Alfred Roubenovich "Avet" Terterian (also Terteryan) (, July 29, 1929 â December 11, 1994) was an Armenian composer, awarded the Konrad Adenauer Prize.
Terterian was a friend and colleague of Giya Kancheli, Konstantin Orbelyan, and Tigran Mansurian. Dmitri Shostakovich praised Terterian as "very talented" and "with great future" in one of his letters, published by his friend Isaak Glikman, having heard a recording of Terterian's works at Armenia's "House of Composers" summer resort in Dilijan, Armenia.
Life and career
Terterian was born in Baku to Armenian parents. He studied at the Music Academy in Baku from 1948, and moved to the Romanos-Melikian Music Academy in 1951. He studied composition at the Komitas State Conservatory in Yerevan from 1952. His works in the late 1950s and early 1960s follow the path of Khachaturian, but his 1967 opera The Ring of Fire announced a change of musical language which included atonality and the use of electronics. Terterian composed eight (completed) symphonies which cover his compositional career from 1969 until his death, several of which are recorded, two operas and several chamber works.
He was Executive Secretary of the Armenian Composersâ Union from 1960 to 1963, and Chairman of the Music Department at the Armenian Cultural Ministry from 1970 and 1974. He joined Yerevan Conservatory as a professor in 1985. In 1989, he moved to the village of Ayrivank, located on the western shore of Lake Sevan, Gegharkunik region of Armenia. In 1991 he was made a People's Artist and in 1993 awarded the Khachaturian Prize.
Yekaterinburg's annual music festival is named after Terterian.
Giya Kancheli's work Styx, written for solo viola, chorus, and orchestra is a farewell to his friends Terterian and Alfred Schnittke, whose names are sung by the choir during the work.
Terterian's son, Dr. Ruben Terterian, was a professor of music in Samborondón, Ecuador, until his death in January 2020; and former prorector at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan.
His most notable student is Vache Sharafyan.
List of works
- 1948 â âÂÂThe Nightingale and the Rose.â For voice and piano. Words by A. Lushkina. Dedication âÂÂAngela Harutyunyan.âÂÂ
- 1950 â Prelude for Piano
- 1951 â Piece for Violin and Piano. Dedication âÂÂGeorgy AdzhemyanâÂÂ.
- 1953 â âÂÂDneprâÂÂ. For bass-baritone and piano. Words by Shevchenko. Russian translation M. Isakovsky, Armenian transition A. Poghosyan.
- 1953 â âÂÂThe Lonely TreeâÂÂ. For a mixed choir ð cappella. Words by O. Shiraz.
- 1954 â Piece for Cello and Piano. Dedication: âÂÂMedea AbrahamyanâÂÂ.
- 1954 â âÂÂEvery night in my garden.â For voice and piano. Words by A. Isahakyan.
- 1954 â âÂÂWillowâÂÂ. For soprano and piano. Words by A. Isahakyan.
- 1955 â Sonata for Cello and Piano. In three parts
- 1956 â âÂÂHow nice is here.â Impromptu for voice and piano. Words by Tolstoy.
- 1957 â âÂÂLooking through the dates.â For soprano and piano. Words by S. Shchipachev.
- 1957 â âÂÂCall, I will come.â For tenor or soprano, and piano. Words by . H. Shiraz.
- 1957 â âÂÂMotherlandâÂÂ. Vocal-symphonic cycle for soprano, baritone and symphony orchestra. The words of the songs are poems by H. Shiraz (parts 1, 2, 3, 5) and H. Tumanyan (Part 4). In five parts Dedication âÂÂEdward MirzoyanâÂÂ.
- 1958 â âÂÂSongsâ For choir and brass band. Words by E. Manucharyan. Dedication âÂÂPupils music boarding school.âÂÂ
- 1959 â âÂÂPop SongâÂÂ. For voice and big band.
- 1960 â âÂÂThe Revolution.â Vocal-symphonic cycle for soprano, baritone and symphony orchestra. The words of the songs are poems by E. Charents. Five parts.
- 1962 â âÂÂCome.â For voice and big band. Word by V. Harutyunyan.
- 1962 â âÂÂBlue Eyes.â For voice and big band. Words by H. Ghukasyan.
- 1963 â String Quartets. For two violins, viola and cello (C major). In two parts. Dedication âÂÂIrina TigranovaâÂÂ.
- 1963 â âÂÂYou are the only to know.â For voice and big band. Word by A. Ghukasyan.
- 1964 â âÂÂIn the golden field.â For baritone and piano. Words by O. Shiraz.
- 1964 â âÂÂMaybe tomorrow.â For voice and big band. Words by A. Verdyan.
- 1964 â âÂÂI am waiting for you again.â For voice and big band. Words by A. Verdyan.
- 1964 â âÂÂAutumn BluesâÂÂ. For voice and big band.. Words by A. Verdyan. Dedication âÂÂAnatoliy Nikiforovich Yar-KravchenkoâÂÂ.
- 1964 â âÂÂGo DanceâÂÂ. For voice and big band. Words by A. Verdyan.
- 1965 â âÂÂLullaby to my city.â For and big band. Words by A. Verdyan.
- 1965 â âÂÂI do not believe!â For voice and big band..Words by A. Verdyan.
- 1967 â âÂÂRing of FireâÂÂ. Opera in two acts, eight scenes. Libretto by V. Shahnazaryan on a story by B. Lavrenev âÂÂForty firstâ and verses of E. Charents.
