Armen Badalyan – Komitas: Divine Liturgy (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:19:47 minutes | 1,36 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Delos
YEREVAN, JUNE 12, ARMENPRESS. On June 11, upon the initiative, organization, and support of the Embassy of Armenia in Latvia (residence in Vilnius), famous American Delos Productions record label has released Komitas’ “Divine Liturgy” full concert version exclusive CD to mark the 150th anniversary of the great composer and priest, the Embassy told Armenpress.
The recording of the “Liturgy” was preceded by the concert performance held on September 20, 2019, in Riga’s oldest St. John’s Church by the Latvian Radio Choir along with Armenian soloists Hovhannes Nersisyan and Armen Badalyan, conducted by Sigvards Kļava, after which the recording took place in the same church.
The release of the album is unique in the sense that for the first time in history a non-Armenian mixed choir, namely the Latvian Radio Choir, performed and then recorded the full concert version of Komitas’ Liturgy.
The preparatory works of the project lasted for about three years during which in 2017 and 2018 the Latvian Radio Choir performed excerpts from Komitas’ pieces at concerts organized by the Embassy of Armenia in Latvia. Then, composer Vache Sharafyan managed to transcribe Komitas masterpiece, originally designated for a performance by a male choir, into a mixed choir performance. The release of the album may further enhance the interest of the musical world towards Komitas. French-Armenian Komitas scholar-musicologist Mkrtich Mkrtchyan and Latvian Armenologist Valda Salmiņa also worked with the choir.
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