Komitas, figurehead of Armenian music

Priest Komitas Vardapet was an ethnomusicologist avant la lettre. The Armenian folk song collector immersed himself in the meticulous study of folk melodies. Komitas was ahead of his time. Even before Bartók, Komitas had already integrated these folk tunes into his own compositions. Together with his choir, the priest traveled throughout the European continent to promote the music of his homeland. Pianist Yulia Ayrapetyan pays homage to this remarkable composer through piano transcriptions.

Komitas Vardapet (1869-1935) was born in Kudina, nowadays the city of Kütahya in western Turkey. Komitas lost both parents at a young age and grew up in a religious center for orphans in Etsjmiadzin, nowadays a city in Armenia. After his studies to become a vardapet (a highly educated priest in the Armenian Apostolic Church), he moved to Tiflis in 1895. There he studied harmony with the Armenian composer Makar Yekmalyan. In 1896, Komitas moved to Berlin where he continued his music studies at Humboldt University. In this German city, the nationalization of culture flourished at the time, the use of cultural activities for creating a national identity. Music could also be used as an instrument of identity. The Armenian priest found inspiration in this Western European tradition and turned to the music of his region.

Komitas immersed himself in the meticulous study of melodies from the current border region of Armenia, Georgia and Turkey. More than 30 years before Béla Bartók or Zoltán Kodály began studying Hungarian folk music, Komitas had already integrated his transcribed folk tunes into his own compositions. In total, he transcribed more than 3,000 Armenian melodies. The composer was known in his homeland and abroad. Together with his choir, he traveled throughout Europe to showcase and spread the richness of Armenian music. Among others, Claude Debussy was deeply impressed and praised his works. Today, Komitas is still regarded as one of the most important musicians in the Armenian musical tradition.

Although Komitas wrote down more than 3,000 melodies, unfortunately only 1,200 transcriptions have survived. On the cd Komitas: Songs (GP895), 35 of those melodies, arranged for solo piano and performed by Yulia Ayrapetyan, come to life again. "By listening to Komitas' songs, you begin to understand Armenian culture," says the Russian pianist. "When listening to these melodies, an image immediately appears in your mind of a strong people and a strong nation, and through this music you want to learn more."

Using Komitas' secular songs and choral works, Ayrapetyan sketches this musical image for the listener. The cd opens with the lyrical song Chinar es keṙanal mi [track 01, "You are as great as a plane tree, do not bow"]. This choral work contains a simple melody accompanied by broken chords. It is a simple but powerful formula. Ayrapetyan lets the melody hover above the other notes. In this way, the pianist directs the listener's attention to the small nuances each time the melody sounds. Throughout the cd it becomes clear that Ayrapetyan consistently places a very clear focus on the melody. It is as if she wants the piano to sing the text.

In the lyrical love song K'eler, tsoler [track 32, "He walked radiant"], the pianist highlights the melody in a different way. In this song, however, two modally contrasting lines resound. One line embodies the male character and the other the female. Ayrapetyan emphasizes these contrasting melodies with subtle differences in dynamics and tempo. Also in Garun a, dzun a arel [track 11, "It is spring"] the pianist approaches the two contrasting worlds of cheerful spring and the tragedy of abandonment in a similar manner. This is possible because of Komitas' ingenious accompaniment. For this work, the composer took more freedom with the original folk tune and made the accompaniment the antagonist. An instrumental prelude introduces a four-note motif that becomes increasingly intense throughout the work in the two modal worlds. Ayrapetyan consistently brings this motif to the foreground so that it stands out clearly to the ear.

The cd also features some unique works from Komitas' oeuvre. Antuni [track 04, "Song of the homeless"] contains an atypical treatment of the original folk melody. The melody itself is longer than usual, contains a complex structure and a tonally/modally rich palette of tones. Komitas emphasizes these three properties through sighing pauses and intense phrase building. The result is an expressive and dramatic tragedy. Also Kak'avi erg [track 06, "Song of the partridge"] is special in the oeuvre of the Armenian composer. Komitas composed much of his music based on existing melodies. Kak'avi erg consists entirely of newly composed material.

One of Komitas' favorite themes was the nature around him. A large part of his compositions paint Armenian landscapes with notes. Dsirani dsaṙ [track 10, "The apricot tree"], Hov arek' [track 12, "Bring a breeze, dear mountains"] and Ampel a kamar-kamar [track 27, "The clouds made arches"] are some fine examples here. They are serene and dreamy. Ayrapetyan writes: "When I play these songs on the piano, I see Armenia before me!" And what a beautiful landscape that must be...

4/5

• WHO: Yulia Ayrapetyan [piano]
• WHAT: Komitas: Songs (arranged for piano by Villy Sargsyan)
• LABEL: Grand Piano (GP895)
• ORDER: JPC

Chinar es keṙanal mi (choir version)

Chinar es keṙanal mi (piano transcription)