Alexander Harutyunyan
(1869 - 1935)
Armenian composer and pianist, Professor of Yerevan Conservatory, people's artist of the USSR (1970).In 1934-1941 he studied composition at the Komitas Conservatory (Yerevan) with Sarkis Barkhudaryan and V. G. Talyan, piano with O. A. Babasyan. Alexander Harutyunyan photography Alexander Harutyunyan photography after the war improved at the Moscow Conservatory with Litinsky, Peiko and Zuckerman (1946-1948). From 1954 to 1990 — permanent head of the Armenian Philharmonic, from 1965 he taught at the Yerevan Conservatory, from 1977 - Professor of composition class. Harutyunyan is a member of the Union of composers of the USSR since 1939, the Union of cinematographers of Armenia since 1975. Harutyunyan's creative style, which developed in the late 1940s, is based on the rich musical heritage of Armenia and at the same time on the principles of classical music of classicism and romanticism, which is manifested both in the strict observance of the classical sequence of fast and slow parts, and in the appeal to the genres of suites and concerts. The traditions of Armenian folk singers — ashugs, whose music is based on various types of improvisational development, are of great importance in the composer's work. Harutyunyan's works are filled with expression, sensuality, nostalgia and irony.
Several periods can be distinguished in the composer's work: the compositions of the post-war period and the early 1950s are characterized by the principles of thematic development and a combination of large-scale structures that create a great emotional intensity. The works of this period — Festive Overture, Symphony, Concertino for piano and orchestra — are close in spirit to the works of Aram Khachaturian. In the 1960s and 1970s, the composer abandoned the dramatic elements in favor of greater clarity of presentation and focus on classical forms. Harutyunyan's greatest achievement during this period was the Opera "Sayat-Nova" (libretto by A. S. Khanjyan), as well as numerous works in the neoclassical style, including a Concerto For French horn and orchestra, Variations for trumpet and orchestra, etc. Finally, since the 1980s, Harutyunyan's compositions have tended to synthesize different styles, such as the concertos for trombone and tuba and orchestra (the first concertos for these instruments in the history of Armenian music), as well as the violin Concerto "Armenia-88", considered one of the composer's best works. Dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Spitak earthquake, the concert combines the style of Baroque music, classical form and refined lyricism of the romantic palette of sounds. Among its performers is Sergey Khachatryan. A number of Harutyunyan's works for wind instruments (in particular, the trumpet Concerto dedicated to Timothy Dokshitzer) are included in the repertoire of the world's leading performers. On many stages of the world the concert pieces for two pianos "Armenian Rhapsody" and "Festive" (with percussion) written in collaboration with A. A. Babajanyan sound brightly.