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CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH Aram Khachaturian is a talented composer, whose compositions became part of the music classics of the 20-th century. His name is recognized throughout the world, and the compositions are performed worldwide, on the best theater stages, concert platforms, as well as the most distant places. Today, the music of Khachaturian is played on the radio, TV and cinema. The UNESCO places the name of Khachaturian among the most renowned composers of the 20-th century, and his “Sabre Dance” of the wellknown ballet “Gayaneh” takes one of the first places in the list of the most popular compositions of our age. Aram Khachaturian was born in Kodzhori (now Tbilisi), suburb of Tiflis, on June 6, 1903, in the Armenian family of a bookbinder. He wrote later: “Old Tiflis is a city of sounds, a city of music. It took a stroll along the streets and lanes away from the center, to plunge into the musical atmosphere which was created by all the various sources…” It is also important, that at the time, there was a division of RMC (Russian Musical Society) in Tbilisi, as well as a musical school and an Italian Opera Theatre. This place was visited by famous cultural representatives, among which were: Fyodor Shalyapin, Sergei Rakhmaninov, Konstantin Igumnov.
Ultimately, there lived famous musicians, who played an important role in the formation of Georgian and Armenian composer schools. All of this constituted the basis for the early musical impressions of Aram Khachaturian. The original multi-national “alloy” of the intonation was an integral part of his acoustical experience. Years later, this very “alloy” became the pledge of Khachaturian’s music, so that it was never limited by the frames of nationality, and was always appealing to a wide-range of audiences. It is worth mentioning that Khachaturian was always devoid of any demonstration of national hidebound. He had a profound respect and a live interest in the music of various nations. Internationalism is one of the characteristic features and peculiarities of the world perception, and is part of the creative work of Khachaturian. Despite his early demonstrated musical abilities, Aram Khachaturian became acquainted with the music literacy for the first time at the age of 19 in 1922, when he arrived in Moscow and got enrolled in a cello class at Gnesin Music School. Simultaneously, the composer got a degree in biology from the Department of Physics and Mathematics at Moscow State University. The musical development of Khachaturian proceeded at a fast pace. Within a short period, not only did he catch up on his classwork, but he also became one of the best students, obtaining the right to perform at students’ concerts in the Small and Grand Halls of Moscow Conservatory.
FORMATION OF THE COMPOSER Khachaturian’s fate as a composer was eventually defined in 1925, when they opened a composition class at the school. After obtaining initial skills of composition there, in 1929, he was admitted to Moscow National Conservatory, where lead by Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky he was formed as a composer. Aram Khachaturian was indelibly impressed by the visit of Myaskovsky’s class by Sergey Prokofiev in 1933. The creative work of a genius composer captured the young musician more and more. In its turn, Khachaturian’s compositions amazed Prokofiev so greatly, that he took them with him to Paris, where they were immediately performed. The first published composition of Khachaturian, “Dance” for violin and piano, already embraces some of the characteristic features of the composer’s stylistics: improvisation, diversity of variation techniques, as well as imitation of timbre effects widely spread in Eastern instrumental music, in particular the famous “Khachaturian’s seconds”, rhythmic ostinato. The composer himself noted: “These seconds come from the numerous sounds of folk instruments which I heard as a child: sazandartar, qyamancha and drum. My organ-point predilection comes from the Eastern music.” Gradually, Khachaturian switched from little forms to more expanded ones, from the “arrangement” of folk songs and dances up to its “development”. In 1932, the Suite for piano was created; its first piece “Toccata” was widely recognized and included in the repertoire of many pianists. It has stood the test of time. Created by Khachaturian in his youth, “Toccata” has preserved its fascination and power of influence up till now. Rodion Shedrin wrote: “Many years have passed since the day of appearance of that dynamic wonderful play, but even now, its performance whets enthusiasm of the public. There is no professional, who would not but have it memorized, and who would not cherish it with heated enthusiasm.” In 1933, a new composition “Dance Suite” for symphonic orchestra was performed. The composer Dmitriy Kobalevskiy wrote: “The first performance of this composition, which emitted sunlight, joy of life and spiritual power, was a great success to the young composer, still a student, and he was immediately ranked among the top positions of Soviet composers”.
