Musical Armenia

25th Anniversary of the Gyumri Branch of the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory

2023-12-20T22:06:39+00:00

Gyumri branch of Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory was founded in 1997 to provide quality music education, training of professional music personnel and development of musical-cultural life in the northern region of the Republic of Armenia with the most important mission of assistance. Being the bearer and successor of the principles of the state policy of education, the university was formed on the basis of the traditions of Yerevan State Conservatory, the forge producing professional Armenian musicians, and the musical and historical heritage of Shirak. The primary role of an educational institution is the full application of the principles of professional musical knowledge, mastering the necessary skills, their transmission and popularization.
The article is devoted to the milestones of establishment and development of the university, achievements of dedicated founders and teachers. Today, the system of musical standards of higher education at the university is in the process of continuous modernization with a clear consideration of international experience and requirements. They will contribute to the development of the university. It can be stated with confidence that the Gyumri branch of Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, intensively developing with Alma Mater, may become one of the competitive universities of the Republic of Armenia.

Musical Life of Alexandrapol

2023-12-21T21:57:17+00:00

In the context of dynamic urban culture, Alexandrapol music played a special and vital role. The townspeople's lives are intertwined with unique manifestations of folklore musical creativity and numerous genres of professional creativity of oral tradition, including the works of sazandars and ashugs. The same environment contributed to the flourishing of composer creativity. Intercultural ties developed rapidly in the urban environment, which contributed to mutual enrichment and, most importantly, the flourishing of the city's concert life.
Through tradition, many manifestations of the musical life of Alexandrapol retain their vital functions to this day in the cultural life of modern Gyumri.

Pages from the History of Music Education in Armenia

2023-12-21T22:43:28+00:00

The article is dedicated to the issues of the history of professional music education in Armenia. The first major achievement in this field was the establishment of a music studio in Yerevan in 1921, which was transformed into the first conservatory in the history of Armenia in 1923. A musical educational institution was also established in Leninakan (now Gyumri), with the direct participation of the famous composer and public figure Daniel Ghazaryan Leninakan Music Studio was opened in 1924, which laid the foundation of a musical educational institution in the city. In a short time it turned into a 7-year professional music school and in 1933 the school was named after the outstanding composer N.F. Tigranyan. In the article, an attempt has been made to study the process of forming a music studio, the successes and achievements of the first decades. The activities of the school are presented in the context of the cultural life of the city of Leninakan. Among the first teachers of the studio were wonderful musicians N. Gyanjumyan, Ye. Ter-Ghukasyan, T. Nalbandyan, G. Kostanyan, V. Ghazaryan, S. Kirilenko, K. Papayan and others. From the 1920s-1940s the school was managed by the prominent figures of Armenian musical culture: Daniel Ghazaryan, Artemi Ayvazyan, Mushegh Aghayan, Minas Krishchyan, Felush Mkrtchyan, Vahan Umr-Shat. The school's effective work was evidenced by the success of its students, as highlighted in the article. Among these successful students were gifted musicians who went on to make significant contributions to the musical culture of Armenia. Additionally, the article includes touching memories shared by renowned musicians about their teachers. It is worth noting that the created prerequisites years later led to the establishment of the Gyumri branch of Yerevan State Conservatory, named after Komitas, which is widely regarded as the highest level of music education in Armenia. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Gyumri branch.

Musicians of Gyumri in the Performing Art of Brass Wind Instruments of Armenia

2023-12-26T19:38:16+00:00

With its rich creative potential Gyumri played a significant role in the formation of the brass-wind performing school in Armenia. The traditions of this school in Gyumri were formed in the early 20th century and have continued to exist for more than a hundred years. The activity of representatives of Gyumri musicians is significant not only for the Republic but also abroad. These traditions were passed down from generation to generation, acquiring new qualitative features from year to year, and continue to be the hallmark of the city.

