Lewis Johnson 12/8/24 1
Armenian is an Indo-European language, the sole member of its language branch Distantly related to Greek, Russian, etc. The alphabet for Classical Armenian was created by St. Mesrop Mashtots ’ in 405 AD Armenian is considered an agglutinative language Words have endings that indicate tense, grammatical function, etc. No genders, which makes it simpler than languages like Russian Georgian is also agglutinative Word order is relatively free, like Russian 12/8/24 2
Eastern Armenian (spoken in Armenia and Russia) Classical Armenian, aka Grabar Used in the church, similar to Latin in the West We will sing it with an Eastern Armenian accent 12/8/24 3 Western Armenian (spoken in the Ottoman Empire) and Eastern Armenian are both spoken in the West by Armenian emigrés.
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Ye-re- v a n ( Երեւան ) – Yerevan A gh- jik ( աղջիկ ) – girl Ye-re- v a n b a gh em a - rel ( Երեւան բաղ եմ արել ) – I planted a garden in Yerevan 12/8/24 6
T ē r ( Տէր ) – Lord Ē r ( Էր ) – was T ē r z ō - ru - t ’ yants ’ ( Տէր զօրութեանց ) – Lord of power 12/8/24 7
Usually pronounced “ye” at the beginning of words Y e -r e - van ( Երեւան ) – Yerevan Y e m / e m ( եմ ) – I am Y e -r e - van bagh e m a- r e l ( Երեւան բաղ եմ արել ) – I planted a garden in Yerevan 12/8/24 8
I nch’ ( Ինչ ) – what Go- ra - n i ( Գորանի ) – Gorani I nch’ a- nush tegh ēr ( Ինչ անուշ տեղ էր ) – What a sweet place it was 12/8/24 9
Sometimes written explicitly, sometimes implied to break up consonant clusters K ə - sin ( կըսին ) – they said Ē n M ə - sho dasht, k ə - sin ( Է ն Մշո դաշտ, կըսին ) – That Mush field, they said 12/8/24 10
O f- san - na ( Ովսաննա ) – Hosanna K’ o ( Ք ո ) – Thy Vo r ( որ ) – that O f- san - na i bar- dzuns ( Ովսաննա ի բարձունս ) – Hosanna in the highest 12/8/24 11
Ō rh- nyal ( Օրհնեալ ) – blessed Ō rh- nyal, vor ye- kir ( Օրհնեալ, որ եկիր ) – blessed are you who came 12/8/24 12
S u rb ( սուրբ ) – holy Bar- dz u ns ( բարձունս ) – the highest 12/8/24 13
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Voiced B ar- dz uns ( բարձունս ) – the highest D u ( դու ) – you G o- r a - n i ( Գորանի ) – Gorani Sur b ( սուրբ ) – holy Voiceless P əz - t i k ( պ ըզտիկ ) – little K o-mi- t as ( Կոմիտաս ) – Komitas Aspirated P’ a- rro k ’ ( փառօք ) – glory T ’ i- t’ err- nik ( թիթեռնիկ ) – butterfly 12/8/24 15
Voiced: B ( Բ բ ), D ( Դ դ ), G ( Գ գ ), V ( Վ վ ), Z ( Զ զ ), Dz ( Ձ ձ ), Zh ( Ժ ժ ), J ( Ջ ջ ), Gh ( Ղ ղ ), L ( Լ լ ), R ( Ր ր ), RR ( Ռ ռ ), W ( Ւ ւ ), Y ( Յ յ ), M( Մ մ ), N( Ն ն ) Voiceless: P ( Պ պ ), T ( Տ տ ), K ( Կ կ ), F ( Ֆ ֆ ), S ( Ս ս ), Ts ( Ծ ծ ), Sh ( Շ շ ), Ch ( Ճ ճ ), Kh ( Խ խ ), H ( Հ հ ) Aspirated: P’ ( Փ փ ), T’ ( Թ թ ), K’ ( Ք ք ), Ts’ ( Ց ց ), Ch’ ( Չ չ ) 12/8/24 16
Tē r ( Տէր ) – Lord Tya rr n ( Տեառն ) – of the Lord Ye r - kink’ ( երկինք ) – heaven P’a- rr ok ’ ( փառոք ) – glory 12/8/24 17
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Classical sacred arrangements Folk song arrangements Modern compositions and arrangements Komitas compositions and arrangements have a prominent role 12/8/24 19
Ottoman-Armenian priest, musicologist, arranger, singer, and choirmaster Considered the founder of the Armenian national school of music Collected and arranged many Armenian folk songs Arranged Armenian divine chants in European style for male chorus, published in 1933 Developed a severe case of PTSD during the Armenian genocide Widely seen as a martyr of the genocide 12/8/24 20
The Armenian alphabet: https://youtu.be/leARMrHWGAo?si=t3A_DOPt2K2d3otT https://youtu.be/bFot-3vBSvU?si=toWXIGchL8seSMxx Song recordings: ” Surb, surb ”: https://youtu.be/OiR3vizvkZU?si=UsmA4xJmdjlJhuZe “ K’ristos patarageal ”: https://youtu.be/TTJIzsTub3k?si=lQzG4ttvfViSVkbl “ Gorani ”: https://youtu.be /xsIA9DrgbLc?si=YOTKxAVG3w-HUEze ”Hoy, Nazan im ”: https://youtu.be/sURAtYKcBXM?si=WUbT9NJ6J-v1PzWw ”Yerevan bagh em arel ”: https://youtu.be/I8s_1L7jErM?si=rzOf8fa9Hxsf3XjF 12/8/24 21