Here many new things came to happen. The young composer showed his outstanding orchestral skills and affinity for symphonic thinking. In a festive and elegant score of the “Dance Suite� the contours of bright individual orchestral style of Khachaturian stood out clearly. In 1935, in the Hall of Moscow Conservatorium, the orchestra directed by E. Senkara performed the First Symphony introduced by composer-graduate as the final project for graduation from the conservatory. It finalized the most productive period of studying and, at the same time, started a new period of life and creative work of the composer, who entered maturity stage. The audience, press, colleagues and friends noted the high artistic value of the new composition, the originality and public importance of its content, the richness of melodies, the generosity of harmonic and orchestra colors, and in particular, the bright national coloring of music.
AT THE SUMMIT OF FAME As maturity approached, Khachaturyan started to give more priority to composing the music for drama plays in his creative work. The most significant compositions of this genre are: music to Lope de Vega’s “The Valencian Widow” (1940), Lermontov’s “Masquerade” (1941). Symphonic suites, created on the basis of music to plays, gained their independent concert life. Khachaturian also paid a duly attention to cinematography, by showing excellent feeling of its specific rules, understanding efficient role of music in discovering the essence of the synthetic whole. Among various films, in which his music sounds, “Pepo” and “Zangezour” occupy special place.
The brightest talent of Aram Khachaturian was revealed in his symphonic compositions. Both the Piano Concerto (1936) and Violin Concerto and orchestra (1940) were a great success, and very soon gained the sympathy of listeners. In these compositions, the tendencies, which first surfaced in “Dance Suite” and “First Symphony”, found further development, but they also added quite a few new elements. First of all, this was a sign of the composer’s acquisition of concerto style, which later became one of the characteristic features of his own style. The composer turned to the concerto genre several times, and made a number of interesting and bold discoveries in it. Just as the composer was recognized one of the most famous and talented musicians, the Great Patriotic War began in 1941. However, even during those hard times, many of Khachaturian’s compositions were performed, which motivated him to in the pursue of In 1942, the score of the ballet “Gayaneh” featuring the libretto of K. Derzhavin was finished. In this composition, the composer skillfully synthesized the tradition of the classic ballet with the folklore national music and choreographic art. The ballet “Gayaneh” was included as a solid part of the repertoire of native and foreign theaters. Three symphonic suites, composed by Khachaturian from the music to “Gayaneh”, also gained widespread fame. In 1943, the Second symphony of Khachaturian was completed. New, extraordinary sides of his creative works were revealed in this composition of the war years, in which the music was enriched with new colors of heroics and tragedy. Dmitriy Shostakovich wrote: “The Second Symphony is perhaps Khachaturian’s first composition, in which the tragic start reaches these new heights; but, despite its tragic essence, this composition is full of profound optimism and belief in victory. A combination of the tragedy and life-assertion here is acquiring great power.”
In 1944, Khachaturian composed the national hymn of Armenia. One year later the war was over, and soon the “victorious” Third symphony appeared. Really, Third symphony is an excited, full of pathetic elements ode, original hymn to victors. In connection with Third symphony of Khachaturian, it should be recalled the words of academician B. V. Asafiev: “The art of Khachaturian appeals: “May it be light! And may it be joy!”… In the summer of 1946, the composer created his Cello Concerto, which was performed in Moscow by S. Knushevitsky with a great success. At the same time, the vocal cycle to verses of Armenian poets was created. If the instrumental concert has long ago become one of the favorite genres for the composer, the vocal cycle was applied for the first time. In 1954, the most significant composition of Aram Khachaturian, heroic and tragic ballet “Spartacus” was created. It occupied a deserving place among the best ballets of the 20th century for the profoundness of its idea, the brightness of artistic implementation, the scale of dramatic art and form, and finally, for the boldness of resolution of actual creative problems related to contemporary musical and choreographic art. The 60-s were marked by another concert “splash” in the creative work of Khachaturian – three Concerto-Rhapsodies appeared one after another: Concerto-Rhapsody for violin and orchestra (1961), Concerto-Rhapsody for cello and orchestra (1963), and Concerto-Rhapsody for piano and orchestra (1968). The composer has several times shared his thoughts about the willingness to compose the Forth Concerto-Rhapsody featuring all of the three concert instruments joining together at the end of composition… In 1971, the State Prize was awarded for the triad of Concerto-Rhapsodies. Khachaturian spent much effort to pedagogical work. For quite a long period of time he directed the composition class at Moscow Conservatory after P. I. Chaykovsky and at Gnesin Music Institute. Developing the pedagogical principles of his teacher Myaskovsky, and based on own life and creative experience, Khachaturian created his private composers’ school.
