HASULAM, BAAL (1886–1954)

Mikael Ayrapetyan is a pianist, composer, producer and teacher, as well as a researcher and public figure. He has done much to popularise Armenian classical music all over the world with his Secrets of Armenia musical project, which began during his studies at the Moscow Conservatory. Born in 1984 in Yerevan, Armenia, he studied at the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, and continues to uphold the performing traditions of the Russian piano school, of which Konstantin Igumnov, Samuel Feinberg and Lev Oborin are luminaries. His repertoire ranges from the Baroque to the contemporary and includes rarely performed works by Armenian composers. This period was the start of his extensive concert activity in which he performs works by Tigranian, Chukhadjian, Komitas, Melikian, Spendiarian, Barkhudarian, Stepanian, Khachaturian, Babajanian, Arutyunian, Abrahamian, Bagdasarian, Avetisian, Mirzoyan, Amirkhanian and many other Armenian composers, which eventually led him to produce his own concerts. He was awarded the State Prize of the Republic of Armenia for his outstanding contribution to the development and popularisation of Armenian classical music.

The Rabbi Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag (1885–1954) became known as Baal HaSulam (‘Owner of the Ladder’) for his Sulam (‘ladder’) commentary on the Kabbalist Book of Zohar. He dedicated his life to the interpretation and dissemination of ideas found in the Kabbalah, the Jewish teachings intended to explain the relationship between God the infinite, and the mortal and finite universe: in other words, the roots and purpose of existence.