Armenian News A Topalian
Rare Armenian masterpieces to go on display for the first time
at the Bodleian Libraries
http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bodley/news/2015/oct-13
Armenian devil reappears after being erased from centuries
http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bodley/news/2015/oct-13
Armenian devil reappears after being erased from centuries
old Gospelhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/14/armenian-devil-reappears-after-being-erased-from-centuries-old-gospel
Al Jazeera
Inside Story - Should denying the 'Armenian Genocide' be a crime?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0Pq9HpEfhQ&list=PLr1-FC1l_JLF4ChKOUEeNQaj8zdcMKK2k
Amal Clooney Comments on European Court of Human Rights’
Al Jazeera
Inside Story - Should denying the 'Armenian Genocide' be a crime?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0Pq9HpEfhQ&list=PLr1-FC1l_JLF4ChKOUEeNQaj8zdcMKK2k
Amal Clooney Comments on European Court of Human Rights’
Armenian Genocide Decision
Published on Oct 16 , 2015
Geoffrey Robertson QC and Amal Clooney of Doughty Street Chambers
Published on Oct 16 , 2015
Geoffrey Robertson QC and Amal Clooney of Doughty Street Chambers
represented the Republic of Armenia intervening as a third party in the
case Perincek v Switzerland before the European Court of Human
Rights. In an interview with the Public TV of Armenia, Amal Clooney
comments on the import and scope of the Grand Chamber’s ruling in
that case and explains why this constitutes a victory for Armenia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6UijBvFW0c
[Of the ten judges that backed the minority opinion, only the Netherlands
is a major political country: the others such as Andorra are not in the
same league.]
The death was announced on 13 October of Sue Lloyd-Roberts, the
The death was announced on 13 October of Sue Lloyd-Roberts, the
courageous TV reporter who resourcefully covered stories from many
of the world's hotspots including North Kore, China, Burma,
This is an extract from the Daily Telegraph obituary:
It was on one of these stories that she began to develop her particular
It was on one of these stories that she began to develop her particular
method of work. As the Soviet Union began to implode she travelled
with Gwynne Roberts to Armenia where massive protests against
environmental degradation were under way. The pair flew to Yerevan
with a group of Armenians from Los Angeles and claimed they were
going to visit their “godfather”. They were allowed in. Using a new
portable video camera they were able to discreetly film the protests
– and their brutal suppression. The pictures the pair brought back
were syndicated all over the world.
armenianow.com
ONE RULING, TWO INTERPRETATIONS: ARMENIAN, TURKISH
armenianow.com
ONE RULING, TWO INTERPRETATIONS: ARMENIAN, TURKISH
EXPERTS DIFFER ON PERINCEK CASE VERDICT
16.10.15
By Naira Hayrumyan
Armenian and Turkish experts differently assessed the decision of the
European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the Perincek v Switzerland
case: Armenia considered it to be its victory, and Turkey took it
as a basis that it is possible to deny the Armenian Genocide and
go unpunished.
The Strasbourg-based ECtHR on October 15 read out the verdict on the
appeal by the Government of Switzerland of the ECtHR's 17 December
2013 decision in the case of Turkish politician Dogu Perincek against
Switzerland. The verdict stated the infringement of the rights of
Perincek.
The case was sparked by a Swiss court's 2007 conviction of Turkish
politician Dogu Perincek after he said publicly that "the Armenian
genocide is a great international lie." The Swiss court then ordered
Perincek, chairman of the Turkish Workers' Party, to pay a fine
after finding him guilty of racial discrimination for his remarks,
which he repeated on several occasions.
After his conviction, Perincek took the case to the ECtHR, arguing that
his freedom of speech was infringed. A lower chamber of the ECtHR,
ruling in December 2013, rejected the Swiss court's conviction,
saying that the Turk's remarks fell within the boundaries of free
speech. Switzerland appealed that judgment, and the case came before
the ECtHR's Grand Chamber.
Now the Court has, in fact, decided that the Swiss court, by bringing
Perincek to justice, violated his right to freedom of expression.
However, the Armenian side insists that with its latest decision the
Court has confirmed not only the right of Switzerland to bring people
denying the genocide to responsibility, but also the fact that the
European Court does not have the powers to make legal statements on
the issue of the genocide.
In its judgment the Court also upholds the Armenians' right under
European law to have their dignity respected and protected, including
by recognition of a communal identity forged through suffering from
the annihilation of over half their race by the Ottoman Turks.
