Khachaturyan in Armenia today : his presence in Armenian music, art and architecture, rooted in Socialist Realism

Abstract

Aram Il’ich Khachaturyan was born in Tblisi, Georgia, and spent most of his life in Moscow, but when one visits Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, today, Khachaturyan is all around you. His music, itself steeped in Armenian folk traditions, penetrates the fabric of the city; it is played at the Genocide Museum, becoming part of the atmosphere of this memorial to the millions of massacred Armenians; in the concert hall named after him that forms part of the Spendiaryan Opera and Theatre building where the statue of the seated Khachaturyan in front of the entrance leads one inside; in the Khachaturyan Museum that is full of sunshine and light as he wanted it, where his music sounds all day long and a bust of him reinforces his presence there. A painting of Khachaturyan by Edman Alvazyan, painted in 1977, was given to the Khachaturyan Museum by Catholicos Vazgen in 1984. One finds Khachaturyan’s grave in the city Pantheon where great scientists and artists are buried, and one is reminded of him when one drives on the street that is named after him.

Khachaturyan hedendaags in Armenië: sy teenwoordigheid in Armeense musiek, kuns en argitektuur, gegrond op Sosialistiese Realisme. Aram Il’ich Khachaturyan is gebore in Tblisi, Georgië, en het die grootste deel van sy lewe in Moskou deurgebring, maar wanneer ’n mens Yerevan, die hoofstad van Armenië, vandag besoek, is hy gedurig met jou. Sy musiek, wat deurdrenk is van Armeense volkstradisies, is oral in die stad teenwoordig; dit word gespeel in die volksmoordmuseum, en vorm ’n deel van hierdie gedenkteken aan die miljoene vermoorde Armene; in die konsertsaal wat na hom vernoem is wat deel vorm van die Spendiaryan Opera en Teater-gebou waar die standbeeld van die sittende Khachaturyan voor die ingang ’n mens na binne lei; in die Khachaturyan Museum wat vol sonskyn en lig is soos hy dit wou gehad het, waar sy musiek die hele dag gespeel word en ’n borsbeeld sy teenwoordigheid daar beklemtoon. ’n Skildery van Khachaturyan deur Edman Alvazyan, geskilder in 1977, is aan die Khachaturyan Museum geskenk deur Katolikos Vazgen in 1984. ’n Mens vind Khatchaturyan se graf in die Pantheon in die stad waar beroemde wetenskaplikes en kunstenaars begrawe is, en ’n mens word aan hom herinner in die straat wat na hom vernoem is.