Levon Eskenian – ECM: Following the Path of Armenian Music Pioneers

Written by Michael Polychronis

It is not the first time that the ECM record label of Manfred Eicher deals with the rich traditional music of Armenia. Until 2011, we can trace many scattered fragments in works by significant musicians such as Keith Jarrett, Anja Lechner, Vasilis Tsabropoulos, Lusine Grigoryan, Kim Kashkashian, and others. In all these cases, the lyrical line carved by the duo Gurdjieff/Hartman was faithfully followed, as they transcribed for piano or small classical ensembles the treasure bequeathed to us by both the duo and the fellow pioneer of Armenian tradition, Komitas, as did Bela Bartok and later Nikos Skalkottas.

In 2011, the release of an album dares to reverse the usual practice until then and, we would say, put things in their right chronological order!

George I. Gurdjieff (1866-1949) was an Armenian mystic, philosopher, and spiritual teacher with Greek roots from his father, a Pontian (Ioannis Georgiadis), and an Armenian mother (Eudokia Eleftheriadou). His teaching is a mixture of elements drawn from Buddhism, Christianity, and Sufi Islam. However, he was also a lover of music, leaving behind a large number of compositions (sacred dances / movements) that harmoniously connected with his philosophical tenets. In this approach, he was assisted by the Ukrainian composer Thomas De Hartmann, who transcribed these compositions – the musical universe of his Master – into works for piano. It is characteristic that before their settlement in Paris in 1927, the compositions had greatly disturbed the Soviet regime due to their progressive and religious extensions.


Soghomon Soghomonian
(1869-1935), better known by his nickname Komitas, is the fellow pioneer of the musical tradition of Armenia, primarily known as the founder of the National Music School of the country and one of the pioneers of ethnomusicology. After his ordination as a vardapet (celibate priest), he studied music in Berlin and used his Western education to establish the national tradition in Armenia. He collected and transcribed over 3000 Armenian folk songs, of which only 1200 are preserved. Additionally, as he was an open-minded individual, he also showed interest in other cultures, such as the Kurds. Claude Debussy, upon hearing his choir in Paris, had only positive comments about him.

However, fate reserved for him an unjust and harsh end. As he was based in Constantinople during the Armenian Genocide, he was arrested by the Ottoman authorities and sent to a camp. Although he was released shortly thereafter, the post-traumatic stress caused intense and insurmountable psychological problems, leading him to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Paris, where he died. Since then, he has been considered one of the victims of the Genocide, a symbol of it in the field of Arts. “The piano pieces of Komitas are unique, as he lived in the late 19th century and created a new language in classical music because these melodies came from Armenian folk music so he not only combined these melodies with Western harmony, but also created rhythmic patterns and harmonies based on Armenian monody. The composer himself in his instructions asks these to be played in the style of the duduk or zurna,” Levon said in an interview (Popaganda, 11/4/2017).

Thomas De Hartmann was inspired by Komitas in preparing the music of Gurdjieff’s works, as was Levon Eskenian in his approach, almost a century later, to the work of these three predecessors.

Although born in Lebanon in 1978, Levon Eskenian chooses Armenia as his homeland since 1996. He is also a relative of Komitas on his mother’s side. There, he studied music at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory. Baroque and contemporary music are always included in the programs of his concerts worldwide. In 2008, he gathered top musicians from around the world playing authentic Armenian instruments from the Middle East and formed the Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble.

Levon’s ever-restless spirit caught the attention of Eicher, and in 2011, their first recording for ECM became a reality. “Music Of Georges I. Gurdjieff” is the clear title of the album, and one would expect another verbal representation of the Master’s work that would also tie in with the overall profile of the German company. The surprise comes from Levon’s conception to close the circle of this “tradition.” Instead of opting for the piano once again, his ensemble operates Gurdjieff’s music with traditional instruments. This gives listeners the opportunity to get a taste of how the composer himself heard the melodies he preserved from traditional musicians of that time, in the turn of the 20th century, inspiring his own compositions. Duduk, kamancha, blul, tar, dap, oud, kanun, santur, and saz render compositions rooted in Armenian, Greek, Arabic, Kurdish, Assyrian, Persian, and Caucasus traditions, as well as that of the Sufis. The connection of Armenian tonality with those regions around the Caucasus, the Ottoman Empire, as well as the Middle East and Greece, is evident from the outset. On the other hand, the way Levon orchestrates these compositions imparts the necessary sacred emotion encountered in listening to recordings of baroque, medieval, and renaissance ensembles, bearing witness to the weight and importance of this tradition. Indeed, the same happens with corresponding works of Greek masters of Constantinople, such as Petros Peloponnesios (Lampadarios) and Petros Bereketis, among others, who, besides their chanting prowess, were also active proponents of secular music of the time, with the characteristic universality of their work.

