AN ARMENIAN PALETTE
PIANO WORKS BY
CHEBOTARIAN • CHITCHIAN • DELLALIAN
MANSURIAN • MIRZOIAN • SARIAN
HAYK MELIKYAN
‘The programme on this album comprehensively encapsulates Armenian 20th century compositional tendencies: national traits, Soviet music traditions, and, of course, personal feelings and disobedience of composers. This album is particularly special since we have featured piano works by Gayane Chebotarian, the first Armenian female composer of the Soviet period, who contributed greatly to the general identity of Armenian music. The piano solo works of two other composers who were part of the Armenian "Mighty Handful" – Sarian and Mirzoian – are also presented in this recording and join my previous two Grand Piano releases (Babadjanian [GP674] and Arutiunian [GP718]). The peak of Avant-Garde traditions is reflected by the work Three Pieces by Tigran Mansurian, the most outstanding living Armenian composer in the world. I had the privilege of performing for the composer in 2009 and learning his own understanding of the Pieces.’ – Hayk Melikyan
