and remorselessly undo his
work."
He recounted how abride and groom had requested and danced to his duduk at a
wedding reception he had attended the previous night. 'This is how Armenians tzditionally celebrated happy occasions. The duduk is a unified symphony of the human spiril it gives voice to the lament of our bitter past in one instance, the song of our present happy life in another, and to the hymn of our faith and sftength." As the only surviving master dudukist, Gasparian has now set himself on a mission to bring this Armenian instrument to the
Zafifrr has brought the Romanian pan-plpe. A same intemarional level that Gheorghe
soloist on Armenian radio and television, anddircctorofmusical insftuments atYerevan State Conservatory, Gasparian has prepared an army of 70 dudukists in which he has
nowplacedhis hope. Gasparian started playing the duduk at the
insmment also play the zurna (flute-
age of 6. '"The duduk was the fust
I
leamed, but
I
like instument), shvi (whistleJike), tavu, and clarinet. "Music was not part of my general education at school, so I $aned by teaching myself. However, I did study at
the conservatory, which meant
I could
go
on to further education." He eventually qualified at both Yerevan Polytechnic, from where he graduated as economist, anC the Conservatory, from where he graduated as solo
instumentalist.
Thejewels in the crown of his professional career come from the four gold medals he won at worldwide competitions fu woodwind instruments organizedby UNESCO betrveen 1957
ardl979.
Gasparian has the unique distinction of being the only musician to be given the honorary title of People's Artist of Armenia
by the Armenian Govemment (in
1973).
Three ot}rcr giants of Armenian contempomry music have received that title - all singers: Ruben Malevosyan, Ophelia Harnbadzumian and Hovhaness Patalian. He is himseH an accomplished singer in the folk radition, performing occasionally on radio and television. In addition to his
compositions for the duduk, he has also written love songs based on Vahan Derian poems or his own romantic lyrics. Nor is he the only artist in the family. His wife is a dancer with the Armenian National Opera, and he has taught two of his tkee
grandsons, ages seven and eleven, the art of playingtlre dudukand saxophone. The eldest also plays the piano. At 62, Gasparian juggles a busy schedule of concerts, recordings and teaching. While
in Los Angeles, he played with the L.A. Philharmonic Orchesffa and recorded the duduk theme on the soundtrack of the upcoming Hollywood movie'The Russia House," which stars Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer, due for Christmas release. In early July Gasparian was in Budapest,
recording the score for an AmericanHungarian coproductioq'Storm & Sonow," which will premiere in late fall on the Lifetime cable television channel. On the soundtaclg
Gasparian was asked to play Armenian traditional folk songs as well as some of his compositions.
ln August, Melodiya released his most recent recording in the Sovet Union. "Musically, it is an insfrument which ranges
over one octave, and is very difficult to play," stated Gasparian. "It is a matter of controlling the dynamics by means of lips, fingers and half-fingers. Essentially, it must be played from the heart - it all comes from the heart."
ALLTHATARMENIAN JAZZ Boston Summit Brings Musicians From Armenia Tb Unique Forum Alll By ARTO PAYASLIAN
Beviewed for
he moming was filled with clouds and rain did not seem far away. But as I walked toward the spacious lawn of the
!I
Armenian Sisters Academy in semi-rural Massachusetts, I was sffuck by the enthusiasm of a group of determined people who had planned and waited impatiently for the Autumn Jazz Summit. This was the first event courageously put together by a newly formed organization called the Armenian Arts Alliance, whose purpose, as I read in the program, 'ls to bring the Armenian experience in the performing and visual arts to a universal forum." The open-air program on September 30 consisted of eight hours of jazz performed
kxington,
by25 Arrnenianmusicians, hostedbypopular Boston disc jockey Ron Della ChiesaAs the Summit's music director, guiarist John Baboianwas tlre first to take the stage.
He played a few of his own compositions,
spontaneity.
TheA music depended largely on the accompanied by the David Azarian Trio pulsating rhytlm supplied by the dumbeg (piano, bass, drums) and the combination and oud, and the melody supplied by the was electic. Baboian's style is crisp, eloquent clarinet and oud. Baronian was quite fluent and his selections reflected his polished with the clarinet and duduk (Armenian technique as a guitarist and his versatility as acomposer. One of the finest vocalists of the Datevik Hovlunesyan with John Baboian
day, Maggi Scott (Vaznaian) delighted the audience with her
!
tranquil and masterfirl voice. Both
D
of faculty at Berklee College of
Scott and Baboian are members
the
Music in Boston. A unique performance was given
by a three-man group called "Taksim" (improvisation). Souren Baroniaq }Iaig Manoukian and Jack Zarzanan took Armenian musical
motifs with Middle Eastern insruments and came up with a refieshingly new jazz perspective on folk music. As the name implies,
nio-using an oud, clarinet and dumbeg-played with controlled the
AlM, November 1990