Artists Bring International Repertoire, Humor to Frankfurt Performance

by Muriel Mirak-Weissbach
the Armenian Mirror Spectator
FRANKFURT, DECEMBER 5, 2024– 

“Opera plus” was the title of the concert held on November 30 at the International Theater of Frankfurt, a venue known for its artistic excellence and cultural diversity. Although its origins stretch back to 1987, the ITF in its current form as a guest performance stage represents a collaborative effort established in 1998 between the Cultural Department of Frankfurt and the sponsoring association (Förderverein) of the theater. Committed to presenting a variety of artistic forms of expression characteristic of cultures from all over the world, the theater hosts professional performances by renowned artists. For Frankfurt residents of different backgrounds, the theater serves as a “cultural homeland;” this was certainly the case for the large Armenian contingent at the evening’s concert, representing the community in Frankfurt. For all citizens in the city and region, the theater is a gateway to new cultural landscapes, experienced in a spirit of tolerance and dialogue.

Karine Babajanyan

With “Opera plus,” the ITF offered an evening of opera classics plus songs and piano works from several language cultures, presented by two prominent Armenian artists. Soprano Karine Babajanyan, who was celebrating her 25th anniversary on the opera scene, sang (appropriately) arias from some of her most famous roles: from Elisabeth in Richard Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” to Lauretta in Giacomo Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” to the title roles in Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida” and Georges Bizet’s “Carmen.”

As for the “plus,” the she and pianist Lusine Khachatryan also performed Armenian works, Melikian’s Vart (The rose) and Ah, wie schön ist es auf den Bergen (Ah, how beautiful it is on the mountains) from a text by Hovhannes Tumanyan), an Armenian folk song Loosin Yelav (The moon has risen) by Luciano Berio, Italian pieces by G.B. Pergolesi and Gaetano Donizetti, and, concluded with two favorites by George Gershwin, The Man I Love and I Got Rhythm.

The duo’s performance was not only musically excellent, but by injecting dramatic and comic elements, they also transmitted the spirit of the operatic stage. Khachatryan accompanied the highly accomplished soprano in a lively and moving dialogue, and displayed her extraordinary technical skill and musical interpretation in two challenging solo works, Aram Khachaturian’s Toccata and S. Talian’s In A-Mur.

Both artists have extensive international experience. Babajanyan, who graduated with honors from the Komitas Conservatory in Yerevan and started her career at the Yerevan National Theatre, sang in several German cities before becoming a soloist at the Stuttgart Staatsoper from 2003 to 2011. She has performed in operas in Tokyo, Beijing, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Dresden, Zurich, Tel Aviv, Geneva, Copenhagen, Mexico City, Antwerp, Warsaw, Bern, Budapest, Leipzig, Paris, Vienna, Seoul, Milan and Cagliari among others.

Lusine Khachatryan

Khachatryan, herself a prizewinning soloist, has appeared in Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Brussels, Barcelona, Tokyo, New York, and others. In addition to her solo recitals, she performs with Chamber and Symphony orchestras, and with her brother, violinist Sergey Khachatryan. As a pianist she developed an intriguing new art form in 2012, “Piano Theatre,” in which she combines classical music and drama. This may have inspired the theatrical touches to the evening’s event. Among the pieces she has composed and performed are Maria Stuart based on Friedrich Schiller (2012), Chopin – The Piano Is My Second Self (2013) and Clara Wieck plays Schumann (2013). (See https://mirrorspectator.com/2019/11/21/armenian-pianist-celebrates-the-schumanns/)