The Khachatryans

I heard the teenage Sergey Khachatryan playing a violin concerto with Marin Alsop conducting at a concert some years ago and I was most impressed. Since then he has been a violinist in whom I have always taken a keen interest, so I seized upon a new CD featuring him called “My Armenia”. The CD consists of a number of 20^th century Armenian pieces for violin and piano, of which the only two I know are two bits from Aram Khachaturian (Chanson-Poème, and Sabre Dance). Sergey is his usual admirable and efficient self, but what impressed me above all was the playing of his sister, Lusine Khachatryan. Her playing reminds me of her near-ethnic neighbour, Katja Buniatishvili, with her ability to stroke the piano keys with velvet paws. Perhaps it is the piano sound of the Black Sea / Caspian Sea region. Lusine has lots of solo pieces on the CD – many of them Armenian dances – and they make interesting and enjoyable listening, particularly when played like this. As one can remember from Khachaturian's music, Armenian music has many strands of what used to be called “oriental”. Fortunately, Armenia – like Georgia – was spared from modern Islam, with its bleak record of major artistic works, music or musicians.

All in all, a very welcome CD of pretty well unknown music -- the composer Komitas Vardapet really impresses -- and I'll keep it by me in my “play again” section. It could even turn out that I listen more to the piano pieces, than to the duets. Quibbles? In view of the stature of both artists, the CD should have more accurately been called “Our Armenia”. And whoever told the Naïve graphic artist that no track numbers, and tiny light grey print on a white background were OK, should be shown to the door. Lusine Khachatryan really should be given a CD of her own to record; I'll buy it.