Search - Sergei Aslamazian, Edvard Mirzoyan :: Komitas, Aslamazian and Mirzoian: Chamber Works

Beautiful, Poetic, Powerful, Hypnotic - Wonderful

Classicalfan | Reston, VA USA | 07/17/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the history of 20th century Armenian composers, Khatchaturian's towers over others like a mountain. Yet, there have been, and are, other outstanding Armenian composers, most notably, Komitas (1869 - 1935), the musical forefather of 20th century Armenian classical music, and several other Armenian composers of the 20th and 21st century, including Mirzoian (also spelled "Mirzoyan") (born 1921). Komitas is revered among Armenian composers and musicians as a gifted composer, nationalist, and ethnomusicologist who gathered together hundreds of traditional Armenian folk songs in the late 19th and early 20th century, much as his contemporaries, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst in England and Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly in Hungary, gathered together the folk songs of their native countries during the same time period and then adapted elements of these traditional melodies to their own musical compositions.



On this CD, fourteen Armenian folk songs arranged by Komitas and transcribed for orchestra by Sergei Aslamazian are beautifully performed by the Armenian Serenade Chamber Orchestra, led by the Armenian conductor Edouard Topchian. The melodies of these 14 orchestral miniatures are sometimes wistful and hypnotic, lending themselves to meditation and reveries, sometimes tinged with achingly beautiful sadness, at other times light-hearted and cheerful, even galloping forward with exuberance, and always engaging.



After 37 minutes of these 14 gem-like miniatures, comes a change in mood and tempo, with Mirzoian's "Symphony for Strings and Kettle Drums, composed in 1962, during the years when he was serving as President of the Armenian Composer's Union (1957 - 1963). This very striking and distinctive composition is 33 and a half minutes of emotional intensity, energy, and depth, evoking a whole spectrum of possible emotions, from triumph to tragedy, from hope to resignation, with passages of majestic sweeping sounds, accentuated by the resounding heart-pounding reverberations of the kettle drum.



I have heard the music of several other Soviet-era composers, including Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Lyatoshinsky, and, of course, Mirzoyan's Armenian predecessor and mentor, Khatchaturian, in whose memory Mirzoian composed the hauntingly beautiful "Poem Epitaph," available on the CD "Mirzoyan - Symphony for Timpani & Strings"; ASV Living Era; 1994; ASIN: B0000030VB (another highly recommended CD of music by Mirzoian). Mirzoyan's Symphony for Strings and Kettle Drums is entirely worthy of comparison with the works of these other, more well-known composers for its power, depth, and beauty. There are moments in the first movement (Andante patetico, Allegro moderato) when the violin and orchestra sing to each other with an exquisite tenderness that is beyond words. For the Mirzoian symphony alone I give this CD my very highest recommendation. The Armenian Miniatures by Komitas are also beautiful. Total playing time = 70:28."