Alexander Brincken: ‘Armenian Language Is a Great Treasure for Me’

What can you say about Armenian professional music?

There are definitely quite interesting and powerful personalities in Armenian music, I must say, with such names as Tigran Mansuryan and Yervand Yerkanyan first of all. There are, of course, other names that I do not know, but one can be sure that the school of Armenian composers is quite strong. If my memory serves, in 1985, a Music Festival of Armenian Composers was held in Leningrad Composers’ Hall, and many young Armenian composers performed their works through their recordings. It was a great and striking phenomenon for us.

As a composer and as one for whom Armenian is not a native language, but who possesses a good knowledge of it, what peculiarities does Armenian have?

For me, from the very beginning the Armenian language has been seen as a very beautiful, very musical, very melodic language with great sounds and it is like that because Armenian has very subtle differences and shades in its phonological system. There are such nuances that, for example, Western European languages do not have at all. This fact raises difficulties for the non-Armenians, but we, musicians, with good ears, delicate and sensitive hearing, see it otherwise. I have to admit that the effort we exert to possess Armenian is justified and rewarding, because it enriches our listening, our musical presentation, and our perceptions in general about language, and hence, about human thinking in a unique way. Consequently, Armenian, in my deepest conviction, is a great wealth that should be cherished and brought up in the younger generations, so they speak in a clean, beautiful way. I must also say that in this sense, Western Armenian inspires me very much. I regularly read the New Harach newspaper, which I receive from Paris, and I have to admit that its language is a genuine, very clean, great Armenian. And I would also say that it would be better if the language in Armenia was used more clearly. I also support the return to classical orthography of Armenian.

How did the concept of your Armenian oratory emerge?

The idea of that work was born in the early 1980s, when I began actively to read about the Armenian Genocide and decided to write an oratory on the basis of Western Armenian poetry, in memory of these martyrs and as an expression of my sympathy with the Armenian people. And already at that time I was thinking it will be very good if this work will be performed at the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. So, in 1982, I was thinking about 2015, and since those distant times I have made initial drafts of my Armenian oratory. At that time, I was well aware that the creation of this work would last for many years, as I need a long preparation period, the formation of common concept and composition, the selection of poems, collection and development of pieces. Besides, I was engaged in many other projects and could not be systematically drawn to that work. However, thanks to God, this idea has come to pass; from 2009 to 2011, I worked ardently and have done a great deal of work over those three years. It lasts one and half hour. The literary basis is first of all Western Armenian poetry, most of Daniel Varoujan’s poems, as well as a major episode of Siamanto’s “The Vision of Death.” Besides, I converted three relatively short poems by Avetik Isahakyan into the music, written in different years, under the title “To My Homeland,” as well as a long excerpt from Vahagn Davtyan’s “Requiem,” which I named “Der Zor’s Lamentation.” And at the end of my oratory, I used Varoujan’s “Ode” as the symbol for demands and an appeal to the Armenians, who would reach his national goals, including territorial demands. It is addressed to the Armenians, as well as to the world community, so they also strongly are aware of the demands of the Armenian people.

And your Song About Armenia finally performed on April 30, 2016 in Yerevan, by the Academic Choir of Yerevan? Please tell us about this performance.

It took place at the Aram Khachatryan Concert Hall of Yerevan on April 30, 2016, one year after the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, although it was presented to the Ministry of Culture of Armenia and to the Commission on the Centennial of the Genocide already in 2011. This sad fact I explain by Armenia’s situation in those years, in particular with the negative factors of the former regime. Nevertheless, the performance of this oratory found great success; the audience and the performers highly appreciated it. There was also a very positive response from the Ministry of Culture (I mean Marieta Makaryan’s article, published in the ministry’s official journal). The performers of the stage were the following persons and musical associations: Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra led by Eduard Topchyan, Armenian National Academic Choir led by Maestro Hovhannes Chekijyan, soloist Perch Karazyan (tenor), poetry readers Silva Yuzbashyan (Eastern Armenian) and Sargis Najarian (Western Armenian). The general conductor was Eduard Topchyan.

I hope my Armenian oratory will be performed again in Armenia as well as abroad, and thus it will fulfill its mission.