Lilit Tonoyan - Armenian Sacred Music (2021)

The violinist Lilit Tonoyan has found her center of life and work in Cologne. Especially since she left her Armenian homeland in 2007, she has been on her instrument in Cologne's lively music scene between musical ages and world cultures - not only in one of the Cologne World Jazz Ensembles she founded, but she also stands up - for example Participation in the Ensemble Musikfabrik, open to new music. When it comes to their “most personal” musical themes, however, a deep spirituality comes first. In this regard, she is researching the interfaces between Western musical culture and the rich musical heritage of the Near Eastern homeland. How does the baroque polyphony of Johann Sebastian Bach get along with the more archaic, but at the same time much wider meditative arcs, which are defined by hexachrode melodies in the old liturgical chants of their home country?

Lilit Tonoyan and the cellist Davit Melkonyan, a compatriot of hers, dared the musical adventure together for this CD in order to answer this question. The title “Amen Hayr Surb” quotes a call to prayer from the Armenian liturgy. In the 23 pieces of this new recording, diverse red threads interweave in a rich palette of sensations to a dialogic interplay between the melodies of the old liturgical chants of Armenian Christianity between the 5th and 15th centuries and the much more "modern" music of a Johann Sebastian Bach.

First of all, such an undertaking requires a great deal of empathy paired with incorruptible instrumental potential - and that can easily be granted to the two interpreters of this recording. Lilit Tonoyan's violin playing exudes a lot of expressiveness in every moment. Her wandering violin tone touches deeply and shines confidently into the vastness of the room. If necessary and with a high level of intuitive instinct, she knows how to leave the imprints of the “classical Occident” behind - especially when she lets the imaginary chants of the Armenian melodies speak out of herself with little vibrato and direct gestures.

Lilit Tonoyan and David Melkonyan very sensitively transfer the originally text-bound content into an instrumental and thus immediately understandable spirituality. This game seems carried, fragile, but also solemnly sublime and sometimes passionately urgent.

A sophisticated art of arranging in this duo cast does the rest to relativize the principle of a fundamental unanimity in this Near Eastern musical culture. Davit Melkonyan's cello puts stationary drone tones over the trembling melodies, which can be associated with exciting harmonic references. At times, the cello interferes with the violin's singing with extensive imitation parts. Every time the change to the tonal language of a Johann Sebastian Bach seems like a homecoming to the familiar realm. There is much more major and minor in play here, but one now listens with more open ears and at the same time no longer understands this European tonal language as the sole focus of the music. This invites you to reflect on similarities in the service of a common cause between different cultures and their rich history. The Armenian nation in particular suffered a lot of oppression in the 20th century - be it from Turkey and later from the Soviet dictatorship. A great merit goes to the Armenian priest, ethnomusicologist, composer Komitas Vardapet, who compiled this repertoire in extensive field research. Lilit Tonoyan and Davit Melkonyan have made a name for themselves as ambassadors of integration and tolerance in our time. This is most symbolically expressed on track No. 22 of this CD:

The theme of Bach's prelude from the E major partita flashes with radiant vividness. Lively arpeggios drive forward, drawing a deep line of the cello in response. And then quoted, no, this new interpretation integrates the previous Armenian song on the Christmas liturgy - which seldom seemed so natural and plausible in the history of music.

Tracklist:

01. My Heart Trembles (Excerpt) [Arr. L. Tonoyan & D. Melkonyan for Violin & Cello]
02. Armenian Holy Mass (Excerpts): Lord, Have Mercy [Arr. L. Tonoyan for Violin]
03. The Sign of the Victorious and Almighty Cross (Arr. L. Tonoyan for Violin)
04. Invention No. 11 in G Minor, BWV 782 (Arr. for Violin & Cello)
05. The Power of the Holy Cross (Arr. L. Tonoyan for Violin & Cello)
06. Look Lovingly, Compassionate Father (Arr. L. Tonoyan for Violin & Cello)
07. Oh, Amazing Great Mystery (Arr. L. Tonoyan for Violin)
08. Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004: III. Sarabande
09. Invention No. 4 in D Minor, BWV 775 (Arr. for Violin & Cello)
10. Only Holy (Arr. D. Melkonyan for Violin & Cello)
11. The Bird, the Bird Awoke (Arr. L. Tonoyan for Violin)
12. Amen Holy Father (Arr. L. Tonoyan & D. Melkonyan for Violin & Cello)
13. Invention No. 13 in A Minor, BWV 784 (Arr. for Violin & Cello)
14. Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005: III. Largo
15. Armenian Holy Mass (Excerpts): You Are Blessed of All, Lord [Arr. L. Tonoyan for Violin]
16. The Bird, the Bird Awoke (Arr. L. Tonoyan for Cello)
17. Armenian Holy Mass (Excerpts): You Are Blessed of All, Lord [Arr. L. Tonoyan for Cello]
18. My Heart Trembles (Arr. L. Tonoyan & D. Melkonyan for Violin & Cello)
19. Invention No. 14 in B-Flat Major, BWV 785 (Arr. for Violin & Cello)
20. Good News of the Birth of Jesus (Arr. L. Tonoyan for Violin & Cello)
21. Today the Voice of the Father (Arr. L. Tonoyan for Violin)
22. Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006: I. Prelude - Today the Voice of the Father (Arr. L. Tonoyan & D. Melkonyan for Violin &
23. The Consecration of the Three Boys (Arr. L. Tonoyan for Violin)