"Beyond the Genre: Saryan 's Passacaglia and New Horizons in Polyphony"

Authors

  • Tatevik Rafael Shahkulyan Institute of Arts of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58580/18290019-2025.1.68-34

Keywords:

Ghazaros Saryan, passacaglia, chaconne,, polyphony of layers, poly-melodic composition

Abstract

The article examines Ghazaros Saryan's "Passacaglia", which stands as a unique manifestation of the genre within Armenian music. Unlike classical and modern passacaglias, which are built on the principle of a repeating basso line and variations, Saryan reinterprets the genre and form by abandoning the traditional principle. The work is characterized by its distinctive texture and counterpoint of polyphonic layers. The article explores the circumstances of its creation, as well as its musical style - intonation, compositional techniques, and genre-specific approaches - all of which highlight Saryan's innovative perception within the context of 20th-century music.

Author Biography

Tatevik Rafael Shahkulyan, Institute of Arts of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia

(born in 1953, Yerevan). PhD of Arts. Her research interests include traditional Armenian music, the music of Komitas Vardapet, as well as poliphony in both Armenian and Western traditions, with a particular focus on 20th-century developments. She is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Arts and teaches at Yerevan State Conservatory. She is author of two monographs, several textbooks, and scientific papers published in Armenian, Russian, English, German, Polish and Finnish.

References

Saryan Ghazaros, Passakalia, mets simfonik nvagakhmbi hamar, partitur, Yer., Ardchesh, 2000 th.

Pashinyan Edvard, Polifoniayi dasagirq, Yer., Luys, 1998 th.

Sarkisyan S. K., Zhivotvoryashchaya sila muzyki, #38//Muzykal’naya Armeniya, N 4 (39), 2010, s. 18-19.

Bukofzer Manfred. Music in the Baroque Era. New York: W. W. Norton, 1947.

Covach John, Twelve-tone theory, The Cambridge History of Western Music Theory (edited by Thomas Christensen), Cambridge University press, 2002.

Davies Stephen. “Life is a Passacaglia.” Philosophy and Literature 33, no. 2 (2009), pp. 315-328.

Hudson Richard. “The Ripresa, the Ritornello, and the Passacaglia.” Journal of the American Musicological Society, 24, no. 3, 1971, pp. 364—394.

Silbiger Alexander. “Passacaglia”. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed., edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan, 2001.

Stein Leon. “The Passacaglia in the Twentieth Century”. Music & Letters 40, no. 2, 1959 pp. 150—153.

Walker Thomas. “Ciaccona and Passacaglia: Remarks on Their Origin and Early History”. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 21, no. 3, 1968, pp. 300—320.

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Published

2026-01-20

How to Cite

Rafael Shahkulyan Տ. (2026). "Beyond the Genre: Saryan ’s Passacaglia and New Horizons in Polyphony". Musical Armenia, 68(1), 34–39. https://doi.org/10.58580/18290019-2025.1.68-34

Issue

Vol. 68 No. 1 (2026): Musical Armenia

Section

Articles

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