Khachaturian, Aram Ilich, 1903-78, Russian composer of Armenian parentage, b. Tiflis (now Tbilisi). Khachaturian moved to Moscow in the early 1920s and attended (1929-34) the Moscow Conservatory. At first studying the cello, he began to compose c.1926. Colorful, energetic, emotionally powerful, and texturally rich, his music often uses Armenian and Central Asian folk idioms. His piano concerto (1936), violin concerto (1940), the ballet Gayané (1942, containing the famous Sabre Dance), the orchestral suite Masquerade (1944), and the ballet Spartacus (1956) are especially popular. Despite official Soviet criticism of his style (at first acclaimed and honored, he was denounced as a formalist in 1948 and rehabilitated a decade later), Khachaturian continued to create works of harmonic complexity until his death.

(born June 6, 1903, Tbilisi, Georgia, Russian Empire—died May 1, 1978, Moscow, U.S.S.R.) Soviet (Armenian) composer. He studied with Reinhold Glière (1875–1956) and Nikolay Myaskovsky (1881–1950). He gained international notice when Sergey Prokofiev recommended one of his pieces for a Paris concert. Active in the composer's union, Khachaturian (along with Dmitry Shostakovich and Prokofiev) was criticized by the government in 1948 for “formalist tendencies,” though his music was in fact always conservative and accessible. After Joseph Stalin's death (1953), Khachaturian published a call for greater artistic freedom. His ballet scores include Masquerade (1944) and Spartacus (1954); Gayane (1943) contains the well-known “Sabre Dance.” Other popular pieces include his piano and violin concertos.

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(born June 6, 1903, Tbilisi, Georgia, Russian Empire—died May 1, 1978, Moscow, U.S.S.R.) Soviet (Armenian) composer. He studied with Reinhold Glière (1875–1956) and Nikolay Myaskovsky (1881–1950). He gained international notice when Sergey Prokofiev recommended one of his pieces for a Paris concert. Active in the composer's union, Khachaturian (along with Dmitry Shostakovich and Prokofiev) was criticized by the government in 1948 for “formalist tendencies,” though his music was in fact always conservative and accessible. After Joseph Stalin's death (1953), Khachaturian published a call for greater artistic freedom. His ballet scores include Masquerade (1944) and Spartacus (1954); Gayane (1943) contains the well-known “Sabre Dance.” Other popular pieces include his piano and violin concertos.

Learn more about Khachaturian, Aram (Ilyich) with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Aram Khachaturian wrote his Piano Concerto in 1936.. The piece is in three movements and is in D-flat major. The first movement, Allegro ma non troppo e maestoso, makes extensive use of the three-note theme of F, B-double-flat, and A-flat. The second movement, Andante con anima, is one of the few major classical pieces to make use of a flexatone. The third movement, Allegro brillante, caps the piece in an exciting manner.

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