We recently came across two great new versions of music for two favourite Armenian dances. There is a fabulous 4.20 long version of Siroon Aghchig (Sweet Girl) on 'Armenian Music through the Ages' by Richard Hagopian, oud master (Smithsonian Folkways CD SF40414). It is played in the old style with oud, kanun, violin, vocals and doumbek, with lots of gorgeous taksim which gives you plenty of time to get into the dance. It's similar in style and feel to the original version by Udi Hrant Kenkulian, which I first came across on a dusty 78 rpm in the record vault of the radio station at the University of Virginia in 1987. To quote from the liner notes of the Smithsonian Folkways CD:
The blind artist Udi Hrant became a legendary figure for his mastery of the art form known as taksim (Middle Eastern improvisation). His virtuosity and sensitive approach revolutionised 'ud playing. As a composer, Hrant wrote...songs which have become standards. He composed songs set to both Armenian and Turkish texts. Hrant's folk songs are often written in a folk style and autobiographical in nature, expressing the tragedy of his condition or songs of love's bittersweetness. The song Siroon Aghcheek was written in 1936 for his bride-to-be, Aghvani.
Sweet Girl
Sweet girl, sweet love, come, come, take my soul.
I can't do without you.
Wherever you go, take me with you.
You will take me, my sweet one, don't be shy.
You are like sugar, my sweetness.
Let me be shoes for your feet.
If I were close to you, I would put a ring on your finger.
I would give you a kiss,
Then surrender my life to you.
Our second CD discovery was an exquisite version of Harsaneek on the soundtrack to Nigol Bezjian's film 'Chickpeas'. The score is by Milcho Leviev, who I presume did this arrangement of the traditional tune. On the CD (1994 Khaz music works, Khaz CD 1955) it is called Vratzagan Bar (Georgian dance). I know the original music to Harsaneek is gorgeous enough (on Tom Bozigian's recording, Songs and Dances of the Amenian People vol. 3 - GT 5001). But it's short, and this new one is nearly four minutes long. Alas, almost half of it is a heartbreaking improvisation on the duduk, but if you are dancing with candles it can be a lovely moment of meditation. The melody, with duduk and piano, is very romantic and soppy in the nicest possible way.
Recently I've been dancing my Armenian Candle Suite with this Harsaneek at the end, because it's one of the few pieces of music I've found that can follow Shoror.The only thing is, it's slower than Tom's recording, too slow for the simple non-candle version of the dance which I originally learned in the circle dance world (lifting up on one leg while brushing fwd and back and fwd with the other). My choice is to dance the candle version very slowly, with a processional feel: three steps to the R, face centre and close with the L. Step fwd on the L, touch fwd with the R, step back on the R, step back on the L with weight. Repeat. The hands extend fwd as the R foot touches fwd.
With groups of 25+ I love to spiral in with this slow, processional Harsaneek - when we all have lighted candles in our hands it's marvellous, especially if we've just danced Mom Bar and Shoror. Then after the music ends, walking out of the spiral together is a beautiful symbolic action, a way of consciously coming out of the difficult themes which Shoror can touch upon, and returning to the circle .
(By the way, I'll always be interested to know what other groups are doing with Shoror and the other candle dances, since they lend themselves so well to 'ritual choreographies' like the sequence I've just described. If you feel like it, you're welcome to drop me a line about your experiences.)
Anyway, these two CDs are definitely worth having. In the UK they can both be ordered from: Garod Distribution, 7 Tower Close, Reading, Berkshire RG4 8UU.