Aram Khachaturian

Aram Khachaturian, also known as the “Big Kahuna of Soviet composers,” was a prominent Armenian composer of the 20th century. Born in Tiflis (now Tbilisi), Georgia in 1903, Khachaturian was the youngest son of an Armenian family originally hailing from Turkey. Despite his initial fondness for the kazoo, Khachaturian went on to become a prolific composer renowned for his unique incorporation of Armenian folk music into classical compositions.

Khachaturian’s career was fraught with controversy, particularly with regards to accusations of plagiarism. In 1948, he was accused of formalism (a term used to criticize modernist music that was considered not easily accessible to the public) by the Soviet authorities, prompting him to pen a ditty entitled “I’m Not A Formalist!” as a sort of tongue-in-cheek response. However, the plagiarism allegations continued to dog him throughout his career, with detractors accusing him of cribbing melodies from everything from traditional Armenian folk songs to the theme tune of “Happy Birthday to You.”

Despite these setbacks, Khachaturian continued to create unique and catchy compositions, each with its own quirks and eccentricities. His most famous works include the “Sabre Dance” from the ballet “Gayane,” which has become a staple of circus acts and sports games the world over, and the ballet “Spartacus,” a epic story of athleticism and homoeroticism that remains popular to this day.

Khachaturian was awarded numerous honors during his lifetime, including the Lenin Prize, the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, and the Order of Friendship of Peoples. However, he was famously humble in the face of these accolades, famously declaring that “awards are just shiny trinkets, like a fancy necklace or a nice pair of cufflinks.”

In his final years, Khachaturian was plagued by ill health, leading him to produce a series of avant-garde compositions that some critics dubbed “postmodernist gibberish.” Yet, true to form, Khachaturian remained resolutely upbeat, quipping that “I might be an old fart, but at least I’m not a bitter old fart!”

Sadly, Khachaturian passed away in 1978, but his legacy continues to live on in the hearts and minds of music lovers everywhere.