Castle Classics Mansurian, Tagran (B.1939 Armenian)

T Mansurian: Ars Poetica - Armenian Chamber Choir; Robert Mlkeyan, conductor

Label - ECM

Cat. No. - 4763070

Mansurian's Concerto for mixed choir a cappella connects elements of a song cycle with traits of a choral cantata. Ten poems from different periods by Yegishe Tcharents (1897-1937) are set in a tonal language of simple beauty, based on modal lines but encompassing monophonic sparseness, contrapuntal settings and clusters alike. Despite the personal content of the poems, "their sound and pliant rhythm" offered the starting point for Mansurian. Ars Poetica (1996-2000) is a tribute to the beauty of the Armenian language and a writer whose symbolic importance for the country's cultural history transforms his lines into utterances of a collective national voice. While Tcharents is largely identified with his role as a legendary figure of anti-Soviet activities in Armenia (he died, aged 40, in a Stalinist prison in Yerevan) Mansurian, who has read and admired him all his life, concentrates on poems dealing with the secrets of poetic expression and the "relationship between life and poetry".

Tigran Mansurian, born in 1939 in Beirut (Lebanon) to Armenian parents, has lived in Armenia since 1947 and is one of his country's most important composers. His extensive œuvre comprises orchestral, chamber and vocal works, each now represented on ECM New Series' four Mansurian releases since 2003. Previous albums are Hayren (461 8312), the 2-CD set Monodia (472 7842) and last year's CD of String Quartets played by the Rosamunde Quartet (476 3052).

The Armenian Chamber Choir, a 35-voice professional choir, was founded in 2000 and has built a reputation as the country's leading chamber choir, championing the Armenian composers Mansurian, Haladjian and Hairapetian and presenting numerous Armenian premieres. In 2001 the ACC made its London debut. Robert Mlkeyan has been its director and principal conductor since its inception
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T Mansurian: String Quartets - Rosamunde Quartet

Label - ECM

Cat. No. - 4763052

Including String Quartet No.1; String Quartet No.2; Testament

Armenia's leading composer, Tigran Mansurian, receives his third recording from ECM - an album comprising his first two string quartets (both instrumental requiems of simple beauty written in response to the deaths of two close friends) and the short piece Testament, all performed by the acclaimed Rosamunde Quartet

Tigran Mansurian's first two string quartets - a third was completed in 1992 - were composed in 1983 and in 1984 respectively. Both are instrumental requiems, written in response to the deaths of two close friends. Sounds of grief and lamentation are sublimated by the simple beauty of Mansurian's extremely reduced tone language. Far from being demonstrative, the lack of complexity allows for a rare clarity and organic fluency. As in most of Mansurian's works, the rhythmical and harmonic designs, even the melodic shapes are closely related to the intonation of his native language, the musical style being characterized by an organic blend of Armenian and western European traditions. Testament is a five-minute Lento, written in 2004 as a tribute to ECM-founder/producer Manfred Eicher
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T Mansurian: Monodia - Kim Kashkashian, viola; Leonidas Kavakos, violin, Münchener Kammerorchester; Christoph Poppen, conductor; Jan Garbarek, soprano saxophone; The Hilliard Ensemble

Label - ECM

Cat. No. - 4727842

2 CD Set

Including "...and then I was in time again" - Concerto for viola and orchestra; Concerto for violin and orchestra; Lachrymae - for soprano saxophone and viola; Confessing with Faith - for viola and for voices
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T Mansurian; S Komitas: Hayren - Kim Kashkashian: viola; Robyn Schulkowsky: percussion; Tigran Mansurian: piano, voice

Label - ECM

Cat. No. - 4618312

Including MANSURIAN Havik; KOMITAS Garun a; Krunk; Chinar es; Krunk; Hov Arek; Hoy, Nazan; Krunk; Tsirani tsar; Oror; Antuni; Oror; MANSURIAN Duet for viola and percussion

An important and compelling new recording from violist Kim Kashkashian and percussionist Robyn Schulkowsky iintroduces Armenia's leading contemporary composer, Tigran Mansurian, alongside some fascinating and memorable pieces by the country's revered songwriter and poet, Komitas. Strikingly and artlessly performed by Mansurian and Kashkashian, the songs charm the listener with their links into the 'folk' roots of Armenian music.
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