(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 9. Opera is
often referred to as an elitist art, while the lovers of its
musical genre are considered to be people with excellent and even
aristocratic taste. Still, what truly is opera? Extraordinary vocal
abilities, colorful dramatized action, acting, applause? Opera is
rather a high art and an entire life, that characters experience on
stage; it is an entire epoch with all its beauty, pain, and
passion.
Meanwhile, haute couture (high fashion) is the art of
creating clothing and style. It is indeed difficult for people far
from the fashion world to understand the style of outfits created
by famous couturiers, but they are exactly the ones who move
fashion forward and create new trends. Haute couture is a sewing
art of the highest level, that is able to express and anticipate
the moods and tastes of society. On the other hand, it is critical
to remember that haute couture suits and dresses are not intended
for everyday wear, but rather for special occasions. Haute couture
clothing is a style in which a person will go out once or
twice.
In fact, for a very long time, the question of whether
fashion belongs to the sphere of art remains open. Most people are
used to considering fashion as an industry rather than a part of
art. Fashion is associated with something dualistic and ephemeral,
while art, in the general sense of the word, is eternal. Yet, art
and fashion go alongside one another, and this is especially true
when it comes to opera.
Such stunning harmony for International Women's Day on
March 8 was presented by the Heydar Aliyev Center's 'Opera and
Fashion. Sultan Couture 20,' which combined a fashion exhibition
and a concert program of famous opera performers.
Before the beginning of the event, the audience
observed an exhibition dedicated to the first female singers of
Azerbaijani opera. It is known that opera in the East first
appeared in Azerbaijan in 1908. And it was in Azerbaijan that
female performers entered the theater stage for the first time in
the Muslim world. The exhibition gave information about the first
female opera performers: Fatma Mukhtarova, Shovkat Mammadova,
Gulhar Hasanova, Sonya Aslanova, Sonya Mustafayeva, and the first
female composer, and writer of the first opera in the East, Shafiga
Akhundova.
Photographs from the 'Leyli and Majnun' by Uzeyir
Hajibayli, 'Nargiz' by Muslim Magomayev, 'Khosrov and Shirin' by
Niyazi, 'Maiden Tower' by Afrasiyab Badalbayli, 'La Traviata' by
Giuseppe Verdi, 'Shahsanam' by Reinhold Gliere, 'Carmen' by Georges
Bizet were also be exhibited.
Visitors also had the opportunity to see two
historical costumes – the costume of Hagigat Rzayeva as Leyla from
the opera 'Leyli and Majnun' and the costume of Nazakat Mammadova
as Solmaz from the opera 'Fiery Bride'.
Of particular interest was the collection of 16
outfits of the SULTAN COUTURE&Co brand, which is celebrating
its 20th anniversary. The dresses were created by the famous
fashion designer Orkhan Sultan.
'Since childhood, I have developed a love for
classical art, opera, and ballet genres, where I saw the outfits of
performers, which undoubtedly aroused great interest in costumes
and predetermined my further choice as a fashion designer. I really
like opera art, including such masterpieces as 'Aida', 'Turandot'
and 'La Traviata'. Work on the current collection has been going on
for four months, and it reflects the transfer from the past to the
present, considering the color scheme and vocals of the singers who
performed the arias from various works during the event. Naturally,
we also studied the history of the opera art of Azerbaijan to
create dresses,' Orkhan Sultan told Trend Life.
In addition to the presented collection, opera singers
also took to the stage in costumes created by Orkhan Sultan
specifically for the Baku concert. The stage images were decorated
with Bvlgari brand jewelry. Among them was the host of the evening,
Honored Worker of Culture Leyla Guliyeva.
Soloist of the Moscow Stanislavsky and
Nemirovich-Danchenko Academic Music Theater Anastasiya Chernovolos
(soprano), the soloist of the 'Helikon-Opera' Moscow Musical
Theater Elnara Mammadova (soprano), the winner of international
competitions Yana Melikayeva (mezzo-soprano) and Yekaterina
Sannikova (soprano), took part in the concert program.
Artists performed accompanied by the Azerbaijan State
Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibayli under the direction
of conductor Mustafa Mehmandarov. Under the applause of the
audience, the concert featured works of Asaf Zeynalli, Gara
Garayev, Niyazi, Uzeyir Hajibayli, Tofig Guliyev, Giacomo Puccini,
Johann Strauss, Georges Bizet, and other Azerbaijani and world
classics.
The grand celebration organized by the Heydar Aliyev
Center gave the audience a stunning evening of both beautiful vocal
interpretations and a rich repertoire, as well as a collection of a
famous jewelry brand with fascinating stage costumes.