KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Morning Concert: Soul of Armenia: Folk Music Rarities of Komitas Vardapet, 1 of 2
Analog Audio
Event Type
Interview and MusicOrigin
KPFAIdentifier
MC.1987.02.13.AProgram Series
Morning ConcertProgram Length
102 minPart
1 of 2Dates
1987-02-13 | broadcast| 1987-02-13 | created
Description
This program introduces some of the earliest and rarest recordings of Armenian folk music, soulful interpretations by performers who recorded during the 78 rpm era. Komitas Vardapet (1869-1935) was the first to document such works by recording the oral tradition of Armenian music. By 1912, he had recorded his own arrangements of these Armenian folk songs, (in the same way Bartok did for Hungarian music), with the legendary "Caruso of the Armenians," Armenak Shahmuradian. The latter traveled around the world from India to Fresno, California, performing this music, and his vocal legacy is unparalleled, as witnessed by these recordings from 1912 and 1916. The range, or tessitura, of most Armenian music is relentlessly stratospheric, in spite of which, Shahmuradian's breath control, declamation and ornamentation is of the highest order of musicality. Charles Amirkhanian hosts this program which features guest producer Ohannes Salibian, a composer and Armenian music historian on the faculty of the University of Southern California. Salibian also introduces recordings of other musicians performing Komitas' arrangements for piano solo, voice, chorus and instruments. Included are recordings made in Georgia in 1945 and 1947 by the Komitas String Quartet.Genres
World musicFolk music
Musical Selections
Hov arek‘, srer djan (”Send a Breeze, Dear Mountains”) -- Mokats Mirza (”The Prince of Mok”) -- Arorn Ou Tatrakn -- Erangy [folk trio version] -- Erangy [piano version] -- Erangy [quartet version] -- Unaby y maraly -- Shushiki [two versions, first on piano and then harp]Performers
Komitas Quartet (Erangy, quartet ver.)Subjects
Music -- ArmeniaFolk music, Armenian
Armenia -- History
World music
Piano music
Harp music
Related places
Berkeley (Calif.) (was recorded at)Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)
Related Entities
Komitas QuartetAmirkhanian, Charles
Salibian, Ohannes
Komitas, Vardapet, 1869-1935