Aram Khachaturian was devoted to ballet music and produced two masterpieces of the genre – Spartacus and Gayane. Distinguished by indelible thematic beauty of which the ‘Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia’ is a perfect example, the ballets are symphonic in conception and, in the case of Gayane, marked by the use of leitmotifs. The Masquerade Suite is a richly contrasted theatre score. These sensitive piano arrangements preserve the very essence of Khachaturian’s music, maintaining the texture and clarity of the original orchestral scores. Mikael Ayrapetyan is the world’s leading exponent of Armenian piano music and his Grand Piano recordings of music from his homeland have been met with universal admiration.
Tracklist
Gayane (arr. A. Tseitlin for piano) (excerpts) (1942) (00:20:00 ) 1 Gayane: Lezginka (Dance of Young Men) (arr. A. Tseitlin for piano) (00:02:34) 2 Gayane: Uzundara (Dance of Nuneh and the Girls) and Gayane's Dance (arr. A. Tseitlin for piano) (00:03:46) 6 Gayane: Dance of Nuneh and Karen (arr. A. Tseitlin for piano) (00:02:02) 7 Gayane: Shalakho (Lad's Dance) (arr. A. Tseitlin for piano) (00:02:19)
Gayane (arr. V. Sargsyan for piano) (excerpts) (1942) (00:20:00 ) 3 Gayane: Dance of the Maidens (arr. V. Sargsyan for piano) (00:02:48) 4 Gayane: Lullaby (arr. V. Sargsyan for piano) (00:03:46) 5 Gayane: Aisha's Dance (arr. V. Sargsyan for piano) (00:03:38) 8 Gayane: Dance of the Girls with Tambourines (arr. V. Sargsyan for piano) (00:02:59) 9 Gayane: Sabre Dance (arr. V. Sargsyan for piano) (00:02:12)
Spartacus (arr. E. Khachaturian for piano) (1954) (00:20:00 ) 11 Spartacus: Dance of the Egyptian Girl (arr. E. Khachaturian for piano) (00:03:29) 12 Spartacus: Dance of the Roman Courtesans (arr. E. Khachaturian for piano) (00:03:26) 14 Spartacus: Scene and Dance with Crotales (arr. E. Khachaturian for piano) (00:03:29) 15 Spartacus: Aegina's Variation and Final Bacchanal (arr. E. Khachaturian for piano) (00:03:19)
Spartacus (arr. V. Sargsyan for piano) (excerpts) (1954) (00:20:00 ) 10 Spartacus: Dance of the Nymphs (arr. V. Sargsyan for piano) (00:03:30) 13 Spartacus: Sword Dance of the Young Thracians (arr. V. Sargsyan for piano) (00:02:17) 16 Spartacus: Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia (arr. V. Sargsyan for piano) (00:08:37)
Masquerade Suite (arr. A. Dolukhanian for piano) (1941) (00:16:00 ) 17 I. Waltz (00:03:33) 18 II. Nocturne (00:03:16) 19 III. Mazurka (00:02:24) 20 IV. Romance (00:02:59) 21 V. Galop (00:02:57)
