YEREVAN, MAY 30, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. "Many are talking about the Armenian anthem, but few know what standards it has to meet and what structure it must have," Tigran Mansurian, a well-known composer, People's Artist of Armenia, Professor of Yerevan State Conservatory after Komitas said during a talk with NT correspondent. According to him, today this issue is much spoken about, and there appeared some songs with much personality but not solemnity. "An anthem should make one rise to his feet and get inspired, and the anthem written by Aram Khachatrian is just of this kind. It is related to our spiritual songs, and one should not forget that Sarmen's text was given a wrong accentuation," T. Mansurian noted. In his words, music is composed based on rhetorical art, and when rhetorical work is absent, no song is created. The composer said that new verses are needed to restore A. Khachatrian's anthem today. In his opinion, the anthem would be perfect with Yeghishe Charent's poem "I Like the Sun-Tasted Speech of my Sweet Armenia". Speaking about the current anthem, the composer noted that its very existence "is unacceptable to him". "I consider "My Homeland" a poor tune. It was brought to Armenia by teachers educated abroad, and it's regretable that our people having such a great composer as Komitas sings this anthem," he pointed out. "A. Khachatrian's genius was not for one day. It is a phenomenon recognized throughout the world. It is time to return to the creation of A. Khachatrian," Tigran Mansurian concluded.

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