Analysis of Kamal Ahmadov’s elegies for the martyrs

Abstract

The presented scientific article includes works dedicated to martyrs who gave their lives for the independence of Azerbaijan. The article examines Kamal Ahmadov's last work "Requiem" for the first time and focuses on revealing the patriotic content of the work. The work mentions martyrs who have passed away. The article portrays the farewell scene of mothers and heroes who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of their homeland. These aspects emphasize that it is a composition of elegy. This article examines the developmental stages of the elegy genre, which is generally a religious genre, and emphasizes its unique examples. Therefore, this work of composer Kamal Ahmadov, which has no connection with decanonical church music forms and is emotionally more like an elegy, was included in the study and its structure and characteristics were examined. The article presents the choral parts and other solo parts in K. Ahmadov's "Requiem" to our attention. The article emphasizes the differences between modern oratorio and choral works composed in ancient times. Here we encounter the unity of Eastern and Western music. The article mentions many works written by other important Azerbaijani composers about martyrs and the homeland. Among them are works created on this subject by Ogtay Kazimi, Azer Rzayev, Covdat Hacıyev, Malik Guliyev, Ramiz Mirişli and others. The article includes the work "Khojaly 613" by French composer Pierre Tilloy, dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide. Indeed, we can find many examples reflecting this theme in folk epics, oral culture, mugham and bard art. Azerbaijani composers created works with patriotic themes related to the tragic events of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The works dedicated to the martyrs of January 20, the Khojaly Genocide and the Karabakh War are actually musical chronicles. Choral music, as a democratic genre, reflects the most current problems of our time, and therefore the theme of patriotism comes to the fore in cantatas, oratorios, ghazals and choral songs.