Music: Alexander Chaushian: Armenian Cello Concertos


Reviews

Armenian artists champion the music of their homeland

The Strad Issue: July 2023

 Armenian artists champion the music of their homeland

Musicians: Alexander Chaushian (cello) Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra/Eduard Topchjan

Works: Babajanian: Cello Concerto. Khachaturian: Concerto in E minor. Petrossian: 8.4 Cello Concerto Catalogue number: BIS BIS-2648

 

 

Alexander Chaushian and Eduard Topchjan share a fervent mission to secure the widest possible dissemination of Armenian music as part of their national heritage. This enterprising and beautifully recorded disc serves their purpose admirably by bringing together three cello concertos that span almost 80 years, all inspired by various aspects of Armenian music, from liturgical chants in Petrossian’s 2021 work 8.4, to folk melodies in Khachaturian’s concerto (1946). Petrossian’s language is perhaps the most inventive, with careful depiction of varying sound worlds to characterise the underlying themes. For example, the first movement ‘Massis’ (referring to Mount Ararat) uses brass, oboes and cellos, whereas the second ‘Sis’ opts for more percussive tones to underline its more stringent rhythmic character. Chaushian also finds a wide range of colours and timbres in the cello writing to reflect this aspect in a perceptive performance.

Khachaturian is the best-known figure here, famed for his passionate style, not least in his ballet Spartacus. The Cello Concerto only offers glimpses of this strong vein of melodiousness and, despite a committed performance from Chaushian, the piece seems discursive and structurally ill-defined.

Read: Cellist Alexander Chaushian joins The Yehudi Menuhin School

Review: Weinberg: Cello Sonatas nos.1 & 2, Sonata for solo cello

Review: Khachaturian: Concerto–Rhapsody*. Zakarian: Monograph*. Sharafyan: Suite*. Komitas Crane (arr. Sharafyan)†

The performers’ zeal really ignites in Babajanian’s concerto (1962), particularly in the exquisite sound world of the Andante, and the rhythmic bustle of the concluding Allegro. Here the finely honed ensemble under Topchjan is in perfect accord with an impressively virtuosic interpretation from Chaushian.

JOANNE TALBOT

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 19-06-23

 17:19,

YEREVAN, 19 JUNE, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 19 June, USD exchange rate down by 0.27 drams to 386.27 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.57 drams to 421.73 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 4.59 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.20 drams to 494.66 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 74.96 drams to 24337.88 drams. Silver price up by 7.06 drams to 297.93 drams.

EU mission expands to contain Baku’s provocations – Armenian political scientist

June 7 2023
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

New operation centers for the EU mission

The head of the EU monitoring mission in Armenia announced that in the coming months it is planned to open three additional operational centers for monitoring the border with Azerbaijan. Markus Ritter said that they will be located in Kapan, Ijevan and Yeghegnadzor.

Political scientist Gurgen Simonyan explains that the EU mission intends to place its observers in the direction where “the armed forces of Azerbaijan are illegally present.” He believes that monitoring these sections of the Armenian border “will help neutralize Baku’s destructive and destabilizing steps.”


  • Russian and Western platforms for Baku-Yerevan negotiations: Similarities and differences
  • “The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan includes Nagorno-Karabakh,” and other statements by Pashinyan
  • Withdrawal from CSTO not on the agenda of Yerevan: What is the danger?

The head of the mission of civilian observers monitoring the Armenian border said that more than 300 patrols have been carried out since February 20. The total length of patrol routes was 3,800 kilometers.

The EU monitors arrived in Armenia in February of this year on a long-term two-year mission. It consists of 100 people: 50 observers and 50 administrative staff. The purpose of the mission is to promote stability in the border areas of Armenia, build confidence on the ground and create favorable conditions for the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Markus Ritter recalled that the mission in Armenia materialized urgently, “with unprecedented haste.” He said that at the moment operational centers exist in the cities of Goris, Jermuk and Martuni.

