3 - Azerbaijan: Alim Qasimov [OCR 560013] and Notable Music Blogs

Notable Music Blogs

As we cross from Armenia into Azerbaijan, this would be a good opportunity to mention some impressive traditional/world music bloggers.

The notable MusicRepublic blog shared some liturgical music of Komitas, ripped from a Melodiya vinyl. They have also posted a very fine introduction to the music of Azerbaijan from UNESCO. It has solos of Bahram Mansurov (tar) and Habil Aliyev (kamancheh), which will hook a certain type of listener.

There are two vinyls of Armenian music shared by Zhuzhu, a terrific blogger of Soviet vinyl (and shellac): one a mix of popular folk tunes, the other a duduk album. Zhuzhu has shared considerably more music of Azerbaijan, ranging from opera to traditional songs to the music of ashiks. The Habil Aliyev would be a must-download, but the recording is available from the next blog in higher quality. If I had to suggest what to listen to next, it would be the albums of Azeri ashiks and mugham singers.

As anyone with a knowledge of music blogs would expect, the legendary Oriental Traditional Music blog probably has the most substantial offerings of the music of Azerbaijan, at least of any English-language blog. Tawfiq, the late publisher of this blog, shared some first-class music from everywhere between Morocco and Kyrgyzstan, and it is no surprise Azerbaijan is well represented. One could start with everything featuring the kamancheh virtuoso Habil Aliyev, one of the best to draw a bow in the age of recording. The man is in the company of Heifetz and Arditti, Casals and Rostropovich, Bundu Khan, or—in the same instrument—the Iranian Ali-Asghar Bahari. There are also several posts of Azerbaijan mugham singers, including four recordings that include Alim Qasimov.

There are other music blogs to mention, but it will wait for more relevant music. In many respects, my posts are nothing but footnotes to these much more impressive sites. There are truly years worth of listening that can be done from a handful of music blogs alone. I am humbly sharing a few things I have found, but my work is almost unnecessary given their work.

Alim Qasimov - Azerbaidjan [OCR 560013]

Tracklist:

1. Rast
2. Segah
3. Mahur
4. Chahargah
5. Nazli Yar

Alim Qasimov with Fakhreddin Dadashov, Valeh Rahimov, at Eldar Mansurov's home in Baku, 1987. Video recorded by Jean During. Be sure to subscribe to Jean During's YouTube channel, and hit that bell!

As for this Ocora album, it is from a performance recorded in Paris in 1992—before Qasimov became more familiar with Western audiences. But only four years later, Ocora releases another disc where it could be asked in the liner notes, without hyperbole, if Qasimov is the greatest singer of the age. And this is from a label that published a 5-CD set of qawwali by Nusrat Ali Fateh Khan! That said, it is a fair question.

The French liner notes run ten pages, and then repeated in English and German. They are written by Jean During—who has become, for me, as legendary as Qasimov. We will return to During again and again, and more will be said about him in later posts. I do not know a convenient way to download the liner notes from archive.org—I resort to right-click and save one at a time. To prevent people this hassle, I have uploaded a link just to the liner notes. The VBR mp3s must be downloaded through the m3u file or a program/browser app.

VBR MP3s + liner notes [Internet Archive]

liner notes [mega]

Downloading Help

If you save the streaming m3u file and open it in a text editor, you will see that it contains links to the mp3 files. You can save these mp3s by importing the list into a download manager or copying the list into JDownloader2.

2 - Other Minds Archive: Programs on Armenian Music

 A little more from Armenia before crossing the border.

This post features four radio programs from the Other Minds Archive at the Internet Archive, referred to in the first post. For the most part, Other Minds focuses on contemporary classical music. They began uploading broadcasts from the Ode to Gravity, Speaking of Music, and Morning Concert series in the early 2000s, when I had only been listening to American minimalism for a couple years. The interviews and curated music in these programs both deepened and broadened my knowledge and appreciation for 20th classical. 

