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Gems from Armenia

The aznavoorian sisters

Cellist Ani Aznavoorian and pianist Marta Aznavoorian, each a renowned soloist and chamber musician in her own right, together celebrate the sounds of their ancestral homeland on Gems from Armenia. The album marks the Chicago-raised sisters’ recording debut as the Aznavoorian Duo.

Their panoramic survey of Armenian classical music opens with ancient folk songs arranged with haunting harmonies by early 20th-century Orthodox priest, composer, and musicologist Komitas Vardapet.

The Armenian musical renaissance of the Soviet era finds expression in Aram Khachaturian’s glorious ode to his hometown of Yerevan; Arno Babajanian’s impassioned tribute to his mentor Kachaturian; the early Sonata for Cello and Piano by Avet Terterian, whose admirers included Dmitri Shostakovich; and the Impromptu of Alexander Arutiunian, winner of many Soviet and Armenian musical honors and awards.

Contemporary voices include Serouj Kradjian, whose “Sari Siroun Yar” is an arrangement of an Armenian troubadour love song. Vache Sharafyan’s Petrified Dance is haunted by the memory of Armenian soldiers lost in recent battles. American Peter Boyer’s Mount Ararat, commissioned for this project and receiving its world-premiere recording, evokes the snow-capped twin peaks of biblical fame central to Armenian national and religious identity.

 

Album works

Chinar Es, Komitas Vartabed
Tsirani Tsar, Komitas Vartabed
Garoun S, Komitas Vartabed
Al Ailux, Komitas Vartabed
Krunk, Komitas Vartabed
Ivan Sings, Aram Khachaturian
Yerevan, Aram Khachaturian
Elegy, Arno Babajanian
Aria & Dance: Aria
Aria & Dance: Dance
Sonata for cello and piano, Avet Terterian
I. Andante
II. Adagio
III. Presto
Sari Siroun Yar, Serouj Kradjian
Impromptu, Alexander Arutunian
Petrified Dance, Vache Sharafyan
Mount Ararat, Peter Boyer

Label: Cedille Records
Release date: April 8, 2022

 

Album Reviews

“. . . a lively and lovely program of melodic and harmonic jewels . . . all have elements of Armenian musical tendencies that are realized with a dedicated devotion by the Aznavoorians. It is a happy addition to your Armenian collection or for that matter an excellent introduction to Armenian chamber Classical as a Modern whole. Very recommended.”

classical modern music review

 

“. . . in presenting an in-depth overview of the Armenian musical landscape, past and present, the Aznavoorians have done a valuable service.”

textura

 

“The most rapturously poignant album of the year so far is Gems From Armenia, by the Aznavoorian Duo . . . Sisters Ani and Marta Aznavoorian – cello and piano, respectively – draw on their heritage for a lyrical playlist of material that spans from the 19th century to the present. It underscores the disproportionately rich influence this tiny nation’s music continues to make around the globe.”

DELARUE New York Music Daily

 

A debut that spotlights music that is severely overlooked in the west, the Aznavoorians present a profoundly cultured classical experience. Both have had much success on their own, and together their combined talent is nothing short of stunning.

Take effect reviews