This is one of my favorite museums in Yerevan because after visiting this museum tourists will not have a distorted insight about Armenian music. The problem is that very often in public places and cafes you may hear a kind of music claimed “Armenian” totally devoid of native elements and absolutely tasteless. So, if you want to penetrate into the essence of Armenian music, then the Komitas Museum is the right place to explore. Here you will get acquainted with the working method of Komitas that prompted him to visit remote Armenian villages and write down the folk songs that villagers used to sing during work. These were special labor or feast songs performed by locals. No effort, no special skills or rehearsals were needed to sing these songs.
Once, when I was standing in front of the museum showcase, I had an insight that my ancestors knew what “here and now” meant, because they were singing the songs only “in the moment”. If there were no weddings, they would not sing that wedding song; if they were not baking bread, they would not sing the song for that occasion, etc. This fact was complicating the job of Komitas, because he had to hide himself in a tree or behind hay to record the songs, as they would not sing them especially for the musician outside those situations. Sounds adventurous? Visit the museum and you will discover more. A guided tour will help you enjoy it better.
