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KHACHATURIAN (2003): A FASCINATING FIRST-RATE DOCUMENTARY ON THE ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN COMPOSER.
John Sunier
Audiophile Audition
http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=9260
Aug 8 2011
Documentary on the Armenian/Russian composer
Director/Producer: Peter Rosen
Narrator: Eric Bogosian
Studio Kuhn Foundation/VAI 4298
All regions
Video: 4:3 color & B&W
Audio: English/Russian PCM stereo & mono
Closed-captioned, English subtitles
Extras: Complete performance of Khachaturian Cello Concerto with
Mstislav Rostropovich, cell/Khachaturian cond., B&W, 24 min.; "Making
Khachaturian" 17 min.; Khachaturian: 3rd mov't of Piano Concerto -
Dora Serviarian-Kuhn, piano/Armenian Philharmonic/Loris Tjeknavorian,
cond.
Don't know how I missed this upon its original release - a touching
and well-done film which won a Best Documentary award at the Hollywood
Film Festival. It is something Armenian pianist Dora Serviarian-Kuhn
has wanted to do for many years. In addition to no documentary having
been done on the important composer, she wanted set right that he
was basically Armenian - not Russian. She was one of the executive
producers of the documentary, one of her relatives edited it, and
she is seen in a rather odd music video of the final movement of
Khachaturian's colorful Piano Concerto.
While we're into the extras, one should be pointed out that may be of
equal or superior interest to the documentary for some viewers. It's
a complete performance of the composer's Concerto-Rhapsody with
Rostropovich as the soloist. The "Making Of..." documentary goes into
the difficulty the filmmakers had in obtaining much of the archival
footage. In the case of this studio performance video, Rostropovich
had been one of the very first great Russian artists to get out of
the Soviet Union, and therefore the authorities hid the film and
didn't want any attention on the cellist. The filmmakers also found
that though with difficulty they acquired the footage of Khrennikov
giving the speech in 1948 which denounced Khachaturian, Shostakovich
and Prokofiev, the Soviets had completely erased the soundtrack so
that no evidence of Stalin's absurd accusations against the composers
of being "formalist" and "anti-people" existed anymore.
And the persistence of the filmmakers was amply rewarded with many
not-before-seen clips. Such as the great shot of Shostakovich actually
smiling while hugging a pig, and the one of Khachaturian catching a
nap on his piano. The film explores the daily life of the composer,
and shows how - like many Soviet people - he had to hide his private
life and feelings behind a mask of Communist Party loyalty (of which
he was a member). He had been lauded as a favorite Soviet musical
figure, getting medals directly from Stalin, and only a few years
later he was castigated and disgraced along with the other composers.
Eventually he regained his status by spending several years
composing his great Spartacus ballet. With a story line about an early
revolutionary against the empire, how could it not find favor with the
Communist leaders? But at the same time it represented the ill-fated
fight of the Russian composers against the Communist regime. (It
made me want to see again right away the Blu-ray of Spartacus which
we reviewed.) There are sizeable clips in color of scenes from both
Khachaturian's Gayane and Spartacus ballets, and even an interview
with the lead dancer in the latter. One commentator mentions how
Shostakovich was influenced by German musical culture, and Prokofiev
by French, and he felt that Khachaturian was most influenced by
American musical culture. In a way, his emphasis on his Armenian
musical background gave his works a wonderful exotic touch that made
them stand out from lesser Soviet composers who sounded too obvious,
simplified and careful. And at the same time his music appealed to
a wider audience than that of Shostakovich and Prokofiev.
The wide variety of footage is edited sensibly into the documentary,
and when the talking heads are doing it in Russian, English subtitles
appear. (Also for Rostropovich - who is speaking English but you
wouldn't know it.) There was a bit too much footage of the funeral
services of Lenin, Stalin and Khachaturian for my kopeck, but one
must remember this is Russian. Otherwise a most informative and
thoughtful documentary.
