Armenian Dances - Part 1
Alfred REED (b.1921)
In his Armenian Dances, Alfred Reed has captured many of the styles, tempos, and subtleties of the Armenian folk songs and dances. Part I, completed in 1972, is based on five authentic Armenian folksongs drawn from the vast collection of Gomidas Vartabed (1869 - 1935). Gomidas has been credited as the founder of Armenian classical music for his work on preserving and documenting over four thousand folk songs. The opening The Apricot Tree is a sentimental song with a declamatory beginning. The Partidge’s Song is an original song by Gomidas. Its simple, delicate melody was intended for a children’s choir and is symbolic of that bird’s tiny steps. A young man sings the praises of his beloved (named Nazan) in the lovely, lively love song Hoy, My Nazan. This is followed by Alagyaz, which is the name of a mountain in Armenia represented by a beloved folk song that is as majestic as the mountain itself. Part I ends with a delightful and humorous laughing-song Go, Go! with an ever accelerating and exicting tempo.