The Komitas Legacy: Armenian Piano Trios
Soghomon Soghomonian (1869–1935) took the name Komitas (or Gomidas) when he was ordained a priest in 1894; a year later he became Komitas Vardapet (doctor of theology) – one of the two names by which he is known to history. The other is ‘father of Armenian music’, since he collected thousands of songs from his compatriots, his fieldwork preserving and identifying the accent which makes the works of Armenian composers readily identifiable – as these piano trios prove: one twentieth-century classic and three new works, one of which completes the circle by recasting six of Komitas’ own folksong arrangements.
Trio Aeternus
Alexander Stewart, violin
Varoujan Bartikian, cello
João Paulo Santos, piano
*First recordings
-
Arno Babajanian: Piano Trio in F sharp minor (1952)
- I Largo
- II Andante
- III Allegro vivace
- Shogher jan
- Chinar es
- Hov arek
- Krunk
- Dzayn tour, ov tsovak
- Kele kele
- I Andante maestoso
- II Allegro con brio
- III Andante spiritoso
- I Broken Bells –
- II Broken Dance –
- III Possession (Shamanioso) –
- IV Deus Internus –
- V Broken Dance 2 –
- VI Sitie (‘Thirst’)
(Soghomon Soghomonian) Komitas – Six Armenian Miniatures* arranged (2016) for piano trio by Varoujan Bartikian
Nina Grigoryan: Aeternus* (2018)
Ardashes Agoshian: Piano Trio, Homage to Komitas* (2017)
MusicWeb International :
‘I don’t believe that I’m indulging in hyperbole by suggesting that the middle movement Andante [of the Babajanian’s piano trio] is one of the most beautiful in the entire piano trio repertoire. […]
In reviews of works by composers below the very best, I usually suggest that the material doesn’t support the length, but here I wished that the Grigoryan would have been longer, which says something of its quality. […]
Any release that further spreads the word about the merits of the Babajanian Trio is welcome, and the three premieres all have their good points, especially the Grigoryan, to which I shall return frequently.’
—David Barker, MusicWeb International