The band’s music attracted the attention of critics with an interesting fusion of heavy rock and Armenian spiritual music. How was the legendary rock band “Ayas” founded, why was the concert interrupted and the curtains pulled down? Talk about it we are composer, group founder, soloist Artur Mitinyan with.
– You founded “Ayas” in 1986., what was the atmosphere like then?, and how dare you start a rock band?
– I started playing rock music in the 1980s and my first band was called “Elips”, then I worked in “Asparez” in 1983-1986, then I created “Ayas”. People felt freedom and at that time there was a very big movement near us.
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I am often asked why I use Armenian music. I answer that a musician should first of all use his own music. In the case of well-known groups, you immediately feel whether they are English, French or Greek. If an Armenian band plays magnificently, but in an American style, it is no longer an interesting band. Armenian music is very rich. We have our lathe, which is called tetrakhord. Armenian music is divided into three parts. Gusana, folk and church. If you take half of Gusana and half of folk music, it’s already interesting. Until now, we work in that style. 1988 the German press recognized ours as one of the top 10 bands of the USSR.
– In those years, rock was not accepted.
– Yes, it was not accepted for us. I remember when I was studying at the Conservatory and I wrote a score (joint notation of all voices of a polyphonic piece of music: instrumental, choral or vocal-instrumental), it was removed during the exam and I got a 3. It’s still good that they put 3. The composers were sitting when the sad sound of the organ, everyone was listening, then when the guitar was played, one of the composers said: “Oh man, what’s going on?” They didn’t accept it then, but now they say, “Well, we’ve been listening to rock for 40 years.”
– yours to the group a lot are to criticize, the reason the music? was, or persons.
– We can say both. We have oriental music from the beginning to the end, there are only notebooks.
– How did you decide the name of the group?
– The idea of the group’s name is Lev Hovhannisyan, the director of the “Debut” youth theater. “Ayas” was one of the major ports of Cilicia.
– They criticized the ideology of your songs, banned performances, even lowered the curtain during one of the concerts: OWhat song was it during?
– 1985 I was still working with “Asparez”, one of the works was called “The Old Man and the Ship”, which was written on the basis of the work of an unknown Armenian author of the 9th century, and the Creator was mentioned, a communist came to me and said that you should remove this work just for that word. We refused. When that piece was played in the Russian Drama Theater named after Stanislavsky, the curtain was immediately closed. In the case of words, heavy music, there was a conversation at that time. They did that for one word.
By the way, the conditions were more relaxed in Armenia, for example, I have a friend in Russia, he printed 2-3 pages from the Bible, he was imprisoned for 3 years.
I remember once they called us to ask what we were singing about, we said that it was the poems of Sevak, Charents, Shiraz, they said you can go. But we lied, there was no such thing.
– You are the author of the world’s first “Beatles forever” rock ballet.
– 2005 I was invited to Samara because they were in a very bad situation, one of the composers was unable to write the rock symphony, they had to answer to the ministry, and I had to save that situation. I wrote a rock ballet in 5 months and the performance took place in 2006. on May 31.
– Did doors not open for you after that?
– Of course they opened. It turned out that they invited me to write a rock opera, because I had already written a rock ballet, and it meant that I understood something, and in 2013 A rock opera was written on the basis of Nar-Dos’s story “Me and He”. The premiere took place in 2014. in Abovyan’s theater. We worked for 8 months and received 20,000 drams.
– Can you make money now?
– I don’t think about that. The members of my band work without a penny, they don’t earn money playing rock, they do other jobs for a living, but they come to play because they can’t live without music.
– And don’t you earn money to live?
– I give online lessons, I work in my favorite profession – music.
– You are a member of both RA and RF composers’ union. Is your potential fully used in both countries?
– Before it was normal, now in Moscow it has completely mixed up, new conditions have been put forward. They pass new laws all the time.
– The group is still active, and do you perform?
– The last time we performed was last year. We rarely perform because our works are a bit difficult, we want them to be of high quality.
– Can we consider rock music a favorite genre of teenagers and young people?
– We can’t. I remember in 2008 After my author’s evening, my friend called to say that my 86-year-old mother is your biggest fan, she listens to your music. Indeed, there are many people who are 70-80 years old and listen to us.
Not to mention our neighbors. They have been listening to rock songs for 40 years and they don’t complain.
– What did you change in people’s thinking in the 1980s and what would you like to change through music now?
– I like Handel’s words that he said. “I would be unhappy if only people liked my music. I want them to gain strength and become good after my music.” In the 1980s, when rock came out, people felt freedom, because before that everything was closed.
I wanted to show the world that Armenians are also strong in rock. I would like people to become stronger after my music, to believe in the bright future of Armenia.
– Are there any problems that you would like to address with music?
– I used to have it, now I don’t. I lived in Moscow for a while, when in 2007 I returned to Armenia and saw that life had become more interesting, as they said, the situation is bad.
– Years ago, when we were talking, you said that you wrote the opera “Tigran the Great”, but there were financial problems. Where did you get to?
– The problem still exists. We need money to pay people. I know many performers who will run and participate, but they must receive some kind of salary. There will be an orchestra, many people will participate, a lot of money is needed. I’m ready, there must be a sponsor. Won’t people get 20,000 drams every time?
– Al. Is there a connection with the National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after Spendiaryan, do they know that such a rock opera exists?
– There was a connection, I showed it several times, but there was still a financial problem. They said, they will present it with great pleasure, but there is no finance. It was Konstantin Orbelyan at that time. It’s just that this is a unique genre, a rock band must participate, there must be equipment. I have everything at home, but it is not enough, the theater should have its own. Then there is a bit of ballet along with the opera, so it’s difficult.
Even 2-3 years ago, we went to the Ministry of CGMS, because we were invited to Sweden, they said that they would be happy to help, but now there is no opportunity. I should mention that a very famous Swedish company is inviting us to Sweden for two projects. They told me that if he invites, then he should send money.
But it won’t happen like that, they have created good conditions for us, yes, let’s go and live at our own expense, but we need help, we need a lot of money. The group is invited to release a CD, which will be a big step for us.
And I’m not talking about the opera now, because it happened that, for example, they wanted to stage my rock ballet in Liverpool, the former president of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian had to do the whole thing, he gave 25,000 sterling, it was not enough, but it was normal for the first step. However, he left everything, came to Armenia, became the president, and the history of Liverpool was closed like that.
– He became the president, he forgot you.
– Well, he was busy with other things. The revolution also happened, it got completely mixed up.
– You can remind me that he is gone.
– My inner voice says that it won’t work. We have to find another way.
– Do you have new projects?
– I work a lot. I write church music, I also write for string quartet. I work in several genres at once.
– If you were to start your musical journey again, would it be from the same point?
– Of course. And rock again. This style is mine. Rock and classical music are very related. There would be no rock without classical music. Even when the rock encyclopedia was published, Bach’s name was next to famous bands.
At one time it was said that “The Beatles” stopped the third world history. They said it right because people didn’t know what to hear.
– Maybe rock will save the whole world even now.
– Definitely. People need to understand what is happening, the brain should work in the right direction.
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