“Anoush” opera
It’s been already 100 years that “Anoush” opera is enriching the stage of the Armenian Opera House. Anoush is a five-act opera composed by Armen Tigranian, based on the homonymous poem written by Hovhannes Tumanyan in 1892. Originally composed in 1912, it was first performed in Alexandrapol, but it had to wait until 1935 for its full professional staging at the Armenian National Opera Theater. The same year it was performed In Moscow. Until nowadays, Anoush remains in the repertoire of the theater. The anniversary of Anoush will be first celebrated in Gyumri where it was staged for the first time.
Hovhannes Tumanyan
The opera has special importance to Armenian musical history as one of its most significant accomplishments. Being a work of national character, Anoush was the first opera truly inspired by Armenian folk music and culture, and it is perhaps the most popular Armenian musical and theatrical work. The story is a tale of peasant love and tragedy: a girl loves a shepherd, but her brother becomes enraged when, out of youthful enthusiasm, the lover violates the local code of honor and humiliates him by pinning him in a wrestling match. The brother shoots the shepherd and the girl throws herself off a cliff.
In terms of libretto, the first Armenian national opera dates from 1868. But ”Anoush” (1912 and revised up to the late 30′s) was the first truly inspired by Armenian folk music. Tigranian, who was born in 1879 and died in 1950, never matched that level of success thereafter.