Eduard Hayrapetyan. Concerto for Piano and Symphonic Orchestra

2023-12-26T20:07:42+00:00

Eduard Hayrapetyan is one of the brightest representatives of the modern Armenian composing school. Having started his creative path in the 1970s, he continues his fruitful activity to this day, giving a new breath and impetus to Armenian national music. Like his contemporaries, inheriting the best achievements of the Armenian Composition School, E. Hayrapetyan created a bright and extremely original art, which took a firm place in the panorama of trends and directions of contemporary international composing art. The article is devoted to the analysis of the concert by Eduard Hayrapetyan, written for piano and symphony orchestra. It briefly presents the history, the role and significance of the concert, the content of the image and the analysis of the music material. An attempt is made to reveal some peculiarities of Impressionism and neo-romanticism - typical of the works of E. Hayrapetyan. In the composer's work, the concert genre gets a new interpretation, characteristic of the general tendencies of music of the end of the 20th century. As a characteristic feature of the composer's work can be distinguished a unique interpretation of the relationship between the soloist and orchestra: not confrontation, competition, but combination and unity. Such a creative idea can be explained as a natural fusion of the individual and the general, which indicates the idea of rethinking the concert genre.

Problems of Studying Shirak Folk Songs in the Context of the Features of Musical Folkloristics

2023-12-26T20:28:46+00:00

The study of the musical folklore of ethnographic regions is a topical problem of Armenian folklore. Valuable collections, individual studies and articles, published on the basis of works carried out in this field, currently are further expanding the boundaries of musicology, and require new methodological approaches to solving problems, modern methods of comparative analysis, which will lead to new assessments of the musical and artistic phenomenon. The musical folklore of Shirak is one of the richest treasures of Armenian folk music, where many folk songs, instrumental plays and musical compositions preserved in amazing purity have a deep influence of centuries-old antiquity. Many of them still retain their importance, as they are the product of popular artistic thinking. Of course, the origins of many musical works transmitted orally go deep into historical Armenia, in the province of Mush, Alashkert, Karin, etc. Comparative analysis of this extensive material opens up new research perspectives. By comparing the same genre or several variants of the same song, one can certainly trace the development of the genre or, conversely, the process of distortion of a particular song. About two dozen articles and publications by H. Apinyan are devoted to current issues of ceremonial songs of Shirak, musical and historical description of individual villages of the region, features of folk-performing art and instrumentation, some compositional-metric problems of lullaby songs, modern musical problems of Shirak musical folklore.

Composer Azat Shishyan

2023-12-26T21:18:18+00:00

Composer, Azat Shishyan, an honored teacher of RA, musical-public figure is a representative of the musical generation of the second half of the 20h century, whose dedication to art and modest work earned the admiration and respect of his contemporaries. Azat Shishyan's musical legacy includes four symphonies, an opera, a ballet, chamber and choral compositions, songs and romances, music for theater performances, as well as creations for children. The composer's creative consciousness was profoundly influenced by the words of his teacher, B. Kanachyan: "Don 't forget that you are the offsprings of Komitas". Shishyan's creative journey was fundamentally grounded in embracing and embodying Komitas' artistic principles from his earliest endeavors. In addition to his composition work, Shishyan dedicated himself to teaching, nurturing the talents of renowned composers such as M. Israelyan, Y. Yerkanyan, A. Nersisyan, G. Chitchyan, and T. Mansuryan, all of whom took their initial steps under his guidance. Equally noteworthy is Shishyan 's significant role in enriching the cultural life of Leninakan through his musical and educational contributions.

Arshak Brutyan and Musical Life of Shirak

2023-12-26T21:49:12+00:00

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the activity and creativity of Arshak Brutyan - a prominent public figure, teacher, folklorist, musician. He dedicated all his life to the cultural prosperity of Shirak and especially the city of Alexandropol. A deeply educated personality, the bearer of advanced national ideas and ideals, Brutyan made an invaluable contribution in advancing the study of folk music and musical and educational life in Armenia. Traditional dance is the most important part of Shirak's folklore. Unfortunately, the movement text of these dances was not recorded at the time, and only dance melodies have reached us. About 63 dance melodies and plays are preserved in the records of the prominent folklorist of the late 19th century Arshak Brutyan, who collected folklore materials mainly in Alexandrapol. His work was an attempt towards a typological characterization of these dances, which are notated in a detailed and in multiple variate manner. In general, ceremonial circle and individual dances are presented, the names of which also feature in the folklore of Javakhk (i.e. Karin) Armenians.

