Alexander Spendiaryan (Spendiarov) - Armenian (1871-1928)

[Christopher]

Alexander Afanasyevich Stepanos Spendiaryan (Ալեքսանդր Ստեփանոսի Սպենդիարյան - also russified his surname to Spendiarov/Спендиаров)

I've just noticed that a complete recording of his opera "Almast" was put up on youtube a few years agoЖ  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q91DeYKlJuE&t=130s

Recorded 1972 - Vladimir Urbanovich as Prince Tatul; Novosibirsk State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet; conductor - Boris Gruzin

The opera was started in 1916 and completed in 1923.

Biographical info about Spendiaryan - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Spendiaryan

About the opera (from wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almast - though the Czech version of the same - https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almast -  has a much fuller entry for some reason (if you use google-translate):

Almast (Armenian: Ալմաստ meaning diamond) is the only opera of the Armenian composer Alexander Spendiaryan.  In 1916 Spendiaryan met Armenian poet Hovhannes Tumanian, who suggested three of his poems "Anush", "Parvana" and "The Siege of the Tmbouk Castle" as themes for a national Armenian opera. Spendiaryan listened to the prelude of the last poem and was immediately attracted by its beauty. According to Tumanian's daughter, he was fascinated by Firdousi's poem in the banquet scene, by Tatoul's nightmare, and by the ambitious Almast - who dreamed of winning the throne. Tumanian also organized special musical evenings for Spendiarian in his own home and then at Tbilisi's Music School, in which national musicians and minstrels took part. At this stage Spendiarian, a Russian-Armenian, began to make a detailed study of Armenian folk music. He wrote: "Amongst the large amount of material I was particularly struck by Nikoghayos Tigranyan's music, on which I composed some of the instrumental passages in my opera". Because of the pressure of work, Tumanian was forced to abandon the idea of writing the libretto himself, and the task was undertaken by Russian poet Sophia Parnok. In 1916 the libretto was ready, and Spendiaryan began work on the opera, and finished the opera's vocal score in 1923. He continued his work on the instrumentation right up to his death. The instrumentation of the fourth act of "Almast" was completed by composer Maximilian Steinberg. According to musical critic A. Shahverdian, "it is here that the basis was laid for a new style of Armenian national music."  The first performance of "Almast" took place in 1930 at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow. On January 20, when the Yerevan State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet was opened, a performance of the opera was given in Armenian in Tigran Hakhumyan's translation. It was performed also in Tbilisi, Tashkent, Novosibirsk and Odessa. It was re-staged in Yerevan also in 1939, 1969, 1971 and 1983. In 1951 The Russian Chamber Opera Theatre in Paris gave a performance of "Almast" in the Mutualité Hall.

Roles
Tatul, Armenian prince - baritone
Princess Almast. his wife - mezzo-soprano
Ruben, Tatul's comrade-in-arms - bass
Gajané, maid and confidant Almast - mezzo-soprano
Nádir Šáh , Persian ruler - bass
Sheikh, the highest Persian clergyman - tenor
The Shah's bodyguard - bass
Ali Murad, Shah's military leader - bass
Ashug (court singer) at the court of Nadir Shah - tenor
Three Persian warlords - two tenors and a bass
Jester at Tatul's court - tenor
Old snake - mezzo-soprano or alt
Armenian soldier - tenor
Tatul's warriors, girls-weavers, servants, dancers, Shah's bodyguards, Shah's courtiers, knights, executioners - mixed choir and ballet

Armenia, 18th century

Act 1
The Armenian fortress of Tmkabert , defended by the brave prince Tatul, is besieged by the Persian army of the mighty Nadir Shah . There is disappointment in his tent: even after a long siege, the fortress does not give up and all the attacks have so far been repulsed by the defenders. The Shah asks for the advice of his mentor, the old sheikh, and he has an unusual idea. Prince Tatul has a beautiful wife Almast, who is said to be very ambitious and whom the prince trusts indefinitely (arioso О шах, к победе всякий путь достоин ). If the Shah could get her on his side, the fort could fall into his hands.

Nadir Shah gratefully accepts the advice and sends it to the fort with the special mission of his best assuga (Persian equivalent of the troubadour ) to soothe the princess with his songs and tell her that the Shah has heard of her beauty and falls in love with her, and to promise her boundless wealth. and the crown of the empress, if given to him (even with the fortress) (arioso Войди к ней в дом ). Persian leaders pray together for success in the next fight.

Act 2

Tmkaberd Fortress (Tmuk, Tmogvi)
In the fortress, Armenian women weave a canvas and sing (the choir День и ночь печаль се са же ). The sheikh's master is doing well, the singer's efforts have not been in vain, and Almast is beginning to dream of himself as the Persian empress. Her maid and confidante Gajané warns her in vain against treacherous thoughts.

