756
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2014/Aug14/Scriabin_ecstasy_SDBR3032.htm
http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/9358
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/e/evc03032a.php

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2014/Aug14/Shostakovich_sy1_GHCD2415.htm
http://www.guildmusic.com/shop/wbc.php?tpl=produktdetail.html&pid=16135

http://www.allmusic.com/album/fikre...-mugam-no-1-azerbaijan-capriccio-mw0001826691

http://www.allmusic.com/album/fikre...d-ovshari-gülistan-bayaty-shiraz-mw0001820478
http://www.catawiki.com/catalog/rec...ands/adigezalov-yalchin/1818263-fikret-amirov

http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/the-arabian-nights-mr0002736017
http://www.catawiki.com/catalog/rec...rauf/1818441-fikret-amirov-the-arabian-nights

http://www.catawiki.com/catalog/rec...ic-from-tajikistan-georgia-azerbaijan-armenia
http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/music-from-tajikistan-georgia-azerbaijan-armenia-mr0002515874

http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/alexander-gauk-tsintsadze-machavariani-vol-1-mr0003910496

http://militscky.narod.ru/cd-r.html

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Some audio preview files
http://classical-music-online.net/en/composer/Amirov/4637


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## Medtnaculus

HUGE fan of his Concerto on Arabian themes. Really need to listen to his other stuff.


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## Wunderhorn

LOVE his piano concerto!


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## Aggelos

Yes indeed. His PC composed along with Elmira Nazirova is a delight/treat.
Piano sheets can be found at pianophilia.com
However, the other works of his need to be checked.... There are flourishing orchestral pieces, that are suffused with sultry oriental flavour and opulence.


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## calvinpv

Nice list, Aggelos. There also happens to be another CD from Naxos titled _Caucasian Impressions_, which includes Amirov's Symphony for String Orchestra. I would have to concur with others that the piano concerto is his best work (at least of what I've heard so far). When I listen to it, I can't help but think that if Grieg were Azerbaijani and was born a few decades later, his own piano concerto probably would have come out similar. But while I find the Grieg concerto rather bland, the Amirov concerto is definitely exhilarating, particularly the first two movements. Amirov's music is certainly not the most profound music out there, but it's delightful nonetheless. Overall, I'd recommend the Piano Concerto, Shur, Kyurdi Ovshari, and the Symphony for String Orchestra. I found the Azerbaijan Capriccio and Gyulistan Bayati Shiraz to be less interesting.


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## Aggelos

of course, there are more recordings available.

One LP with Herman Abendroth. Urania Records released this on CD back in the '80s.

















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And another LP from Melodiya featuring Fikret Amirov and his son Djamil Amirov (both seen on cover jacket) as conducted by Nazim Rzayev

















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In the same style are composers like Suleyman Aleskerov, Niyazi, Soltan Hajibeyov
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Алескеров,_Сулейман_Эйюб_оглы
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Тагизаде-Гаджибеков,_Ниязи_Зульфугар_оглы
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Гаджибеков,_Солтан_Исмаил_оглы

Do you guys think we should open threads for them? Of course, it's quite hard to find material for them since they haven't become so popular and known with the Western audiences....

I love Suleyman Aleskerov's Bayati Shiraz Symphonic Mugam
http://e-library.musigi-dunya.az/simf_mugam_en.html

And Soltan Hajibeyov's Caravan
http://classic-online.ru/ru/composer/Hac/10097


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## calvinpv

I wouldn't mind if you opened up separate threads for those composers, but I'm not sure how much interest they would draw, as there are very few recordings available.

If you do decide to open up some new threads, I'd be interested in recommendations you may have for Vasif Adigezalov. I found his fourth piano concerto on the Naxos _Azerbaijani Piano Concertos_ disc to be just as good, if not better, than the Amirov piano concerto.


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## Aggelos

As we we both agreed on, there are not much recordings available for "the other" Russian/Soviet composers.
Fikret Amirov drew attention to Western conductors (Leopold Stokowski, Charles Munch, Herman Abendroth) for some reason, and subsequently his popularity rose (in relation to other composers from Caucasus and the trans-caucasian region)
Charles Munch also conducted Amirov's Kyurdi Ovshari Azerbaijan Mugam with the Boston SO. It is available through a radio program/broadcast (to be found at a nice google group called Symphonyshare)
http://symphonyshare.blogspot.com/

With Vasif's case, the availability seems to be scarce and restricted. Unless Melodiya has old material hidden in their vaults (so audio quality won't be state-of-the-art)
http://classic-online.ru/ru/composer/Adigezalov/11416
Naxos is our only hope to record more of his output.....

More recommendations
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Apr03/Azerbaijaniset.htm

The boxset features (among others) Vasif Adigezalov's Garanfil (1959) , Elegy (1992) Six Preludes.

For Fikret Amirov Recordings
http://home.online.nl/ovar/amirov.htm


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## Aggelos

Another compatriot of Fikret Amirov is Arif Melikov










http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2015/June/Melikov_legend_MELCD1002326.htm
http://melody.su/en/catalog/classic/30696/


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