Tjeknavorian to perform Rostam and Sohrab opera in Armenia
Tjeknavorian to perform “Rostam and Sohrab” opera in Armenia
TEHRAN-The renowned Iranian-Armenian musician and conductor Loris Tjeknavorian will conduct a concert and an opera based on Ferdowsi's Shahnameh in Armenia later this month.
He will first stage a gala concert at the Armenian National Opera and Ballet Theater on March 22 and a week later, he will conduct the “Rostam and Sohrab” opera at the same venue for three nights, from March 31 to April 2, ISNA reported.
Tjeknavorian has used the folklore and traditional music of Iran in the opera. “I have been very fond of the stories of Iranian poet Abolqassem Ferdowsi's Shahnameh since my childhood. Shahnameh is not merely a book; it is the national history of Iran, and all the people of Iran know the Rostam and Sohrab legend”.
He believes Ferdowsi (940-1020) is the greatest poet of the world and that whatever is found in the works of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) exists in Ferdowsi's works too.
The composition of the “Rostam and Sohrab” opera took 25 years. In 1963, German composer and music educator Carl Orff granted Loris Tjeknavorian a scholarship that allowed him to reside in Salzburg and to complete his opera in Austria. The 140-minute opera has since been performed in Austria and Iran.
Born in Borujerd, Lorestan Province, Loris Tjeknavorian, 87, is one of the most celebrated cultural figures in Armenia and Iran. As one of the leading conductors of his generation, he has led international orchestras throughout the world and has been awarded numerous times in different music events.
As a composer, Tjeknavorian has written six operas, five symphonies, choral works, chamber music, ballet music, piano and vocal works, concerti for piano, violin, guitar, cello, and pipa (Chinese lute), as well as music for documentary and feature films.
His compositions have been performed by major orchestras, including London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Halle Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra Helsinki, American Symphony Orchestra in New York, Tehran Symphony Orchestra, Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, Haifa Symphony Orchestra, the Mexico Symphony Orchestra, London Percussion Virtuosi, Strasbourg Percussion Ensemble, and English Chamber Orchestra.
From 2009 to the present, Tjeknavorian has continued to devote his time to composing, as well as painting and writing short stories. Among his most recent works are the operas “Zahak” (libretto based on Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh) and “Mowlana and Shams-e Tabriz” (libretto based on the poetry of Rumi), as well as the chamber opera “The Final Hour of Sadegh Hedayat” (libretto based on “The Blind Owl” and other works by the Iranian poet Sadegh Hedayat).
Other works include his second concerto for violin and chamber orchestra, a work for solo piano titled “1915,” and two major symphonic suites: “King Cyrus,” about the ancient Persian king, and “Takhti,” dedicated to the celebrated Iranian wrestler.
Tjeknavorian’s paintings were exhibited at the Shirin Gallery in Tehran, the Maryam Seyhoun Gallery in Los Angeles, and twice at the Iranian Artists’ Forum in Tehran.
SS/SAB
source: tehrantimes.com