The private life of the composer was also rich in events. Khachaturian had a daughter Nuneh from the first marriage; she was a pianist. In 1933, Khachaturian got married for the second time to Nina Makarova, a student from Myaskovsky’s class, who’d become a faithful helpmate of the composer. Together they had a son, Karen Khachaturian (at the present he is a known art critic). A myriad of prizes witness a universal recognition of creative work of Aram Khachaturian. In 1963, Khachaturian was elected a full member of Armenian Soviet Republic’s Academy of Sciences, honorary academician of Italian Music Academy “Santa Cecilia” (1960), honorary professor of Mexican Conservatory (1960), corresponding member of the Academy of Arts of GDR (1960). Aram Khachaturian had the titles of Professor and Doctor of Art Criticism (1965).
REMINESCENCES “I have repeatedly been abroad, met with the people of many countries, conversed with the greatest composers, musical critics, performers, participated in discussions about the problems of modern musical art. In a live exchange of experiences mutual interests were revealed, a sincere desire to look deeply into the roots of modern creativity, to find out the inner reasons generating these or those art phenomena in our country and worldwide…”
ABOUT PROKOFIEV “My generation of musicians had the luck to watch the brightest blossom of the genius Sergey Prokofiev, to be present at the birth of his best works, to converse with Prokofiev-man… A composer, pianist and conductor; Prokofiev was not a teacher. He did not like to lecture, teach, show how to compose music”. And still, one won't find any modern composer who would not, to some extent, take advantage of the lessons of Prokofiev's creativity, who would not learn anything new, important, studying the works of this remarkable composer. It is easy to imagine our excitement when, in 1935, Prokofiev announced to us about the upcoming visit to the conservatory of Prokofiev who wanted to get acquainted with the works of studentcomposers. At the appointed hour Prokofiev’s tall figure showed up in the office of the director of Moscow Conservatory. He dashed in, going on in a lively conversation with Myaskovsky, hardly noticing our looks of burning curiosity and restrained excitement… Our compositions will be listened to by the worldwide known musician whose name seemed legendary!… I can hardly recall what Prokofiev was saying after the audition. I only remember that all his remarks were benevolent, very sure and precise. He approved of my Trio and even asked for the notes to send them to France. There is no need to speak of how inspiring that meeting was. Soon I had a chance to show the composer the outline of my piano concerto. He was astonished by my intention to write a concerto and did not consider it necessary to conceal his doubts. - To write a concerto is not very easy, – he said, – you must necessarily create an invention. I advise you to write down all texture finds without expecting the maturity of the entire designs. Write down separate passages, interesting parts, not necessarily in succession.
- Then you will form the whole from these «bricks». The first outline of the second part produced this rather sharp remark: “So what will then the pianist be doing, loafing?” (he meant the oversimple and easy solo part). S.S. Prokofiev was an excellent teller. He possessed a keen sense of humour and irony (that was in full measure expressed in his creativity).
I am recalling the story about the first meeting with Henry Wood. In the spring of 1944 a solemn session in the All-Soviet Union Society of Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries took place; it was dedicated to the 70th anniversary since the birthday of the known English conductor Henry Wood. In the session there were present a lot of musicians listening to the report about the life and activity of the eminent conductor. Then S. Prokofiev took the floor; with inimitable humour he told us about several, very vivid episodes, characterizing H.Wood. One of them I have especially kept in my memory. Prokofiev for the first time was going on a concerto tour in London, and he did not know who he was to meet and where he had to go from the railway station. That circumstance bothered him very much during the journey to London. At last, the train rolled up to the platform, Prokofiev went out of the car and stopped by an information bureau in the confusion. “Suddenly, - tells Prokofiev, - I see some respectable mister walking quickly along the platform; he had the score of my First Piano Concerto adjusted on his chest. It was H.Wood…”
TOURING ROUND ITALY “Italians’ ideas of the musical life in the Soviet Union sometimes convey quite fantastic character. For instance, in one of the press conferences one prominent musical critic asked me a question: ‘Whether Bach’s and Beethoven’s music is played in the Soviet Russia?” “Some newspapers, notifying my arrival, considered it necessary to express surprise that there came the very composer Khachaturian who after the Decree of the Central Committee of Bolshevik Party, ‘as it was said, had been deported to Siberia.’”
