Tjeknavorian’s ‘Rostam and Sohrab’ to be performed in Armenia
The opera ‘Rostam and Sohrab,’ composed by maestro Loris Tjeknavorian, will be staged in Armenia in April 2025. The full, two-act performance will be conducted and composed by Tjeknavorian himself, with set design, costume, and direction by Yarta Yaran.
The event will take place from March 31 to April 2, at the Yerevan Opera House, IRNA reported.
In a video released on his personal social media account, Tjeknavorian shared the news with his followers: “Hello, dear friends. Today, I must say that one of my works is being born, the opera ‘Rostam and Sohrab,’ the masterpiece of Ferdowsi, which I have worked on for many years to transform this beautiful story into an opera.”
Tjeknavorian further expressed his excitement about the project, saying, “It is a great honor for me, and I am happy that my dear friend Yaran, who is a great actor, director, and poet, will be directing and designing this opera. He has done an incredible job, and I hope you, dear friends, will come and witness this literary masterpiece, ‘Rostam and Sohrab’ by Ferdowsi with my music. See you soon. Goodbye.”
‘Rostam and Sohrab’ is an opera by Loris Tjeknavorian based on the tragic tale from Ferdowsi’s ‘Shahnameh’. The opera, initially premiered in 2004, was first performed in a puppet opera format, directed and dramaturged by Behrooz Gharibpour. The composition was conceived after Tjeknavorian received a grant from the Carl Orff Foundation in Salzburg, Austria. The opera took 25 years to complete, and its first public performance was held in 2002, conducted by Tjeknavorian at the Milad Hall in Tehran.
According to Tjeknavorian, two key influences in the creation of ‘Rostam and Sohrab’ music were the sounds of traditional Iranian zurkhaneh music and the mournful music performed during Muharram mourning rituals in Iran. Over 25 years, Tjeknavorian composed eight different versions of the opera, including one entirely with Iranian instruments. The final version, written for a full orchestra, is set to be performed in Yerevan.
In addition to his opera works, Tjeknavorian has composed over 75 works, including symphonies, chamber music, concertos, ballet scores, and choral music. His notable works include operas such as ‘Persepolis’ and ‘Parisa,’ ‘Rostam and Sohrab,’ ‘Shams and Molana,’ and ‘Rostam and Esfandiar.’ He also authored a humorous book titled ‘Kharestan’ (The Land of Donkeys), a collection of short stories. His recent work ‘Harmonizing Notes on the Scale of Numbers,’ was unveiled last year in tribute to the late Maryam Mirzakhani.