Alexander Arutiunian

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Alexander Grigori Arutiunian (b. Yerevan, September 23, 1920) is an Armenian composer and pianist. In 1949, he was awarded the USSR State Prize for the Motherland cantata, a graduation piece he wrote as a student at the Moscow Conservatory. He has continued to win acclaim at home and abroad for his works, many of which are quickened by the folk traditions of Armenian music. Some of Arutiunian's works for wind instruments, notably the 1950 concerto for trumpet, the concerto for tuba, and the brass quintet Armenian Scenes, have secured their place in the international repertory, having been performed by conductors such as Valeri Gergiev, who has recorded his Symphony for large orchestra, composed in 1957 with the Symphony orchestra of the Russian All-Union Radio. He has continued composing, since the initiation of perestroika in 1987, some large scale works as his Violin Concerto, "Armenia-88".

[edit] Trumpet Concerto in A-flat major (1950)

1.Andante—Allegro energico 2.Meno mosso 3.Tempo I

Alexander Arutunian was born in Yerevan, Armenia, on September 23, 1920 and graduated from the Erevan Conservatory 1941. He studied composition with Litinsky in Moscow at the House of Armenian Culture (1946–48), and then returned to Armenia as Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Society. In 1954, he was appointed music director of Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra. He was given a “People’s Artist of the USSR” award in 1970.

The melodic and rhythmic characteristics of Armenian folk music are a strong influence in Arutunian’s work. As a composer, he expresses his nationality by incorporating the flavor of ashughner (folk minstrel) improvisations. At the time the concerto was written, his compositional style was similar to Khachaturian's. However, in the 1960s he tended towards classical forms and clearer tonality.

Arutunian’s trumpet concerto was his sixth major composition. It was written in 1950 for the renowned trumpet player Timofei Dokschitzer. The concerto's introduction to the United States is solely due to Dokschitzer; he immigrated to the United States and brought the concerto with him. It is an energetic powerhouse of Eastern European lyricism and harmonic textures.