ANOUSH – Armen Tigranian

Double CD

Opera in 5 acts by Armen Tigranian (1879-1950)

Composed in 1908 and revised periodically until 1939

Libretto by composer, based on Hovhannes Toumanian’s famous poem of the same name (1869-1923)

First Performance: Alexandropol (now Leninakan), 1912

The first completed and truly “National” Armenian opera, ANOUSH embodies the ethos and melos of the typical 19^th century Armenian village life. The setting depicts the habits, customs, and traditions of the Armenian villagers and dramatizes their conservative mores and strongly held views on honor and love. Through text & music the composer successfully recreates the life style, character, and standards of the Armenian villagers weaving into this background the tragic love story of Anoush and Saro.