A conversation with; #4 (Reel 1)

Conversation with Aram Khatchadourian This is another in a continuing series of programs each of which offers the listener a rare opportunity to hear an eminent musician informally discussing his own career and expressing his thoughts about a variety of topics related to the art of music. The regular participants in these discussions are Aaron Parsons professor of music theory at Northwestern University's School of Music and program annotator for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. And George Stone program director for Zenith radio corporation's serious music station WEAA FM in Chicago. Mr. Parsons and Mr. Stone have as their guest on today's program Mr. Aram Khatchadourian a leading Soviet composer active as guest conductor in Europe and America and teacher of Composition at the Moscow Conservatory. He speaks in his native Russian in this conversation. Interpret ing is Mr. Jewel. The feature is not only the New York impresario who arranged Mr. contrarian's recent American tour. Now here is George St..

Mr. Patrick most of the English language reference books refer to me as an Armenian composer. While we find your birthplace listed as the capital of Georgia one wonders why we aren't described as a Georgian composer would you clarify this for us is it stood on the last step. I mean there was some agreement that the BBC was the but I don't know. Yeah I did mean him. But the time you got to ski by nationality I was a drunk but bright education.

But I thought extremely If you skip all of that what. Would you get a short life. Or consider myself because I live for 47 years. You know I am. Schools graduate schools I study classical music and consider them as exponents of this subject called Russian culture. Your musical education began in the Caucasus Mountains. Could you tell us something about as we know that you

lived in Tbilisi until you were about 18 then went to Moscow. We would like 30 years but it almost just got guys are we still talk with you not selecting rises from a school. Let us give them per se but then you can go to but if you don't look so you have to ask you about the lack of growth of the kind we go to which you believe that's true. Spend more on mountains and the music of songs of Georgian people in Tbilisi influence to be at the buy you should go to Tbilisi city.

But of course everybody singing she usually did that my critique was done Mark Souder hours as Bill said sure where the windows are open and the people are singing in the hours for an act or oh give a kiss and general festivity is being conducted with music and singing. Move on you brought the guy up by you look at a man who drives drunk. He doesn't just die. He seems you know

don't keep self and distance him. And he has not used some of the teams that he heard from these thank you more than they ever had of the guy we want to tell you but this is a musical surrounding that in spite of my wishes and wishes I had to absorb. What about instrumental music. Do people also play it by ear piece. Almost everybody playing instruments classical. You have to be almost We have about how there would be several national instrument.

Everybody but you and see what sort of instruments see through me and the car. The instruments called me an instrument which is a book when you know it will be held in there like a cello that I know my link you want more. Yes. Also doo doo doo doo key that needs to be a story to imagine. He got bored of our school. It is something like

you can use on 5 0 boards as 5 at the prison you have to look at this one in What's the name of the zone. It's very interesting that I mean and of course but of course family doesn't teach that I post right. But she was you got me for something similar to this is that you may come to kind of be it would you know you find something similar to the rhythmic element in such a work as Dana is tremendously important. So one gets the impression that also in your native land and you refer now to your heritage as an Armenian. The

dance must be tremendously important we've spoken of their singing. We've spoken of instrumental music but certainly dancing must be an expression. I read some books you were on the first mentioning that once you're through that less than seven but again you know them to work in the US that produced them. I didn't come here to see you get them was a nobody did it me use a skeleton. People can be used in your book The moment you know you want to. Then companies use of force upon

the downs of the Reserves and the elite most of the folks Gen.. Of course picture some of the Union you like but they're going to learn from them. Yeah why not if you have a good reason. My torch is for fans as well you know just by other words. A new quality which can be proven and to see what has been

off my own by other words. The Roma family could limit you from one of the source of my fanfic or by a very little more and more which is one of the dances in the ballet dancer. You know this is an example of what he is speaking of. But if it's a Georgian dance at the time I have seen enough there was some of the matter ask you time again there was this guy and there

was the mark of a lot of us. Unfortunately there was not enough time to show all these dancers in the same bubble I mean you mean years ago. Unless brilliant and in the fighting then there is going to give you one of course the one which first became known here was those they advertise this with and this brings to mind a question to compose a piece that achieves super popularity must bring with it a problem or two. I'm thinking now of Rachmaninoff and what he said about his C-sharp minor prelude because everywhere he went this was what people wanted to hear and he said after all I wrote other things has Maestro

experienced this with the science may say that is worth listening to. It is the darkness. Specially when you talk this way of so many lives I mean if you want to see that almost all the lights Peter kind of stood by it was that she never was you know what will be the fate of us you know because there's a chance I think.