- 1967 â âÂÂSharakan.â For mixed choir and symphony orchestra (Episode from the opera "Ring of Fire").
- 1967 â âÂÂHow do you know.â For and big band. Words by A. Verdyan.
- 1968 â âÂÂA woman with green eyes.â For mezzo-soprano and piano. Words by G. Emin (Russian text: Yevgeny Yevtushenko).
- 1968 â âÂÂPop SongâÂÂ. For voice and big band.
- 1969 â Symphony. For brass, percussion, piano, organ and bass guitar. In four parts. Dedication: âÂÂRuben Borisovich Terteryan.âÂÂ
- 1972 â Second Symphony. For full symphony orchestra, male voices and mixed choir. In three parts. Dedication: âÂÂCarmen Josephovna TerteryanâÂÂ.
- 1972 â Symphonic picture â 1. For full symphony orchestra.
- 1974 â âÂÂFanfareâÂÂ. For wind and percussion instruments.
- 1974 â Music for two pianos, trumpets, percussion and violins. ÃÂúÃÂøÿþú. àÃÂõÃÂÃÂÃÂõÃÂ
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. In 4 parts.
- 1975 â Third Symphony. For full symphony orchestra, duduk and zurna. In three parts. Dedication âÂÂHerman R. TerteryanâÂÂ.
- 1975 â Symphonic picture âÂÂ2. For full symphony orchestra.
- 1975 â Music for winds and percussion instruments, electronic synthesizer and piano.
- 1976 â Fourth Symphony. For full symphony orchestra. Dedication âÂÂDavid Khanjyan.âÂÂ
- 1977 â âÂÂHymnâÂÂ. Cantata for mixed choir and symphony orchestra. Words by G. Emin.
- 1978 â Fifth Symphony. For full symphony orchestra, kyamancha and large bells. Dedication âÂÂGennady Rozhdestvensky."
- 1979 â âÂÂMonologues of Richard IIIâÂÂ. The ballet in two parts. Libretto: H. Kaplanyan and V. Galstyan on ShakespeareâÂÂs tragedy Richard III.
- 1981 â Sixth Symphony. For Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Choir and nine phonograms with recording of groups of full symphony orchestra, choirs, harpsichords and large bells. Dedication âÂÂIrina G. TigranovaâÂÂ.
- 1981 â â A boy and a girl playingâ Romance for voice and chamber orchestra. Words by A. Isahakyan.
- 1984 â âÂÂThe EarthquakeâÂÂ. Opera in two parts. Libretto: Hertha Shteher, Avet Terteryan, based on the novel by Heinrich von Kleist âÂÂEarthquake in Chileâ (in German).
- 1985 â The choir and a cappella. For a mixed choir a cappella.
- 1987 â Seventh Symphony. For full symphony orchestra, dap and tape recording. Dedication âÂÂAlexander Lazarev.âÂÂ
- 1989 â Eighth Symphony. For full symphony orchestra, two voices (soprano) and phonograms. Dedication âÂÂMurad Annamamedov.âÂÂ
- 1991 â String Quartets âÂÂ2. For two violins, viola and cello.
- 1994 â Ninth Symphony (unfinished). For full symphony orchestra, choir and tape recordings.
Music for films
- 1973 â âÂÂChronicle of Yerevan DaysâÂÂ. Feature film. Film-maker F. Dovlatyan. Production studio âÂÂArmenfilmâ n. Hamo Beknazaryan.
- 1985 â âÂÂThe rider, who was expectedâ (âÂÂMaster thief"). The co-author V. Rubashevsky. Art telefilm in two runs. Directed by D. Kesayants.
Terterian's music was used in many films, including:
- 1988 â âÂÂOur Armored Trainâ (film-maker M. Ptashuk, Minsk, Belarus)
- "Interpretation of Dreamsâ (film-maker L. Saakyants, Yerevan, Armenia);
- 1989 â âÂÂThe creative biography of Ernst Neizvestny and music of A. Terteryanâ (film-maker Bondarev, Moscow, USSR);
- 1990 â âÂÂPublic Enemyâ (cond. L. Maryagin, Moscow, USSR);
- Qamin unaynutyan (Wind of Oblivion)
- 1991 â âÂÂVox Clamantis in Desertoâ (Dzayn barbaro ... , film-maker Vigen Chaldranyan, Yerevan, Armenia)
- âÂÂThe Way of Kingsâ (film-maker E. Shiffers, Leningrad, USSR),
- âÂÂReturn to the promised landâ (film-maker A. Khachatryan, Yerevan, Armenia);
- 1993 â âÂÂThe old godsâ (film-maker A. Kadzhvoryan, Yerevan, Armenia);
- 1993âÂÂ1995 â film director and journalist T. Paskaleva about events in Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR)
- 1994 â âÂÂThe Last Stationâ (film-maker A. Khachatryan, Yerevan, Armenia);
- 1996 â âÂÂOur Fatherâ (film-maker A. Kadzhvoryan, Yerevan, Armenia);
- 1996 â âÂÂBread of Rageâ (film-maker A. Kadzhvoryan, Yerevan, Armenia);
- 2003 â Vaveragrogh (Documentarist)
- 2005 â Poeti veradardze (Return of the Poet)
- 2009 â âÂÂBecomingâ (cond. G. Frutyunyan, Yerevan, Armenia), âÂÂOn the boundary", film-maker A. Khachaturyan, Yerevan, Armenia;
- 2010 â âÂÂTo Araratâ (cond. T. Khzmalyan, Yerevan, Armenia).
As actor
Literature
References
External links