Leigh in Azerbaijan

Interesting night!  All I knew was that jazz was happening at the prestigious Philharmonia Hall, courtesy of the Azerbaijan-German Society and thanks to the Minister of Culture who granted the use of the Hall as it was the pianist’s birthday.

They love their speeches here.  A German man spoke with an Azeri woman interpreter interpreter and after that he gave his speech in English.   Then after they were clapped off another little Moulin Rouge man came with wringing hands and spoke for another 15 minutes in Azeri.  Who knows what he said but when he finished I think people were clapping to get him off.  Thirty minutes seems a bit much for speeches at the start of the night.  I guess they don’t give them at the end as people would walk out.

During this time a cameraman was going around shining bright lights in people’s eyes, presumably to splice our concentration into the playing that came later.  Talk about intrusive! There were TV crew everywhere and there was serious lighting setup for this event – obviously a significant event for someone.

A female soprano and male jazz pianist performed an interesting selection of classics by German Brahms, Schubert and Mahler.  She appeared to give a very polished, accomplished, straight classical version but his playing was heavily influenced by jazz, which Baku delights in and has some reputation for.  Around October I saw another German jazz group sponsored by the same Society in another part of the town, which I enjoyed more as it was more dynamic and energetic.

While in Dubuque years ago we went to a concert where the female singer had a degree in projecting rapture from the stage.  Tonight’s singer took her rapture to another level whilst the pianist did his thing, by striking poses at different points around the piano, armed stretched on the piano, head leant on various angles hands then wrapping around herself in different positions to break the boredom every minute or so, sometimes looking towards the pianist, sometimes looking sidestage.

Anyway, it was good for another experience.  Tomorrow night, ANZAC night, downstairs with the Aussies on campus, of which there are quite a few.