SCRIPT OF MOVIE DEVOTED TO ARCHIMANDRITE KOMITAS TO BE READY
11:45, 12 October, 2013
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The Script of the movie devoted to
Archimandrite Komitas with the initiative of “Armenia Production”
is already ready. The chief producer of the company, Valeri Sahakyan,
in the interview with the reporter of Armenpress pointed out that as
the movie named “Patient” is getting ready for the provision of the
global movie rental, it is not random that the complete variant of
the script is now passing an editing stage in Hollywood. “The final
edition of the script in Hollywood will last about 1 and a half months,
after which, I think, the shooting of the movie will start. The date
of the movie to appear on the great screen can be outlined in the
autumn of 2014,” told Sahakyan. He informed that the author of the
movie script is Armenian Marc Aryan which is his literary pseudonym.
Komitas, a.k.a. Soghomon Soghomonyan, was born on September 26, 1869
in Anatolia, Turkey, in the town of Koutina (Ketaia). His father,
Gevorg Soghomonyan was a shoemaker but he also composed songs and had
a beautiful voice. The composer’s mother – Tagui – was also singled
out for her vivid musical abilities; she was a carpet weaver.
Komitas’s childhood was joyless and full of deprivations. He lost his
mother when he was less than one year old, and because his father
was too busy his grandmother took care of him. At age 7 Komitas
entered the local elementary school. As soon as he finished school
his father sent him to Broosa to continue his education. However,
he failed and 4 months later he came home having ultimately become
an orphan: his father passed away and Soghomon was only 11 years old…
“He was a frail, weak, pale boy, always thoughtful and kind. He was
dressed poorly,” one of his classmates recalled about Komitas.
Soghomon was often seen sleeping on the cold stones of the laundry
room.
He could sing perfectly, and no wonder in Koutina he was nicknamed
“a little vagrant singer”.
For his delightful voice Soghomonyan was also indebted to an event
that fundamentally changed the entire course of his life.
In 1881 the priest of Koutina, G. Dertsakyan, had to leave for
Echmiadzin to be ordained a bishop. At the request of the Catholicos
he brought the gifted orphan boy with him to study at the Echmiadzin
Church Seminary. Twelve-year old Soghomon was selected out of the other
20 orphans to study at the Seminary. As it was forbidden to speak
Armenian at that time the boy spoke Turkish and when being greeted
by the Catholicos Gevorg IV, he replied, “I don’t speak Armenian,
if you wish I will sing”. Then with his fine soprano voice he sang
an Armenian sharakan (a church hymn) without understanding the words.
Due to his exclusive aptitude Soghomon overcame all the obstacles in
a very short time and perfectly learned Armenian.
The genius of Armenian music found his final shelter in Paris, in
the suburban sanatorium Vil-Jouif where he spent almost 20 years of
his life.
On the 22nd of October the life of the Great Komitas came to an end.
In the spring of 1936 his remains were transported to Armenia and
buried in Yerevan – in the Pantheon of prominent art figures.
No less tragic was the destiny of Komitas’ creative legacy. The
majority of his manuscripts were destroyed or lost all over the
world…
“The Armenian people found and recognized its soul, its spiritual
nature” in Komitas’ songs. Komitas Vardapet is a beginning having
no end.
He will live through the Armenian people, and they must live through
him, now and forever”(Vazgen I, the Catholicos of all Armenians).