Anoushavan Ter-Ghevondyan (

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

: Անուշավան Գրիգորի Տեր-Ղևոնդյան; 8 March 1887 – 6 June 1961) was an Armenian composer, pedagogue, and sociocultural activist. His father was the photographer Grigor Ter-Ghevondyan; and his daughter, pianist Heghine Ter-Ghevondyan.

Early life

Anoushavan Ter-Ghevondyan received his general education and musical training in Tiflis (now

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...

). In 1915 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of

St. Petersburg University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBU; russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the ...

, as well as the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he studied with

Anatoly Lyadov Anatoly Konstantinovich Lyadov (russian: Анато́лий Константи́нович Ля́дов; ) was a Russian composer, teacher, and conductor. Biography Lyadov was born in 1855 in St. Petersburg, into a family of eminent Russian ...

(harmony),

Alexander Glazunov Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov; ger, Glasunow (, 10 August 1865 – 21 March 1936) was a Russian composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Russian Romantic period. He was director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory between 1905 ...

(composition),

Vasily Kalafati Vasily Pavlovich Kalafati (russian: Василий Павлович Калафати, ''Vasilij Pavlovič Kalafati''; , Yevpatoria, Crimea – 20 March 1942, near Leningrad) was a Russian composer and pedagogue of Greek descent. Kalafati was a pup ...

(counterpoint),

Jāzeps Vītols Jāzeps Vītols (german: Joseph Wihtol; 26 July 1863 – 24 April 1948) was a Latvian composer, pedagogue and music critic. He is considered one of the fathers of Latvian classical music. Biography Vītols, born in Valmiera the son of a sc ...

(analysis of form) and

Maximilian Steinberg Maximilian Osseyevich Steinberg (Russian Максимилиан Осеевич Штейнберг; – 6 December 1946) was a Russian composer of classical music. Though once considered the hope of Russian music, Steinberg is far less well known ...

(orchestration). In 1914, in partnership with Armenian composer and conductor

Spiridon Melikyan Spiridon Melikyan (Armenian: Սպիրիդոն Ավետիսի Մելիքյան; 1 December 1880; – 4 April 1933) was an Armenian musicologist, composer, choirmaster, and teacher. His son composer Hrachya Melikyan died in 1942 during the Mogilev o ...

, he undertook a scientific expedition to the

Shirak Province Shirak ( hy, Շիրակ, ) is a province (''marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the north-west of the country, bordering Turkey to the west and Georgia to the north. Its capital and largest city is Gyumri, which is the second largest city in ...

, one of the musically most fertile regions. This trip resulted in the compilation of 252 folk melodies that were of great value and have been widely used by Armenian composers and musicologists ever since. Anoushavan Ter-Ghevondyan himself arranged some of them into a symphonic work named ″Շիրակի էտյուդները″ (Shirak Etudes) (1916).

Music

Among his works there are two operas, «Սեդա» (Seda) (1922) and «Արեգակի ցոլքերում» (In the Rays of the Sun) (1949); two ballets, «Հրո հարսը» (Bride of Fire) (1923) and «Անահիտ» (Anahit) (1940); a vocal-symphonic poem, «Վահագնի ծնունդը» (The Birth of Vahagn) (1923); a symphonic poem, «Ախթամար» (Akhtamar) (1923); choral works, romances, songs, and instrumental compositions. In his creations Ter-Ghevondyan displays an epic, as well as a lyrical strain. His scores display melodic originality, rhythmic ingenuity, and a colorful orchestration. He absorbs the Armenian folk flavor and the Russian classicism, combining them into a unique voice. He has authored a booklet on

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

published in 1933 and two volumes on music theory in 1934. Anoushavan Ter-Ghevondyan had a long-lasting pedagogical career. In 1917-1925 he taught at the Tiflis Conservatory; he was on the faculty and later was appointed rector of the

Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan ( hy, Երևանի Կոմիտասի անվան պետական կոնսերվատորիա), also known as Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory (YKSC) or Yerevan State Conservatory (YSC), is a state-owned colleg ...

, 1926–1934; director of

Baku Academy of Music The Hajibeyov Baku Academy of Music ( Azeri: ''Hacıbəyov adına Bakı Musiqi Akademiyası'') is a music school in Baku, Azerbaijan. It was established in 1920 in Baku and was previously known as the Hajibeyov Azerbaijan State Conservatoire. ...

, 1934–1938; head of the composition department of the Yerevan Conservatory, 1938–1959. There is a school named after him in the

Kanaker-Zeytun District Kanaker-Zeytun ( hy, Քանաքեռ-Զեյթուն վարչական շրջան, translit=K'anak'err-Zeytun varčakan šrĵan), is one of the 12 districts of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, located in the northeastern part of the city. As of the ...

of Yerevan.

Awards

People's Artist of the Armenian SSR People's Artist of the Armenian SSR (Народный артист Армянской ССР), is an honorary title awarded to citizens of the Armenian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is awarded for outstanding performance in the performing arts, w ...

in 1953 *

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour (russian: Орден Трудового Красного Знамени, translit=Orden Trudovogo Krasnogo Znameni) was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the ...

in 1956

References

Bibliography

* Գիլինա, Եվգենյա. Անուշավան Տեր-Ղևոնդյան, Երևան, 1962. * Тигранов, Тигра́н. Армянский музыкальный театр.- т. 2, гл. 1.- Ереван, 1960, с. 7-28. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ter-Ghevondyan, Anoushavan 1887 births 1961 deaths Armenian composers Armenian musicologists Saint Petersburg State University alumni Saint Petersburg Conservatory alumni Academic staff of the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan Academic staff of the Baku Academy of Music 20th-century musicologists