Barkhudaryan / Ayrapetyan Four Oriental Dances / Twelve Armenian Dances CD

The Armenian and Georgian composer Sarkis Vasil'evich Barkhudarian is famed for his piano miniatures. Some are among the first piano works to use Armenian folk themes as the basis for a series of original compositions. His colorful and unusual harmonies, created by the sinuous, interweaving modes of Armenian music, are immediately attractive and his miniatures, whether full of grace or pungent dance rhythms, bear out Glazunov's admiration of his 'sincerity, elegance and harmony of form.' Mikael Ayrapetyan was born in 1984 in Yerevan, Armenia, where he had his early schooling. His repertoire ranges from the Baroque to the contemporary and includes rarely performed works of Armenian composers. He is actively engaged in the popularization of Armenian classical music, organizing concerts in the major concert halls of the world, and acting as producer, artistic director and pianist for these performances.

1. No. 1 2. No. 2 3. No. 3 4. No. 4 5. Dance of the Bride 6. Children's Dance 7. Dance of the Matchmaker 8. Dance of the Rural Girls 9. Provocative Dance (Men's) 10. Maiden's Roundelay 11. Dance of Friendship (Men's) 12. Dance of a Mountain Girl 13. Dance of Farewell (Women's) 14. Masker's Dance (Men's) 15. Circular Dance (Joint) 16. Festive Dance (Men's) 17. Naz-Par 18. Fairy Tale 19. Sketch in B minor 20. Watercolour 21. Smooth Dance 22. Lullaby 23. Maiden Dance 24. Boots-Dragonfly 25. Dance in A-Flat Major 26. Sketch in D minor 27. Scherzo 28. Circular Dance in B minor 29. Gulnara's Dance 30. Nanochka's Dance 31. Anoush's Sorrow 32. Prelude in D minor 33. Prelude in D-Sharp minor 34. Nocturne 35. Sketch in a Major 36. Lullaby of Shushani