“Our goal is to help stabilize the security situation in the border areas. According to various Armenian officials, our work contributed to a certain stabilization. However, in general, the situation is still unstable.”

The head of the mission of EU observers monitoring the Armenian-Azerbaijani border said that they inform the Azerbaijani authorities in advance when and where exactly they will be

According to political scientist Gurgen Simonyan, in order to understand what caused the need for additional operational centers in the directions indicated by the head of the mission, one should simply look at the map.

“The additional accumulation of forces and the activation of Azerbaijan near Yeghegnadzor are aimed at cutting off the Tigranashen-Yeghegnadzor connection, having control over this small area and tearing off Syunik [the southern region of Armenia bordering Azerbaijan]. The EU mission is expanding to contain Baku’s provocations,” he told JAMnews.

According to the political scientist, international actors are trying to prevent this, but the increase in the combat capability of the Armenian armed forces also plays a significant role.

According to him, the EU monitoring mission “does not give Baku the opportunity to create moral grounds for military aggression.” Such a basis could be the factual justification by Azerbaijan that Armenia was the first to start hostilities. However, this is not possible in the presence of EU observers. Simonyan explains that this presence is not limited to patrolling and monitoring the border:

“The mission headquarters takes into account, studies the factual data provided by the Armenian side, then presents them in the form of reports to the EU, EU member states and other interested parties.”

The political scientist says that recordings from cameras installed along the border by the Armenian Ministry of Defense are also taken into account. He gives an example of military clashes near the village of Tegh in April:

“Azerbaijan could not present its own provocation in this area as aggression from the Armenian side, because it was recorded by cameras, there was factual material.”

The expert also commented on the statement of the head of the EU mission, which he made in April. Markus Ritter said that the observers inform Azerbaijan when and where the monitoring will be carried out.

“This is done so that Azerbaijan does not resort to provocations. This is not about the fact that Azerbaijanis are warned in advance: “We will be out of place, do nothing against Armenia.” They are warned: “Please note that we will be on this site.” All their movements take place on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, or in the contact zone, so Azerbaijan is informed that their armed forces should not open fire on observers,” Simonyan says.

He positively assesses the activities of the EU mission and believes that the observers are fulfilling their task. He says that after their deployment on the border, “we have not observed cases of large-scale military aggression.”

He emphasizes that the activities of the mission, as well as the ongoing Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiation process on the European platform, should be considered within the framework of the policy pursued by the West:

“And the collective West under the leadership of the United States is not interested in any military conflict or escalation in the region.”

https://jam-news.net/new-operation-centers-for-the-eu-mission/

Is Armenia Giving up on Nagorny Karabakh?

UK – June 8 2023

Statements recognising Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity signal painful decisions may lie ahead.

FREELANCE JOURNALIST BASED IN YEREVAN

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement on the readiness to recognise the region of Nagorny Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan could end a territorial dispute that has locked the two nations in a three decades long war. 

But it has also shaken Armenian society, whose fight for the region has defined its history and identity.

“The perception of the international community is increasingly leaning towards the formula that Armenia and Azerbaijan must, without reservation, recognise each other’s territorial integrity, 29,800 sq km and 86,600 sq km respectively. We agree with this logic and [we] are negotiating according to this logic,” Pashinyan stated during a four-and-half-hour press conference on May 22. He added that “a dialogue must take place between Baku and Stepanakert aimed at ensuring the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorny Karabakh”.

Prompted by journalists, he added that “those 86,600 square kilometres also include Nagorny Karabakh”.

This is the first time an Armenian leader has said that Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity includes the Armenian-populated enclave in the neighbouring South Caucasus nation.

“Artsakh [as Armenians call Karabakh] is the homeland that we are holding on to with our teeth,” Marat Hovhannisyan told IWPR. Originally from Armenia’s Kotyak region, the 27-year-old joined the army in Karabakh when he was 18: for him, the territory is the land of his ancestors.

