Armenian Cello Concertos Benefit from Native Performers

Yes, in many ways classical music is universal. A French orchestra, with a Japanese conductor and a Brazilian pianist, can deliver an exciting performance of a German piano concerto.

But something special happens when the music of a composer is played by an orchestra of their native country. Especially if it's led by a fellow countryman and features a native soloist. A shared cultural subtext rises to the surface. 

These musicians "get" what the composer is doing in a way that non-natives can't. And as a result, the music seems to take on a different character -- a more authentic character, if you will. 

That's exactly what I heard with "Armenian Cello Concertos." 

The soloist is Armenian-born Alexander Chausian. The orchestra is the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra. And the album was recorded in the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

The bona fides are there -- and so are the performances. I always thought of Khachaturian as a Soviet composer, who wrote in the state-approved neo-Romantic style. But his 1946 Cello Concerto sounds quite different here. 

Chausian plays with a rich, mellow sound. And he expressively bends and slurs pitches. It gives the music a Slavic folk-like quality. And one that's quite removed from the Russian classical style. 

Arno Babajanian wrote his Cello Concerto for  Mstislav Rostropovich. Rostropovich premiered it in 1962, and it was an instant success. Babajanian's Armenian influences aren't as obvious as Khachaturian's. But there are occasional turns and harmonies that have folk roots. 

French composer Michel Petrossian is of Armenian origins. He may be slightly removed from his roots. But his 2021 "8:4 concerto for cello and orchestra" references Mout Ararat, an important symbol in Armenian folklore. The music draws on both Armenian secular and sacred music traditions. 

All three works are worthy of attention. Heard together, they provide insight into the culture these composers share.

Armenian Cello Concertos
Alexander Chaushian, cello
Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra; Eduard Topchjan, conductor
BIS 2648