About this Release
“It is impossible for me to interpret Arutiunian’s music without recalling the personality of the composer as I have studied his delicate approach towards the music, people and especially the piano. There is so much subtext in his music: delicacy, anger, elegance, sadness, protest. It is a large and rich palette of emotions reflecting both his time and the history of his nation. Sometimes he is lonely, all by himself and the piano, and as a pianist I’m granted the privilege of sharing and merging with his moods and feelings which are so deep and pure.” — Hayk Melikyan
ARUTIUNIAN, ALEXANDER (1920–2012)
Complete Piano Works
- Hayk Melikyan, piano
Alexander Arutiunian was one of the most prominent composers in the USSR, one of the representatives of the Armenian ‘Mighty Handful’ and much admired by Shostakovich. An accomplished pianist, Arutiunian created virtuoso piano works that are rooted in Armenian folk traditions while expressing, in the words of Hayk Melikyan, “a rich palette of emotions reflecting both his time and the history of his nation”. From the Armenian Dance of 1935, with its delicate, transparent texture and strong rhythmic drive, via the more dissonant, neoclassical Polyphonic Sonata, the descriptive Musical Pictures, and the almost Debussyan approach to tonality in the Six Moods, to the simple and beautifully crafted Album for Children of 2004, the works on this recording, the first complete edition, span Arutiunian’s entire compositional career.
Tracklist
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1
Armenian Dance (1935) * (00:02:16)
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2
Pastoral (1936) * (00:01:59)
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3
Theme and Variations (1937) * (00:05:48)
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3 Preludes (1938) (00:04:40 )
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4
No. 1. Andante * (00:01:36)
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5
No. 2. Moderato assai * (00:01:50)
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6
No. 3. Maestoso. Allegro * (00:01:22)
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7
Prelude-Poem (1943) * (00:04:42)
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Polyphonic Sonata (1946) (00:12:21 )
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8
I. Invention (00:02:03)
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9
II. Chorale (00:06:20)
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10
III. Fugue (00:04:11)
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11
Humoresque (1947) * (00:00:42)
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3 Musical Pictures (1960) (00:08:00 )
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12
No. 1. The Wind Blew in the Mountains (00:02:07)
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13
No. 2. Ararat Valley Evening (00:03:25)
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14
No. 3. Sassoun Dance (00:02:28)
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Piano Sonatina (1967) (00:04:44 )
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15
I. Moderato * (00:01:13)
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16
II. Adagio * (00:02:20)
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17
III. Allegro moderato * (00:01:16)
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6 Moods (1976) (00:10:00 )
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18
No. 1. Adagio (00:01:19)
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19
No. 2. Allegro agitato (00:01:23)
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20
No. 3. Moderato (00:01:59)
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21
No. 4. Adagio (00:01:44)
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22
No. 5. Moderato (00:02:35)
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23
No. 6. Allegro energico (00:01:42)
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Album for Children (2004) (00:00:22 )
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24
I. A Joke (00:00:28)
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25
II. Autumn Waltz (00:01:34)
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26
III. Cheerful Promenade (00:00:33)
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27
IV. A Sad Song (00:00:49)
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28
V. Lyrical Waltz (00:01:13)
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29
VI. Naughty Girl (00:00:31)
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30
VII. A Story (00:01:37)
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31
VIII. Spring Mood (00:00:38)
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The Artist(s)
Praised by Fanfare magazine, Hayk Melikyan is recognised internationally by classical music audiences and critics alike as one of Armenia’s most versatile and imaginative musicians and among today’s most engaging virtuoso pianists. The Composer(s)
A member of the so-called Armenian “Mighty Handful” (along with Arno Babadjanian, Edward Mirzoyan, Adam Khudoyan and Lazar Saryan), he was awarded numerous Soviet state prizes, including the Stalin Prize (1949), People’s Artist of Armenia (1962), People’s Artist of the USSR (1970) and Honoured Citizen of Yerevan (1987). His music has been performed by many distinguished musicians, from Yevgeny Mravinsky and Valery Gergiev, to Sergey Khachatryan, Ilya Grubert and Jack Liebeck. Arutiunian died on 28 March 2012. Reviews
“Strength and imagination are the hallmarks of this disc. The full-impact recording and Melikyan’s total engagement complement this collection.” – MusicWeb International
Also Available
Grand Piano has gained a reputation for producing high quality recordings of rare keyboard gems. Dedicated to the exploration of undiscovered piano repertoire, the label specialises in complete cycles of piano works by many lesser-known composers, whose output might otherwise have remained unknown and unrecorded.
- info@grandpianorecords.com
