Norayr Mnatsakanyan ( hy, Նորայր Մնացականյան, January 7, 1923 – March 25, 1986) was a Merited Artist of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (1965). As a renowned vocal performer of Armenian traditional and

gusans Gusans ( hy, գուսան; Parthian for poet-musician or minstrel) were creative and performing artists - singers, instrumentalists, dancers, storytellers, and professional folk actors in public theaters of Parthia and ancient and medieval Arme ...

' music, Norayr Mnatsakanyan has become one of the most influential vocalists in the

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

of Armenian national music. Owing to his dainty baritone, profound knowledge of Armenian

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

, and his mastery of the

Armenian language Armenian ( classical: , reformed: , , ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is the official language of Armenia. Historically spoken in the Armenian Highlands, today Armenian is widely spoken th ...

and

Armenian literature Armenian literature begins around AD 400 with the invention of the Armenian alphabet by Mesrop Mashtots. History Early literature Only a handful of fragments have survived from the most ancient Armenian literary tradition preceding the Christia ...

, Norayr Mnatsakanyan has been highly acclaimed among famous writers,

musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...

s, and Armenian

lovers. Norayr Mnatsakanyan was the first among Armenian

vocalist Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

s to introduce a new approach to popular songs, as well as to the musical compilations of historic and contemporary

(Armenian

minstrel A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. It originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist entertainer ...

s). As an accepted convention of any national

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

, the works of Armenian popular and

music were performed in a crude, rustic, and provincial fashion. Professional performers of the

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

and classical music also tried to render these works. However, their efforts to perform them alienated these works altogether from ordinary Armenian people, since the true significance of Armenian popular music could not have been properly represented by the artificially elitist operatic genre in

Soviet Armenia The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...

. With his poetic approach to these great masterpieces of Armenian traditional and

' music, Norayr Mnatsakanyan was the first

to present them in a refined and natural fashion, granting them an unprecedented simplistic register of artistic sophistication. Unlike his predecessors, Mnatsakanyan attempted to convey these works with a deep sense of harmony and in a previously impregnable unison with the authors' characteristic mentality and sentiments reflected in their compilations. At the same time, Norayr Mnatsakanyan meticulously pursued to eliminate the provincial character of the songs that had wandered among the Armenian people for centuries. Thus, Norayr Mnatsakanyan's performances are exceptional because they masterfully immerse into the poetic essence of the literary work and unify it with the melody of the song. Norayr Mnatsakanyan also performed songs by famous Armenian composers interwoven with lyrics by such famous Armenian poets, as

Avetik Isahakian Avetik Sahak Isahakyan ( hy, Ավետիք Սահակ Իսահակյան; October 30, 1875 – October 17, 1957) was a prominent Armenians, Armenian lyric poet, writer and public activist. Biography Isahakyan was born in Alexandropol in 1875. ...

Vahan Terian Vahan Terian (; February 9, 1885 – January 7, 1920) was an Armenian poet, lyrist and public activist. He is known for his sorrowful, romantic poems, the most famous of which are still read and sung in their musical versions. Biography ...

Hovhannes Shiraz Hovhannes Shiraz ( hy, Հովհաննես Շիրազ) (April 27, 1914 – March 14, 1984) was an Armenian poet. Biography Shiraz was born Onik Tadevosi Karapetyan in the city of Alexandropol, then part of the Russian Empire (now Gyumri, Arme ...

. Perhaps the greatest Armenian lyricist -

- highly valued Mnatsakanyan's contributions to the canon of Armenian performing arts and proclaimed Norayr "the velvety voice" of Armenia.

Derenik Demirchian Derenik Karapeti Demirchian ( hy, Դերենիկ Կարապետի Դեմիրճյան) was a Soviet and Armenian writer, novelist, poet, translator and playwright. Biography Demirchian was born on February 18, 1877, in Akhalkalaki in what is no ...

marvelled at Norayr's performances in the poetic circles of the old

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...

, calling Norayr Mnatsakanyan "a unique vocal interpreter of the popular consciousness, scattered bits of which are present in every Armenian individual." Being an art critic himself, Mnatsakanyan always conveyed great significance to the unity of the melody and the lyrics in whatever he performed.

Biography

Norayr Mnatsakanyan was born on January 7, 1923, in an old

family. He inherited the love for traditional music from his parents. Possessing an ever singing spirit of a talented youth, Norayr Mnatsakanyan won his first prize at the young performers' competition held in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

in 1936. Owing to his extraordinary vocal qualities and his passion for acting, Mnatsakanyan started his career as actor and singer at the

Yerevan State Theater of Musical Comedy Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...

after

Hakob Paronian Hagop Baronian (pronounced in Eastern Armenian as Hakob Paronyan, traditional spelling: Յակոբ Պարոնեան, reformed spelling: Հակոբ Պարոնյան, tr, Hagop Baronyan; 1843–1891) was an influential Ottoman Armenian writer, p ...