According to Armenia's Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan, the Court's
decision creates a basis for every Genocide survivor to apply to the
ECtHR in terms of protecting the rights of their family and ancestors.
Meanwhile, the same day Yerevan hosted a scientific conference entitled
"The Armenian Genocide: Recognition and Compensation." During the
past century Armenians preferred not to talk about compensation for
the Genocide. The political line was that the world must recognize
and condemn the Armenian Genocide. Armenia tried not to talk about
legal consequences of recognition.
Experts argue that this is due to the close relations between Armenia
and Russia. Since after the genocide and World War I Armenian lands
were divided under the Russian-Turkish agreement (Moscow and Kars),
then for solving the issue of territorial compensation Armenia should
demand denunciation of these agreements.
Meanwhile, in 2011, on the 90th anniversary of the Treaty of Moscow,
still then President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev presented then Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the original of the treaty.
That is, Russia and Turkey are not going to abandon the treaty that
divided Armenian lands among Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
In this regard, experts wonder whether Armenia will pass from demands
for the condemnation of the Genocide to territorial and financial
claims to Turkey. In fact, the decision of the ECtHR provides that
opportunity. And the holding of an international conference in Yerevan
gives hope that Armenia is changing its tactics.
panarmenian.net
17.000 SYRIAN REFUGEES FOUND SHELTER IN ARMENIA SO
16.10.15
By Naira Hayrumyan
Armenian and Turkish experts differently assessed the decision of the
European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the Perincek v Switzerland
case: Armenia considered it to be its victory, and Turkey took it
as a basis that it is possible to deny the Armenian Genocide and
go unpunished.
The Strasbourg-based ECtHR on October 15 read out the verdict on the
appeal by the Government of Switzerland of the ECtHR's 17 December
2013 decision in the case of Turkish politician Dogu Perincek against
Switzerland. The verdict stated the infringement of the rights of
Perincek.
The case was sparked by a Swiss court's 2007 conviction of Turkish
politician Dogu Perincek after he said publicly that "the Armenian
genocide is a great international lie." The Swiss court then ordered
Perincek, chairman of the Turkish Workers' Party, to pay a fine
after finding him guilty of racial discrimination for his remarks,
which he repeated on several occasions.
After his conviction, Perincek took the case to the ECtHR, arguing that
his freedom of speech was infringed. A lower chamber of the ECtHR,
ruling in December 2013, rejected the Swiss court's conviction,
saying that the Turk's remarks fell within the boundaries of free
speech. Switzerland appealed that judgment, and the case came before
the ECtHR's Grand Chamber.
Now the Court has, in fact, decided that the Swiss court, by bringing
Perincek to justice, violated his right to freedom of expression.
However, the Armenian side insists that with its latest decision the
Court has confirmed not only the right of Switzerland to bring people
denying the genocide to responsibility, but also the fact that the
European Court does not have the powers to make legal statements on
the issue of the genocide.
In its judgment the Court also upholds the Armenians' right under
European law to have their dignity respected and protected, including
by recognition of a communal identity forged through suffering from
the annihilation of over half their race by the Ottoman Turks.
According to Armenia's Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan, the Court's
decision creates a basis for every Genocide survivor to apply to the
ECtHR in terms of protecting the rights of their family and ancestors.
Meanwhile, the same day Yerevan hosted a scientific conference entitled
"The Armenian Genocide: Recognition and Compensation." During the
past century Armenians preferred not to talk about compensation for
the Genocide. The political line was that the world must recognize
and condemn the Armenian Genocide. Armenia tried not to talk about
legal consequences of recognition.
Experts argue that this is due to the close relations between Armenia
and Russia. Since after the genocide and World War I Armenian lands
were divided under the Russian-Turkish agreement (Moscow and Kars),
then for solving the issue of territorial compensation Armenia should
demand denunciation of these agreements.
Meanwhile, in 2011, on the 90th anniversary of the Treaty of Moscow,
still then President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev presented then Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the original of the treaty.
