Well, you could say there was an Armenian Chopin. When the French/Polish composer-pianist died in 1849, his unique and distinctive style came to an end as well. There were composers who were influenced by and/or drew inspiration from Chopin, but no one did it like the Armenian composer and piano virtuoso Stéphan Elmas (Smyrna, December 24, 1864 – Genève, August 11, 1937).
Who actually knows him, this Stéphan Elmas who is rarely to never performed today? This Armenian studied, worked and lived first in Austria and later in Switzerland. Composer, celebrated successful pianist, teacher, but unfortunately also became nearly deaf. A life full of art, but also suffering, not only from deafness, but in later life especially from the Armenian tragedy (1922, the fire of his birthplace Smyrna which fell into Turkish hands and burned down four days later).
Heghine Rapyan, an Armenian concert pianist, brings Elmas back to life with a recording in a very fine performance of a number of works by the forgotten composer. The title of the cd is the only correct description and summary of everything the composer stands for: 'Chopin Of Armenia'. Immediately with the first piece you think you hear something of Chopin that for some reason you have never heard anywhere before, not on cd, not at a concert, not on the radio or TV nor on any network brimming with music. It is unusual, years after Chopin's death, someone, possibly thanks to his good relationship with Franz Liszt and with a number of French pianists, picked up the thread and continued Chopin's work quite considerably. This makes Elmas actually a full romantic composer who perhaps through his hearing loss remained somewhat stuck in a musical past style period. In a way you can say: good so because that way the world got a kind of continuation of the much too early deceased Frédéric Chopin.
Who better than Heghine Rapyan could have made this recording? As a talented pianist and as a compatriot of Elmas, she can immerse herself particularly well in the works. Chopin is not unfamiliar to her either and so you arrive at a very appealing performance that you want to listen to uninterruptedly from the first to the last note. It is delightful, dreamy, oh so romantic, sometimes a bit syrupy but not quite too much, sometimes also full of heavy seriousness, some sadness and tension. Rapyan lets all that richness flow in the most beautiful sounds a piano can produce. Enjoy this recording!