ABOUT JAN SIBELIUS “Of course, one of the strong and maybe the strongest impressions on me was made by the meeting with Jan Sibelius. In December 8, 1955, the composer will be 90 years old. He has not left his villa Jarvenpeie, 40 km from Helsinki, since 1904. I was stepping with excitement over the threshhold of the modest two-storeyed house located in the picturesque thick pine forest on the hill not far from the lake. On my way I was thinking about the forth-
coming meeting with the alive classic and composer, whose creative activity had begun as long ago as the 80s of the previous century. What is he like? How will he receive me? About what shall I talk with him? To be honest I was deeply touched by that simplicity and cordiality with which he met me and my companions. He came to us cheerful, straightforward, somewhat severe on the exterior, but only on the exterior… here was a big radio in the room. Sibelius seemed to spend many hours by the radio listening to musical programmes from all the countries of the world. During the talk he very warmly recalled the meetings with D.Kabalevsky, D.Oistrakh and E.Gilels who had visited him several years ago. He also recalled Petersburg to which he had been more than once in the beginning of the century. He recalled Chaikovsky, Glazunov and Rimsky-Korsakov who he knew personally. We began talking about the modern west music and the tasks of modern composers. – One writes music by head or by feet, the other – by his heart, - Sibelius said expressively.”
ABOUT MYASKOVSKY “Myaskovsky never suppressed his students by his creative will. He treated them as equals and was extremely polite and attentive. He did not afford any familiarity and was always on formal terms with all the students …” “Several times I went to the classes having not done my homework. At last, Myaskovsky strictly asked what was wrong with me. I said I had troubles and worries. The composer smiled: – So, take chance of it. Write music. Don’t just be silent. It’s worst of all. You should always and everywhere think about music…” ater on, after Myaskovsky’s death, I read in his dairies that only those who create tirelessly can be considered true artits – “otherwise, the brain rusts.”
HOUSE-MUSEUM OF ARAM KHACHATURIAN “…I will say that it was rather hard for me to imagine the future house-museum by drafts on paper. From the outside, it is very beautiful and persuasive, but the internal arrangement and design was more difficult to visualize. In general, I liked the project and felt like approving it…” Aram Khachaturian, January 29, 1978, Moscow The house-museum of Aram Khachaturian is located in Yerevan. The composer had only managed to only become acquainted with the drafts of the future museum and express his wishes to a famous architect Edward Altunian, who was asked by the government to start the project order. The basis for the museum was a large stately house where the elder brother of Aram Khachaturian Vaghinak and his family lived. It was in this house that Aram Khachaturian often stayed whenever he visited Yerevan. The former residence has remained unchanged. The garden has been converted into a small courtyard, where a spring-monument, a gift to the museum from architects S. Gyurzadian and S.Barseghianhas, has been erected. The facade is framed with five arches reminding tuning forks. The official opening of the museum took place in 1982, after the death of the composer. The management of the museum was first entrusted to conductor, musical and public figure Goar Agasievna Arutyunian who was succeded by Armine Grigoryan - professor of Yerevan State Conservatory, eminent pianist and winner of International competitions. Various already traditional events - festivals, commemorative evenings, competitions, meetings with prominent figures of culture, exhibitions take place at the museum each year. Letters, manuscripts of scores, books, records, photos and other materials related to the life and creative work of the genius composer are collected there. The son of A. Khachaturian, Karen, donated to the museum the private things of his father: cabinet, bedroom, dining room, piano, conductor’s tail-coat and baton, letters and many other things from the family archive. Before and after the opening of the house-museum, valuable materials from all over the world were being sent out there. Gradually, the museum was filled with new remainders. One of those exhibits has a very interesting history.
It involves a piano, donated to the house-museum by Tigran Mostijian from San Paolo. Once (by the end of the fifties), when the composer toured in South America, a passionate admirer of his creative work T. Mostijian gave a reception in his home in honor of Aram Khachaturian. He bought a piano just because he wanted the composer to touch the keys of the instrument. After Khachaturian had played fragments of his compositions, suddenly, the master of the house gave a nail to the composer so that the latter would scratch his autograph at the piano’s top cover. It took persuading Khachaturian; nevertheless, the signature was put. Today, this piano occupies its modest place in the museum. The house-museum of Aram Khachaturian has a light concert hall with excellent acoustics. The walls of the hall have welcomed the leading performers of chamber genre and young musicians for decades now. There is a rich library of records in the house-museum – about 2,500 CDs with records of classic and contemporary music. A workshop for the restoration of string instruments is functioning right inside. The museum also includes a National collection of unique musical instruments.