That is, Russia and Turkey are not going to abandon the treaty that
divided Armenian lands among Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
In this regard, experts wonder whether Armenia will pass from demands
for the condemnation of the Genocide to territorial and financial
claims to Turkey. In fact, the decision of the ECtHR provides that
opportunity. And the holding of an international conference in Yerevan
gives hope that Armenia is changing its tactics.
panarmenian.net
17.000 SYRIAN REFUGEES FOUND SHELTER IN ARMENIA SO
FAR: STUDY
October 16, 2015
The European Friends of Armenia(EuFoA) published a paper,
analyzing the response of theEuropean Union, Armenia and Middle East
countries to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Armenia has taken in around 17 000 refugees since the start of the
Syrian civil war. This makes it the third European country to have
hosted the biggest number of displaced people from Syria after Germany
and Sweden.
However, Armenia is the first European country in terms of refugees
welcomed per capita: it hosts 6 Syrian refugees per 1000 inhabitants,
more than Germany (1 refugee) or Sweden (4 refugee).
The sudden income of refugee has led to a lot of discussions and
tensions inside the EU, with governments bargaining over refugee
quotas. In contrast Armenian officials made it clear that the state
should be ready to welcome refugees and that it should collaborate
with international structures and different Armenian organizations
to receive them, EuFoA said.
Though the majority of the Syrian refugees are ethnic Armenians,
other minorities have also found refuge Armenia. The Yazidis, for
example, face brutal persecution and ethnic cleansing at the hands
of various terrorist groups, both in Syria and Iraq. Upon arriving
in Armenia they have been granted asylum status.
"Everybody harps on the refugee crisis, forgetting Armenia, which
is reminding the world what European solidarity really means," says
Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa, EuFoA Director. "By publishing this report we
want to bring this to the attention of people and show that Armenia
is really committed to European values."
tert.am
ARMENIAN PRESS IN FACE OF FINANCIAL PROBLEMS TODAY
October 16, 2015
The European Friends of Armenia(EuFoA) published a paper,
analyzing the response of theEuropean Union, Armenia and Middle East
countries to the Syrian refugee crisis.
Armenia has taken in around 17 000 refugees since the start of the
Syrian civil war. This makes it the third European country to have
hosted the biggest number of displaced people from Syria after Germany
and Sweden.
However, Armenia is the first European country in terms of refugees
welcomed per capita: it hosts 6 Syrian refugees per 1000 inhabitants,
more than Germany (1 refugee) or Sweden (4 refugee).
The sudden income of refugee has led to a lot of discussions and
tensions inside the EU, with governments bargaining over refugee
quotas. In contrast Armenian officials made it clear that the state
should be ready to welcome refugees and that it should collaborate
with international structures and different Armenian organizations
to receive them, EuFoA said.
Though the majority of the Syrian refugees are ethnic Armenians,
other minorities have also found refuge Armenia. The Yazidis, for
example, face brutal persecution and ethnic cleansing at the hands
of various terrorist groups, both in Syria and Iraq. Upon arriving
in Armenia they have been granted asylum status.
"Everybody harps on the refugee crisis, forgetting Armenia, which
is reminding the world what European solidarity really means," says
Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa, EuFoA Director. "By publishing this report we
want to bring this to the attention of people and show that Armenia
is really committed to European values."
tert.am
ARMENIAN PRESS IN FACE OF FINANCIAL PROBLEMS TODAY
- EDITORS
16.10.15
October 16 was declared as the Day of Press Workers in accordance
with the Armenian Government's decision adopted on April 22, 2004;
later it was renamed the Day of the Armenian Press.
The first Armenian print periodical, Azdarar, was printed in Madras,
India, on this day in 1794.
For comments on the current problems in the Armenian press and possible
solutions, Tert.am has talked to Anna Israelyan and Armine Ohanyan,
the editors-in-chief of the newspapers Aravotand Hraparak.
According to Israelyan, the press today has turned into a kind of
business without which it isn't possible to survive independently.
"Only in that case will the press be maximum independent from different
financial and political influences. From the moment we will be able
to earn the money we need for our activities, will I consider that
we have resolved our key task," she added.
Asked what prevents the press from developing as a business, Israelyan
replied, "As a matter of fact, there are many problems; the newspapers
are cheap, and it isn't possible to raise their price, as we have
also the social problem. Yes, over the past years, there wasn't any
competition to spread the press, as there wasn't any appropriate
propaganda. We should have carried out proper propaganda activities
to contribute to the sale of newspapers. But on the other hand, the
newspapers too, have a problem. They should have changed against the
backdrop of the internet technologies, but they didn't," she added.
Isrealyan said she thinks that the availability of social networks
- where everything is shared and discussed freely - often causes
media outlets to move to that platform, practically ruling out any
restrictions on freedom of speech.