. As surprising as it may seem, Mnatsakanyan played the first Gikor on the Armenian stage in the namesake performance based on

Hovhannes Tumanyan Hovhannes Tumanyan ( hy, Հովհաննես Թումանյան, classical spelling: Յովհաննէս Թումանեան, – March 23, 1923) was an Armenian poet, writer, translator, and literary and public activist. He is the nationa ...

's famous . Mnatsakanyan's artistic talent and his reverence for the

Theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

drove him to work with such eminent theatrical stage directors as

Armen Gulakian Armen may refer to: * the ''Armani'', a tribe of the Armenian Highlands and Anatolia ** sometimes associated with the Name of Armenia *Armen (name), including a list of people with the name Places *Armen, Albania, a town in southern Albania *Ar M ...

. Mnatsakanyan also had the honor of working with the "titans" of the Armenian theatrical arts at the Yerevan State Academic Theater after

Gabriel Sundukian Gabriel Sundukian ( hy, Գաբրիել Սունդուկյան; 11 July 1825 – 29 March 1912) was an Armenian writer and playwright, the founder of modern Armenian drama.

: Vahram Papazian, Hrachia Nersisyan, Avet Avetisyan, Hambardzum Khachanyan, Babken Nersisyan, Metaksia Simonyan, the late Mher Mkrtchyan, and

Khoren Abrahamyan Khoren Babkeni Abrahamyan ( hy, Խորեն Բաբկենի Աբրահամյան, April 1, 1930, Yerevan – December 10, 2004) was an Armenian actor and director, and People's Artist of the USSR. Abrahamyan was honored with the title People’s A ...

. Norayr Mnatsakanyan's acting, apart from his artistic talent, vouched for his unsurpassed mastery of

World Literature World literature is used to refer to the total of the world's national literature and the circulation of works into the wider world beyond their country of origin. In the past, it primarily referred to the masterpieces of Western European lit ...

. After seeing Mnatsakanyan's rehearsal in the role of the

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

Othello, Vahram Papazian highly praised Norayr for his excellent rendition of Othello's protagonistic pathos and antagonistic callousness, and foresaw a bright future for him in acting. Mnatsakanyan later played one of the leading roles in A Man from Olympus (Chelovek iz OlimpaChelovek Iz "Olimpa" (1974) on New York Times
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Armenfilm Armenfilm (russian: Арменфильм; hy, Արմենֆիլմ), also known as Hayfilm ( hy, Հայֆիլմ), is an Armenian film studio located in Yerevan. The studio was founded on 16 April 1923 as a production unit of the Soviet State Cinem ...

, 1974). Purporting to pursue a more worldly profession, Norayr Mnatsakanyan held a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

degree from the Department of

Philology Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...

of the

Yerevan State University Yerevan State University (YSU; hy, Երևանի Պետական Համալսարան, ԵՊՀ, ''Yerevani Petakan Hamalsaran''), also simply University of Yerevan, is the oldest continuously operating public university in Armenia. Founded in 1919 ...

. Upon his graduation, Mnatsakanyan defended a dissertation with a thesis on "

Sayat Nova Sayat-Nova (Armenian: Սայեաթ-Նովայ ( сlassical), Սայաթ-Նովա ( reformed); ka, საიათნოვა; ; ; born Harutyun Sayatyan; 14 June 1712 – 22 September 1795) was an Armenian poet, musician and '' ashugh'', w ...

's Lyric Poetry in the Armenian Literary Milieux." Mnatsakanyan proceeded with a professional career as a journalist and a freelance writer. With his unconventional disposition, Norayr Mnatsakanyan authored an anthology of short novels dedicated to the old city of

, depicting its people's way of life, its customs and traditions. As a journalist, Mnatsakanyan's articles and critiques on various issues of the Armenian arts and culture frequented the pages of many Armenian periodicals. One of Mnatsakanyan's most groundbreaking articles was dedicated to the famous Armenian duduk players of the past and the present: Margar Margarian, Levon Madoyan, Vatche Housepian, and Djivan Gasparyan. Mnatsakanyan also hosted a special program in 1985, the heyday of his artistic career, on the Public Television of Armenia, which was about the instrumental and stylistic distinctions of the duduk and its most outstanding players. In spite of his success in acting and his excellence in writing, Mnatsakanyan's innate predilection belonged to singing. Norayr's art of performance, his truly rich and mellow voice, as well as his unique professional approach had already made him long sought-for to Armenian music lovers both in Armenia and abroad. Subsequently, Norayr Mnatsakanyan became the ultimate crooner of Armenian performing arts after Tatoul Altunian, one of the greatest contributors to

Armenian folk music Armenian folk music is a genre of Armenian music. It usually uses the duduk, the kemenche, and the oud. It is very similar to folk music in the Caucasus and shares many similar songs and traditions with countries around Armenia, namely Georgia a ...

