Komitas Vardapet - Folk Songs (Hasmik Torosyan; Giulio Zappa)

Information

Composer: Komitas Vardapet

CD1

1. The Sky is Cloudy
2. Bring Coolness
3. This Water Stream
4. Apricot Tree
5. Water Streams Down the Upper Hill
6. Oh, Lovely Deer
7. Zulo
8. Dear Shogher
9. I Am a Girl
10. Walking, Shining
11. Partridge Song
12. I Took the Jug
13. Maro is Standing
14. Le Le Yaman
15. Oror (Lullaby)

CD2

1. The Quail
2. Walk, Walk
3. Antouni
4. It's Spring
5. I Was Coming from the Mountain
6. I Can't Sing and Dance
7. What, What?
8. You Are a Plane Tree
9. Hey Nazan
10. The Crane
11. Rest, My Baby
12. Call, Crane
13. Spring
14. Alagyaz
15. Incense Tree

Hasmik Torosyan, soprano

Giulio Zappa, piano

Date: 2025

Label: Prima Classic

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Description

Komitas (Soghomon Soghomonyan) was an Armenian composer, musicologist, medievalist, ethnographer-folklorist, choirmaster, singer, and poet. He was a clergyman holding the rank of archimandrite. Komitas received his education at the Etchmiadzin Seminary; later he studied in the philosophy department at Kaiser University in Berlin and at the Richard Schmidt Private Conservatory in Berlin. He is considered the founder of the Armenian national tradition of art music.

Up until the 19th century, the main branches of Armenian music had been evolving within the confines of monodic art, adhering to its traditional attributes. European art music composition made its way into Armenian culture in the mid-19th century. The earliest compositions by Armenian composers that emerged during that time were mostly based on the principles of European polyphonic music.

Komitas was able to create a polyphonic style that was consistent with Armenian musical thinking by carefully studying the theoretical principles and unique features of Armenian monodic music. He, in particular, created a unique harmonic system based on the harmonic features of Armenian monodic music. It was both naturally familiar to Armenians and simple for a European audience to understand. Komitas’ system emerged as a pioneering phenomenon in the music of the early 20th century.

Regrettably, Komitas’ turbulent life resulted in significant losses to his heritage. Nonetheless, what survives is a diverse and abundant legacy. The collection encompasses the composer’s original compositions, an extensive anthology of traditional songs and instrumental tunes he transcribed, musicological research, publicist articles, and educational handbooks. Among the extant materials are recordings of Komitas’ vocal performances, including his roles as an accompanist, from the early 1910s.

In his work, Komitas attached significant importance to the group of genres that best exemplify traditional music, primarily songs for voice and piano and choral songs. Therefore, the arrangements of Armenian folk songs and the canonical sacred monodies from the Middle Ages that have come down to us constitute the cornerstone of Komitas’ artistic heritage. These compositions are inspired by traditional songs and, despite being based on traditional song samples, perfectly capture the essence of his individual style.

His piano compositions, and particularly the seven-dance series (suite), follow the same concept and represent a separate layer within his work. Additionally, there are romances, chamber-instrumental and orchestral pieces, four unfinished opera projects, and other works from his student years.

One of the large-scale compositions in Komitas’s legacy is Patarag (Mass), a work of the cantata-oratorio genre based on extant Armenian medieval monodies. The composer worked on this composition throughout his life. There are about ten versions, written in different years. The version for male choir, written between 1914 and 1915, has been preserved intact. Komitas intended it for both ceremonial and concert performances.

A cycle of choral pieces based on traditional wedding songs, best known as Wedding Songs, II Cycle, has all the characteristics of an oratorio. This work derives its dramaturgical structure from an ancient Armenian wedding ceremony.

A significant part of Komitas’ musical legacy is his choral compositions, whose genre subtypes relate to different aspects of everyday life—from romantic feelings to work routines—while also reflecting Christian memories of ancient ritual culture.

Another important component of Komitas’ musical heritage is his songs for voice and piano. Fifty-eight such compositions have been preserved, and to date, all of them have been published. These are mostly works based on Armenian peasant songs reflecting love, humor, everyday life, labor, and other scenes. Along with these, there are also arrangements of Armenian urban songs, songs composed by the composer himself based on original tunes, songs drafted for theatrical performances, and others.

Komitas’ work and artistic legacy have played a key role in the history of Armenian music and in the crystallization of the Armenian national identity paradigm.

— Mher Navoyan

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Komitas Vardapet (Soghomon Soghomonian, 8 October 1869 – 22 October 1935) was an Armenian priest, composer, ethnomusicologist and pedagogue, widely regarded as the founder of modern Armenian classical music. Educated at the Echmiadzin Seminary and later trained under composer Kara-Mourza, he earned a doctorate in musicology in 1896 and served as Choir Director at Echmiadzin. Komitas composed over 3,000 works and made lasting contributions to the Armenian Church liturgy. His most significant achievement was the preservation and revival of Armenian medieval sacred and folk music.

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Born in Yerevan, Armenian soprano Hasmik Torosyan was educated at the Romanos Melikyan Musical College and the Komitas State Conservatory. An award-winning artist, she has received the President's Prize for Young Singers of Armenia, and first prizes in major competitions in Moscow and Rome. Since 2011, she has been a principal soloist at the Armenian National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. Torosyan has performed extensively across Europe, Asia and the Americas, appearing at leading opera houses and festivals, and is acclaimed for a wide-ranging repertoire spanning bel canto, Mozart, Verdi and sacred music.

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Italian pianist Giulio Zappa graduated from the Conservatory of Novara under Oleg Marshev and earned an honors degree from the University of Milan. He began his career as a piano accompanist in Milan and further trained with Aldo Ciccolini and Irwin Gage. Active internationally since 1996, Zappa specializes in the bel canto repertoire. He has served as senior vocal coach at the Rossini Opera Festival since 2002 and has taught at leading opera institutions worldwide. He was artistic director of Ópera de Tenerife's Opera (e)Studio (2013–2021) and is currently Artistic Secretary of Donizetti Opera and head of Bottega Donizetti.

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