The musical film Akhtamar was made in 2004 in Armenia on the shores of Lake Sevan. It was composed by Sirvart Karamanuk in 1969 to celebrate the centennial of its author, the national poet Hovhannes Tumanyan. The film was directed by Hovhannes Hovhannissyan with Samvel Ohanyan as the cinematographer. The lead artists include Mkhitar Melkonyan, Karen Mirzoyan, Anush Hovhannisyan and Nina Vartanyan. The orchestra and the chorus of the Yerevan State Conservatory was conducted my Maestro Hovhannes Mirzoyan. Produced by Sahan Arzruni.
A comprehensive biography and an examination of the creative life of composer Sirvart Karamanuk, authored by musicologist Prof. Araksi Saryan. The book also contains a number of highly personal essays by Karamanuk herself about her formative years. The volume includes several analytical articles about Karamanuk's output by various music critics. Written in Western Armenian, the book encompasses English and Turkish language summaries and includes some one hundred color photographs. Produced by Åžahan Arzruni, this elegant volume is published by the Charents State Museum of Literature and Art.
As a songwriter, Sirvart Karamanuk's intentions are twofold. First, to use only good literature: in her case, convincing marvels of Armenian poetry of recent times, with special emphasis on Western Armenian verse. Secondly, to write gracefully for the voice — that is, in the words of American composer Ned Rorem, to "make the voice line as seen on paper have the arched flow that singers like to interpret."
Karamanuk's formation as a composer is tied to her place of birth and residence. Considered one of the "three cities of the world" by historians of the past, Constantinople (now Istanbul) has supported a significant portion of Armenian musical culture. Beginning with Dikran Tchouhadjian, the founder of Armenian opera, western Armenian culture in the 19th century developed primarily in Constantinople, leading eventually to Komitas's genius.
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