Why is Komitas important?
Komitas was the most important collector of Armenian folk songs, and his exact and detailed researches established Armenian musicology on a scientific basis. His own folk-based songs and choruses and his liturgical chants are still popular among Armenians, many of whom regard him as their foremost composer.
What happened to Komitas?
In the autumn of 1916, he was taken to a hospital in Constantinople, Hôpital de la paix, and then moved to Paris in 1919, where he died in a psychiatric clinic in Villejuif in 1935. Next year, his ashes were transferred to Yerevan and buried in the Pantheon that was named after him.
Why did Komitas come to Etchmiadzin?
Young Soghomon Soghomonian, Etchmiadzin, 1890. During his studies at the Seminary, Komitas fell in love with Armenian folk music. His soul belonged to his nation and its music; he would visit villages near Etchmiadzin, listen to peasants’ songs, and collect them.
Where is komitas buried?
Komitas Pantheon, Yerevan, Armenia
Komitas/Place of burial
Where was gomidas born?
Kütahya, Turkey
Komitas/Place of birth
What does Der Voghormia mean?
Ter Voghormia – Lord Have Mercy!
Who wrote Der Voghormia?
Der voghormia by Garbis Aprikian, Choeur Sipan-Komitas, Sonia Nigoghossian on Amazon Music – Amazon.com.
What kind of music did Komitas listen to?
Besides Armenian folk songs, he also showed interest in other cultures and in 1903 published the first-ever collection of Kurdish folk songs titled Kurdish melodies. His choir presented Armenian music in many European cities, earning the praise of Claude Debussy, among others.
Why was Komitas important to the Armenian community?
Komitas settled in Constantinople in 1910 to escape mistreatment by ultra-conservative clergymen at Etchmiadzin and to introduce Armenian folk music to wider audiences. He was widely embraced by Armenian communities, while Arshag Chobanian called him the “savior of Armenian music”.
What did Father Komitas do for a living?
He is recognized as one of the pioneers of ethnomusicology. Orphaned at a young age, Komitas was taken to Etchmiadzin, Armenia’s religious center, where he received education at the Gevorgian Seminary. Following his ordination as vardapet (celibate priest) in 1895, he studied music at the Frederick William University in Berlin.
What did Catholicos Gevorg IV ask Komitas to do?
On 1 October 1881, Komitas was introduced to Catholicos Gevorg IV, who was disappointed with his lack of knowledge of Armenian, but was so impressed with his singing talent that he often asked Komitas to sing for visitors. After an unfortunate childhood, Komitas found “emotional and intellectual stability” in the seminary.