For me, the jewel of this bunch is the first program with Maro Ajemian. Ajemian was the first to record John Cage's Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano, and her version remains my preferred performance. From this interview, we see how intertwined her musical identity is with her homeland. For those that just want to hear the music, however, skip to the second program "Folk Music of Armenia."

Ode To Gravity: A Visit With Maro Ajemian (August 26, 1970)

The program I most fondly remember: 

Internationally renowned pianist Maro Ajemian, her husband Lionel Galstaun, and KPFA's Richard Friedman and Charles Amirkhanian discuss the music of Komitas (1869-1935), an Armenian composer, performer, and musicologist, whose compositions are based on folk tunes of Armenia and set in the modes, rhythms, and harmonies of Eastern rather than Western (e.g. Khachaturian) composition. Examples of piano works and choral works are heard from a privately issued two-record album.

VBR MP3 [Internet Archive]

Folk Music from Armenia (May 18, 1971)

A program that is primarily music. It features traditional songs and dances, including some classics one is bound to encounter in countless renditions. A "Line Ball Dance" that ends a bit faster and more frenetic than some, a soulful "Krunk"—what more can one ask for?

Musical Selections include: The Plough Song / Komitas -- Antuni [Song of the Homeless] (1905–06) / Komitas -- Bunch of Flowers -- Dance Game -- Dsedsernak [The Swallow] (1898) / Komitas -- Line Ball Dance -- Im Gala -- Krunk [The crane] (1911) / Komitas

VBR MP3 [Internet Archive] 

Morning Concert Series: Armenian Martyr's Day (April 21, 1978)

Amirkhanian does not neglect the rich tradition of Armenian liturgical music. 

Charles Amirkhanian commemorates the genocide of the Armenian People by the Ottoman Turks in 1915 with music by the Chancel Choir of Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church in Fresno, California.

VBR MP3 [Internet Archive]

Morning Concert Series: Soul of Armenia: Folk Music Rarities of Komitas Vardapet (February 13, 1987)

I suppose we can relish that the music featured here is considerably less rare these days, thanks in no small part to the cultural pride of the Armenian diaspora. For those uninterested in what is an engaging conversation between Amirkhanian and Salibian, try to find the CD The Voice of Komitas Vardapet. Or, enjoy this YouTube upload:

The first 3 songs (Lorik, Krunk, Kuzh ara ela sar) are sung by Armenak Shahmuradyan. The 4th (Mokats Mirza) is sung by Komitas. Songs 5-6: Shahmuradyan. The 7th (Horovel) house is sung by Komitas, the second by Vahan Ter-Arakelyan, and the third by Komitas and Vahan together. 8th (Wind, dear mountains), Komitas. 9th (In view) Shahmuradyan. The 10th is Komitas (I do not like the words). 11th (Lori plow song) Komitas. 11th (It is spring, lay eggs) Shahmuradyan. The 13th (Aror said to Tartrak) was Komitas. 14th (Antuni-my heart is like ruined houses) Shahmuradyan. A real Armenian must listen to these songs 20, 30, 100 times, don't feel like crying when listening to them. Whoever does not feel these songs, does not get excited listening to them, has absolutely no idea what an Armenian song is.  —YouTube user Meruzhan Harutyunyan (using Google Translate)

But, for those who also would enjoy hearing a couple Armenian-Americans vibrating with energy over these old recordings and the opportunity to broadcast them, the radio program is completely worth it. Context, history, anecdotes and superb music—Amirkhanian is a top-rate interviewer and producer.

