2/7
According to notes made for these recordings of the ancient music of Armenia -
The series of 6 different C.D.'s released in recent years as ‘The Music of Armenia
’ is a remarkable achievement and presents to modern listeners one of the world's most beautiful, rich, truly most ancient, and certainly most overlooked musical traditions.
‘Sharakan’ music (featured on Disc 2) is the name of a remarkable body of Armenian liturgical songs dating back at least as far as medieval times and in many cases long before - songs that are remarkable not just for their antiquity, but for their exquisite, often heartrending melodies. Western audiences can hear, in many cases for the first time, the unique blend of Eastern and European music that began to develop in Armenia as early as the 5th century.
These medieval songs of Armenia had their roots in both the sacred music of the Armenian Church and in ancient bardic traditions of the Caucasus region. While some of the music of this remarkable series is presented in its original surviving state, many older Armenian works exist today only because of the tireless work of the turn-of-the-century composer and musicologist known as Komitas. In many of these songs, though, conductor Daniel Erazhisht has wedded the exotic, often melancholy lyricism of the Near East to the classical purity of a European chamber ensemble, consisting of string quartet, voice, and flute. As a result, the sound is immediately accessible to Western listeners, even as the melodies capture the ear with their surprising arabesques.
In an age when little of music has escaped the ravages of sheer commercialism these releases from Armenia are of huge importance for those who wish to appreciate the history and the treasures of music generally.
The complete Armenian series is as follows -
Volume 1 - Sacred Choral Music
Volume 2 - Sharakan/Mediaeval Music
Volume 3 - Duduk
Volume 4 - Kanon/Traditional Zither Music
Volume 5 - Folk Music
Volume 6 - Music of Nagorno Karabakh
From Vol. 2/6
‘Our es, Mayr’
Mediaevel Armenian Song
Soloist - Anna Mailian
Celestial Harmonies
http://www.mediafire.com/?ummmijdmtmk
See also -
http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:EDT1GxoOKWsJ:www.amazon.com/Music-Armenia-Sacred-Choral/dp/B0000007YD+the+music+of+armenia&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk
