The Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia put into circulation on 13 October 2021 the silver commemorative coin dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Spendiarian. This was announced by the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia.
Alexander Spendiarian (1871-1928) was a renowned Armenian composer, conductor, pedagogue, and musical-public figure, and a People’s Artist of the Armenian SSR (1926).
In 1892-1894 he studied the theory of composition under N. Glenovsky in Moscow, and in 1896-1900 under N. Rimsky-Korsakov in St. Petersburg. He lived in the Crimea, where he carried out conducting and musical-public activities. As a composer he was formed under the influence of Russian and Armenian cultures.
From 1924 Spendiarian lived in Yerevan. During that period he created the “Yerevan Studies” and brought to completion one of the finest works of the Armenian musical theatre, the heroic-patriotic opera “Almast” (based on H. Toumanyan’s poem “The Taking of Tmukaberd”, with a libretto by S. Parnok).
Spendiarian played a major role in the formation of the Armenian national school of composition, enriching Armenian music with new themes, expanding its genres, and laying the foundations of Armenian national symphonism. His “Crimean Sketches”, “Three Palm Trees”, “Yerevan Studies” and other symphonic works are classic examples of Armenian symphonic music.
A house-museum of Spendiarian has been established in Yerevan. The composer’s name is borne by the National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Yerevan (1933) and Music School No. 1.
Obverse: the monument to Spendiarian (sculptors: A. Sargsyan, Gh. Chubaryan; architects: G. Aghababyan, F. Darbinyan, 1953) against the background of the Opera and Ballet Theatre building (architect: A. Tamanyan, 1932), and a dancer.
Reverse: a portrait of Spendiarian, pages of the score of “Three Palm Trees”, and stylised images of a violin, an inkwell and palm trees.
Author of the sketches: Vartan Vartanyan.
The commemorative coin was minted at the Lithuanian Mint.
