Soltan Hajibeyov — the author of “Caravan”

Soltan Hajibeyov was born in Shusha in 1919. A relative of Uzeyir Hajibeyli, he studied at the Azerbaijan State Conservatory and later became its rector.

“Caravan” — 1945

The symphonic picture “Caravan” is one of the best-known pages of Azerbaijani orchestral music. It builds the image of a caravan approaching across the desert and receding again: the slow swell and fade of dynamics carries the entire form.

The idea looks simple, but the orchestration is exact — which is why the piece has not left the repertoire in eight decades.

Stage and symphony

He also wrote the ballet “Gulshan” (1950) and two symphonies; the Second carries the atmosphere of the war years.

The organiser

For years Hajibeyov served as artistic director and then director of the State Philharmonic, and later as rector of the conservatory. The Philharmonic's repertoire expanded considerably under him.

The composer died in Baku in 1974.