If Not That One, Then This One
If Not That One, Then This One (; ), also known as Mashadi Ibad (; ) is a 1910 Azerbaijani operetta in four acts written by composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov. The comedy reflects social and everyday life relations in prerevolutionary Azerbaijan. It is the composer's second work written in this genre, and is considered a national classic alongside the same composer's Arshin mal alan. History Hajibeyov's second musical comedy was written in 1910, initially it was in three acts. After 1915, when an additional scene was written, it was recast in four acts. Hajibeyov used the Azerbaijani musical style mugam in some of the music and incorporated extracts from Fuzûlî's ghazals in the libretto. The operetta was reviewed in the Kaspi newspaper of April 7, 1911, which noted that its music included both traditional and newly-written melodies. The premiere of If not that one was held in Baku, on April 25, 1911 at the Mailov brothers' theatre (today the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater). The main parts were taken by Mirzaagha Aliyev as Mashadi Ibad, Huseyngulu Sarabski as Sarvar, Ahmed Agdamski as Gulnaz, Rustam bey's daughter, (as women did not appear on the stage at that time in Baku),