Lusine Sahakyan: Komitas had already realized that our song has its structure, just like our words, our speech, our language
ABC interview’s guest is musicologist and Komitas scholar Lusine Sahakyan. According to Lusine, Komitas’s life narrates the story of the Armenian people, noting that the more complex the times, the more his journey should serve as a guiding light for our people.
– Who was Komitas and what significance did he have for Armenian and global cultures?
– Komitas is the collective image of our people; he is the symbol of our nation. Komitas’s life and his journey reflect that of our people. He is a lasting value, and one can endlessly speak about him. As I delve deeper into the details of his life, I think about how cultured he was. If we were to describe him in modern terms, he was a man of globalization, and how accurate were the paths he opened for us. He was born a musician…
– As far as I know, Komitas was born into a musical family; both his father and mother sang.
– Indeed, Komitas’s mother and father sang. His mother, Taguhi Hovhannisyan, even composed songs. He even went to Kyotahia to record the songs sung by his mother.
– When did Komitas start engaging in musicology?
– At Gevorkian Theological Seminary Komitas understood that songs should not only be recorded but also studied. He had the intuition of a musician. If you ask me which conservatory Mozart or Bach graduated from, I can’t give you an answer, because such conservatories did not exist; they were simply born geniuses. The same holds true for Komitas. I believe they were superhumans, and their connection with God was of a different nature. I can’t explain this now or delve into mystical issues, but Komitas had already realized that our song has its own structure, just as our words, our speech, and our language have their own structure.
– If I’m not mistaken, classical music also uses folk music as its base.
– Of course, classical music, if we delve deeper, is mainly based on folk songs. What did the founder of Russian classical music, Glinka, say? “I have done nothing; I have married the Russian chastushka to the European fugue.”
– What prompted Komitas to go to Istanbul, and what was the reason behind it?
– The Young Turks came, promising constitutional changes, and Komitas, as an Ottoman subject, decided to settle in Istanbul because so-called reforms were being made for national minorities. Initially, Komitas was warmly welcomed in Istanbul because he was seen as the jewel of Armenian culture. His presence in Istanbul was indeed an event. He was planning to open a conservatory and had detailed what the Armenian conservatory should be like.
– Was Komitas open to collaborating with Turkish musicians?
– Yes, Komitas was open; he was the honored guest of the last sultan’s son, Mecid Efendi, and was the music teacher to his wife and daughters. His protocol chief, Jenani Bey, did not do anything without Komitas. When special guests were to visit the Sultan, Komitas was invited to compose the entire musical program and participate in the event. Komitas even participated in gatherings of Turkish artists. He was the only Armenian who attended those events.
Interview by Lena Gevorgyan
