Historian and translator, Dr. Nora Arisian has released the Arabic version of the book “Komitas and Armenian Music” in Damascus, report Hayern Aysor’s sources.

This is the first book about Komitas in Arabic and contains 11 studies and articles selected from various books, including the translated versions of several studies from Robert Atayan’s book “Komitasian” such as the study entitled “The Musical Heritage of Komitas”, Muradyan’s “Komitas’s Evaluation of Yekmalyan’s Liturgy”, Tahmizyan’s “Issues on the Study of Armenian Spiritual Songs” and more. The book also includes the translated versions from Khachik Safaryan’s book “Komitas the Marvel”, including the articles entitled “Problems with Deciphering Notches”, “Komitas and Russian Music” and “Komitas and Kurdish Music”, as well as excerpts from Hrant Gevorgyan’s book “To Breath and Live with Komitas”. The article “Living Martyr” from Vardan Vardanyan’s book “Eternal Traveler” has also been translated.

The music for the book was edited by director of Syria’s symphony orchestra, Maestro Misak Baghbudarian who, in his preface, encourages the young musicians of the Arab World to take the path that Komitas took and document Armenian folk music.

The 160-page book was translated by Nora Arisian who, in her preface, wrote that the book is dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and to the 80^th death anniversary of Komitas. Arisian also voices hope that the book, which presents Komitas the genius and the person who embodies Armenian culture and history, will serve as a contribution to Arabic literature.