"Those restrictions exist, of course, but more frequently we observe
them in TV companies and in other print media. But the general
situation is more favorable than it used to be," she added.
Commenting on the existing problems and difficulties, the Hraparak
editor-in-chief also pointed out to financial problems.
"When the economic situation in the country is not favorable, that
naturally affects the press, reducing the number of both newspaper
buyers and the advertisers. In that respect, 2015 has been a very
complicated year for us, as we have difficulties in terms of overcoming
the financial problems. And that's important in that press independence
depends first of all on financial independence," she explained.
The second problem is lack of skilled staff.
"We are working with our old staff because the present-day education
system does not turn out well-educated people. Moreover, journalists
are low-paid and an adult cannot live on this money," Ms Ohanyan said.
Elaborating on news websites, she said that the higher is the level
of freedom of the press the greater is the damage caused.
"Ignorance and irresponsibility has spread by means of the internet
so much as to affect the reputation the press. Society is showing a
negative attitude to the press and journalists. And the government
policy has its share of responsibility. The government has for years
been discrediting in the eyes of society," she said.
Although she finds it difficult to propose solutions to problems,
she is sure that the government must consider the press an important
factor and implement the right policy.
RFE/RL Report
Protest Held In Support Of Lifers On Hunger Strike
Narine Ghalechian
15.10.2015
Family members and relatives of dozens of inmates of a Yerevan prison
serving life sentences gathered in front of the main government
offices in the Armenian capital on Thursday to show their support for
the hunger strike initiated by the convicts with the demand that their
cases be reviewed.
As many as 45 prisoners at the Nubarashen penitentiary have refused to
take food since Monday, urging Armenia's justice authorities to take
into account the new circumstances that have emerged in their cases
since their convictions.
Many lawyers and human rights activists say Armenian courts are
reluctant to review old cases even if some new circumstances become
available to avoid responsibility for the system should an error of
judgment be revealed in the process. Another factor that minimizes the
chances of lifers to have their sentences revised is that in the
course of years authorities destroy material evidence, which makes it
difficult for a possible retrial to quash the verdict and sentence.
The relatives of the lifers protesting near the government building
today demanded a meeting with Justice Minister Arpine Harutiunian who
attended a government sitting taking place inside.
The demonstrators, too, demanded that the cases of their relatives be
reviewed, insisting that some new circumstances may influence the
original verdicts and sentences of the courts. They said they were
sure that if the courts reviewed the cases the sentences of many could
be reduced, and others could even be released.
The participants in the action also voiced complaints over the
conditions of their relatives' imprisonment, including the poor
quality of food they get and inaccessibility of timely medical care.
The protesters also addressed their demands to Prosecutor-General
Gevorg Kostanian, Ombudsman Karen Andreasian and head of the National
Assembly's standing commission for state and legal affairs Hovhannes
Sahakian, but they said none of them had responded by Thursday
afternoon.
After demonstrating near the government building for about three
hours, the protesters marched towards the presidential palace,
threatening to start a sit-in and a hunger strike there.
This is not the first time that lifers in Armenia go on a collective
hunger strike with a similar demand. Last year some three dozen of
them for several days refused to take food also demanding that the
authorities legally increase their chances of regaining freedom.
A Justice Ministry spokesperson told RFE/RL's Armenian Service
(Azatutyun.am) that the number of lifers on a hunger strike at the
Nubarashen penitentiary has now reached 50.
16.10.15
October 16 was declared as the Day of Press Workers in accordance
with the Armenian Government's decision adopted on April 22, 2004;
later it was renamed the Day of the Armenian Press.
The first Armenian print periodical, Azdarar, was printed in Madras,
India, on this day in 1794.
For comments on the current problems in the Armenian press and possible
solutions, Tert.am has talked to Anna Israelyan and Armine Ohanyan,
the editors-in-chief of the newspapers Aravotand Hraparak.
According to Israelyan, the press today has turned into a kind of
business without which it isn't possible to survive independently.
"Only in that case will the press be maximum independent from different
financial and political influences. From the moment we will be able
to earn the money we need for our activities, will I consider that
we have resolved our key task," she added.
