Authors of the music themselves cannot obtain the Anthology of Tatar Amateur Composers

“Is he really an amateur too? And him?”

On 26 April last year, at the traditional meeting of Rais (head) Rustam Minnikhanov with the Tatar intelligentsia, right at the end and off the record, Rif Gataullin approached the head of the republic and asked for assistance in publishing the anthology of Tatar amateur composers. Much of what was discussed that day is still in the process of being realised — but the book has been published.

Back in 2022, Gataullin won a grant from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan. He recalled that during the preparation of the book, he showed the materials to the minister of Culture, Irada Ayupova:

“She was surprised: is he really an amateur? And him too? These names are known to the people, their music is heard. But in the end, they remained on the margins — as amateurs.”

Rif Gataullin began writing songs while studying in the vocal department of the Kazan Conservatory — at that time, he was not yet a professional composer. Later, he enrolled in the Faculty of Theory and Composition. He created the symphonic bayt Sak-Sok. It is one of the works for which Gataullin has been nominated for the Tukay Prize in recent years.

In 1991, he founded the Public Organisation of Amateur Composers, attracting participants even from abroad and organising festivals, seminars, and masterclasses. Thanks to Gataullin, numerous solo and collective compilations have been published.

From the 1940s to the present day, from Yarullin to Gaynullin

The book, spanning over 650 pages, contains biographies and sheet music by 194 composers from Russia and CIS countries, covering the period from the 1940s to the present day. Unfortunately, for example, it was not possible to fully collect information on Finnish composers. Gataullin drew on a wide range of sources — books, newspapers, magazines, and radio broadcasts accumulated over many years.

In addition to information about their lives and work, the anthology includes one or two songs by each composer. The book is engaging even at the level of its content. Among the earliest amateur authors of the 1940s are the first Tatar professional accordionist Faizulla Tuishev and the author of The Tukay March, Zagidulla Yarullin. In the 1950s, there was Masgut Imashev, former director of the Jalil Theatre. In the 1960s, the songwriter of Gölmäryamand Sin sazyŋny uydadyŋ was none other than Ilham Shakirov himself.

There are especially many composers from the 1970s — including Fuat Abubakirov, conductor of the Kamal Theatre orchestra; Firzar Murtazin, Salavat’s best friend; and Vadim Usmanov, the leading arranger of the 20th century and author of the song Chulpan. The 1980s section features Chulpan Zinnatullina-Gusamova, the creator of the timeless hit Aerylmagyz. In the 1990s, there is Robert Andreyev, known for Min yaratam sine, Tatarstan. And in the 2000s — the honoured European bayanist Aidar Gaynullin and hitmaker Oskar Usmanov.

By the way, sometimes the line between amateurism and professionalism is hard to find. Is it really possible that Gataullin, a graduate of Gnessin Academy, is not a professional? True, he has shown himself more as an instrumentalist. But Oskar Usmanov earns a living by writing songs.

Special mention should be made of Roza Mukhutdinova. She studied at the Pedagogical Institute’s music faculty, worked as a teacher at the Arsk Pedagogical College, and began writing songs. She undertook an internship at the conservatory with Rashid Kalimullin, who advised her not to limit herself to small forms but to also compose instrumental works. This led to the creation of the oratorio Bolgar jile, the cantatas Iske Kazan, Idel-yort, and, of course, Tamyrlar.

“I wondered where to begin, and decided to start with Yarullin, from the 1940s, when music schools and colleges appeared, and musicians who understood the craft emerged not only in villages but also in towns. In Soviet times, villages had clubs, choirs, schools, and the people spoke Tatar and were unspoiled. I tried to include notable composers. There are songs both from collective farms and schools. I was able to meet the authors from the 1960s,” Gataullin said about the progress of his work.

Many new authors aspired to be included in the 2000s section, the composer noted, adding that he initially invited them to join the organisation. Looking ahead with hope, Gataullin suggested that there will likely be either new anthologies or digital archives in the future.

Relatives of the composers, especially their wives, provided significant assistance in the work on the publication. In particular, at the meeting, it was revealed that Dilyara, the wife of accordionist Rustem Valeev, is preparing a book about him.

Where to buy a book

The published anthology was distributed to general educational institutions. It did not reach music schools and colleges. Of the 194 composers, 140 are alive; the others, of course, have relatives. None of them were able to receive a copy of the publication from the book’s creators. The print run of 1,050 copies was not released for sale — it was all distributed across districts.

“We gave the composers instructions — go there, take a look. But in the regions — Tomsk, Mordovia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan — no one received any books,” was noted at the meeting. The authors even requested documents from Tatgiz to understand where the books had gone.

In search of funds, they turned to Tatneft, but with no avail. There is now a certain chance that an additional print run of the book will be produced for the planned Millät jyeny / National Assembly, during which the World Congress of Tatars will organise the World Forum of Tatar Women, the World Forum of Tatar Youth, and the All-Russian Forum of Tatar Local Historians this year. The Public Organisation of Amateur Composers has also requested the opportunity to hold a composers’ festival. In this way, they hope to convey the information to the regions.