ARMENIAN MUSIC and MUSICIANS of the TWENTIETH CENTURY In the first two decades of the Twentieth century many intellectuals and composers made their permanent homes in Erevan, the capital city of Armenia. The Armenian musicians busied themselves in creating operatic and symphonic works, chamber music, and vocal creations, always striving to preserve the national element of their music. The initial steps were timid and unsure, and progress was hampered by vagueness of the new creative tasks, due to the professional immaturity of the young musicians. Through the efforts of Romanos Melikian, the Conservatory of Erevan was established in 1923. One year later, the first Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Alexander Spendiarian was formed. The year 1933 marked the birth of the State Opera Theater, and 1938 witnessed the formation of the Song and Dance Ensemble, under the Directorship of Tatoul Altounian. Full significance of this new musical epoch arrived in the thirties and was associated, to a considerable extent, with the works of Aram Khachadourian, the founder of the new national school of composition. Khachadourian belonged to the rank of composers whose music was recognizable from the opening bars. As an example, Khachadourian’s "Sabre Dance", with its irresistible rhythmic pulsation, is well known to Armenian audiences. Khachadourian’s musical ideas proved to have an unusual appeal to the group of young composers who launched their first creative works in the early forties. Among these were Alexander Haroutounian, Arno Babajanian, and Edward Mirzoian, all of who had already won recognition in Armenia and abroad. Much credit must be given to Rouben Gregorian, of the Boston Conservatory of Music, who presented the works of these composers at the Annual Armenian night at the Pops. The most striking feature of the Armenian music of the postwar period was its maturity. A maturity both artistic and professional. In 1945, the Armenian Philharmonic was reorganized, through the efforts of H. Maloutzian and the State Chorus was revitalized by A. Der Hovhanessian, under the leadership of T. Altounian. The Song and Dance Ensemble also became very popular. The intensive development of symphonic music was due to the efforts of a large group of composers, J. Der Tatteosian, G. Orpelian, E. Hovhanessian, K. Eghiazarian, S. Chrpashian, V. Godoian, and A. Ajemian. Since 1964 a composer’s community had been established in the town of Dilijian. Musicologists such as Robert Ataian, K. Dikranian and N. Tahmizian were members of a young generation of composers who had come to the fore. D. Mansourian, R. Altounian, and M. Israelian were also part of this new group, and presented compositions of chamber-instrumental pieces. Their works were characterized by a striking vivid individuality and integrity, in keeping with the trends of contemporary music. E. Mirzoian, the chairman of the Union of composers of Armenia, describes the creative mood among these young composers with the words, "The future does not only belong to our youth, but they also are the present of our art".
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