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BIS

Armenian Cello Concertos / Chaushian, Topchjan, Armenian Philharmonic

$21.99

Details

Composer
Arno Babajanian, Aram Khachaturian, Michel Petrossian
Artist
Alexander Chaushian, Eduard Topchjan
Format
SACD
Label
BIS
Released
Apr 07, 2023
Catalog #
BIS-2648
UPC
7318599926483

About

Recorded in the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, this disc offers an opportunity to sample music by Armenian composers, here represented by three works for cello and orchestra, and is in a way a follow-up to the 2011 release [BIS-1849] which was also devoted to concertante works for cello by Armenian composers.

The program opens with Aram Khachaturian, whose 1946 concerto, which contains many Armenian and Georgian folkloric allusions and rhythmic dances like those of the Ashoug, has been described as being closer to a symphony with cello than to a concerto. The second work, Arno Babajanian’s Cello Concerto, is permeated by specific intonation rooted in Armenian folk music and folklore. The disc concludes with the cello concerto by the French composer of Armenian origin, Michel Petrossian, a work from 2022 entitled 8.4, an allusion to the book of Genesis, chapter 8, verse 4, where Mount Ararat is first mentioned. The work glorifies the symbolic and spiritual aspect of Ararat, the ‘sacred mountain’, and integrates Armenian and Byzantine liturgical chants.

The UK-based Alexander Chaushian, cello soloist in all of these works, is Armenian by birth, and has secured the expert support of the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra under its principal conductor Eduard Topchjan.

Tracklist 8 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro moderato 17:01
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    17:01
    Composer
    Aram Khachaturian
    Performer
    Alexander Chaushian
    Ensemble
    Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eduard Topchjan
  2. 2 II. Andante sostenuto - 08:17
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Andante sostenuto -
    Duration
    08:17
    Composer
    Aram Khachaturian
    Performer
    Alexander Chaushian
    Ensemble
    Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eduard Topchjan
  3. 3 III. Allegro a battuta 09:38
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Allegro a battuta
    Duration
    09:38
    Composer
    Aram Khachaturian
    Performer
    Alexander Chaushian
    Ensemble
    Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eduard Topchjan
  4. 4 Andante sostenuto - 06:35
    Track
    4
    Title
    Andante sostenuto -
    Duration
    06:35
    Composer
    Arno Harutyuni Babadjanian
    Performer
    Alexander Chaushian
    Ensemble
    Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eduard Topchjan
  5. 5 Andante con amore - 02:15
    Track
    5
    Title
    Andante con amore -
    Duration
    02:15
    Composer
    Arno Harutyuni Babadjanian
    Performer
    Alexander Chaushian
    Ensemble
    Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eduard Topchjan
  6. 6 Allegro energico con fuoco 11:01
    Track
    6
    Title
    Allegro energico con fuoco
    Duration
    11:01
    Composer
    Arno Harutyuni Babadjanian
    Performer
    Alexander Chaushian
    Ensemble
    Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eduard Topchjan
  7. 7 Part I: Massis - 08:39
    Track
    7
    Title
    Part I: Massis -
    Duration
    08:39
    Composer
    Michel Petrossian
    Performer
    Alexander Chaushian
    Ensemble
    Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eduard Topchjan
  8. 8 Part II: Sis 04:01
    Track
    8
    Title
    Part II: Sis
    Duration
    04:01
    Composer
    Michel Petrossian
    Performer
    Alexander Chaushian
    Ensemble
    Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eduard Topchjan