Komitas

Description

Eskenian and his musicians focus their attention on the music of Komitas Vardapet (1869-1935). The Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble was originally founded in Armenia by Levon Eskenian to play 'ethnographically authentic' arrangements of the piano music of G.I. Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann. Their first album for ECM, "Music of G.I. Gurdjeff", was widely acclaimed by critics, winning the Edison Award for Album of the Year in 2012. Today, Eskenian and his musicians focus their attention on the music of Komitas Vardapet (1869-1935). Composer, ethnomusicologist, arranger, singer, and priest, Komitas is commonly regarded as the founder of contemporary music in Armenia. By undertaking a true collector's work of Armenian folk pieces - such as "Hov Arek" and "Het u Araj" - Komitas explored the rare connections between sacred and secular Armenian music. Thus, the program of this album recorded in Lugano in February 2015 illuminates the deep roots of Komitas's compositions, emphasizing popular instrumentation and inspired arrangements.