Hripsime Aghakaryan
Pianist
Mesrop Mashtots
Biography
Mesrop Mashtots is the creator of the Armenian alphabet. Most of what is known about Mashtots and his life was recorded by medieval Armenian historian Koryun in his “Life of Mashtots.”
He was born in the village of Hatsekats, Armenia (province Taron) in 306 and became a public servant. The Armenian catholicos at the time, Sahak, with the agreement of the king, Vramshapuh, tasked Mashtots with creating a new Armenian alphabet.
After inventing the alphabet, he would establish schools throughout Armenia where the language would be taught using the new alphabet. The first of those schools, Amaras Monastery in Artsakh, where the new alphabet was taught - and by Mashtots - still exists.
The significance of the creation of the Armenian alphabet by Mashtots cannot be overestimated. It is widely acknowledged that without an identity premised on a unique alphabet that differentiated them from surrounding peoples, it would have been much easier for Armenians, ruled by various powerful empires, to be subsumed and assimilated. The alphabet was the key that allowed Armenians to preserve their culture and identity, thus lending them exceptional longevity while others disappeared.
Mesrop Mashtots is venerated as a saint in both the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Roman Catholic Church. In the latter, his feast is celebrated on February 17.
Mesrop Mashtots is the founder of Armenian spiritual music. Together with Sahak A. Partev, he classified the traditional Armenian melodies (Eight Systems), which form the basis of Armenian traditional spiritual music. Mesrop Mashtots is also one of the first authors of an Armenian spiritual song-ktsurd. The songs of Repentance (about 130 samples) intended for him during the Great Lent are attributed to him. They are small, psalm-like attachments containing 3-4 quatrains. Mashtots's songs of Repentance, endowed with poetic inspiration and expressive melodic description, were included in Sharaknots, Mashtots, ritual books, and had a great impact on the further development of Armenian sacred music.
As the founder of Armenian pedagogy, Mashtots particularly developed the principles of teaching the Armenian language and Armenian music in the newly opened Armenian schools.
Picture: Mher Abeghyan - Mesrop Mashtots (fragment)
(National Gallery of Armenia)
He was born in the village of Hatsekats, Armenia (province Taron) in 306 and became a public servant. The Armenian catholicos at the time, Sahak, with the agreement of the king, Vramshapuh, tasked Mashtots with creating a new Armenian alphabet.
After inventing the alphabet, he would establish schools throughout Armenia where the language would be taught using the new alphabet. The first of those schools, Amaras Monastery in Artsakh, where the new alphabet was taught - and by Mashtots - still exists.
The significance of the creation of the Armenian alphabet by Mashtots cannot be overestimated. It is widely acknowledged that without an identity premised on a unique alphabet that differentiated them from surrounding peoples, it would have been much easier for Armenians, ruled by various powerful empires, to be subsumed and assimilated. The alphabet was the key that allowed Armenians to preserve their culture and identity, thus lending them exceptional longevity while others disappeared.
Mesrop Mashtots is venerated as a saint in both the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Roman Catholic Church. In the latter, his feast is celebrated on February 17.
Mesrop Mashtots is the founder of Armenian spiritual music. Together with Sahak A. Partev, he classified the traditional Armenian melodies (Eight Systems), which form the basis of Armenian traditional spiritual music. Mesrop Mashtots is also one of the first authors of an Armenian spiritual song-ktsurd. The songs of Repentance (about 130 samples) intended for him during the Great Lent are attributed to him. They are small, psalm-like attachments containing 3-4 quatrains. Mashtots's songs of Repentance, endowed with poetic inspiration and expressive melodic description, were included in Sharaknots, Mashtots, ritual books, and had a great impact on the further development of Armenian sacred music.
As the founder of Armenian pedagogy, Mashtots particularly developed the principles of teaching the Armenian language and Armenian music in the newly opened Armenian schools.
Picture: Mher Abeghyan - Mesrop Mashtots (fragment)
(National Gallery of Armenia)