This program introduces some of the earliest and rarest recordings of Armenian folk music, soulful interpretations by performers who recorded during the 78 rpm era. Komitas Vardapet (1869-1935) was the first to document such works by recording the oral tradition of Armenian music. By 1912, he had recorded his own arrangements of these Armenian folk songs, (in the same way Bartok did for Hungarian music), with the legendary "Caruso of the Armenians," Armenak Shahmuradian. The latter traveled around the world from India to Fresno, California, performing this music, and his vocal legacy is unparalleled, as witnessed by these recordings from 1912 and 1916. The range, or tessitura, of most Armenian music is relentlessly stratospheric, in spite of which, Shahmuradian's breath control, declamation and ornamentation is of the highest order of musicality. Charles Amirkhanian hosts this program which features guest producer Ohannes Salibian, a composer and Armenian music historian on the faculty of the University of Southern California. Salibian also introduces recordings of other musicians performing Komitas' arrangements for piano solo, voice, chorus and instruments. Included are recordings made in Georgia in 1945 and 1947 by the Komitas String Quartet.

FLAC and MP3 [Internet Archive]

Downloading Help

For the first three links, you may think only a streaming file is available. However, if you save the streaming m3u file and open it in a text editor, you will see that it contains links to the mp3 files. You can save these mp3s by importing the list into a download manager or copying the list into JDownloader2.

1 - Introduction, Downloading Help, and Armenia [Ocora 580005]

A modest beginning...

A possessive apostrophe can be placed in the blog title in either place. I will be posting other people's uploads or recordings of other peoples' music. Regarding the latter part, this means folk and art music outside of western and northern Europe.

As for the former: I will begin by saying there are some very good music blogs and YouTube channels out there, and I will certainly make explicit reference to them. But I have no intention to pass any work off as my own, and will merely direct traffic to these other places. There are many places on the internet, hopefully less widely known, that also have great music. In some cases, I will create my own download links to help make the material more accessible, while other times (like with the Internet Archive), I will assume people can find a way to download from the source.

The art used at the top is cropped from a public image photo from the Smithsonian archives. I like the image, but it's meant to be a little thought-provoking. There should always be some regret at seeing an instrument exhibited under these conditions, stripped of its being. The obscured picture at the bottom of the cabinet and the catalog number are both good touches. Much of the music posted here will be similarly disrobed, torn out of the ethnographic context and now on display. A sliver of ephemera may make an appearance here or there, probably at the bottom of the post. And it seems inevitable some sort of cataloguing mechanism will be found in many posts, even if the numbering has lost all its significance. Just something to consider.

Downloading Help for the Internet Archive

You can download the files in this upload individually from the Internet Archive in your browser by right-click + save-as.

But, you may want to find a way to automate this. Also, not every link at the Internt Archive will allow this right-click + save-as method, but these other methods will work. 

I'll suggest two different methods, mainly because they use different programs for those unable to use the first suggestion. I'd recommend trying to use JDownloader2 first.

1) JDownloader2:

This is a superb utility that is often the fastest way to download. In the program, load the archive.org link into the "LinkGrabber" tab. It will scan the site for available media links, which you can then choose to download. For archive.org, it will often be useful to sort the results by file type. Then, select all the mp3 or flac files, and download to the directory of your choice.

2) M3U File + Download Manager:

You can also choose to download the m3u file and import it into another program.

If you open it with a text editor, you will see it is nothing but a list of all the links. The m3u file can be imported into a download manager such as Internet Download Manager or GetRight. Depending on the program, you may need to rename the m3u file (.txt or .lst). 

If lossless files are available, as they are in this case, they can be downloaded by downloading the same m3u file. Open the file in a text editor. Do a Find and Replace operation, changing "mp3" to "flac". Save the altered file as a m3u/txt/lst or whatever is required, and import this list into a download manager.

Arménie: Musique De Tradition Populaire Et Des Achough [Ocora C 580005]

It seems fitting to begin with Armenian folk music on the Ocora record label. I was first exposed to Armenian music through radio programs of Charles Amirkhanian digitized for the Other Minds Archive. I had been listening to Amirkhanian for his Ode to Gravity series, which focused on twentieth-century classical music. His broadcasts of Armenian folk music began a really unanticipated love of a much broader range of music. I also wanted to select something from the Ocora label—a name that is synonymous with quality and also of considerable influence on my musical taste. There will be several posts from this label, and at the appropriate time will link to bloggers who have done tremendous work in sharing their high-quality rips with the rest of us.

