On February 17th, at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra presented the second concert of the 16th Armenian Composing Art Festival. The program featured the premiere of Impatience of the Heart, a composition for soprano, violin, violoncello, and symphony orchestra by composer and international prize recipient Arpine Kalinina. This composition was among the works for which Arpine received the Russian Federation’s Triumph Prize for Highest Achievement in Art in 2010 in the Young Artist category. Over the years, this prestigious award has been presented to distinguished artists, including Alfred Schnittke, Svyatoslav Richter, Valery Gergiev, Yevgeny Kissin, and Maya Plisetskaya, among others.
Arpine, please tell us about your composition and its performance.
Impatience of the Heart, a work for soprano, violin, cello, and orchestra, was inspired by Stefan Zweig’s novel Beware of Pity (Ungeduld des Herzens). Originally composed in 2008 as the final work of my studies at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory under the late composer and professor Levon Chaushyan, the piece was revised in 2025. Through the voices of three soloists, the music brings to life the novel’s central characters: the soprano embodies Edith Kekesfalva’s fragile yearning, the violin reflects Lieutenant Anton Hofmiller’s inner turmoil, and the cello conveys Doctor Condor’s steadfast compassion.
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This is a deeply dramatic story. Edith, a young woman paralyzed from a childhood injury after falling from a horse, is confined to a wheelchair. When Lieutenant Hofmiller visits her home, Edith falls in love with him. Over time, their relationship leads to an engagement. Edith hopes that love will heal her, trusting in the care of Doctor Condor—a man of great patience and empathy, who is himself married to a disabled woman. However, as the engagement approaches, Hofmiller begins to doubt whether Edith will ever regain her ability to walk—and whether he is capable of bearing the lifelong responsibility of caring for a disabled person. Overwhelmed by fear, he ultimately decides to break off the engagement. Upon hearing the news, Edith falls into utter despair. Her fragile psyche cannot withstand such anguish, and she takes her own life.
I sought to express Edith’s love and extreme despair through two poems by Armenian poet Yeghishe Charents: “Now there are many singers, but not the song my soul desires…” and “As the bell rings, I think of you…”. Her sorrowful voice mourns a world full of music, yet silent to the song her heart so desperately longs for. This composition portrays the novel’s intense drama: the profound sorrow and despair of Edith, alongside Hofmiller’s lasting remorse upon learning of her death.
The composition was performed by soprano Sofya Sayadyan (leading soloist of the Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, with whom I have collaborated since 2012), violinist Erik Manukyan, cellist Sipan Toroyan, and the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra (artistic director Sergey Smbatyan), under the baton of conductor Alexander Humala. Alexander Humala and all the performers truly captured the dramatic essence of the piece. It was incredibly rewarding to collaborate with such wonderful musicians—the soloists and the orchestra—and to hear my composition brought to life so powerfully under the conductor’s direction. This premiere was long-awaited for me, and I feel fortunate to have experienced my music performed by such wonderful artists. It was incredibly moving that after the first rehearsal, some orchestra members approached me to say how much they liked my piece. I also received such warm words from the soloists and the conductor. There is no greater joy for a composer than hearing their music performed with love and enthusiasm. The warmth and dedication of the performers give a composer wings to create new works. I am deeply grateful to the soloists, the orchestra, and the conductor for bringing my composition to life.
Please tell us about the Armenian Composing Art Festival.
The Armenian State Symphony Orchestra’s annual Armenian Composing Art Festival serves as a wonderful stimulus and platform for contemporary Armenian composers. The festival has a very important mission: ensuring the continuation of Armenian compositional art and dedicating itself entirely to Armenian music, including contemporary works. Opportunities to hear large-scale works of Armenian music, especially contemporary compositions, are quite rare today. This festival has taken on that vital mission and upholds it with dedication and determination. The festival’s partner is the Composers’ Union of Armenia. The concert programs are beautifully arranged, featuring both works that have become classics and pieces by today’s contemporary Armenian composers, including those by young artists. The program on February 17th followed this same approach. Dedicated to the 95th anniversary of Gagik Hovunts’ birth, the concert featured Hovunts’ Piano Concerto, performed by Jean-Paul Gasparian, and Toun Ari, a set of four pieces by Arthur Aharonian, performed by Shoushik Barsoumian.
I would like to describe the impact of the festival with one example: During past festival concerts, which I attended with my composition studio students, many were deeply inspired by the performances. In their New Year’s wishes for 2025, one of my students wrote that he hopes to compose a symphony before turning 18. This shows how the festival inspires young and emerging composers to create new works, while fostering and shaping serious musical goals for them, and assures the continuation of Armenian compositional art and tradition. The opportunity to collaborate with a symphony orchestra is the greatest experience, especially for young composers.
We wish you new creative inspirations and exciting collaborations.
Thank you! Indeed, such performances inspire composers and spark new creative ideas. The 16th Armenian Composing Art Festival, held during the winter, was filled with the fresh breath of the upcoming spring, breathing new creative energy into the atmosphere.
Suzy BABAYAN
“Aravot”
25.02.2025
