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

Abstract

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.