Various Composers - An Armenian Palette (Hayk Melikyan)

Information

• Gayane Chebotarian - 6 Preludes
• Lazar Saryan - Theme with Variations for Piano
• Lazar Saryan - Dance for Piano
• Lazar Saryan - Grandfather's Clock
• Lazar Saryan - 3 Postludes
• Edvard Mirzoyan - Poem for Piano
• Edvard Mirzoyan - Album for a Granddaughter
• Geghuni Chitchian - Epitaph for Piano
• Harutiun Dellalian - Piano Sonata "Dedication to Komitas"
• Tigran Mansurian - 3 Pieces

Hayk Melikyan, piano

Date: 2020

Label: Grand Piano

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Review

Gayane Chabotarian was Russian by birth in 1918, but lived most of her life composing and teaching in Armenia. The Six Preludes date from 1948 took time to grab my attention before we reached the soulful third, the three that follow having the feel of happy folk music. Living through the same eighty years, and also Russian by birth, Lazar Sarian’s music is light and pleasing, particularly in the tick-tock of Grandfather’s Watch, his tracks rounded off by an audience pleasing Postlude. Also born outside Armenia, Edvard Mirzoian came from Georgia, arriving permanently in Armenia in the late 1940’s, his music having international influences you will find in the many moods of the six sections of the Album for my Granddaughter from 1984. Harutiun Dellalian was his Greek-born pupil, his only work for solo piano being the two-movement Sonata from 1982, the opening statement announcing a composer bringing a cold, abstract and sparsely scored opening movement. That becomes the key to Geghuni Chitchian’s Epitaph completed in 2018, it introduces Tigran Mansurian, today’s best-known Armenian composer, his 3 Pieces taking us deep into atonality. Already an advocate for his national music on Grand Piano, we thank Hayk Melikyan for presenting this collection recorded earlier this year in Armenia.

— David Denton

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Hayk Melikyan (born 29 November 1980) is an Armenian pianist and composer. Trained at the Yerevan Komitas Conservatory, he has performed on major stages worldwide and is a laureate of many international competitions. Melikyan has received prestigious honors, including the Komitas Medal, the title of Honorary Artist of Armenia, and the Movses Khorenatsi Medal. A dedicated advocate of new music, he founded the concert series 1900+ and 2000+, premiered many new works. He records extensively for renowned labels such as Naxos Grand Piano, Azure Sky and others. He is also an active composer and pedagogue.

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