Khachaturian as a Conductor “For me, the art of conducting has an enormous attractive strength for many reasons. Firstly, I have always gone through performing music since my youth. Secondly, what opportunity can be more attractive than the one of making my compositions sound by such a significant instrument as the orchestra? And, at last, this is one more form of association with the widest audience… Khachaturian had always dreamed to perform his orchestra works himself, while rehearsing with little orchestras of dramatic theatres to which he wrote music. In 1950, he, at last, managed to realise his desire and started conducting his works at the concert venues of many countries. Everything began once in spring – after one call. Khachaturian was given a ring and told that there would take place a concert in honor of the election of academician Vavilov as a member of parliament, and it is he, the composer, who must conduct the concert. In that evening the concert program included the final of Violin Concerto (performed by Leonid Kogan) and extracts from the ballet “Gayane”. This proposal was completely unexpected, and Khachaturian was about to refuse it. As he said later, he had been excited the whole day; however, everything passed well, even successfully. “Just since that spring day I have been ‘poisoned’ by conducting,” – recalled Khachaturian. The sphere of Khachaturian’s conducting activities broadened year by year. His debut on the symphonic stage took place on February 10, 1950, and as early as in that year’s summer he signed a contract on conducting 15 concerts in the USSR’s cities. Touring in the largest cities of the Soviet Union, Khachaturian also looked forward to conducting in the sites, where, as to his words, “the foot of the symphony orchestra had never entered.” Regular meetings with teachers and students of musical institutions, with selfacting artists, and also with common people gave propagandistic character to Khachaturian’s tours. Even in the first reviews of Khachaturian’s conducting performances, their authors emphasized the expressive flexibility of Aram Ilich’s hands, his ability to make the shape of the whole, and his significant inner sensation of rhythm.
Soon, there took place the first foreign performance. Being in Rome in 1950, Khachaturian accepted the offer of the administration of the Rome Radio to conduct a concert with the local orchestra. “Italian reviewers accepted me warmly and called me ‘an experienced maestro,’ obviously, out of their unawareness,” – recalls Aram Ilich. – “This rather flattering epithet encouraged me, and, since then, I have combined all the foreign tours with my recitals.” While working with the orchestra, Aram Khachaturian revealed his inherent artistry, bright performing endowments, strong creative will, incredible capacity for work and mature professionalism. “It was comfortable to play under his stick. He could spark off orchestra members and soloists. He always knew what he wanted. His conducting will unfailingly impressed the audience”, – recalled the famous violinist Victor Pikaizen. The foreign tours also corresponded to Khachaturian’s temperament: the dynamics of his nature and the thirst for communication with people. He once mentioned in a conversation that he had found new friends abroad. The life endowed Aram Ilich with a heap of extremely interesting meetings: with the Queen of Belgium, Elizabeth, and the Pope of Rome, John 23th, with Jean Sibelius, Arturo Benedetti Michelangelo, Ernest Anserme and Nadia Boulanger, Charlie Chaplin, Sophia Loren and Ernest Hemingway… Prague, Warsaw, Berlin, Sofia, Budapest, Bucharest, Vienna, Paris, Rome, Brussels, London, Helsinki, Leipzig, Salzburg, Reykjavik, Washington, New York, Chicago, Tokyo, Cairo, Beirut, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Gvadalahara, Caracas, Havana, Mexico, Osaka, Nagasaki, Kyoto, Alexandria, Liege, Cordoba, Luxembourg, San-Paulo, Manchester, Bologna, Acapulco… This is far from the complete list of the cities where Khachaturian performed.
