Press
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Elena Shubina, the Producer of the "AMEN" project said that the goal of the show is to tell the history of Armenia in a modern and accessible for the audience format.
"It should be in an accessible language ... And we also need to show the traditions that this small but very ancient and interesting country has," Shubina said.
Producer Elena Shubina
"It should be in an accessible language ... And we also need to show the traditions that this small but very ancient and interesting country has," Shubina said.
Producer Elena Shubina
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AMEN TO BECOME A VISIT CARD OF ARMENIA
Yerevan hosted the grandiose premiere of the "AMEN" musical-epic drama that presented the history and culture of Armenia. “It's difficult just in an hour and a half to show the whole history of Armenia”, - explains the producer of the "AMEN" project Elena Shubina, - “but we tried to highlight the key moments of the history. Three years of work on the project, more than 200 artists involved in the production, and the strongest international cast". Folk and opera, folk dances and ballet - such mix of genres in one production was seen by the Armenian audience for the first time. The theatrical action was saturated with symbolism. The audience standing applauded the authors and performers of the show. I am sure that "AMEN" will become the visit card of Armenia, and will “win” the hearts of the audience all over the world!
Yerevan hosted the grandiose premiere of the "AMEN" musical-epic drama that presented the history and culture of Armenia. “It's difficult just in an hour and a half to show the whole history of Armenia”, - explains the producer of the "AMEN" project Elena Shubina, - “but we tried to highlight the key moments of the history. Three years of work on the project, more than 200 artists involved in the production, and the strongest international cast". Folk and opera, folk dances and ballet - such mix of genres in one production was seen by the Armenian audience for the first time. The theatrical action was saturated with symbolism. The audience standing applauded the authors and performers of the show. I am sure that "AMEN" will become the visit card of Armenia, and will “win” the hearts of the audience all over the world!
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MUSIC OF THE CENTURIES
I rarely go to press conferences before the event. For the simple reason that artists, directors, producers tell journalists what they are going to do. And it seems to me that it is much more correct to call press conferences after the event. About two weeks ago I met with the author of the idea and the composer of the musical-drama show "AMEN", a singer and producer Araksiya Mushegyan. We had a long talk, and I kept asking what it would be and how it would look. I received in-depth answers, but a thought was firmly seated in my mind: "These are all just talks for now. We'll see this all on stage, then we'll make our own conclusions".
On June 23 the premiere took place and I am now ready to draw my conclusion.
There is no doubt that the promised show really turned out to be grandiose. Magnificent, luxurious music, beautiful vocalists, gathered in premier from different countries, three instrumentalists (the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia, rock musicians and populists). And the "Hover" choir, dance groups, students of the circus school, wonderful lighting effects and computer video installations - all this worked to create a unique spectacle and magnificent atmosphere.
The presentation passed in one breath and for an hour and a half or two hours music lovers did not lose sight of what was happening on the stage of the Sports and Concert Complex. And it was worth it. From the very first notes of the performance it became clear that we are going to hear and see something powerful and unusual. And it happened.
To begin with, the conductor and artistic director of the orchestra, maestro Topchyan, did not conduct in his usual black jacket, but in a T-shirt with the logo of the performance. Then, when orchestra, chorus, folk musicians and rockers all simultaneously played the overture, shivers ran over the skin. Now, about the music. It is difficult to describe it in words, and to give standard classification too. Officially, it probably should be called a pop-classic or a classic crossover. All this sounded, I repeat, powerfully, pathetic, beautiful and elegant. The fact that almost all the arias were in Italian, added to the sound of the performance a certain gloss. I'm sure, when the show goes to foreign scenes, the listeners will be delighted very much. What can I say? Only the fact that when Hrachuhi Bassentz sang "Dle Yaman", everyone was sitting around me and including myself wept sobbing. Without exaggeration! (as the participants of the performance told me later, all those standing backstage also had tears on their cheeks).
Well, and finally, a summary.
Yerevan has not yet seen a thematic music show of such level and quality. Three or four unsuccessful attempts in previous years to create and stage large-scale musicals on historical themes completely failed. In this case, we have a serious idea based on great music with a serious dramatic component. Not for nothing, an ovation arranged by the participants of the show lasted more than ten minutes (I specially marked it).
I rarely go to press conferences before the event. For the simple reason that artists, directors, producers tell journalists what they are going to do. And it seems to me that it is much more correct to call press conferences after the event. About two weeks ago I met with the author of the idea and the composer of the musical-drama show "AMEN", a singer and producer Araksiya Mushegyan. We had a long talk, and I kept asking what it would be and how it would look. I received in-depth answers, but a thought was firmly seated in my mind: "These are all just talks for now. We'll see this all on stage, then we'll make our own conclusions".
On June 23 the premiere took place and I am now ready to draw my conclusion.