Asked what prevents the press from developing as a business, Israelyan
replied, "As a matter of fact, there are many problems; the newspapers
are cheap, and it isn't possible to raise their price, as we have
also the social problem. Yes, over the past years, there wasn't any
competition to spread the press, as there wasn't any appropriate
propaganda. We should have carried out proper propaganda activities
to contribute to the sale of newspapers. But on the other hand, the
newspapers too, have a problem. They should have changed against the
backdrop of the internet technologies, but they didn't," she added.
Isrealyan said she thinks that the availability of social networks
- where everything is shared and discussed freely - often causes
media outlets to move to that platform, practically ruling out any
restrictions on freedom of speech.
"Those restrictions exist, of course, but more frequently we observe
them in TV companies and in other print media. But the general
situation is more favorable than it used to be," she added.
Commenting on the existing problems and difficulties, the Hraparak
editor-in-chief also pointed out to financial problems.
"When the economic situation in the country is not favorable, that
naturally affects the press, reducing the number of both newspaper
buyers and the advertisers. In that respect, 2015 has been a very
complicated year for us, as we have difficulties in terms of overcoming
the financial problems. And that's important in that press independence
depends first of all on financial independence," she explained.
The second problem is lack of skilled staff.
"We are working with our old staff because the present-day education
system does not turn out well-educated people. Moreover, journalists
are low-paid and an adult cannot live on this money," Ms Ohanyan said.
Elaborating on news websites, she said that the higher is the level
of freedom of the press the greater is the damage caused.
"Ignorance and irresponsibility has spread by means of the internet
so much as to affect the reputation the press. Society is showing a
negative attitude to the press and journalists. And the government
policy has its share of responsibility. The government has for years
been discrediting in the eyes of society," she said.
Although she finds it difficult to propose solutions to problems,
she is sure that the government must consider the press an important
factor and implement the right policy.
RFE/RL Report
Protest Held In Support Of Lifers On Hunger Strike
Narine Ghalechian
15.10.2015
Family members and relatives of dozens of inmates of a Yerevan prison
serving life sentences gathered in front of the main government
offices in the Armenian capital on Thursday to show their support for
the hunger strike initiated by the convicts with the demand that their
cases be reviewed.
As many as 45 prisoners at the Nubarashen penitentiary have refused to
take food since Monday, urging Armenia's justice authorities to take
into account the new circumstances that have emerged in their cases
since their convictions.
Many lawyers and human rights activists say Armenian courts are
reluctant to review old cases even if some new circumstances become
available to avoid responsibility for the system should an error of
judgment be revealed in the process. Another factor that minimizes the
chances of lifers to have their sentences revised is that in the
course of years authorities destroy material evidence, which makes it
difficult for a possible retrial to quash the verdict and sentence.
The relatives of the lifers protesting near the government building
today demanded a meeting with Justice Minister Arpine Harutiunian who
attended a government sitting taking place inside.
The demonstrators, too, demanded that the cases of their relatives be
reviewed, insisting that some new circumstances may influence the
original verdicts and sentences of the courts. They said they were
sure that if the courts reviewed the cases the sentences of many could
be reduced, and others could even be released.
The participants in the action also voiced complaints over the
conditions of their relatives' imprisonment, including the poor
quality of food they get and inaccessibility of timely medical care.
The protesters also addressed their demands to Prosecutor-General
Gevorg Kostanian, Ombudsman Karen Andreasian and head of the National
Assembly's standing commission for state and legal affairs Hovhannes
Sahakian, but they said none of them had responded by Thursday
afternoon.
After demonstrating near the government building for about three
hours, the protesters marched towards the presidential palace,
threatening to start a sit-in and a hunger strike there.
This is not the first time that lifers in Armenia go on a collective
hunger strike with a similar demand. Last year some three dozen of
them for several days refused to take food also demanding that the
authorities legally increase their chances of regaining freedom.
A Justice Ministry spokesperson told RFE/RL's Armenian Service
(Azatutyun.am) that the number of lifers on a hunger strike at the
Nubarashen penitentiary has now reached 50.
WITH MEMBERS OF THE YEREVAN STATE CHOIR IS A
POIGNANT CONTEMPORARY TRIBUTE TO THEIR HOMELAND'S
HISTORY
By John Fordham
16.10.15
hose who remember Tigran Hamasyan's bone-shaking, synth-squealing,
pop-jazz gigs might have done a double-take as the young Armenian
pianist gravely filed on to the Union Chapel's stage accompanied only
by a bowed, hooded, orange-robed choir. Some might wonder whether
2014's swansong of ECM Records's globally popular choral/jazz pairing
of the Hilliard vocal ensemble with Jan Garbarek had anything to do
with the young virtuoso's arrival on the same label with a solemn
programme of medieval and modern Armenian vocal music, embroidered
only by his jazz-steeped piano playing. But Hamasyan is devoted to
his homeland's traditions, and this year's 100th anniversary of the
Armenian genocide by the Ottoman authorities gives this venture a
timely poignancy.