“I cannot imagine it as part of Azerbaijan, every Armenian who sets foot here can feel how strong and how long we have fought to have our home and our statehood.” 

The mountainous region has been an integral part of Armenia’s political identity since 1988 when ethnic Armenians, comprising a majority in the territory, demanded it be transferred from then Soviet Azerbaijan to Soviet Armenia.

Armenian forces won the war that broke out following the collapse of the Soviet Union, claiming nearly 30,000 lives and leaving hundreds of thousands displaced. The 1994 ceasefire gave Karabakh de facto independence, but its 150,000 residents have been living in limbo as the territory’s sovereignty was not internationally recognised. 

The link between Yerevan and Stepanakert, Karabakh’s de facto capital, is deep: it is included in Armenia’s declaration of independence and recognising it as part of Azerbaijan would require this to be amended. 

However, while the prime minister’s statement has undoubtedly stirred ire, this has not gone beyond angry debate on social networks, small gatherings and outrage in Stepanakert.

This marks a stark contrast with the recent past.

In 2020, tens of thousands marched in Yerevan calling for Pashinyan’s resignation after Armenia lost the Second Karabakh war and Azerbaijan regained the control of districts around Karabakh and some key towns in the territory, like Hadrut and Shushi (Shusha in Azerbaijani).

Large protests also erupted in May 2022 after Pashinyan said in parliament that Armenia had to “lower the benchmark of expectations” on the status of Karabakh. Then, as now,  the opposition was not able to capitalise on the anger and the interest eventually faded.

“The prospects of subordinating Karabakh to Azerbaijan are sensitive, any idea of ceding the territory is profoundly unpopular in Armenia,” political analyst Alexander Iskandaryan, who leads the Caucasus Institute, told IWPR. “However, due to harsh post-war consequences, it is getting more admissible.”

SELF-DETERMINATION

For decades, Yerevan countered Baku’s claim of territorial integrity with the right to self-determination, stressing that Armenians in the territory had the right to determine their international political status and sovereignty without outside or external interference.

The 2020 war changed the balance of power and narratives. 

The right of Karabakh to self-determination has disappeared from the rhetoric of the political elite, which is increasingly raising the need to accept a difficult reality.

Those in Karabakh do not see such painful decisions as an option.

“We have sacrificed our dearest people for Artsakh and what our heroes did in 1990 cannot be devalued…This is unacceptable,” Loretta Bakhshiyan, whose 18-year-old son Aram and her two brothers died in 2020, told IWPR in a phone conversation from Stepanakert.

Bakhshiyan has been unable to visit her son’s grave in the Yerablur military cemetery in Yerevan since December 2022 due to the blockade by Azerbaijani so-called eco-activists of the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Karabakh with Armenia. 

“Artsakh must always be Armenian; I cannot imagine [it] as part of Azerbaijan. If you [Armenian government] had to recognise it as part of Azerbaijan, why did you sacrifice this generation?”  the 41-year-old said.

For three decades, surveys have mirrored Bakhshiyan’s position: Armenians have only seen Karabakh either as an independent state or a part of Armenia. 

Grieving mothers are the most critical voices. In mid-May, Armenian media reported an attempt to abduct Ashot Pashinyan, the premier’s 23-year-old son who also fought in the Second Karabakh war. The culprits belonged to an NGO advocating for mothers of the fallen soldiers of 2020 who have regularly staged protests against the government.

FROM DISSENT TO SOLUTION

Polls on Pashinya’s latest statement are not available, but a survey conducted by the Washington-based International Republican Institute (IRI) in early 2023 showed that 53 per cent of Armenians think that government policy towards Karabakh “regressed a lot” while 16 per cent thinks that it “somewhat regressed”. 

Issues related to the region, including the blockade in Lachin corridor or the state of the army, dominate what Armenians see as their government’s biggest failure during the previous six months.

