Tigran Mansurian
Encyclopedia
Tigran Mansurian (born 27 January 1939) is an Armenian composer of classical music and film scores. He was born in Beirut
and educated in Yerevan
, Armenia, where his family had moved in 1947. He studied first at the Romanos Melikian
Music College under the Armenian composer Edvard Baghdasaryan
and later at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory.
s. He also composed several film scores between 1968 and 1980.
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and educated in Yerevan
Yerevan
Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
, Armenia, where his family had moved in 1947. He studied first at the Romanos Melikian
Romanos Melikian
Romanos Melikian was an Armenian composer.He finished the Rostov Musical College, then the classes of M. Ippolitov-Ivanov and B. Yavorsky. In 1914 he graduated from Saint Petersburg Conservatory...
Music College under the Armenian composer Edvard Baghdasaryan
Edvard Baghdasaryan
An Armenian composer, Edvard Baghdarsaryan was born in Yerevan on November 14, 1922 He was named a veteran artist of Armenian SSR in 1963. Baghdasaryan graduated from the Yerevan State Conservatory where he double majored both in piano with Sarajev and in composition with Yeghiazaryan...
and later at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory.
Recordings
- Tigran Mansurian: "…and then I was in time again", Lachrymae, Confessing with Faith – Kim KashkashianKim KashkashianKim Kashkashian is an Armenian-American violist.-Professional career:Kim Kashkashian studied the viola with Karen Tuttle. She also studied at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She won the 2nd prize at the 1980 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and the 1980 ARD International Music...
, viola; Jan GarbarekJan GarbarekJan Garbarek is a Norwegian tenor and soprano saxophonist, active in the jazz, classical, and world music genres. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war Czesław Garbarek and a Norwegian farmer's daughter...
, soprano saxophone; The Hilliard Ensemble; Christoph PoppenChristoph PoppenChristoph Poppen is a German conductor, violinist and academic teacher.-Professional career:As a violinist, Poppen was awarded first prize in the Kocian Violin Competition age 14...
, conductor; Münchener Kammerorchester. (CD ECMECM (record label)ECM is a record label founded in Munich, Germany, in 1969 by Manfred Eicher. While ECM is best known for jazz music, the label has released a wide variety of recordings, and ECM's artists often refuse to acknowledge boundaries between genres...
1850/51) - Tigran Mansurian: Havik, Duet for viola and percussion – Kim KashkashianKim KashkashianKim Kashkashian is an Armenian-American violist.-Professional career:Kim Kashkashian studied the viola with Karen Tuttle. She also studied at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She won the 2nd prize at the 1980 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and the 1980 ARD International Music...
, viola; Robyn Schulkowsky, percussion; Tigran Mansurian, piano, voice. (CD ECM 1754)
Works
Mansurian's compositions range from large scale orchestral works to individual art songArt song
An art song is a vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano or orchestral accompaniment. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the genre of such songs....
s. He also composed several film scores between 1968 and 1980.
Stage
- The Snow Queen (ballet in two acts with a scenario by Vilen Galstyan, after the story by Hans Christian AndersenHans Christian AndersenHans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
), 1989
Orchestral
- Concerto, for organ and small orchestra, 1964
- Partita, for large orchestra, 1965
- Music for Twelve Strings, 1966
- Preludes, for large orchestra, 1975
- To the Memory of Dmitry Shostakovich, for cello and large orchestra, 1976
- Canonical Ode, for harp, organ and 2 string orchestras, 1977
- Concerto No. 2, for cello and string orchestra, 1978
- Double Concerto, for violin, cello and string orchestra, 1978
- Tovem, for small orchestra, 1979
- Nachtmusik, for large orchestra, 1980
- Because I Do Not Hope (in memory of Igor StravinskyIgor StravinskyIgor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
), for small orchestra, 1981 - Concerto, for violin and string orchestra, 1981
- Concerto No. 3, for cello and small orchestra, 1983
- Postludio Concerto, for clarinet, cello, string orchestra, 1993
- Concerto, for viola, and string orchesta, 1995
- Fantasy, for piano, string orchestra, 2003
Chamber music
- Sonata, for viola and piano, 1962
- Sonata, for flute and piano, 1963
- Sonata No. 1, for violin, piano, 1964
- Allegro barbaro, for solo cello, 1964
- Sonata No. 2, for violin and piano, 1965
- Piano Trio, for violin, cello, and piano, 1965
- Psalm, for two flutes and violin, 1966
- Interior, for string quartetString quartetA string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
, 1972 - Silhouette of a Bird, for harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
and percussion, 1971–73 - Sonata No. 1, for cello and piano, 1973
- Sonata No. 2, for cello and piano, 1974
- Wind Quintet, for flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, and bassoon, 1974
- The Rhetorician, for flute, violin, double bass, and harpsichord, 1978
- Capriccio, for solo cello, 1981
- String Quartet No. 1, 1983–84
- String Quartet No. 2, 1984
- Five Bagatelles, for violin, cello, and piano, 1985
- Tombeau, for cello and percussion, 1988
- Postludio, for clarinet and cello, 1991-92 (also has a concerto version)
- String Quartet No. 3, 1993
- Concerto, for English horn, clarinets, bassoons, trumpets, and trombones, 1995
- Hommage à Anna AkhmatovaAnna AkhmatovaAnna Andreyevna Gorenko , better known by the pen name Anna Akhmatova , was a Russian and Soviet modernist poet, one of the most acclaimed writers in the Russian canon.Harrington p11...