He embraced the challenge in this performance with a typical
combination of diligent study and brilliant aplomb with eight singers
from the Yerevan State Choir.
The single-set gig began with a hymn by 4th-century scholar/composer
Mesrop Mashtots, in which a low vocal hum was shaded by briefly flicked
treble-note elisions from Hamasyan. A second Mashtots piece brought
spooky microtonal vocal drifts punctuated by plucked low-note strings.
The choir began a rhythmic, short-note pulse on the animated Ov
Zarmanali, and whispered behind the leader's now groove-like chord
work. Hamasyan's streaming ingenuity erupted in an outburst of sleek
arpeggios and left-hand hooks that brought a roar from the crowd, but
the shift never felt like a dislocation as the choir slithered back in
around him. Hamasyan jangled a drone-like chord pattern as the lean,
vibrato-free voices of his partners punched out exclamatory percussive
motifs. A walking bassline underpinned the sound of the male members
at their most guttural (while Hamasyan's improv almost veered into
My Favourite Things), and a stamping vocal dance preceded the solemn,
carol-like rumination of the encore.
TIGRAN HAMASAYAN COAXES SACRED SOUNDS FROM THE
16.10.15
hose who remember Tigran Hamasyan's bone-shaking, synth-squealing,
pop-jazz gigs might have done a double-take as the young Armenian
pianist gravely filed on to the Union Chapel's stage accompanied only
by a bowed, hooded, orange-robed choir. Some might wonder whether
2014's swansong of ECM Records's globally popular choral/jazz pairing
of the Hilliard vocal ensemble with Jan Garbarek had anything to do
with the young virtuoso's arrival on the same label with a solemn
programme of medieval and modern Armenian vocal music, embroidered
only by his jazz-steeped piano playing. But Hamasyan is devoted to
his homeland's traditions, and this year's 100th anniversary of the
Armenian genocide by the Ottoman authorities gives this venture a
timely poignancy.
He embraced the challenge in this performance with a typical
combination of diligent study and brilliant aplomb with eight singers
from the Yerevan State Choir.
The single-set gig began with a hymn by 4th-century scholar/composer
Mesrop Mashtots, in which a low vocal hum was shaded by briefly flicked
treble-note elisions from Hamasyan. A second Mashtots piece brought
spooky microtonal vocal drifts punctuated by plucked low-note strings.
The choir began a rhythmic, short-note pulse on the animated Ov
Zarmanali, and whispered behind the leader's now groove-like chord
work. Hamasyan's streaming ingenuity erupted in an outburst of sleek
arpeggios and left-hand hooks that brought a roar from the crowd, but
the shift never felt like a dislocation as the choir slithered back in
around him. Hamasyan jangled a drone-like chord pattern as the lean,
vibrato-free voices of his partners punched out exclamatory percussive
motifs. A walking bassline underpinned the sound of the male members
at their most guttural (while Hamasyan's improv almost veered into
My Favourite Things), and a stamping vocal dance preceded the solemn,
carol-like rumination of the encore.
TIGRAN HAMASAYAN COAXES SACRED SOUNDS FROM THE
ARMENIAN DARKNESS
The Irish Times
Oct 15 2015
The pianist believes God intervened during the recording of his new
album. He talks faith, voices and the Armenian genocide
by Cormac Larkin
God, it is said, works in mysterious ways. Tigran Hamasayan certainly
thinks so. In October last year, during the recording of the pianist's
latest album, Luys i Luso - a haunting fusion of piano improvisation
and sacred music - the creator unexpectedly intervened.
"It was a crazy moment," he says. "It was the last day of recording,
and we had to record this very serious piece called New Flower. It's
a long, complicated piece, and as soon as we started recording,
all the lights went off."
