Barkhudarian: 4 Oriental Dances, 12 Armenian Dances & Piano Pieces Mikael Ayrapetyan

• Sarkis Barkhudarian (1887 - 1973): Oriental Dances:
• 1 Oriental Dances: No. 1, — 02:59
• 2 Oriental Dances: No. 2, — 01:47
• 3 Oriental Dances: No. 3, — 02:50
• 4 Oriental Dances: No. 4, — 01:48
• 12 Armenian Dances:
• 5 12 Armenian Dances: No. 1, Dance of the Bride 01:45
• 6 12 Armenian Dances: No. 2, Children's Dance 01:05
• 7 12 Armenian Dances: No. 3, Dance of Matchmaker 01:48
• 8 12 Armenian Dances: No. 4, Dance of Rural Girls 01:43
• 9 12 Armenian Dances: No. 5, Provocative Dance 01:33
• 10 12 Armenian Dances: No. 6, Maiden's Roundelay 01:20
• 11 12 Armenian Dances: No. 7, Dance of Friendship 02:21
• 12 12 Armenian Dances: No. 8, Dance of a Mountain Girl 02:05
• 13 12 Armenian Dances: No. 9, Dance of Farewell 02:14
• 14 12 Armenian Dances: No. 10, Masker's Dance 02:17
• 15 12 Armenian Dances: No. 11, Circular Dance 02:27
• 16 12 Armenian Dances: No. 12, Festive Dance 01:43
• Piano Pieces, Series 1:
• 17 Piano Pieces, Series 1: No. 1, Naz-Par 02:29
• 18 Piano Pieces, Series 1: No. 2, Fairy Tale 03:18
• 19 Piano Pieces, Series 1: No. 3, Sketch in B Minor 01:43
• 20 Piano Pieces, Series 1: No. 4, Watercolor 01:05
• 21 Piano Pieces, Series 1: No. 5, Smooth Dance 01:33
• 22 Piano Pieces, Series 1: No. 6, Lullaby 01:57
• 23 Piano Pieces, Series 1: No. 7, Maiden Dance 01:45
• 24 Piano Pieces, Series 1: No. 8, Boots-Dragonfly 00:41
• 25 Piano Pieces, Series 1: No. 9, Dance in A-Flat Major 01:32
• 26 Piano Pieces, Series 1: No. 10, Sketch in D Minor 02:30
• Piano Pieces, Series 2:
• 27 Piano Pieces, Series 2: No. 1, Scherzo 03:01
• 28 Piano Pieces, Series 2: No. 2, Circular Dance in B Minor 02:51
• 29 Piano Pieces, Series 2: No. 3, Gulnara's Dance 01:06
• 30 Piano Pieces, Series 2: No. 4, Nanochka's Dance 01:16
• 31 Piano Pieces, Series 2: No. 5, Anoush's Sorrow 02:13
• 32 Piano Pieces, Series 2: No. 6, Prelude in D Minor 00:54
• 33 Piano Pieces, Series 2: No. 7, Prelude in D-Sharp Minor 01:01
• 34 Piano Pieces, Series 2: No. 8, Nocturne 04:08
• 35 Piano Pieces, Series 2: No. 9, Sketch in A Major 02:43
• 36 Piano Pieces, Series 2: No. 10, Lullaby of Shushani 02:41
• Total Runtime 01:12:12

Info for Barkhudarian: 4 Oriental Dances, 12 Armenian Dances & Piano Pieces

The Armenian and Georgian composer Sarkis Vasil’evich Barkhudarian is famed for his piano miniatures. Some are among the first piano works to use Armenian folk themes as the basis for a series of original compositions. His colourful and unusual harmonies, created by the sinuous, interweaving modes of Armenian music, are immediately attractive and his miniatures, whether full of grace or pungent dance rhythms, bear out Glazunov’s admiration of his ‘sincerity, elegance and harmony of form’.

“Armenia is famous for its ancient history and cultural traditions that permeate the country's wealth of music. With its depth of expression, lyricism and authentic reflection of national traits, Armenian music retains a special place in the world's artistic heritage. My 'Secrets of Armenia' international music project is the country's leading authority on Armenian classical music. It leads the way in a pioneering development and appreciation of forgotten, yet uniquely significant pieces of Armenia's classical tradition. Art should not remain in oblivion.” (Mikael Ayrapetyan)

"The Armenian-born pianist, Mikael Ayrapetyan continues his invaluable survey of music from his homeland, though in this case the link is a little more tenuous. Sarkis Barkhudarian was born in Georgia in 1887 where he first learned to play the piano as a very young child, before being admitted into the Berlin Hochschule, eventually graduating in St. Petersburg. As a composer he was to meet all of the Communist party diktats following the Revolution, eventually returning to Georgia to head the composition section of Tbilisi Conservatory. He was active in most genres including works for the theatre and concert hall, but today his name largely resides in his works for solo piano, his style belonging in the era of Glazunov, though he was to live through to 1973. It would be difficult not enjoy his music, though, with thirty-six tracks on the disc, you will gather that these cameos are essentially pretty tunes that he leaves largely undeveloped, and most are of folk-inspired origins. As a sampling point try the last three of the Twelve Armenian Dances (tracks 14 to 16). You need clean finger articulation that Ayrapetyan can supply in abundance, and the recorded sound is excellent. Its all makes a pleasing diversion." (David’s Review Corner)

Mikael Ayrapetyan, piano

Mikael Ayrapetyan
was born in 1984 in Yerevan, Armenia, where he had his early schooling. His repertoire ranges from the baroque to the contemporary and includes rarely performed works of Armenian composers whose music had not until then been performed. He is actively engaged in the popularisation of Armenian classical music, organising concerts in major concert-halls of the world, and acting as producer, artistic director and pianist for these performances.

Booklet for Barkhudarian: 4 Oriental Dances, 12 Armenian Dances & Piano Pieces