Contemporary Composers and Performers in Gyumri

2023-12-27T16:57:11+00:00

The article is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of YSC Gyumri Branch. The article pres ents the role and significance of the project "Contemporary Composers and Performers in Gyumri" in raising the educational level of YSC Gyumri Branch, and improving cognition, communication and knowledge.

Stepan Sukiasyan: Touches to the Creative Portrait

2023-12-27T17:35:14+00:00

In the 80s of the 20h century, Armenian musical culture was enriched by the works of a number of composers, whose worldview and style were shaped based on the experience of Armenian musical classics. The composers of this generation enriched Armenian music with new, interesting and brilliant works. Among them, Stepan Sukiasyan (1941-2021) occupies his special place, who did not remain in the shade next to the great authorities of the Armenian Composing School, but managed to find his way, implementing, still in its formative stage, the artistic principles of Armenian music. The article considers the stages of formation of the composer’s creative path, the range of his favorite themes and characters, the originality of solutions to creative tasks, features of world view, which were mainly formed under the influence of the culture and artistic traditions of the native city of Leninakan (now Gyumri). This article includes an interview with the composer, conducted in 2002 to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the founding of Gyumri Branch of Yerevan State Conservatory. Stepan Sukiasyan played a crucial role in establishing the Gyumri Branch of Yerevan Conservatory as the Vice-Rector of Yerevan Conservatory at the time, actively overseeing creative, educational, and organizational efforts.

Georgi Tigranov on the Crimean Period of Al. Spendiaryan's activity

2023-12-27T18:03:41+00:00

During his academic activity, graduate of Leningrad Conservatory G. Tigranov authored valuable works dedicated to foreign, Russian, and Armenian music, compiled and edited numerous collections dedicated to the lives and works of B. Asafev, A. Khachatryan, K. Sarajev, etc. His studies dedicated to the activities of the great Armenian composer Alexander Spendiarov are especially invaluable in that series, which left their unique trace in the study of the history of Armenian-Russian music. According to G. Tigranov, Al. Spendiarov, reached his creative maturity in Crimea in 1900-1917. He succeeded in discovering the "New East" in music. With his works, Al. Spendiarov introduced into the chamber and symphonic music the new Armenian world of previously unknown images and melodies. During the Crimean period of his life, Spendiarov became an Armenian national composer, a man who dared to solve the problems faced by the young Armenian school of composition. His music of that period is distinguished by clarity and elegance. Al. Spendiarov managed to embody the most significant in-depth ideas in a simple, natural and accessible artistic way.

Musical Calendar: memories from the Concert Life of GBYSC" (2019-2022)

2023-12-27T18:55:51+00:00

The article is devoted to the coverage of more significant events organized by the Gyumri Branch of Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, in 2019-2022, in particular. In dating, the main attention is paid to concerts, joint events, scientific conferences, in which both students and teachers of the university took an active part. The article highlights the importance of the concert activity of the branch of the conservatory, which is undeniable in the development of musical life and in the promotion of classical, folk music, as well as in the development of musical taste among concert audiences not only in the northern capital of Armenia - Gyumri, but also in the entire northern region of the country.

Scientific readings. Dedicated to Margarita Gabriel Harutyunyan's 100th birthday

2023-12-27T19:14:52+00:00

The article is a reflection of the outcome of two international conferences held in 2022 at the Gyumri branch of YSC, organized in the format "Scientific readings". On April 30, 2022, a scientific conference was held in Gyumri, which was dedicated to honoring the centenary of YSC Professor, PhD in Art, Honored Artist of Armenian SSR Education Margarita Harutyunyan, an exceptional musician and educator. The conference featured an array of presentations that evaluated the historical role and significance of the musicologist's life and scholarly legacy. Her multifaceted pedagogical and scientific activities, as well as her significant contribution to Armenian musicology were highlighted. On November 12-13, 2022, tof YSC hosted another notable international scientific conference with the theme "Apinyan Readings. Modern Problems of Traditional Music". The event was jointly organized by the Shirak Center for Armenian Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia and the Gyumri branch of YSC. The conference served as a tribute to the memory of Hasmik Apinyan, a distinguished musicologist and folklorist, and it marked the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Gyumri branch of YSC.