, invited him to the State Philharmonic Chapel's Ensemble of Song and Dance to perform as a soloist. Here, Mnatsakanyan had the pleasure of working with Araksia Gyulzadian and Varduhi Khachatrian. Apart from his

repertoire, in this period, Norayr Mnatsakanyan performed popular songs and works by such famous

(minstrels) as:

Sheram Sheram (born Grigor Talian, 20 March 1857, Alexandropol – died 7 March 1938, Yerevan) was an Armenian composer, poet-musician ('' gusan''), and folk musician ('' ashug''). He is known as the founder of the modern gusan (Armenian popular compos ...

, Ashot, Jivani, Havasi, as well as famous compilations of the urban folklore. However, the inviolable right of Norayr Mnatsakanyan's achievement consists in his performances of

's works. His performances of

imbued the Bard's poetry with unprecedented lyricism and spirituality. It is through Norayr Mnatsakanyan's rendition of Sayat Nova that the ethical and metaphysical peculiarities in the works become apparent. The singer grieves and rejoices with the poet, feeling every tremble of the great Bard's heart. It is Norayr Mnatsakanyan's unforgettable voice that brings us the songs of

in the namesake movie (1960). Mnatsakanyan's performances became a lot more accessible to the general public, when Aram Merangulian invited Norayr to perform as a soloist in his Ensemble of Folk Instruments of the Armenian National Radio and Television. Mnatsakanyan's songs are possible to find in several Armenian films, including

Sergei Parajanov Sergei Parajanov, ka, სერგო ფარაჯანოვი, uk, Сергій Параджанов (January 9, 1924 – July 20, 1990) was an Armenian filmmaker. Parajanov is regarded by film critics, film historians and filmmakers t ...

's ''

The Color of Pomegranates ''The Color of Pomegranates'' is a 1969 Soviet Armenian art film written and directed by Sergei Parajanov. The film is a poetic treatment of the life of 18th-century Armenian poet and troubadour Sayat-Nova. It has appeared in many polls as one of ...

'' (1969), also dedicated to the life of

. A piece of Mnatsakanyan's unique rendition of the traditional ''

Dle Yaman "Dle Yaman" (in Armenian Դլե Յաման, in Western Armenian Տըլէ Եաման) also francicized "Délé Yaman" is an Armenian traditional tune. It is the story of a tragic love affair between two persons. It was discovered by Father Komitas in ...

'' also appears in the background of Andrew Goldberg's ''The Armenian Americans'' (2000). A number of documentaries were shot on Mnatsakanyan's life and activity intermitted by his own performances. Throughout his lifetime, the vocalist recorded over two hundred traditional and

songs, all of which are held as relics by the Museum Fund of the Public Radio and Television of Armenia. His performances have paved the way for many successors in the traditional vocal genre. Norayr Mnatsakanyan performed in many countries where Armenians had set foot and had established their communities. During his tour of the Middle Eastern countries, Norayr Mnatsakanyan received an honorary gold medal from

King Hussein Hussein bin Talal ( ar, الحسين بن طلال, ''Al-Ḥusayn ibn Ṭalāl''; 14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from 11 August 1952 until his death in 1999. As a member of the Hashemite dynasty, the royal family o ...

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

after his concert in Amman (1979), which His Majesty attended with

Queen Noor Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

. Mnatsakanyan's performance of

brought him the highest honors at the Festival of Traditional Music in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

(1981). Subsequently, upon the request of the smaller Armenian communities in

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, Mnatsakanyan performed in a tributary concert at the Conservatoire de Luxembourg Hall (1981). In the annual ceremony of the Armenian Music Awards, held in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

for the year 1999, Mnatsakanyan posthumously received a lifetime achievement award for his worthwhile contributions to Armenian music, and his album of traditional and

' compilations, named ''Husher'' (''Reminiscences'') ( Parseghian Records, 1999) was recognized as the year's best traditional album. In 2005, Narek Productions, with the support of the

Public Radio of Armenia Public Radio of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Հանրային Ռադիո, Hayastani Hanrayin Radio; Djsy Armradio) is a public radio broadcaster in Armenia. It was established in 1926 and remains one of the largest broadcasters in the countr ...

, launched a record, called "I Sing a Song," composed of Norayr Mnatsakanyan's performances of the most famous Armenian

' works.

References

Further information

Armenian Radio Archive - Norayr Mnatsakanyan

AV Production - An Online Encyclopedia of Armenian Culture

"Norayr Mnatsakanyan: the Velvety Voice of Armenia" ("Yerevan" Studios, 1983)

"Canticle of Canticles," AMPTV, 2014

"After Nahapet Hayk," AMPTV, 2007

"Confession," Armenian Public Radio, 2011

«Sayat Nova» (Armenfilm, 1960)

Select Performances
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mnatsakanyan, Norayr Honored artists of Armenia 1923 births 1986 deaths 20th-century Armenian male singers Armenian folk singers Yerevan State University alumni Musicians from Yerevan Soviet male singers