The human image and concerns of Tigran Mansuryan are so sincere that can disarm any skeptic. Our society filled with fragmented feeling and expectations is exhausted of hope-inspiring speeches because very often not only words and work don’t match but they also contradict each other. When you know exactly who the artist is n fact you can’t believe the power of their art. The power of art disappears when the person is not honest to his/her conscience. And Mansuryan is a unique person as he is deprived of pathos and as he mentions he is most afraid when people imitate his dreams as demands. “Dreams and demands are often resembled but they have different characters. I have many dreams but don’t have demands,” he says. Mansuryan, who recently celebrated his anniversary, said that he was dreaming of the rule of law in the country because only then the person can do his work in a proper manner and without external pressure. On June 1 in Spitak town a concert will take place played by the Camera Orchestra of Yerevan (director Aram Gharabekyan) and Armenia’s Little Singers Chorus (director Tigran Hekekyan). They will play a part from Mansuryan’s Snow Queen Ballet. The alumni of the musical school of Spitak will also join the “Spitak June” program. According to Gharabekyan they will develop in a crescendo style and will have a great final. Gharabekyan mentioned that Spitak is mentioned only as a town which had abided an earthquake and they want to change this image. Gharabekyan and Mansuryan are sure that classical music may become an everyday life for the Armenians. The musical evenings and concerts organized in the marzes are the best evidence of that. By the way, the Snow Queen Ballet written based on the story of Andersen has been in the agenda of performance of the Opera and Ballet Theater of Yerevan. The performance was also played in Germany and afterwards it was cut from the agenda. Mansuryan is sure that this ballet can still live and hopes that in near future it will revive. After taking a long pause Mansuryan mentioned that the issue of being appreciated and depreciated in Armenia doesn’t bother him anymore because his feelings were subject to atrophy. This idea immediately created questions.
– You mentioned that your feelings and wishes were subject to atrophy. Isn’t it dangerous especially if many people are thinking that way and not only artists?
– I think that besides the opposition and government in our country another group is formed, which is the most awful. This group doesn’t wish to have relationship with anyone. They are potential emigrants and are ready to leave the country on any chance. This group prefers not to participate in any process and instead direct only to their homes. And this is noticeable not only among certain people but large masses of population. Although these people are inside the country they prefer not to participate in anything and prefer not to delve into the reality. I think this is the most dangerous factor and the growing number of these people really jeopardizes the future of our country. The number of people with active positions doesn’t grow and on the contrary decreases. At any rate, this is my feeling and maybe I am wrong.
– This is an obvious state of mind regardless of the fact that people don’t wish to admit that. Maybe if people start to speak more often about this hazard people will be more cautious.
– You know, I realized that speaking doesn’t bring any results. I think that our current psychological, human and social relations resemble a nightmare. During the previous years they have created so much of selfishness and aggression they all the other values lost their meaning and importance. Our era was symbolized by market relations, aspiration of immoral pleasures and insatiable expression of such an appetite. The existence of an appetite is such an important fact that nothing can withstand it. No sanity and no moral code can race with appetite. Even if people speak about this fact they only mask that they care about moral values. And this is wide-spread. And morality in most of the cases is used as a mask to hide the aggression of appetite.
– Every person has an internal need of being useful to the society. Don’t you think that t present the carpenter, journalist, doctor and composer are deprived of being part of the general? It turns out that you can do whatever you want but no one cares about that.
– Indeed, it is like that. The edges of our relations are not comprised of values, which create beauty, art and culture. The edges of our relations are the profits. Art and culture serve this goal.
– Why do the artists serve this goal?
– Because in the sector of art there is almost no independence. The independence of the “I” of the artist in not safeguarded and all the doors can be easily shut in front of him/her. It means that the artist can be easily deprived from material warranties and the right to make money on his own with his own efforts. If the artist of our days doesn’t have a post becomes a second or third sort person. In our lives everything is decided by positions. This is a stable and steady value inherited from the soviet. If you have a post it means you can affect the decision-making process. And in that case you feel a little independent.
– What shall the man of art do in order to feel protected if he/she avoids submitting posts?
– At present the only way of being protected in Armenia is to leave the country. Only by working abroad will it be possible to take care of the financial needs of your family. Now it is like that. But I think some day the time will come when people will be independent and will be able to live in Armenia. I hope so.
– It is a great luxury to think so.
– Of course, it is luxury. But for the artists that is the only actual value.