The concert of the choir "Hover" in Gyumri

2023-12-27T20:14:39+00:00

The creative journey of the choir began in 1992, and today "Hover" stands as one of the most popular and sought- after choirs of our time. Its performances adorn the the world's most prestigious stages, captivating audiences with the breadth of the musical volume, the originality of the interpretation of the dramaturgy of the performance of the work. The performing style of Sona Hovhannisyan, the choir's conductor, founder, artistic director, honored artist of RA, captivates the listener with the delicacy of perception, the refinement of expressed emotions and the profound artistic measure and tact. The creative portrait of the choir is conditioned by impeccable tension, crystal purity of "a capella" singing, perfect harmony of choral voices and high culture of choral singing.

Following the footsteps of the canto "Krunk"

2023-12-27T20:34:00+00:00

Wanderer songs (cantos) hold a special place in Armenian folk music. Since ancient times, they have been close to the hearts of the Armenian people, in which grief and suffering, love and longing for their native land were expressed. The tagh "Krunk" ("Crane") occupies a prominent place in medieval wanderer songs. The free improvisational narration of the latter and the smooth melody in an improvisational form, represent the features of the genre, which embodies an emotional, tragic story that reveals the inner agitation of the author. Thus, the tagh "Krunk" is a work of authorship in all its characteristics. With his high poetic skill and deep emotionality, with rich musical expressiveness, tagh remains the bearer of the inner experience of a wanderer. The article makes the assumption that the tagh "Krunk" bears a certain relationship not only to peasant, urban, but also to spiritual medieval songwriting, taking into account its modal intonation features.

The Activity of Sepuh Abgarean at the Crossroads of Armenian and World Cultures

2023-12-27T20:56:10+00:00

Since the formation of the Armenian diaspora, artists have emerged, driven by a sacred mission that permeates their entire existence, bridging the spiritual connection between compatriots living far from their homeland and the universal national values bestowed upon them from above. In the present program, we referred to the artistic activity of Sepuh Levon Abgarian, a remarkable individual who, by the hand of fate, found himself at thecrossroads of Armenian and world cultures. Reflecting the distinct breath and musical thinking of the XX century, the composer developed a flexible and expressive style in his works. The compositions harmoniously combine the ability of profound interpretation with virtual performance. His works stand out by their psychological depth and original philosophy. Since 2001 S. Abgarian has dedicated all his professional effort and energy to the noble cause of the establishment and professional rise of the Gyumri GOHAR choire and symphonic orchestra.

Some Features of Alexander Scriabin's Piano Style. Dedicated to A. Skryabin's 150th anniversary

2023-12-27T21:13:18+00:00

Alexander Scriabin is one of the greatest representatives of the musical culture of the late 19th and early 20h centuries. As a daring innovator, he created an original sound universe with an inimitable system of images and expressions. Scriabin was influenced by various idealistic philosophical and aesthetic concepts of his time. The contradictions of Russia's complex pre-revolutionary era are reflected in his music's bright contrasts, with rebellious impulses and discretion, sensual sighs, and imperative exclamations.
Scriabin's piano sonatas reflect all stages in the evolution of his work. They, as well as his symphonic works, reveal one of the most important tendencies in his music - the hidden, disguised program. These are programmatic works with no literary or artistic basis (in some cases, the commentaries were added after the music was completed). As is known, programmatic content is not necessarily tied to the title of the work. It can be implicit, conditional, symbolic, abstract, or subjective. Indeed, the philosophical-idealistic programs of Scriabin's sonatas are remarkably relevant, and the music of the sonatas is still perceived by listeners and continues to retain its powerful influence. A. Scriabin left an indelible mark on world music culture. His work had a significant impact on the development of twentieth-century piano and symphonic music.