Search - Karineh Avetissian; Anna Mailian; Ludmilla Grigorian; Karabakh Children's Choir :: The Music of Armenia Sampler

Nearly 80 minutes playing time, this recording is a complete representation (sampler) of the series, featuring selections from each of the six volumes, seven CDs respectively. The entire Music of Armenia series began as a musical detour while David Parsons was on assignment for Celestial Harmonies' The Music of Islam series. Fortunately, for our history - and evolution - the lost arts, musically speaking, of this biblical area which has traveled and continues to travel the path of love, hatred and destruction, only to someday be revered and loved again, are superbly recreated and created anew. Covering the geographic area of Armenia, as well as the musical traditions, Parsons discovered the most outstanding traditional music he had ever heard. After listening to the Sacred Choral Music you too will mimic Parsons, whetting your soul's appetite for more. The haunting, emotionally provocative liturgical chants of Sharakan stretch the soul to the depth of remembering - sadly, yet lovingly with hope. Continuing on the wings of hope and time, Duduk and Kanon are largely eloquent instrumental transcriptions of what were originally vocal works, songful and soulful as the first two volumes. Folk Music features songs and dances reflecting Armenia's history and Nagorno-Karabakh brings this musical evolution to the twentieth century featuring contemporary folk music. Naturally, this volume is about the war and its consequences yet maintains and even cultivates its Armenian roots.