Melo-poetic analysis of the epos Novruz and Gandab in the art of Azerbaijani ashug

Abstract

The aim of the research: The genre of epos is of great importance in the art of Azerbaijani ashug, which has ancient historical roots. Eposes, which are the greatesr genre of ashug’s repertoire, took their roots from Kitab-i Dede Gorgud (The Book of Dede Gorgud) and managed to maintain their relevance and artistic-aesthetic essence until today. These rich examples of folk creativity, which are divided into three large groups such as heroic, family-household and love eposes, have become the research object of musicology since the 20^th century. Problem of research: The main problem of the presented research is to look at the melo-poetic peculiarities of the “Novruz and Gandab” epos, which occupies a large place in the modern ashug repertoire. Although the comprehensive study of the musical and poetic language of several eposes is one of the main research objects of modern Ashug Studies, there are certain gaps in this field. Research model: In this sense, the analysis of the musical content of the “Novruz and Gandab” epos, which we involved in the research, was carried out for the first time. The research was carried out on the recorded version of the epos, which was performed by Akbar Jafarov, a master of the Western ashug environment. Taking into account the rich narrative traditions of the Western environment and the mastery status of Ashug Akbar, we consider it appropriate to conduct our analysis on the version sounded in his performance. Documents: The content of the epos is analyzed based on the poetic, melodic content of prose, poetry and melody, and for this purpose, the method of musical and theoretical analysis was used in the research. According to the obtained results, the differences between the versions of the epos published in different years were revealed, including the unique criteria in the context of the narrative traditions of the Western ashug environment were revealed. Centuries-old traditions and standards have been formed in the performance of ashug eposes. These traditions are distinguished by their regional characteristics. Analysis: The ashugs of the western environment start the epos with a diwani melody and end it with mukhammas (Middle Ages eastern poem of five lines). Although this tradition is seen in modern eposes, the first melody performed in the epos we are analyzing is “Garachi”. This melody occupies an important place in the art of ashug, and its musical content covers almost all the modes of ashug saz. Ashug Akbar’s high-pitched voice makes it possible to sing this melody at the beginning of the epos. At the same time, the ashug’s appeal to this melody in this epos, which stands out for its antiquity among love eposes, is among the traditions of the environment. The choice of melody performed in the epos is related to the course of events, the nature of the characters, as well as the professionalism and talent of the ashug. Conclusion: The study of ashug eposes, especially the notation and involvement in research, is considered an important perspective for a deeper investigation of this topic. So, the conducted research can make an important contribution to the development of Azerbaijani Ashug Studies. Recommendations: Our main recommendation during the investigation of ashug eposes is to write down the content of the genre comprehensively and compare it with its existing variants. It is possible to get the right results only in this case. Presenting this study, we also direct the attention of researchers of Ashug Studies to this direction and suggest that other eposes should be recorded and studied.