16 Facts About Nury Halmammedov

Nury Halmammedov's legacy has been commemorated with anniversary events in Turkmenistan and Russia.

Nury Halmammedov had a cat, which died protecting Nury from a snake when he was an infant.

In 1947 Nury Halmammedov was transferred to the Baherden boarding school.

In 1948 little Nury Halmammedov ran away from the boarding school, boarded a train with three rubles in hand intending to go to Moscow, but ended up in Ashgabat.

In 1954, Nury Halmammedov was transferred to Turkmen State Music School in Ashgabat, where he studied under Viktor Khiruntsev and Elena Kulesh.

Nury Halmammedov wrote a major piano work during this period, Sounds of the Dutar, published in 1962 and dedicated to the prominent Turkmen dutarist Mylly Tachmyradov.

Nury Halmammedov published at least 175 works between 1956 and his death in 1983, including over 40 works for pianoforte.

The score for Alty Garliyev's Decisive Step followed in 1965; Garliyev said Nury Halmammedov's contribution made him a "full co-author" of the film.

Nury Halmammedov additionally put verse to music, including poetry by Gurbannazar Ezizov, as well as Sergei Yesenin and Heinrich Heine.

In particular, Nury Halmammedov was noted for putting to music Yesenin's lyric poetry in Persian Motifs, blending Turkmen- and Persian tonalities in six parts: My Old Wounds are Healed, Blue and Joyful Country, Interview, Shagan, My Shagan, My Beloved's Hands are a Pair of Swans, and Countless Sounds of Sparrows.

Nury Halmammedov composed the music for the 1974 opera Gorogly.

Nury Halmammedov wrote the libretto and score for the 1983 ballet version of Decisive Step, which was performed at the Magtymguly Theater in Ashgabat.

Nury Halmammedov died in Ashgabat of cirrhosis of the liver and complications of diabetes.

Aleksandrov told Nury Halmammedov when handing him his diploma upon graduation from the conservatory that he should continue to study Turkmen folk music but should listen as often as possible to other music.

Nury Halmammedov's work was noted for incorporating elements from both the Turkmen folk musical heritage and the broader classical tradition as taught at the Moscow conservatory.

Nury Halmammedov had three children by his first wife, sons Rovshen and Sapar, and daughter Leyli.