His concerts were always a success, promoting to the strengthening of international cultural relations. “The composer conducted the vast program outwardly calmly, being seized with the ardor of inner burning. The concert has become an outstanding event in our musical life… The audience greeted Khachaturian with a long ovation, which was supported by the orchestra fanfares.” Helsingah Sanomat (April 16, 1955) “Khachaturian sets his task to excite the audience with music. The composer himself has not kept his intentions secret. He says: ‘Music is a matter of heart’. The yesterday concert demonstrated that the composer understands this matter…” L’Humanitй (March 29, 1960) “Nobody could conduct the orchestra better than he did. His gesture was clear and exact, his motions sparked both the performers and the audience. The orchestra sounded the way we had not long happened to hear. The success was outstanding…” Paeze Sera (April 8, 1963)
Ինչպե՞ս հաջողվեց կանխել, որպեսզի Արամ Խաչատրյանի հուղարկավորությունը տեղի չունենա Մոսկվայում
Սովետական տարիներին հայ մտավորականներն ու արվեստագետներն իրենց առաջ լայն հնարավորություններ ունեին զարգանալու ու արվեստի մեծ գործեր ստեղծելու համար։ Այդ տարիներին մեկը մյուսի ետևից երևան էին գալիս ստեղծագործողներ, ովքեր բացառիկ էին, տաղանդավոր և կերտում էին բարձր արվեստ։ Պարադոքսալ էր սովետական երկիրը, քանի որ մի կողմից՝ ոչնչացվում էին մտավորականները, իսկ մյուս կողմից՝ այդ մտավորականների համար ստեղծվում էին լավագույն պայմանները, որպեսզի նրանք ստեղծագործեն և արարեն։ Հատկանշական է, որ այդ դեպքում սովետական պետության տարբեր ժողովուրդների ստեղծագործող զավակներն ինչ-որ պահի նույնանում էին, և տարանջատում գրեթե չէր լինում։ Այդ խնդիրը հատկապես առաջ էր քաշվում ստեղծագործողների մահանալուց հետո։
Նմանատիպ խնդրի առաջ կանգնեցին նաև հայ մեծանուն կոմպոզիտոր Արամ Խաչատրյանի հարազատներն ու այդ ժամանակաշրջանի Հայաստանի իշխանությունները, քանի որ Արամ Խաչատրյանի մահվանից հետո խնդիրներ առաջացան, և շատ հնարավոր էր, որ Խաչատրյանը հուղարկավորվեր հենց Մոսկվայում։
1978 թվականին մահացավ Արամ Խաչատրյանը։ Մահվան լուրից անմիջապես հետո Սովետական Հայաստանը պատվիրակություն ուղարկեց Մոսկվա, որպեսզի զբաղվեն նրան Հայաստանում հուղարկավորելու հարցով։ Այդ պատվիրակության մեջ էր նաև կուսակցական պետական աշխատող, լրագրող և թարգմանիչ Կարլեն Դալլաքյանը, ում հուշերը կարդալով՝ տեսնում ենք, թե ի՞նչ բարդ խնդիր էր հասունացել այդ ժամանակ, և ինչպե՞ս կարողացավ հարցը լուծվել, հակառակ դեպքում՝ Արամ Խաչատրյանը կհուղարկավորվեր Մոսկվայում։
«Վախճանվել է Արամ Խաչատրյանը։ Դեմիրճյանը ինձ ու կառավարության նախագահի տեղակալ Ռեմա Սվետլովային ճամփեց Մոսկվա, մասնակցելու հուղարկավորությանը, և դագաղը Երևան բերելու համար։ Անսպասելի, գրեթե անհաղթահարելի խոչընդոտներ ծագեցին։ Արամ Խաչատրյանի աղջիկն ու տղան պահանջեցին, թե հայրիկին պետք է թաղել իր անունը կրող մեծ դահլիճի առջև պստիկ պուրակում։ Ոչ մի առարկություն չէին ընդունում։ Հիմնական փաստարկն էր, թե Օպերայի և բալետի շենքի առջև հրապարակի մի անկյունում թաղված էր Սպենդիարովը։ Բացատրում էին, որ դա շատ վատ է, երեխաներն օրն ի բուն ֆուտբոլ են խաղում, փաստորեն, ֆուտբոլի դարպաս են դարձրել, թե նախագիծ կա այդ գերեզմանն էլ փոխադրել Կոմիտասի անվան այգու՝ «մեր մեծերի» պանթեոն»։