“Pashinyan’s rating has fallen sharply from 75 per cent [of his election in 2018] to 14 per cent today. This figure is below the line of legitimacy; making such an extreme decision with such a trust rating is very risky. A huge wave of dissatisfaction will rise,” Gevorg Poghosyan, sociology professor at the National Academy of Science, told IWPR, adding that a referendum should be held.

Surveys, however, do not detail how far society is ready to go to defend Karabakh, including through a new military confrontation.

“Even when iconic Karabakh leaders, such as Vazgen Manukyan and Robert Kocharyan [former Karabakh-born Armenian president] joined the opposition, there was no awakening as in 1988. People get so tired of wars that they may be ready for a ‘disgraceful peace’,” Sergey Markedonov, a Russian political scientist specialising on Caucasus issues, told IWPR.

A treaty may also not secure long-lasting peace in the region.

“The government thinks that by ceding Karabak it will solve all problems in Armenia, from security issues to economic development. But history has proved that Azerbaijan’s aggression and territorial claims are not limited to the territory… Baku did not cease its ambitions towards Armenia after the [2020] war,” Tigran Abrahamyan, an opposition MP from the I Have the Honour Alliance, told IWPR referring to the 2022 attack along a broad swathe of border areas within Armenia.  

Iskandaryan agreed, pointing out that Baku did not feel under any military threat. 

“Yerevan wants to protect itself with a peace treaty, Baku does not have such a need [and] accordingly, it needs something else, the full control of Karabakh. Even with declaration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, Baku receives Karabakh only on paper,” the analyst stressed.  “There are still Russian peacekeepers stationed there, there are local government institutions, even though not recognised, and Azerbaijani legislation does not extend to it.”


Armenpress: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to visit China next week – POLITICO

 10:08, 9 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to travel to Beijing as soon as next week, POLITICO reported citing two people familiar with the scheduling.

The trip will mark the highest-level visit of a U.S. official to China since that of then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2018.

The Biden administration has been working to renew high-level diplomatic and military communication following a near breakdown over the Chinese spy balloon incident in February. Blinken had originally been scheduled to visit China few days later and postponed because of the rancor over the balloon.

Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden predicted a “thaw” in U.S.-China relations. Within days, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao had flown to the U.S. for meetings with Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. But Beijing’s denial of a request by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to meet with his counterpart Li Shangfu at the Shangri La Dialogue defense summit in Singapore suggested that bilateral ties remained tenuous, according to POLITICO.

Armenia School Foundation to Mark 20th Anniversary with Fundraiser Art Show

GLENDALE—The Armenia School Foundation announced that it will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with a fundraiser art show. This special event, marked with a captivating art exhibition and a cocktail reception on June 22 and 23 at the Tufenkian Fine Arts Gallery, aims to celebrate the foundation’s two decades of empowering education and supporting the Armenian community.

Since its establishment in 2003, the Armenia School Foundation has been at the forefront of promoting educational opportunities and preserving Armenian cultural heritage. With the generous support of donors, volunteers, and community members, the foundation has made significant contributions to the development of Armenian schools, ensuring quality education for Armenian children and fostering a strong sense of cultural identity.

The 20th anniversary fundraiser art show will serve as a platform to raise vital funds for the foundation’s ongoing initiatives. The event will feature a remarkable collection of artworks from acclaimed Armenian artists, showcasing a diverse range of styles and themes. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty and creativity of Armenian art while supporting a noble cause.

The cocktail reception, scheduled on the 22 from 6 to 9 p.m., promises to be a memorable evening and provides a networking opportunity for individuals passionate about education, culture, and the Armenian community. The exhibition will be on view on June 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tufenkian Fine Arts Gallery is located at 216 S Louise St. Glendale, CA 91205.

