The Armenian composer and priest Komitas published his Divine Liturgy in 1933, drawing on traditional Armenian musical traditions. This concert version of the mass for mixed choir was arranged and edited by Komitas’s student Vache Sharafyan and has never before been recorded. Conductor Sigvards Klava conducts the acclaimed Latvian Radio Choir.
Featuring
Agate Burkina
Armen Badalyan
Jānis Kurševs
Kārlis Rūtentāls
Gundars Dziļums
Hovhannes Nersesyan
Sigvards Kļava
Latvian Radio Choir
Komitas Vardapet
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Historical Context
Komitas, an Armenian composer and priest, survived the Armenian Genocide but spent the last 20 years of his life in a Paris asylum, his soul broken by the tragedy.
Interpretation
This arrangement by Vache Sharafyan aims to make Komitas's Liturgy more accessible for concert performances, focusing on its musical aspects rather than ritual.
Composition History
Komitas completed his Divine Liturgy just weeks before April 24, 1915, a date marking the start of the Armenian Genocide, which deeply affected him.
Interpretation
This recording features the first-ever performance and recording of Komitas's full Divine Liturgy by a non-Armenian mixed choir, the Latvian Radio Choir.
Performer Biography
Hovhannes Nersesyan, the bass soloist on this album, is both an opera singer and a priest, serving as a deacon in the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Compositional Technique
Komitas's Divine Liturgy, originally for male choir, features a unique melodic tetrachord structure and innovative harmonization and polyphony.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Komitas, a towering figure in Armenian music, dedicated his life to discovering, preserving, and transforming the rich song heritage of his people.
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