– Իմ հայրը համաշխարհային անուն է,- նետեց որդին՝ Կարենը։ -Նա չի կարող դասվել այդ «մեծերի» շարքը»։ (Կարլեն Դալլաքյան «Հուշապատում», Երևան, 1998, էջ 249) Կրքերը չեն հանդարտվում և ԽՍՀՄ Կոմպոզիտորների Միության նախագահ Տիխոն Խրեննիկովը հրավիրում է նիստ։ Նիստին քննարկվում է Արամ Խաչատրյանի հուղարկավորության հարցը։ Նիստը հանդարտ չի անցնում, քանի որ իշխանությունները պահանջում էին, որպեսզի կոմպոզիտորին հուղարկավորեն Կոմիտասի անվան պանթեոնում, իսկ կոմպոզիտորի հարազատներն այլ բան էին ցանկանում։ Նիստին ներկա կոմպոզիտոր Էդուարդ Միրզոյանը ևս ամեն ինչ անում էր, որպեսզի կարողանար համոզել, որ դահլիճի առջև թաղելն անընդունելի էր։ Նիստի ժամանակ կրքերը բորբոքվում են, և այդ ժամանակ խոսում է կին երգահան Պախմուտովան, ով նշում է, որ ծագումով հայ կոմպոզիտոր Արամ Խաչատրյանը ռուս կոմպոզիտորական դպրոցի զավակն է, նա սովետական կոմպոզիտոր է, և նրան պետք է թաղել Մոսկվայում՝ իր կնոջ կողքին։ Եվ նա վերջում հավելում է․ «Թաղենք իր կնոջ կողքին, այստեղ։ Այլ ոչ թե թույլ տանք՝ տանեն, չգիտեմ ո՞ւր նետեն»։
Փաստացի ստացվում էր, որ Խաչատրյանի զավակները ցանկանում էին կատարել հոր կամքը՝ նրան հուղարկավորել Երևանում, պետությունը ցանկանում էր, որ հուղարկավորությունը տեղի ունենա Կոմիտասի անվան պանթեոնում, զավակները՝ դահլիճի առջև, իսկ նիստի մասնակիցներից ոմանք առաջ քաշեցին Խաչատրյանին Մոսկվայում՝ իր կնոջ կողքին հուղարկավորելու տարբերակը։ Այդ խառնաշփոթ վիճակում Էդուարդ Միրզոյանը, Կարլեն Դալլաքյանն ու Լորետտա Տեր-Մկրտչյանն արագ կողմնորոշվում են, կարողանում են զանգահարել և կապ հաստատել Կաթողիկոսի հետ, որից հետո ուրվագծվում է հարցի լուծման ճանապարհը։
«Հանկարծ նրա դեմքը սառավ, գունատվեց, չորացավ։ Ափով ծածկեց ընկալուչը, ռուսերեն դիմեց հանգուցյալի զավակներին։ – Գիտե՞ք, թե ինչ է ասում «Վեհափառը»,- սարսափած ձայնող խոսեց նա։ «Վեհափառն» ասում է, թե հայ եկեղեցու օրենքներով՝ գերեզմանոցից դուրս թաղում են միայն ավազակներին։ Բոլորը քարացան։ Լորետտան շտապ․ «Շնորհակալություն, Վեհափառ տեր» ասաց, լսափողը դրեց լծակի վրա։ Հարցը լուծվեց։ Կարենը միայն ցանկություն հայտնեց, որ ինքը նախապես պետք է տեսնի, թե Կոմիտասի այգու մեջ հենց որտե՞ղ են թաղելու իր հայրիկին։ Մի քանի օր անց իր ուզածով էլ եղավ»։ (Նույն տեղում, էջ 250-251)։
Փաստացի տեսնում ենք, որ սովետական տարիներին հայ մեծերը խնդիրներ էին ունենում նաև մահվանից հետո։ Եթե թերթենք այդ տարիների պատմության մութ էջերը, ապա կտեսնենք, որ Սովետական իշխանությունների հետ խնդիրներ առաջանում էին գրեթե բոլոր ոլորտներում։ Սակայն մարդիկ կարողանում էին խելացիության, հանդգնության ու անգամ սեփական կյանքն անտեսելու գնով մեզ պահել մեր ժառանգությունն ու մեծերին։ Հիմա այդ ամենը գնահատողներն են պակասել, քանի որ հիմա աշխարհն ընթանում է այլ ճանապարհով, և մենք նույնպես այդ ընթացքի մի մասնիկն ենք։ Քչերն ու ուժեղներն են կարողանում շեղվել այդ ընթացքից, պահպանել վեհը, առաքինին ու ազգայինը։ Իսկ նրանք ծնվում են ուշ-ուշ, սակայն ճիշտ ժամանակին։