From: Baghdasarian
John Sunier
Audiophile Audition
http://www.audaud.com/article.php?ArticleID=9260
Aug 8 2011
Documentary on the Armenian/Russian composer
Director/Producer: Peter Rosen
Narrator: Eric Bogosian
Studio Kuhn Foundation/VAI 4298
All regions
Video: 4:3 color & B&W
Audio: English/Russian PCM stereo & mono
Closed-captioned, English subtitles
Extras: Complete performance of Khachaturian Cello Concerto with
Mstislav Rostropovich, cell/Khachaturian cond., B&W, 24 min.; "Making
Khachaturian" 17 min.; Khachaturian: 3rd mov't of Piano Concerto -
Dora Serviarian-Kuhn, piano/Armenian Philharmonic/Loris Tjeknavorian,
cond.
Don't know how I missed this upon its original release - a touching
and well-done film which won a Best Documentary award at the Hollywood
Film Festival. It is something Armenian pianist Dora Serviarian-Kuhn
has wanted to do for many years. In addition to no documentary having
been done on the important composer, she wanted set right that he
was basically Armenian - not Russian. She was one of the executive
producers of the documentary, one of her relatives edited it, and
she is seen in a rather odd music video of the final movement of
Khachaturian's colorful Piano Concerto.
While we're into the extras, one should be pointed out that may be of
equal or superior interest to the documentary for some viewers. It's
a complete performance of the composer's Concerto-Rhapsody with
Rostropovich as the soloist. The "Making Of..." documentary goes into
the difficulty the filmmakers had in obtaining much of the archival
footage. In the case of this studio performance video, Rostropovich
had been one of the very first great Russian artists to get out of
the Soviet Union, and therefore the authorities hid the film and
didn't want any attention on the cellist. The filmmakers also found
that though with difficulty they acquired the footage of Khrennikov
giving the speech in 1948 which denounced Khachaturian, Shostakovich
and Prokofiev, the Soviets had completely erased the soundtrack so
that no evidence of Stalin's absurd accusations against the composers
of being "formalist" and "anti-people" existed anymore.
And the persistence of the filmmakers was amply rewarded with many
not-before-seen clips. Such as the great shot of Shostakovich actually
smiling while hugging a pig, and the one of Khachaturian catching a
nap on his piano. The film explores the daily life of the composer,
and shows how - like many Soviet people - he had to hide his private
life and feelings behind a mask of Communist Party loyalty (of which
he was a member). He had been lauded as a favorite Soviet musical
figure, getting medals directly from Stalin, and only a few years
later he was castigated and disgraced along with the other composers.
Eventually he regained his status by spending several years
composing his great Spartacus ballet. With a story line about an early
revolutionary against the empire, how could it not find favor with the
Communist leaders? But at the same time it represented the ill-fated
fight of the Russian composers against the Communist regime. (It
made me want to see again right away the Blu-ray of Spartacus which
we reviewed.) There are sizeable clips in color of scenes from both
Khachaturian's Gayane and Spartacus ballets, and even an interview
with the lead dancer in the latter. One commentator mentions how
Shostakovich was influenced by German musical culture, and Prokofiev
by French, and he felt that Khachaturian was most influenced by
American musical culture. In a way, his emphasis on his Armenian
musical background gave his works a wonderful exotic touch that made
them stand out from lesser Soviet composers who sounded too obvious,
simplified and careful. And at the same time his music appealed to
a wider audience than that of Shostakovich and Prokofiev.
The wide variety of footage is edited sensibly into the documentary,
and when the talking heads are doing it in Russian, English subtitles
appear. (Also for Rostropovich - who is speaking English but you
wouldn't know it.) There was a bit too much footage of the funeral
services of Lenin, Stalin and Khachaturian for my kopeck, but one
must remember this is Russian. Otherwise a most informative and
thoughtful documentary.
From: Baghdasarian