Khachaturian 3 Concert Arias; Ode to Joy, Ode to Stalin
A mixed bag of Khachaturian, but the passionate lyricism of the concert [aria] arias and Ode to Joy is brought out to the full by Hatsagortsian and Khachatrian respectively
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Aram Il'yich Khachaturian
Label: ASV
Magazine Review Date: 1/2001
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 62
Catalogue Number: CDDCA1087
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Ode of Joy |
Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Composer
Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Composer Armenian Philharmonic Chorus Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra Loris Tjeknavorian, Conductor Vardouhi Khachatrian, Mezzo soprano |
| (3) Concert Arias |
Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Composer
Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Composer Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra Hasmik Hatsgortsian, Soprano Loris Tjeknavorian, Conductor |
| Ballad of the Motherland |
Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Composer
Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Composer Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra Loris Tjeknavorian, Conductor Mourad Amirkhanian, Bass |
| Poem to Stalin |
Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Composer
Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Composer Armenian Philharmonic Chorus Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra Loris Tjeknavorian, Conductor |
| March of Zangezur |
Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Composer
Aram Il'yich Khachaturian, Composer Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra Loris Tjeknavorian, Conductor |
Author: Ivan March
The 1956 Ode to Joy is, both melodically and harmonically, very much in the Armenian world of Gayaneh. It begins rather enticingly with a 16-bar moto perpetuo on the violins (they and the harps are a concertante feature). Then the very Russian mezzo soloist enters with a passionate soliloquy on the joys of spring (no translation is provided) and after an orchestral ritornello the chorus takes up the refrain in populist Soviet style, with the soloist easily riding the spectacular surge of sound.
The three concert arias (which do have a translation) date from a decade earlier, when the composer’s melodic facility was at its most spontaneous and his scoring had not become too over-enthusiastic, and they give a good idea of the kind of opera he might have written but didn’t. The touchingly sinuous but passionate lyricism has a hint of the Puccini of Turandot, and a touch of Rimsky, too, but remains essentially Armenian in flavour. The three linked arias tell of a beautiful lake where the soloist first dreams of meeting her lover, then joins him rapturously. But a rival lures him to swim towards a false lantern, where death awaits him. The dramatic orchestral comments, especially in the despairing final song, show a genuine theatrical flair and certainly the (at times wildly passionate) soprano soloist, Hasmik Hatsagortsian, makes the most of this very telling scena.
The Ballad to the Motherland was at sung, at its premiere in 1961, by six basses in unison! Here, fortunately, there is only one who sings longingly of his homeland. The performance is adequate but this is not a very memorable piece.
The 1936/37 Ode to Stalin (now, with political correctness, revised and renamed Poem) might best have been forgotten. Again, there is no translation, although in 1961 a new text was provided omitting any reference to its original dedicatee! There is a very long, often rhetorical orchestral introduction varying the Azerbaijani (or more correctly, ‘Azeri’) folksong on which the piece is based, which is far from top-drawer Khachaturian. Finally the chorus enters (some 15 minutes into a 19-minute piece), and it’s quite a good tune, and freshly sung. The lively but unmemorable bandstand March of the Zangezur ends a programme of mixed appeal, but which is vividly presented and very well recorded.
'
The three concert arias (which do have a translation) date from a decade earlier, when the composer’s melodic facility was at its most spontaneous and his scoring had not become too over-enthusiastic, and they give a good idea of the kind of opera he might have written but didn’t. The touchingly sinuous but passionate lyricism has a hint of the Puccini of Turandot, and a touch of Rimsky, too, but remains essentially Armenian in flavour. The three linked arias tell of a beautiful lake where the soloist first dreams of meeting her lover, then joins him rapturously. But a rival lures him to swim towards a false lantern, where death awaits him. The dramatic orchestral comments, especially in the despairing final song, show a genuine theatrical flair and certainly the (at times wildly passionate) soprano soloist, Hasmik Hatsagortsian, makes the most of this very telling scena.
The Ballad to the Motherland was at sung, at its premiere in 1961, by six basses in unison! Here, fortunately, there is only one who sings longingly of his homeland. The performance is adequate but this is not a very memorable piece.
The 1936/37 Ode to Stalin (now, with political correctness, revised and renamed Poem) might best have been forgotten. Again, there is no translation, although in 1961 a new text was provided omitting any reference to its original dedicatee! There is a very long, often rhetorical orchestral introduction varying the Azerbaijani (or more correctly, ‘Azeri’) folksong on which the piece is based, which is far from top-drawer Khachaturian. Finally the chorus enters (some 15 minutes into a 19-minute piece), and it’s quite a good tune, and freshly sung. The lively but unmemorable bandstand March of the Zangezur ends a programme of mixed appeal, but which is vividly presented and very well recorded.
Khachaturian 3 Concert Arias; Ode to Joy, Ode to Stalin
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