The works of two of greatest figures of Armenian music, Komitas and Aram Khachaturian, will bring together a collection of Turkish and Armenian artists for a special concert on October 13th in Istanbul.
Armenian-American piano virtuoso Şahan Arzruni and famous Turkish violin virtuoso Cihat Aşkın will perform on the stage at Istanbul’s Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall some pieces by Komitas and Khachaturian.
During the interview to the Turkish Hürriyet Daily News Arzruni told that Cihat is a violinist of international standing. He is a colleague whose musical language speaks to him. Unlike other musical partners, they both feel the music the same way and there’s no need of compromises.
Aşkın said interpreting Komitas’ pieces was of great importance to him as an artist, first of all because Komitas is one the first composers and ethnomusicologists of his land. He collected Anatolian songs for the first time.
As Askin says “I don’t believe the trajectory of his creative output mirrors his personal life. Art is greater than life. A composer’s musical expression is not necessarily reflective of his biography. Mozart had a miserable life, but his music is almost sunny and optimistic.”
During the concert, Arzruni and Aşkın will also interpret world-renowned Armenian composer Khachaturian’s works. For Arzruni Komitas is the wellspring of Armenian music, while Khachaturian is the musical ambassador of the Armenian culture.
The musical aim here is to compare and contrast the two creative forces. Cihat and Arzruni will present a number of original Khachaturian compositions and perform virtuosic transcriptions of three of Komitas’ songs, including his famous ‘Groong’ [Crane]. The latter was arranged for violin and piano by cellist Sergei Aslamazyan, who was a cofounder of the Gomidas String Quartet, the oldest existing chamber ensemble in the world.