Behind the walls of the fort are the sounds of battle: Nadir Shah's army conducts another of its raids, and the Armenian warriors repel them again. Almast is tormented by conflicting feelings: on the one hand, she loves her husband and admires his bravery and justice, but on the other hand, she is attracted to the Shah's love and power. Moreover, it has a premonition that through valorous defense strength sooner or later will be as Persians conquered and all perish Как мне тоску переупрямить ).

Meanwhile, the end of the fight can be heard - the attackers were driven away, Tatul won again. Ashug did not miss the fact that the princess's affection under this impression leans back towards her husband, and she sings again a hymn to her beauty, which conquered the mighty Shah himself (the song В плен взяла певца ). The garrison of the fortress noisily celebrates the return of the victorious soldiers and the prince, but Tatula's first steps lead to the beloved Almast.

Act 3
Prince Tatul and his comrades-in-arms cheerfully celebrate today's victory. The toast chases the toast, Tatul's aide Ruben gives a speech to celebrate the hero, but the prince himself refuses in his toast the praise of his own person (aria Не славой дорожу, а дружбой вашей ). It resembles dead comrades instead. The soldiers join in and pay their last respects to fallen comrades, but then tune in to a more optimistic, masculine note (choir Не орел в ночи ). Then the fun resumes. The prince gives his men wine and food, the girls and the soldiers dance, and the prince clown sings a mocking song about the Shah's expedition.

Almast is once again trying to arouse ambition in his husband, to persuade him to use the victory for another conquest, to pursue the Shah and perhaps conquer the Persian crown himself. However, such thoughts are completely foreign to Tatul, he just wants to defend his homeland and rule in peace, on the contrary, he warns her husband against Persian tricks and treachery. Almast sees that their natures are incompatible, and he definitely decides to carry out his intention. Despite the husband's timid protests, he pours wine on everyone again and again, sends it to the soldiers on guard, and with his fiery dance pulls all present into such exuberant joy that they all end up drunk and exhausted.

When almost everyone falls asleep, Almast takes the torch and climbs the tower to give the Persian army the agreed signal to attack. The Guyans, who sensed her intention, try to stop their mistress and persuade her not to sell the Armenian nation and her noble wife. But Alast rejects her and gives the Shah's army a fire signal.

Gaians run and wake princes and warriors. But an unexpected Persian attack was effective, after a short battle the fortress is flooded by Persian troops and its ominous march sounds. Nádir Šáh enters the banquet hall and the princess welcomes him with a ceremonial bow.

Act 4
Taktul is dead and Nadir Shah is the lord of Tmkabert, but he is in a gloomy mood. In this conquered country, which is hostile to him, the struggle will always be close; not even the presence of the beautiful Almast pleases him. After all, she found that everything she had promised since the betrayal had been wasted: the ruler did not love her, and instead of the position of empress, the fate of a slave girl in a chess harem awaited her; she remembers her husband and feels hatred and regret at the same time (arioso Не цвести цветку угрюмых скал ). The temperamental princess eventually tries to kill the Shah, but the guards disarm her. Nadir Shah orders the traitor to be executed.

[Christopher]

Other orchestral works by Spendiaryan on youtube include:

Three Palms (symphonic poem) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2ZI3t7XNs0

Crimean Sketches (Dance - Elegiac Song - At the table - "Khaitarma" dance) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ6TimKjDrQ

Yerevan Etudes (1. Enzeli; 2. Gedzhas)) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvf8AOmI_SI

Lullaby - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV-thUEptfs  (folk orchestra...)

2 suites from Almast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhvV4eXe21M

Ashoog's song from Almast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-caM08HZcY

- plus quite a few other extracts from the opera, including recordings of stage performances.

[eschiss1]

Wikipedia entries on different language Wikipedias are not translations of each other, they're put together by different people (some overlap).

[Christopher]

I'm not sure I implied that they were normally the same?  (Although sometimes they ARE translations)   Anyway, any comment on the music rather than the post?

[eschiss1]

I meant not always, you just seemed surprised at the difference in length. Sorry!

[kolaboy]

Wasn't familiar with this fellow. Thanks for the opportunity to explore his work...

[Christopher]

I meant not always, you just seemed surprised at the difference in length. Sorry!

Oh I see - no it was more curiosity that there would be a lengthy article in Czech, in the absence (as far as I can tell) of any connection between that composer and that country.

[eschiss1]

That sort of thing depends only on the presence of interested editors whose primary language is Czech. German, eg, has a well-stocked bio section of all sorts of composers, and intriguingly, the English-language Wikipedia has biographies for many composers who never visited an English-primarily (or at all) speaking country.