THE RESONANCE ATLAS
Tigran Mansurian
Biography
Tigran Mansurian (born 1939 in Beirut) is an Armenian composer whose music draws together modern compositional techniques and the expressive traditions of Armenian music. His family moved to Armenia in 1947, and he studied at the Komitas State Conservatory in Yerevan, where he later taught and served as rector from 1992 to 1995. His catalogue ranges across orchestral and concertante works, string quartets, chamber music, vocal compositions and film scores. Mansurian's distinctive musical language has brought him international recognition while remaining closely connected to Armenian cultural memory.
Why this music interests us
Mansurian's chamber music combines a concentrated expressive language with a distinctive relationship to Armenian musical culture. His string quartets reveal an extraordinary command of atmosphere and gesture, while the Wind Quintet of 1974 opens another, less frequently encountered part of his output. For Resonance, the quintet represents an opportunity to explore a major composer's voice through the unusual intimacy and colour of five wind instruments.
Selected works & listening
Wind Quintet (1974; flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon); String Quartets; Sonata for Flute and Piano (1963); Piano Trio (1965); Five Bagatelles for Piano Trio (1985)
Further information