Perhaps Levon is also fulfilling a desire of Gurdjieff. Initially, he thought he was compelled for practical reasons to present it through Hartman’s transcription for piano. However, later he came across a document in which the composer himself, during his stay in Paris, had announced in a live performance that he would present the pieces with a 40-member orchestra of traditional instruments that he had collected during his travels abroad. Unfortunately, this desire of his was never realized… (New York Times, 2019).

The connection of tradition and sacredness, an element that is encountered more frequently the further back in time one goes in music and in all forms of art, is rendered with greater emphasis in the next work on ECM. And this time, the intention is immediately announced by the title: “Komitas” (2015).

In this second collaboration, the sound is enriched with even more traditional colors, without losing the aura of the classical, the quality of meticulously crafted sound. Vladimir Papikyan’s voice is added to the already known palette of instruments. Simplicity, without embellishments and unnecessary flourishes, with a sound design that masterfully approaches geographical borders far beyond the Armenian neighborhood. The vision of Komitas, that is, the bridge of the old with the contemporary, is revealed in the most functional way in the 18 compositions of this album. Contemporary Armenian musical tradition in one of its brightest discographic appearances!

One would expect that after these two works, Levon would direct his interest elsewhere. However, in late 2023, “Zartir” comes to give a new dimension to the work of Gurdjieff/Hartman, juxtaposing it with works of his compatriot bards and troubadours such as Ashugh Jivani, Baghdasar Tbir, and the legendary Sayat Nova. We detect among the names of the musicians that of Orestis Moustidis on tombak, as well as the collaboration in the concluding “The Great Prayer” with the National Chamber Choir of Armenia. Once again, Vladimir Papikyan is the interpreter. Let us not forget, of course, that Gurdjieff’s father was also a troubadour from whom he received his first influences. The title of the album is that of a composition by Baghdasar Tbir (1683-1768), and in a free interpretation, it means “wake up,” which we could say ties conceptually with the philosophical background of the mystic Gurdjieff, that humanity is asleep and must be awakened from its spiritual lethargy. Finally, it is worth noting that the cover depicts a scene from Sergei Parajanov‘s allegorical film “The Color of Pomegranates,” which concerns the life of Sayat Nova (1712-1795).

With all these elements derived from the album “Zartir,” perhaps Eskenian is preparing us for a next work, exclusively dedicated to the work of these troubadours who, with their art, saved and enriched the music of the wider region.

Levon Eskenian‘s orchestrations provide the necessary color to compositions that, with only the piano as an instrument, had a different feel to the listener’s ear. While the piano was more familiar to Western listeners, giving an academic taste, the rendition with authentic traditional instruments “bloodies” the classical, inevitably bringing it to a larger critical mass of unprocessed ears of all ages, without losing anything from the deep internal feeling that the melodies exude. Emotion is pervasive, sacredness is evident, and universality is a powerful weapon that bestows eternity and functional authenticity.

“I am a pianist, a classical musician, and my education was in European music. But I discovered that many times we, classical musicians, forget the most important thing, which is the music within the music. We chase after the technique of the instrument and all that, but folk musicians who play traditional instruments live with the music itself. And I think we have a lot to learn from them. Because music contains encoded traditions. As Gurdjieff used to say, ancient art and culture are not meant to be liked or disliked, they are meant to be understood. Even if we don’t have the means to decrypt and understand them anymore, and we can only perceive the surface without being able to penetrate deeper, everything is still there, encoded. And someday they will be decrypted. There are important pieces of information there. That’s why we need to treat not only our own traditions with care but also those of all humanity. Of all nations.” (Popaganda.gr 11/4/2017)

Read more:
https://gurdjieffensemble.com/
https://ecmrecords.com/artists/levon-eskenian/
https://www.facebook.com/levon.eskenian?locale=el_GR
https://www.facebook.com/gurdjieffensemble?locale=el_GR

Listen to excerpts from Levon Eskenian’s albums on ECM on Spotify, as well as references to the label by other musicians.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4s4UQlhWAx5QrHyGrH8KVx

Share this Article