There is no doubt that the promised show really turned out to be grandiose. Magnificent, luxurious music, beautiful vocalists, gathered in premier from different countries, three instrumentalists (the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia, rock musicians and populists). And the "Hover" choir, dance groups, students of the circus school, wonderful lighting effects and computer video installations - all this worked to create a unique spectacle and magnificent atmosphere.
The presentation passed in one breath and for an hour and a half or two hours music lovers did not lose sight of what was happening on the stage of the Sports and Concert Complex. And it was worth it. From the very first notes of the performance it became clear that we are going to hear and see something powerful and unusual. And it happened.
To begin with, the conductor and artistic director of the orchestra, maestro Topchyan, did not conduct in his usual black jacket, but in a T-shirt with the logo of the performance. Then, when orchestra, chorus, folk musicians and rockers all simultaneously played the overture, shivers ran over the skin. Now, about the music. It is difficult to describe it in words, and to give standard classification too. Officially, it probably should be called a pop-classic or a classic crossover. All this sounded, I repeat, powerfully, pathetic, beautiful and elegant. The fact that almost all the arias were in Italian, added to the sound of the performance a certain gloss. I'm sure, when the show goes to foreign scenes, the listeners will be delighted very much. What can I say? Only the fact that when Hrachuhi Bassentz sang "Dle Yaman", everyone was sitting around me and including myself wept sobbing. Without exaggeration! (as the participants of the performance told me later, all those standing backstage also had tears on their cheeks).
Well, and finally, a summary.
Yerevan has not yet seen a thematic music show of such level and quality. Three or four unsuccessful attempts in previous years to create and stage large-scale musicals on historical themes completely failed. In this case, we have a serious idea based on great music with a serious dramatic component. Not for nothing, an ovation arranged by the participants of the show lasted more than ten minutes (I specially marked it).
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MAY IT BE SO!
For the first time in recent years a fresh stream appeared in the musical and theatrical life of Armenia, which stirred up the minds of many habitually stagnant, standard-stereotyped, ordinary familiar, stereotypically beaten ideas of most of us in this area. And this stream was a theatrical production, epic drama show "AMEN" ("Let it be so!"), represented by a creative group of young like-minded people recently in the Sports and Concert Complex. Uniqueness of the production is that it absorbed many genres of art - opera, ballet, contemporary dance choreography, classical, rock and pop, folk music, animation, through which authors and performers (more than 200 people) presented to the spectators in the non-stop mode the history of the Armenian people, from its origins to our days, showing all the key stages of its historical development. And how presented! At the highest professional level! Without any provincialism, as it often happens in our music world.
The best Armenian opera soloists who arrived to their native city from different countries took part in the Yerevan premiere: Barsegh Tumanyan (Kazakhstan), Juliet Galstyan (Switzerland), Hasmik Torosyan (Italy), Hrachuhi Basents (Germany), Rosie-Anoush Swazlian (USA). Participants were also David Babayants, Perch Karazyan, Hovhannes Ayvazyan, "Narek", dance ensemble, Maluntsyan art school vocal ensemble, duduk player Gevorg Dabagyan.
It was a real triumph!
For the first time in recent years a fresh stream appeared in the musical and theatrical life of Armenia, which stirred up the minds of many habitually stagnant, standard-stereotyped, ordinary familiar, stereotypically beaten ideas of most of us in this area. And this stream was a theatrical production, epic drama show "AMEN" ("Let it be so!"), represented by a creative group of young like-minded people recently in the Sports and Concert Complex. Uniqueness of the production is that it absorbed many genres of art - opera, ballet, contemporary dance choreography, classical, rock and pop, folk music, animation, through which authors and performers (more than 200 people) presented to the spectators in the non-stop mode the history of the Armenian people, from its origins to our days, showing all the key stages of its historical development. And how presented! At the highest professional level! Without any provincialism, as it often happens in our music world.
The best Armenian opera soloists who arrived to their native city from different countries took part in the Yerevan premiere: Barsegh Tumanyan (Kazakhstan), Juliet Galstyan (Switzerland), Hasmik Torosyan (Italy), Hrachuhi Basents (Germany), Rosie-Anoush Swazlian (USA). Participants were also David Babayants, Perch Karazyan, Hovhannes Ayvazyan, "Narek", dance ensemble, Maluntsyan art school vocal ensemble, duduk player Gevorg Dabagyan.
It was a real triumph!
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AMEN CAN ADORN WORLD SCENES
The premiere of the musical-drama show with triumphant success was held in the Yerevan Sports and Concert Complex. In the near future it is planned to show this performance in the ancient open-air theater - the Arena di Verona (Italy), which accommodates 15,000 spectators, and further on in New York, London, Paris .... It can be said without exaggeration that AMEN can become a real embellishment of the music scenes of the world!
The premiere of the musical-drama show with triumphant success was held in the Yerevan Sports and Concert Complex. In the near future it is planned to show this performance in the ancient open-air theater - the Arena di Verona (Italy), which accommodates 15,000 spectators, and further on in New York, London, Paris .... It can be said without exaggeration that AMEN can become a real embellishment of the music scenes of the world!