Hamasayan and the 24-strong Yerevan State Chamber Choir were gathered
in a studio in the Armenian capital to make the young pianist's first
recording for the prestigious label ECM. It was the culmination of
three years' work, arranging and revising sacred Armenian hymns,
some more than 1,500 years old, and placing his delicate piano
improvisations alongside. The project's title translates as "light
from light", so the sudden power cut seemed like an omen.
"It was meant to happen," he says. "Right around the corner there
was an old, 17th-century church, and while we waited for the power to
come back, the whole choir walked there, and some of the girls sang
in the church. It was a spiritual moment. It was God saying that if
you're recording sacred music for four days, you've got to visit a
church at least once. After that, everybody was different. It had a
big impact on us."
Hamasayan was born in 1987 in Gyumri, a small city in northwest Armenia
near what is today the Turkish border. He began performing at 11,
and at 18 won first prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Three years
later, after relocating to the US, he won the prestigious Thelonius
Monk piano competition in New York. He is still only 28, but already
his virtuosity has attracted favourable comment from jazz royalty
such as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and Brad Mehldau.
Profound engagement
Hamasayan's previous recordings, such as Aratta Rebirth (2009)
and A Fable (2011), have also evinced a passionate interest in the
folk music of his homeland. But Luys i Luso is an altogether more
profound engagement with the heritage of this ancient and culturally
rich nation, traditionally regarded as the first country to adopt
Christianity as an official religion.
"It was a great journey. Since the day I discovered Armenian sacred
music, I knew I wanted to do something with it, but I didn't dare
because it is something that requires serious study. Then, three
years ago, I started thinking about a specific repertoire and exactly
which sharakans [fifth-century sacred chants] and hymns I was going
to arrange."
"I knew for sure it was going to involve voices," he adds, "because
those melodies have to be sung. And what I had to achieve was to
combine the piano with voices. But not just classical voices - I was
looking for singers that were able to sing like monks."
The publicity surrounding the release of Luys i Luso never fails to
mention that 2015 is the centenary of the Armenian genocide, when the
Ottoman army systematically exterminated more than a million ethnic
Armenians, a fact the Turkish government denies to this day. But for
Hamasayan, the date is coincidental and the link to his homeland's
past is more subtle.
"What really ties Luys i Luso to the genocide is that 99 per cent of
the music we are performing was written in monasteries in historical
Armenia that are now in Turkey. It only became connected to the
genocide after we did this pilgrimage tour in June to bring back this
music to the places where it was born."
Hamasayan had consistently refused to perform in Turkey, but when
the opportunity came to present this music in towns that had been
traditionally Armenian, he relented. "Before that, I couldn't convince
myself that I could go and stay in good shape emotionally. I can't
just go somewhere where people killed my great-grandfather and his
sisters. I couldn't convince myself that I'm going to go there just
for money, to play in front of a crowd that still denies that they
killed my family.
"The tour was our way of saying that this music is still alive in
Armenia and we're bringing it back to its origins. It got a lot of
attention from the Turkish media. People have been waiting for me to
play in Turkey for a long time, and there was a lot of good vibes. But
there are also crazy threats. The mayor of Kars, where all our ancestry
comes from, said some racist things about us, and extreme-right
organisations were threatening us. There was one town where there are
no Armenians but there's a really beautiful old Armenian church. We
were escorted into town by undercover cops, and basically there was
more police cars during the concert than there was audience."
With the record now garnering critical praise, Hamasayan and his choir
have embarked on a 100-date tour, bringing Luys i Luso, appropriately,
to sacred spaces around the world. On Saturday, the vaulted acoustics
of Dublin's Christ Church Cathedral will resound to these ancient
chants. And now, for the work's creator, what began as a challenging
musical project has brought him to a more profound understanding of
his own spirituality.
"Music is an unexplainable way to connect with the universe,
God, whatever you want to call it. Especially if you're performing
religious music, you have to be in that space. And the thing is that
music brought me to that place. Armenian sacred music brought me to
spirituality and religion."
Tigran Hamasayan and the Yerevan State Chamber Choir perform Luys i
Luso in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, on Saturday, as part of the
Waltons World Masters series. newschool.ie
The Irish Times
Oct 15 2015
The pianist believes God intervened during the recording of his new
album. He talks faith, voices and the Armenian genocide
by Cormac Larkin
God, it is said, works in mysterious ways. Tigran Hamasayan certainly
thinks so. In October last year, during the recording of the pianist's
latest album, Luys i Luso - a haunting fusion of piano improvisation
and sacred music - the creator unexpectedly intervened.