They are wonderful places who will miss you. I think that I just don't think your political authority as a public office and picks it up gets very interesting. Seventy an obese fellow staff she was extremely tired because what's wrong with your line you have no intention to me as the national But I don't have the stomach. Glad I'm. Generous when approaching Stalingrad. People down on the

bus Korea I wasn't in the most but it was where I was evacuated. In another city which I really element that I feel that I bet companies you do you just like Yeah well some of the B-cell might be a look that would be am I stuck at school or a view without knowing just think what just the Soviets and by eleven o'clock at night to complete this zone which Elvis night score was. Given

the hand up in there at the 11 o'clock in the morning they have so that only a single country. It was done for a little bit with time even to the American people don't want to know my other compositions. Would she just defer simpering a second so I might show up and just as you give to people we never knew that you have said she is Sexual a manager I'm sure.

Can. I have an accountant accounting. That's just a matter when you don't blame the company. I think perhaps. Mr. cacciatore I'm under estimating the knowledge of his other music in this country from the young. New deaths in the last you see repeat reading the piano concerto. We're going to be on the concert which was recorded by a piece of it as being without the government kind of battle back in the late 40s has always been very very popular program.

For example the violin concerto. We are now having the opportunity of course through records to know better such a work as the Second Symphony which is available here. Guess he's not quite so soon for going for the most of them. And with a new Stokowski recording with the Chicago Symphony you step in front of the system but also generally available there are I want you to let you know which that other person masquerade is very well known as good as Spartacus. But that is the fact that happy to be mistaken. Well good to know you were leaving a place that was

very good. I wonder if we could go backwards back to Tbilisi to the time you know it's not because you didn't save you from the time that Mr it's not your time really even less than what you thought was girl. I understand it took about 24 days for that trip but he had already started the study of the piano and I believe the cello which should have been. Just in this part of his life but then I guess give us his reason for that was most of the people must go. It's good that he's going to make the most bringing their city feet feel

good. Yeah yeah but really it's I'm getting this. My my friends brought me to show me two to show me how to study music. Mother Believe me I would. You couldn't afford the piano business to play piano but this was in Moscow last year that you wrote the piece of work you have read the nature of the I knew them in my hand you know that the more sort of you know that. Well I play the song but them later on the concept of the concept of rights. Mozart show me your letter. Yes it was a little story.

They made a mistake that they give Never. Becomes space in their opinion. Have a professor offered me to play Channel 4. Yes I know this young boy so I know. This instrument plus years from two hours

got that me years and years of without any of us at composition. Your position sure and then film producer on the film as I would like to clarify one point. I got the impression from the biography by Schneerson that maestro had learned as we say in this country to play by ear while he was still living in his native in his native land. But then he was there so I thought she was but I was sure that the people of the image brought the song some humans used to fit the bill it was just there never got we just thought this would be this time.

I would I would just stay a solution for Jean she succeeded. Yeah I guess my father didn't teach me to fish. There was a brother who was already involved with the arts and if I thought it was a blue it was a mouse is a must for those who know that he was one of the many young director of the famous must know what's in the letters on that you're right and he was influential them in and bringing you on Moscow.

But if you were on PBS. Yeah that's where he was you know you brought me in and he was thinking of getting you know had the decision been made at that time to enter a career in music. Or was he still bent upon some other great I mean you're going to play us it was a story with the music that you have he was going to establish it was 50 for you know I was in university studying music. Is that about the Early Show. I mean is that about to keep him on a payment of sorts.

Rob it's not scholarship. I say sure you know that ownership and there was also giving but I would suspect that when you get a lesson given is that he didn't up nor what he's going to do what he facing that happens to be with what happened when I had a little brain you know like you think you know concern with my life was one of my fate was decided well and you can settle with a company that was published yet going to a million. So that's what he meant.

My name was in the grove. Let us know where the names of major concern was that it was a gold medal from inception. From this stuff that's going to settle for some people it's going to my name since you got your money when all this could happen and I have no idea because I'd like to ask about those entrance examinations which was a documentary and to exit at the time I was intrigued enough to be given a list of them. Not long because first of all have to show your compositions many new love that I can read it for myself

to brag but not all of my competition. Listen to me though I thought among the few thoughts to share with me what I mean when you say course the route you brought the weather with Rob Corning was Professor trying to decide a lot about your corner compliment that you got him when you had money that you were going to show him. Problem had a minute. But honestly of course you ears. And then you cation don't think you go to the

rice dictation and you study it was a cue. He did it really well me a billionaire decently him fuk you. I had seven shields that he used to be up against long before you told me yeah. Do you live in that they need to go to you Fred would Shoreditch my field level examination. I would be accepted to didn't tell you but the way your new book is out. There For You can show them you know any book that claims to be. Yet you'll do she said it's about supposed to be up to you to be that beautiful. I wanted to enter the first course first here because I wanted as little as possible. You're listening to a conversation with Aram Khatchadourian with hair and parsons and George St.. We pons 10 seconds for a station identification.