Music of Armenia

Armenia is in the Caucasus Mountains, and its music is a mix of indigenous folk music, perhaps best-represented by Djivan Gasparyan's well-known duduk music, as well as light pop, and extensive Christian music, due to Armenia's status as the oldest Christian nation in the world. Armenian immigrant communities have maintained their folk traditions, especially in the area around Fresno, California.

Christian music

Armenian chant, composed in one of eight modes, is the most common kind of religious music in Armenia. It is written in khaz, a form of indigenous musical notation. Many of these chants are ancient in origin, extending to pre-Christian times, while others are relatively modern, including several composed by Saint Mesrop Mashtots, who invented the Armenian alphabet. Some of the best performers of these chants or sharakans, are at the Holy Cathedral of Etchmiadzin, and include the late soprano Lusine Zakaryan.

Armenian religious music remained liturgical until Komitas Vardapet introduced polyphony in the end of the 19th century. Apart from his contribution to religious music, Komitas may be considered the founder of modern classical Armenian music. From 1899 to 1910, he travelled through the Armenian highlands and collected more than 3,000 folk tunes many of which he harmonized and transformed into Lied.

Folk music

Armenian Folk Musicians

While under Soviet domination, Armenian folk music was taught in a rigidly controlled manner at conservatoires. Instruments played in this way include kanun (dulcimer), davul (double-headed hand drum), oud (lute), tar (short-necked lute) and zurna (shawm). The duduk is especially important, and its stars include Margar Margarian, Levon Madoyan, Vatche Hovsepian, Gevorg Dabaghyan and Yeghish Manoukian, as well as Armenia's most famous duduk player, Djivan Gasparyan.

Earlier in Armenian history, instruments like the kamancha were played by popular, travelling musicians called ashoughs. Sayat Nova, an 18th century ashough, is still revered, as are more modern performers like Armenak Shahmuradian, Vagharshak Sahakian, Norayr Mnatsakanyan, Rouben Matevosian, Hayrik Muradyan, Hovhannes Badalyan, Raffi Hovhannisyan, Papin Poghosian, and Hamlet Gevorgyan. The most notable female vocalists in the Armenian folk genre have been: Araksia Gyulzadyan, Ophelia Hambardzumyan, Varduhi Khachatrian, Valia Samvelyan, Rima Saribekyan, Susanna Safarian, Manik Grigoryan, and Flora Martirosian.

The Armenian Diaspora

In 1915, the Young Turk regime killed a large number of Armenians during the Armenian Genocide in the eastern part of Turkey, and oppressed Armenian culture, leading to widespread emigration. These emigrants settled in various countries, especially in the California Central Valley, and the second- and third-generation have kept their folk traditions alive, with oud-player Richard Hagopian being perhaps the most famous of these musicians. Another oud player, John Berberian, is noted in particular for his fusions of traditional music with jazz and rock in the 1960s. From Lebanon and Syria, George Tutunjian, Nersik Ispirian, Karnig Sarkissian and others performed Armenian Revolutionary Songs which quickly became popular among the Diasporan youth, notably ARF supporters.

Other Armenian musicians include Ara Topouzian who performs on the kanun and VANArmenya, who sings both folk, children's and patriotic songs, performs on keyboards, and promotes the music of "the other Gomidas," Grikor Mirzaian.

Classical and pop music

Armenian classical composers include Kemani Tatyos Ekserciyan, one of the best-remembered composers of Ottoman classical music. The most famous, however, was Aram Khatchaturian, internationally well known especially for his music for various ballets and the immortal Sabre Dance from his composition for the ballet Gayaneh. Arno Babadjanyan is another Soviet era Armenian composer. In recent years, Avet Terterian and Tigran Mansurian have achieved global success. Another acclaimed, more recent, classical composer is Khachatur Avetissian, many of whose compositions are based on traditional folklore themes. The Armenian American composer Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000) frequently used Armenian themes in his compositions.

In pop music, Suzan Yakar and Udi Hrant Kenkulian were famous cabaret singers of the 1920s and 1930s. The most prominent female representatives of modern Armenian pop music include Bella Darbinyan, Raisa Mkrtchyan, and the more contemporary vocal performers such as Elvina Makaryan, Erna Yuzbashian, Nadezhda Sargsian, Zara Tonikyan, Suzan Margaryan, Tatevik Hovhannisyan. The Armenian male pop performers in the diaspora emigre Adiss Harmandian. Rouben Hakhverdian, Forsh, VANArmenya and Aram Avagyan are prominent lyricists and author-performers. The conventional performers in the pop-vocal genre have been: Georgi Minasian, Artahes Avetyan, and Levon Sevan.

Aram Khachaturian is one of the most renown classical Armenian composers in the world.

In classical music, many Armenian singers have gained worldwide recognition: sopranos Haykanush Danielian, Gohar Gasparian, Gohar Galachian, Tatevik Sazandarian, Anna Nshanian, Arpine Pehlivanian, Melania Abovian, Arax Mansourian, Lucine Amara, Cathy Berberian, Ellada Chakhoyan, Hasmik Papian and, more recently, Isabel Bayrakdarian, tenors Tigran Levonyan, Gegam Grigoryan, and Vahan Mirakyan; basses Shara Talian, Avag Petrosian, and Henrik Alaverdian, as well as the bass-baritone Barsegh Toumanian.

Today's Armenian traditional dances can be associated with performers such as Tata Simonyan. However, true Armenian traditional songs are being passed on by performers such as Rouben Matevosian, Ophelia Hambardzumyan, Varduhi Khachatrian, and Papin Poghosian.

In France the ethnic Armenian artists Charles Aznavour (aka Aznavourian) and Silvie Vartan (aka Vartanian) are much celebrated show and song-stars for decades, with her late husband, composer Armand Migiani, produced music of incomparable quality.

Armenian-American pop singers and groups include Cher, whose real name is Cherylin Sarkissian and the popular heavy metal band System of a Down.

Although the audience remains small for local rock groups, interest in young rock bands as Sard and Bambir 2 is increasing, especially after videos for their new songs were shown on local television.

American composer Daniel Decker has achieved critical acclaim for his collaborations with Armenian composer Ara Gevorgian. “Noah’s Prayer” (originally entitled “Mush”) chronicles Noah’s journey to Mount Ararat. “Noah’s Prayer” was debuted in 2002 in Sardarapat, Armenia to celebrate Armenian Independence day in the presence of Armenian President Robert Kocharian, and His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians (head of the Armenian Apostolic Church). A second collaboration called “Adana” tells the story of the Armenian Genocide, during which soldiers of the Ottoman Empire forced 1.5 million Armenians into starvation, torture and extermination. As with their first collaboration, Decker wrote the song’s epic lyrics to complement the musical landscape of Ara Gevorgian. Cross Rhythms, Europe’s leading religious magazine and web portal said of “Adana”, “seldom has a disaster of untold suffering produced such a magnificent piece of art..”

Samples

• Download recording of "Erivan bachem arer", an Armenian-American folk song from the Library of Congress' California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties Collection; performed a cappella by Ruben J. Baboyan on April 16, 1939 in Fresno, California

See also

• Armenian culture
• Armenian dance
• List of Armenians

Footnotes

References

• Hagopian, Harold. "The Sorrowful Sound". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp 332-337. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0

External links

• Armenian Radio - Armenia Live
• Armenian Music
• Armenian Music and Video