“We are thrilled to celebrate our 20th anniversary with this special art show,” said Moneh Der Grigorian, a representative of the Armenia School Foundation. “Through the years, our foundation has worked tirelessly to provide educational opportunities for Armenian children, and this event allows us to reflect on our achievements while looking forward to a brighter future. We invite everyone to join us in this celebration of art, culture, and community.”

The 20th anniversary fundraiser art show is made possible through the collaboration of the Armenia School Foundation and numerous talented Armenian artists. The event is open to the public, and all proceeds will go directly towards supporting the foundation’s educational programs and initiatives.

For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit the Armenian School Foundation’s website or their Instagram and Facebook pages.

The Armenia School Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of education and the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage. Its main objective is to provide all children in Armenia and Artsakh with a safe and supportive learning environment. ASF has been working tirelessly to meet their goal by providing new furniture to schools to schools in Armenia and Artsakh. Through fundraising efforts and community support, the foundation works towards providing educational resources and improving the quality of education in Armenian schools.

Democracy is Armenia’s main trademark, says Pashinyan

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 11:02, 31 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Democracy is Armenia’s main trademark, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Armenian Forum for Democracy.

Pashinyan noted that internet, press and elections are free in Armenia.

“When the non-violent velvet revolution took place in 2018, and we were saying that democracy is Armenia’s main trademark, many where doubting this, because they were saying that the government doesn’t need to limit freedoms in conditions of post-revolutionary euphoria. But the fact that the Armenian Forum for Democracy was held for the first time in 2022 and not in 2019 speaks volumes, because when we were emphasizing the free snap parliamentary elections held in 2018, this was being questioned as well, asking what kind of elections would’ve taken place if conditions were different,” Pashinyan said, adding that elections were held in different conditions as well – the 2021 snap election of parliament after the Second Nagorno Karabakh War – and the elections were again free and democratic.

The fact that democracy is Armenia’s main trademark is a conscious political course by the Armenian government and people, and not a result of coincidence.

Prime Minister Pashinyan underscored that many serious institutional reforms are still in process, and upon completion the reforms should bring higher levels of human rights protection, rule of law and anti-corruption policy.

Furthermore, the Armenian PM stated that the high economic growth registered in Armenia today is the result of economic freedoms, among others.

There are no internal threats to democracy in Armenia, Pashinyan added. He said that all possible threats are foreign threats, well-known and visible to everyone. Pashinyan said that it is important to prove that democracy is capable of ensuring security as well.

Democracy will continue to be Armenia’s main trademark. Pashinyan expressed hope that high economic growth and peace will be the country’s supporting brands. The unity of democracy, economic growth and peace must serve the goal. “We are talking about freedoms, but freedom isn’t the final goal in itself, freedom is the method of ensuring the welfare and happiness of people. This is the highest goal we’ve set before us, our objective is for people to be prosperous, protected, happy, able to do what they like to do and thus ensure their own prosperity and also the country’s prosperity. Certainly, democracy is a necessary albeit insufficient condition for this, and we must ensure the remaining institutional conditions as well, in order for this vision to become reality,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan’s office to temporarily move to Baghramyan 26

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Armenia – June 2 2023

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s residence will be temporarily moved from the Government House 1 to the Presidential Palace at 26 Baghramyan Avenue in central Yerevan due to the renovation of the government headquarter, his office told Sputnik Armenia on Friday.

The office has not revealed how long Pashinyan will work at Baghramyan 26.

Nagorno Karabakh positions hit by Azerbaijani shelling

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 13:22,

STEPANAKERT, MAY 30, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani forces violated the Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire on May 30, firing small arms and mortars in two different areas, the Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

The shooting took place in the northern and eastern directions of the line of contact.

As of 11:40, the Azeri forces fired seven 60mm mortar shells at one of the positions of the Defense Army of Artsakh.

The Artsakh military didn’t suffer any losses.

The Russian peacekeepers were briefed on the shooting.

As of 13:00, the situation was relatively stable.