Adamyan sisters

At the beginning of the 20th century, the first reviews about the concerts of the piano duet of the sisters Yelena and Yevgenia Adamyans appeared on the pages of the press of several European and Russian cities. The performances of the “black-eyed, pale-faced young Armenian women” were enthusiastically received, rewarded with thunderous applause, and showered with flowers. Reviewers found that the Adamyan sisters surpassed even the
well-known in Europe Hungarian duo of brothers Willy and Lewis Tiern with their art.

Komitas was also familiar with the art of the sisters. In one of his letters to the composer A. Mailyan, he confessed: “How joyful the appearance of the Adamyan sisters is. I have been following their concert performances for a long time and endlessly admire their glorious victories.”

The head of the family, Abgar Adamyan, came from a family of wealthy oilmen. He loved literature, and art, especially music. The dream of his life was to give a solid education to his children: two sons and two daughters. But he died early, and the whole burden of raising children fell on the shoulders of his wife — a smart, purposeful, and strong-willed woman. She honorably fulfilled her husband’s dream.

The sisters formed a piano duet that was successfully performed in European countries. After studying for several years, having received a strong technical base, from the famous piano teacher Margarita Gotthard, they followed the example of the brothers: in the late 1890s they left for Switzerland, and then to Germany to continue their musical education. Initially, they studied with Professor Willy Rehberg (Geneva). The desire to improve their profession leads them to the oldest private Stern Conservatory in Berlin, to the class of Professor Martin Krause.

To imagine the level and prestige of this musical educational institution, it is enough to recall that the great pianist Hans von Bülow once taught there, that one of the remarkable conductors, romantics of the first half of the 19th century, Bruno Walter studied here, and in the class of Martin Krause himself, one of Liszt’s favorite students, the patriarch of European pianism of the 20th century, Edwin Fischer, and world-famous pianist Claudio Arrau were brought up at different times.

Running a little ahead, we note the remarkable fact that the Adamyan sisters performed in Berlin J.S. Bach’s Concerto for two harpsichords in C major BWV 1061 with an orchestra conducted by Edwin Fischer. Among the Armenian friends of the sisters were an Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR Karo Melik-Ogandzhanyan, a violinist, a professor of the Leningrad Conservatory I.R. Nalbandyan, and others.

The Adamyan sisters graduated from the Conservatory with a gold medal named after the composer and violinist Gustav Hollaender in 1908. Since that time, the concert activity of the piano duet began, which lasted more than six years (1908-1914).

Performances are held in many German cities (Berlin, Munich, Bremen, Hannover, Württemberg, Stuttgart, Dresden, Cologne, Koenigsberg, Altenburg), as well as in Denmark (Copenhagen), Switzerland (Geneva), Austria (Vienna), Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg), in France (Paris), the Baltic States (Riga).

One of the main advantages of the duet was the observance of the style features of the music performed.

Pianists used the pedal sparingly but as a last resort, especially when playing classical music. This reveals the influence of the German piano school. How not to recall the well-known saying here: “The pedal should not be taken where it is possible, but where it is necessary” (Ferruccio Busoni). Such a pedal in the concertos of Bach and Mozart, as noted, contributed to the «crystal clear voice leading», clarity, and transparency of the musical fabric in the performance of the duet.

The concert performances of the piano duet Adamyan were interrupted by the First World War. During the peak of the brutal massacre of Armenians in April (Armenian Genocide, 1915), Yelena’s husband, A. Hayranyan, who was appointed chief physician in one of the units of the Turkish army, died. Left with two children, she settled in Berlin, giving all her strength to teach.

She had to experience many difficulties and hardships during the years of the Nazi regime. She died in Leinitz in 1960.

Yevgenia Adamyan was married to the engineer Karaghashyan and lived in Paris. She also devoted all subsequent years of her life to pedagogical work, performing only sporadically. She died in 1945.