AZG Armenian Daily #230, 01/12/2006

Culture

WE MUST NOT ESTRANGE OURSELVES FROM OUR APRICOT- TREE
ROOT

Several days ago a memory concert titled "Two in One"
took place at the Chamber Music Hall after Komitas in
Yerevan. The concert was dedicated to the 83rd
anniversary of singer and musician Hovhannes Badalian
and the 80th anniversary of composer Khachatur
Avetisian. The concert was organized by eight students
of the music school after Arno Babajanian. The great
musicians’ relatives, friends, students were present
at the concert and each of them told an interesting
story from the life of the two prominent Armenian
musicians. Songs of the composers were recalled during
the evening party. The spirit of the folk song was
felt in the concert hall. It seemed, through the
concert everyone revealed for himself the secrets and
worth of folk song.

Singer Arsen Grigorian said, that he had got a great
pleasure from the concert; at the same time he
expressed his displeasure with spectators’ attitude,
as they had to encourage and greet young musicians.

Maybe the reason of it is the fact that our present
generation listens less to folk songs and such
concerts are a rare thing.

In response to the question of Azg why the concert had
"Two in One" heading, Ruzana Avetisian, the concert
organizer and the teacher of Arno Babajanian music
school, answered: "I have tried to perform to the
spectator their two egos in one. I have also wanted to
show wherever we go from our past, we must not
estrange ourselves from our apricot-tree root".
Finally the concert, which lasted several hours,
finished by song "Dear Teacher" as a sign of respect
to the memory of our two great teachers.

By Ani Baghdasarian