Bayram overture

Short staccatos, which are part of the melody and the precise rhythmic pattern of seconds in the accompaniment infuse the music with scherzo elements.

[4] Musicologist Zemfira Safarova notes that "This section as a whole is considered as a thematic variant that strengthens the beginning of the play, which is the basis of the character of the main theme.".

[3] The propulsive intonation repeats insistently, leading to a reprise of the main theme's opening material, culminating in a rapid movement of sixteenths.

Each subsequent branch of the mugham is built in a higher register than the previous one, thereby not only expanding the range boundaries of the melody but also achieving a general opening of the form.

"[10] A new melodic line — thematic development of the secondary theme in the performance of the strings by the trumpets and vartornas – is added to the imitative.

The second phrase, which is asymmetrical in terms of the number of bars, modulates to the subdominant tonality of C minor.

In the first ring, the dominant sound of fis, which is the reference step of the Bayati-Kurd section of the Shur mugham, plays the role of a strong center of attraction.

The "h" sound on the second ring – the shur chord reference step with the tonic "e" is the center of attraction.

[9] The development section begins with a quiet, march-like, slightly grotesque-sounding theme played by the bassoon solo.

The subsequent alternation of the thematic function between these two instruments creates a peculiarly sharp characteristic dialogue.

[13] Later, the scherzo motif of the main theme of the overture, played by flutes, and clarinets and accompanied by short passages of cellos, enters the development process of the piece.

The theme of the scherzo, revealed in the different registers of the orchestra and the sound of the instruments, takes on a sharp character.

The light, fun, playful nature of the music softens the harsh tone at the beginning of the development section.

In the middle register, the transparent polyphonic touch of separate intonation elements of the secondary theme is evident in the brass instruments.

Against the background of precise, broken, dry chords of trumpets and trombones, a sad, passionate cantilena played by cellos attracts attention.

Relying on the sound order of the Shushtar dulcimer leads to the creation of characteristic harmonic complexes accompanying the theme.

The distinguishing features of this genre between mugham and ashiq art are also present: the combination of improvised melody[n 4] with rhythmically precise measured accompaniment.

[n 5][19] The cello melody is then joined by the flute, bassoon, and clarinet playing a short, sharp rhythmic motif of the main theme.

The harsh and sharp harmonies resulting from the layering of the chromatic moving bass complex over the dominant of C major are marked with a general pause, bringing the tension of the sound to the limit.

This is followed by a light, jubilant reprise, confirming the main theme of the overture with its bright orchestral tutti and its pure C major key.

"[22] The core of the main theme is the intonation based on the tonic of the "Mahur-Hindi" mugham, which is found in folk music, Qızılgül, Altı nömrə, Ulduz, Bəxtəvəri dances.

[14] The main methods in the melodic development are wandering around reference sounds, variations, repetitions, and sequence shifts.

Each of the sections of the main theme concludes with persistent repetitions of certain chord structures, such as folk songs or the traditional cadences of a mugham melody.

[23] One of the important components of the thematic material of the overture is the metrorhythmic structure, which includes all the richness and variety of the rhythmic content typical of different genres of folk music.

Due to the character of the rhythmic movement, the connection of the main theme of the overture with folk-dance music is determined.

[25] In the polyphonic writing style of Soltan Hajibeyov's overture, more stable principles from folk music are used.

[26] As the theme transposes from "h" to "fis" in the exposition, the strings forming the leading line of the melody are joined by a solo trumpet, as well as a brief imitation of the cello and double bass.

[27] The overture, written in 1956 on the occasion of the first Congress of Azerbaijani composers, was performed in the same year by the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra under the leadership of conductor Niyazi Taghizade-Hajibeyov.