While this is folk music, it is performed by professional musicians working for the Armenian Broadcasting Company in the capital. 

I recommend reading Ocora's liner notes, which are always informative. 

Tracklist
1 - Chant De Labour (Village De Choratyali)
2 - Chant De Moisson
3 - Air Du Berger
4 - Chant D'Émigré
5 - Air De Complainte
6 - Air De Danse
7 - Chant D'Amour
8 - Danse Des Montagnards
9 - Chant Épique
10 - La Grue
11 - Le Vent Tombe
12 - Voici L'Aras (Rivière D'Arménie)
13 - Complainte D'Une Mère
14 - Air De Mariage
15 - Clair De Lune
16 - Danse Du Village De Kami
17 - Kamantcha
18 - Toun En Kelkhen Imastoun Yes
19 - Mi Khost Ounim Iltimazor
20 - Poème Chanté De Chirin
21 - Poème Chanté De Tchivani
22 - Poème Chanté De Cheram
23 - Nazé-naz
24 - Que Dis-Je
25 - Il Était Ému
26 - Ma Bien-Aimée

Credits
Performer, Drum – Khatchadour Miguerditchian (tracks: 8)
Performer, Duduk [Doudouk] – Antranik Askarian (tracks: 5, 7, 11, 13), Antranik Sagarian (tracks: 14), Djivan Kasparian* (tracks: 13, 14), Khatchadour Khatchaturian (tracks: 5, 7), Vatché Hovsepian* (tracks: 11)
Performer, Percussion – Vladimir Ekorian (tracks: 7, 14)
Performer, Recorder [Chevi] – Antranik Askanian* (tracks: 3)
Performer, Vocals – Antranik Sagarian (tracks: 15), Arzas Oskanian* (tracks: 2, 10), Chara Dalian (tracks: 1), Chara Talian* (tracks: 19, 21), Chara Dalian (tracks: 9, 12), Hayrik Mouradian (tracks: 4, 6), Hovannes Patalian (tracks: 24), Khatchadour Miguerditchian (tracks: 16), Kouben Mateossian (tracks: 22), Loussik Kotchian (tracks: 7, 13, 25), Ophelia Hampartzoumian* (tracks: 23), Raffi Hovanessian* (tracks: 17), Roupen Margossian (tracks: 26), Serguey Assadourian (tracks: 16), Souren Haroutiounian (tracks: 16), Vagharchak Sahakian (tracks: 20), Vartouki Khatchatourian (tracks: 15), K. Zakarian* (tracks: 18)
Performer, Zurna [Zourna] – Serguey Assadourian (tracks: 8), Souren Haroutiounian (tracks: 8)
Recorded By, Directed By, Liner Notes – Robert Ataian*
Text By – Avedik Issahakian* (tracks: 13), Chahen Sarkayan (tracks: 25), Chahen Sakayan* (tracks: 26), Cheram (tracks: 22), Chirin (tracks: 20), Havassi (tracks: 23, 24), Hovannes Hovanessian (tracks: 12), Komitas (tracks: 4), Sayat Nova (tracks: 17 18 19), Tchivani (tracks: 21)
Photography By – Charles Duvelle
Artwork [Conception] – Délid'Art
Coordinator – Jean Laisné
Edited By [Editing numérique] – Pierre Guérineau
Executive-Producer [Secrétariat d'edition] – Joëlle Lapointe
Liner Notes [English Translation] – David Connaughton (3), Joséphine Bennett
Liner Notes [French Translation] – Ara Bartévian
Liner Notes [German Translation] – Volker Haller

FLAC and MP3 [Internet Archive]
Covers and Full Liner Notes (French, English, German) [discogs]

Covers and Full Liner Notes (French, English, German) [mega]