"It was a crazy moment," he says. "It was the last day of recording,
and we had to record this very serious piece called New Flower. It's
a long, complicated piece, and as soon as we started recording,
all the lights went off."
Hamasayan and the 24-strong Yerevan State Chamber Choir were gathered
in a studio in the Armenian capital to make the young pianist's first
recording for the prestigious label ECM. It was the culmination of
three years' work, arranging and revising sacred Armenian hymns,
some more than 1,500 years old, and placing his delicate piano
improvisations alongside. The project's title translates as "light
from light", so the sudden power cut seemed like an omen.
"It was meant to happen," he says. "Right around the corner there
was an old, 17th-century church, and while we waited for the power to
come back, the whole choir walked there, and some of the girls sang
in the church. It was a spiritual moment. It was God saying that if
you're recording sacred music for four days, you've got to visit a
church at least once. After that, everybody was different. It had a
big impact on us."
Hamasayan was born in 1987 in Gyumri, a small city in northwest Armenia
near what is today the Turkish border. He began performing at 11,
and at 18 won first prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Three years
later, after relocating to the US, he won the prestigious Thelonius
Monk piano competition in New York. He is still only 28, but already
his virtuosity has attracted favourable comment from jazz royalty
such as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and Brad Mehldau.
Profound engagement
Hamasayan's previous recordings, such as Aratta Rebirth (2009)
and A Fable (2011), have also evinced a passionate interest in the
folk music of his homeland. But Luys i Luso is an altogether more
profound engagement with the heritage of this ancient and culturally
rich nation, traditionally regarded as the first country to adopt
Christianity as an official religion.
"It was a great journey. Since the day I discovered Armenian sacred
music, I knew I wanted to do something with it, but I didn't dare
because it is something that requires serious study. Then, three
years ago, I started thinking about a specific repertoire and exactly
which sharakans [fifth-century sacred chants] and hymns I was going
to arrange."
"I knew for sure it was going to involve voices," he adds, "because
those melodies have to be sung. And what I had to achieve was to
combine the piano with voices. But not just classical voices - I was
looking for singers that were able to sing like monks."
The publicity surrounding the release of Luys i Luso never fails to
mention that 2015 is the centenary of the Armenian genocide, when the
Ottoman army systematically exterminated more than a million ethnic
Armenians, a fact the Turkish government denies to this day. But for
Hamasayan, the date is coincidental and the link to his homeland's
past is more subtle.
"What really ties Luys i Luso to the genocide is that 99 per cent of
the music we are performing was written in monasteries in historical
Armenia that are now in Turkey. It only became connected to the
genocide after we did this pilgrimage tour in June to bring back this
music to the places where it was born."
Hamasayan had consistently refused to perform in Turkey, but when
the opportunity came to present this music in towns that had been
traditionally Armenian, he relented. "Before that, I couldn't convince
myself that I could go and stay in good shape emotionally. I can't
just go somewhere where people killed my great-grandfather and his
sisters. I couldn't convince myself that I'm going to go there just
for money, to play in front of a crowd that still denies that they
killed my family.
"The tour was our way of saying that this music is still alive in
Armenia and we're bringing it back to its origins. It got a lot of
attention from the Turkish media. People have been waiting for me to
play in Turkey for a long time, and there was a lot of good vibes. But
there are also crazy threats. The mayor of Kars, where all our ancestry
comes from, said some racist things about us, and extreme-right
organisations were threatening us. There was one town where there are
no Armenians but there's a really beautiful old Armenian church. We
were escorted into town by undercover cops, and basically there was
more police cars during the concert than there was audience."
With the record now garnering critical praise, Hamasayan and his choir
have embarked on a 100-date tour, bringing Luys i Luso, appropriately,
to sacred spaces around the world. On Saturday, the vaulted acoustics
of Dublin's Christ Church Cathedral will resound to these ancient
chants. And now, for the work's creator, what began as a challenging
musical project has brought him to a more profound understanding of
his own spirituality.
"Music is an unexplainable way to connect with the universe,
God, whatever you want to call it. Especially if you're performing
religious music, you have to be in that space. And the thing is that
music brought me to that place. Armenian sacred music brought me to
spirituality and religion."
Tigran Hamasayan and the Yerevan State Chamber Choir perform Luys i
Luso in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, on Saturday, as part of the
Waltons World Masters series. newschool.ie
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