THREE PREMIERS OF TIGRAN MANSOURIAN
By Ani Baghdasarian

AZG Armenian Daily
26/12/2006

Composer Tigran Mansourian represented the concert premiers he is
going to give next year in France, USA and Sweden. In particular,
he will perform pieces that are of more philosophical character. He
explained that the musical [pieces composed last year were based on
his mood as a result of his wife’s death.

He said that in Sweden, they will perform a new violin concerto that
includes "four philosophical songs." The new violin concert will be
performed under the conduction of Levon Chilingarian. While in spring,
in New York, Tigran Mansourian will perform his other concert entitled
"With the Spirit." This piece will not be performed in Yerevan for the
coming two years, as it is required by the agreement with the sponsor.

Maestro Mansourian said that this is the brightest piece he wrote.

He added that the third piece would be performed in France. This one
is entitled "God’s Lamb."

As for the coming political developments in 2007, Mr. Mansourian
said that the year would be quite prosperous. He added that he is
not going to interfere with the political developments. In response
to the question whether he has ever received an order to write a
musical piece in Armenia, he said that he had never been made any
worthy suggestion. He also explained why he doesn’t write music for
films. "The films have the way of swallowing the people. I mean it
seems to you that you become popular and you exist, but it’s only a
pretense. But when I realized this I stopped writing music for films,"
he said.

Besides, Maestro said that he is not going to participate in the
competition for the national anthem; he won’t be included in the
jury either. At the same time, he expressed dissatisfaction with the
currently used anthem, emphasizing that it’s far from the traditions
of the Armenian national music.

"As a citizen, I can state that the currently used anthem is our
shame. It is a kind of a music that our young musicians used to borrow
from abroad and represent as ours in the Soviet Times. Meanwhile
Komitas used to say," We have our own national music," Mr. Mansourian
underscored.