A Survey of Armenian Music

A survey of Armenian Music

The roots of Armenian musical culture lie in Pre-Christian Armenia. Despite the fact that Armenia throughout its History has often been conquered by larger and militarily stronger nations surrounding it, it has retained its own distinctive features and culture.

1. in 301 AD, St. Gregory the illuminator converted King Tiridates (Trdat) III to Christianity. Armenia thus became the first Christian State and in the following year, St. Gregory became the Catholicos of the Armenian Church.

2. In 404 AD, Mesrop Mashtotz, with the help of Sahak I, created the Armenian Alphabet. Moreover, both Sahak I and St. Mesrop can be considered the first known musicians of the newly Christianized Armenia. They composed the first monophonic liturgical songs in use in the Armenian Church, especially the "Repantame" (Repentance) Chants.

3.The Armenian Musical Special notation dates from the 9th Century: the KHAZ notation - neumatic signs, without traditional musical lines, placed over the liturgical texts, allowing free variation within a prescribed modal structure. ( medieval Armenian chant has been diatonic, although recent studies suggest the use of intervals different from those in European music)

4. Every sign of the KHAZ notation, plus or minus 25 neumes and 12 Armenian consonants, denotes the rising and falling direction of the standard melodic motifs, as well as rhythmic and even expressive details of the manner of performance.

5. From the 16th Century the KHAZ notation became progressively more complicated and it eventually became incomprehensible to church musicians. At the beginning of the 19th century, the system was reformed by Baba Hambardzoum Limondjian ( 1768-1839.)

6. During the Middle Ages, 1200 canonical hymns ( Sharagans) were created and to this day they are sung regularly in the Divine Liturgy. These Dharakans, mostly of a melismatic, richly ornamented cantilena type ( performed by either a solo singer or by a choir in unison), are collected in a book known as the Sharaknots, where they are divided into 8 groups named after biblical canticles.

7. One of the greatest medieval musical figures is Catholicos Nerses IV ( 1112-1173 ), nicknamed " Shnorhali" ( Gracious). He enlarges the Sharaknots considerably and introduced popular elements into the religious music, thus coming closer to the thoughts and sentiments of the lay people.

8. Other Armenian hymns and chants include the "Gandz", "Erg", "Tagh" and "Meghed." From the time of St. Mesrop (5th Century) to the time of Nerses Shnorhali (12th Century) a number of monks appeared who composed hymns, (Taghs and Sharakans), such as Stepanos Sunetzi (5th Century), Lovhan Mantagouni (5th Century), Sahak Choraporetzi (7th Century), Hovhan Otznetzi (8th Century), Krikor Narekatsi ( the famous 10th Century writer of the mystical poems "Narek"). and a woman from Goghtan region of Armenia, Khosrovitoukht (8th Century).

9 . Armenian Folklore is one of the richest in the world. This monophonic music has two distinctive forms and styles:

a) The non-professional folkloric songs of the peasants passed from generation to generation solely by mouth. Popular instruments were used only in folk dances and in dance-songs. This style was developed and continued for centuries mostly in the villages where the population was static.

b) The professional poet-musicians ( much like the troubadours or minstrels of the Middle Ages in Europe) who travelers from place to place singing and reciting, accompanied by the folk instrument. This style developed mostly in the cities, in the palaces, around monarchs and their courts, where the poet musicians found and appreciative audience.

Western Armenia has been the cradle of the Armenian peasant-type, orally transmitted folk music. Despite countless wars and constant destruction by foreign aggressors, many songs have survived and have been passed down from generation to generation. The main categories are:

1. Work related songs

Although originally the purpose of these songs was to simulate the farmers and their animals as they plowed their fields , they also express personal feelings, prayers, words of gratitude to the Almighty, complaints or happiness, satisfaction and reflections of ancient beliefs. The most interesting among these are the "Horovels" ( ploughing Songs).

2. Ritual songs

These include songs of the calendar cycle ( Dee'sa'shahr) and the songs of revolving among family rituals such as wedding ritual cycle where specific songs are sung at different stages of the wedding preparations, or the funeral ritual songs. Each region may have different song cycles in different dialects.

3. Lyrical Love-songs

A large proportion of the peasant songs are lyrical love songs, characterized by remarkable expressions of emotion, feelings, thoughtfulness, images of the beauty of nature, moods and depth of content. Their flowing cantilena is based on simple diatonic style. The depiction of nature always forms part of the subject matter of love songs. "Oror"s ( lullabies) are particularly beautiful in melody and emotive in the love and wishes expressed to the infant.

4. "Pandukht" songs ( songs of sorrow and nostalgia for loved ones who had to leave their families and travel far to find work) the hard lot of the Armenian peasanta who have to leave their homes and families in search of work is expressed with heartbreaking sadness in these songs. Especially well known is " Andounee" ( song of the Homeless).

5. Dance songs and songs of chivalry and heroism

a) These "Paregehr", the most widespread among the peasant population., reflect optimism and the enjoyment of life. Their melodic structure is built upon a repetitive rhythmic pattern. They are of endless variety in tempo and emotional tone. A solo part can be included, whereupon the refrain is sung by the chorus.

b) The dance movements have characteristic features and great variety. Circle dancing to instrumental accompaniment is a integral part of Armenian folk culture. Folk instrumental music is generally akin to song: it may be pastoral or epic-narrative in nature.

These categories form an integral part of our ethnic culture because these multifaceted traditional folk songs have been transmitted in the various dialects spoken by the peasants and poet-musicians in the different regions they lived, thus establishing distinctive folkloric styles depending upon their area of origin. A few of the better known dialects among the more than 50 clearly different ones are:

1. The dialect of The Van-Moke-Shadakh region

2. The dialect of the Moush -sassoun-Taron region

3. The dialects of Akn and Kharberd region

4. The dialect of Tigranakert region