, for bass clarinet, qanun (zitherZitherThe zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
), violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, and marimbaMarimbaThe marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
, 1997 - Duo, for viola and percussion, 1998
- Dance, for viola and percussion, 1998
- Lacrimae, for soprano saxophoneSoprano saxophoneThe soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
and viola, 1999; - Lamento, for violin, 2002 (also has version for viola)
- Three Medieval TaghTaghThe Tagh is a genre of Armenian monodic song writing. Its origin is ancient and its content and advanced melodic line remind one of future vocal and instrumental arias....
s, for viola and percussion, 1998–2004 - Testament, for string quartet, 2004
Piano
- Sonatina No. 1, 1963
- Petite Suite, 1963
- Sonata No. 1, 1967
- Miniatures, 1969
- Three Pieces, 1970–71
- Nostalgia, 1976
- Three Pieces for the Low Keys, 1979
- Sonatina No. 2, 1987
Choral
- Three Poems, for mixed chorus, 1969 (text by Kostan Zaryan)
- Spring Songs, for mixed chorus, 1996 (text by Hovhannes TumanyanHovhannes TumanyanHovhannes Tumanyan , is considered to be one of the greatest Armenian poets and writers. His work was mostly written in tragic form, often centering on the harsh lives of villagers in the Lori region.-Biography:...
), - Confessing with Faith, for four male voices and viola, 1998 (text by Nerses Shnorhali)
- Ars Poetica concerto for mixed chorus, 1996–2000 (text by Yeghishe CharentsYeghishe CharentsYeghishe Charents was an Armenian poet, writer and public activist. Charents was an outstanding poet of the twentieth century, touching upon a multitude of topics that ranged from his experiences in the First World War, socialism, and, more prominently, on Armenia and Armenians.An early champion...
) - Motet, two mixed choruses, 2000 (text by Grigor Narekatsi),
- On the Shores of Eternity, for mixed chorus, 2003 (text by Avetik IsahakyanAvetik IsahakyanAvetik Isahakyan , Ghazarapat, near Aleksandropol, current Gyumri, Russian Empire – October 17, 1957, Yerevan) was a prominent Armenian lyric poet, writer, academian and public activist.-Biography:...
)
Vocal
- Three Romances, for mezzo-sopranoMezzo-sopranoA mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
and piano, 1966 (text by Federico García LorcaFederico García LorcaFederico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
, translated into Armenian by Hamo SahyanHamo Sahyan- Biography :He finished the Baku Pedagogical institute in 1939. In 1941 he returned to Yerevan, then served in the Soviet Navy during World War II. He worked in "Avangard" and "Vozni" newspapers, edited "Grakan tert". The first collection of his poems was published in 1946. Sahyan was awarded by...
) - Four Hayrens for mezzo-soprano and piano, 1967 (text by Nahapet Kuchak)
- Intermezzo, for sopranoSopranoA soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
and ensemble, 1972-73 (text by Vladimir HolanVladimír HolanVladimír Holan was a Czech poet famous for employing obscure language, dark topics and pessimist views in his poems. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in the late 1960s. He was a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia....
), score lost) - I am Giving You a Rose, for soprano, flute, cello, and piano, 1974 (text by Matevos Sarifyan)
- Three Nairian Songs, for baritoneBaritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
and large orchestra, 1975–76 (text by Vahan Teryan) - Three Madrigals, for soprano, flute, cello, piano, 1974–81 (text by Razmik Davoyan),
- Sunset Songs, for soprano and piano, 1984–85 (a song-cycle to text by Hamo Sahyan)
- The Land of Nairi for soprano and piano, 1986 (a song-cycle to text by Vahan Teryan),
- Miserere, for soprano and string orchestra, 1989 (texts by Saint MesrobSaint MesrobSaint Mesrop Mashtots was an Armenian monk, theologian and linguist. He is best known for having invented the Armenian alphabet, which was a fundamental step in strengthening the Armenian Church, the government of the Armenian Kingdom, and ultimately the bond between the Armenian Kingdom and...
based on the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in Armenian translation) - Madrigal IV, for soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and tubular bellsTubular BellsTubular Bells is the debut record album of English musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1973. It was the first album released by Virgin Records and an early cornerstone of the company's success...
, 1991 (text by Alicia Kirakosyan)
Film scores
- The Color of PomegranatesThe Color of PomegranatesThe Color of Pomegranates is a 1968 Armenian film directed by Sergei Parajanov.-Overview:The Color of Pomegranates is a biography of the Armenian ashug Sayat-Nova that attempts to reveal the poet's life visually and poetically rather than literally...
, 1968 (directed by Sergei Parajanov) - The Color of Armenian Land, 1968 (directed by Mikhail VartanovMikhail VartanovMikhail Vartanov . Film director, cinematographer, documentarian, essayist, photographer and artist who developed a style of documentary filmmaking termed the “direction of undirected action.”...
) - Autumn Pastoral, 1971 (directed by Mikhail Vartanov)
- And So Every Day, 1972 (directed by Mikhail Vartanov)
- We and Our MountainsWe and Our MountainsWe and Our Mountains is a 1970 Armenian film directed by Henrik Malyan.- Cast :*Azat Sherents*Mher Mkrtchyan*Sos Sarrgsyan...
, 1969 (directed by Henrik MalyanHenrik MalyanHenrik Sureni Malyan was a Soviet Armenian film director and writer.He was born in Telavi, Georgia. Malyan's uncle was famous actor David Malyan. At early ages among with Tigran Petrosian he studied chess, then from 1942 to 1945 he worked as a draftsman and designer at a factory in Tbilisi...
) - Osenneye solntse (Autumn Sun), 1979 (directed by Bagrat Oganesyan)
- Legend of the Clown, 1979 (directed by Levon Asatryan)
- Ktor me Yerkinq, 1980 (directed by Henrik Malyan)
External links
- Tigran Mansurian on Other Minds Festival website
- Tigran Mansurian-Confessing With Music Documentary Film