Komitas was a priest, a musician and a pioneer of ethnomusicology, considered to be the founder of the Armenian national school of music. A significant part of his life was taken up with travel to remote villages, collecting thousands of traditional songs. These range from simple melodies and poetic sketches of Armenian landscapes, to dramatic lyrics expressing mournful tragedy. Komitas was enthralled by the way "a peasant learns this art in nature’s embrace, with nature as his infallible school". Heard here in world première recordings, these idiomatic arrangements by Villy Sargsyan importantly preserve the composer’s modal-intonational system. This recording was made on a modern instrument: Steinway, Model D. 274.
"Komitas is one of the bright stars in the history of music, whose work built the foundations of Armenian classical music. Vocal folk music is culture at its purest and forms the basis of the musical nature of any country. Through Komitas' songs, you begin to understand the culture of Armenia. When you listen to these melodies, such as Krunk ("The Crane"), Dsirani Dsar ("Apricot Tree"), Garun ("Spring"), the image of a strong-spirited people and nation immediately appears before you, and makes you want to learn more through this music. When I play these songs on the piano, I envision Armenia!" (Yulia Ayrapetyan)
© Grand Piano Records