The Musical and Artistic Album "Parthian Frescoes" by Composer Mamed Guseinov Has Been Published in Moscow
A valuable publication—the musical and artistic album "Parthian Frescoes" by composer Mamed Guseinov—has been released in Moscow. This is not just a collection of sheet music, but a polyphonic space where music and visual art are united in a close dialogue. This synthesis has long been the composer's signature style, demonstrating that sound can create pictorial images, while color and line can evoke refined musical associations.
The album's artistic design was entrusted to renowned artist Charymurat Yazmuradov, Chairman of the Union of Artists of Turkmenistan. His works, dedicated to Parthian heritage, enter into a dialogue with the musical score. For Mamed Guseinov, engaging outstanding masters of the visual arts has become a tradition: his publications have previously featured graphic and painting works by Zurab Tsereteli, Gennady Babikov, and Kossekmurad Nurmuradov.
The introductory article to the album was written by Elena Osipova, an associate professor at the Maya Kulieva Turkmen National Conservatory and musicologist. Her cultural analysis provides a profound context for the work, revealing the historical and philosophical threads that weave together ancient and modern times.
The conceptual basis for the Guseinov String Quartet is the frescoes of Old Nisa—masterpieces of Parthian monumental painting discovered by the UTAKE expedition in the mid-20th century and studied by archaeologist Viktor Pilipko. The images of ancient Nisa, now housed in the National Museum of Turkmenistan, are directly reflected in the title and structure of the work.
The cultural continuity of the Parthian era is also symbolic, echoes of which even permeated classic Russian poetry. Alexander Pushkin wrote in his poem "From Anacreon": "They recognize the spirited horses / By their burnt-out tabriz; / They recognize the arrogant Parthians / By their high hoods…" These lines emphasize historical continuity: the proud appearance of the ancient Parthians is reflected in the culture of modern Turkmens, whose traditional telpeks derive from those very Parthian hoods.
The publication "Parthian Frescoes" marks an important stage in the scholarly publishing activities of the "Sounds of the Dutar" foundation. The release of the album coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Nury Khalmamedov Moscow International Arts Festival. A copy of the collection will serve as a commemorative gift for participants in the ensemble competition as part of the anniversary festival, which will take place at the end of October and conclude on November 1 with a gala concert at the Museum and Exhibition Complex of the Russian Academy of Arts.
