Artur Shahnazarian: Khaz-Notated Sharakans - Produced by the Naregatsi Art Institute

Composer and Komitas expert Artur Shahnazarian’s Khaz-Notated Sharakans musicological monograph, CD and sheet music scores book was published by the Naregatsi Art Institute in 2013.

It is the first time ever in musical history that the Armenian neumic sharakans are performed authentically.

“This is a divine gift. As far back as in 1987 Arthur Shahnazarian realizing it, started the important job of decoding Komitas’ khazes. Khazes are a gift to the Armenian people, thanks to their divine dedication, "said Hartounian, the founder of the Naregatsi Art Institute.
After a break of over two hundred years, it is the first time ever in musical history that the Armenian neumic sharakans are performed authentically with enchanting performances of the Armenian State Chamber Choir under the artistic direction of Robert Mlqeyan.

The English translation of the book has been performed by the renowned U.S.- based musicologist Vatche Barssoumian, who himself is an acclaimed Komitas expert, and the translator of the English anthology of Komitas’ essays and articles, published in the U.S.A. in 2001.

The Kazh-Notated Sharakans stands out as a monumental contribution in Armenian neumology, and musicology at large, as it is the first ever systematic study into the medieval notation system of khazes (neumes) which by the 17th and 18th centuries were no longer decipherable. This system was used for transcribing medieval Armenian spiritual music, as evidence suggests, ever since the 9th centuries. The neumic notation became progressively richer and more elaborate in the 12th century and witnessed its biggest rise throughout the period until the 15th century when it became the main method of notating musical-liturgical books, including hundreds of Pataragamatouytses (Book of Sacred Oblation); Zhamagirqs (Book of Hours); Sharaknotses (Hymnbook, Troparion); Tagharans (Songbooks) and other materials containing centuries-old Armenian church music. The system, however, declined after the 15th century due to its complexity and inaccessibility as a “secret” knowledge, eventually becoming undecipherable.

An attempt to restore the tradition and find the lost key to khazes was made in the 19th century by Komitas Vardapet. Over the course of 20 years Komitas performed extensive research of innumerable manuscripts, and ultimately discovered the key to deciphering Armenian neumes, which enabled his initial readings of simple melodies. However, the impending Armenian Genocide interrupted the apostle’s creative life. As a result, a portion of his heritage was destroyed, while the ones preserved, and scattered throughout the world, were widely believed to have been lost for many years. Until, in fact, in 1987 when by coincidence composer Artur Shahnazarian discovered several of Komitas’ neumological manuscripts in the archives of the Charents Museum of Literature. Artur Shahnazarian commenced on his neumological research now available in his extensive five-volume study that assembles all extant materials on the subject addressing topics as diverse as: Prosody in Linguistic Sense (Aroganoutioun); Prosody in Literary Sense (Taghachapoutiun); Modes and Melody Types; Neumes and Their Meanings; and Decryption.

The current publication and the recording it accompanies derive their pedigree from this voluminous study. Twelve sharakans as deciphered from neumes are recorded in Saghmosavank and are offered in it. For comparative purposes, the same sharakans are also recorded in their more familiar forms transcribed from the oral tradition by N. Tashjian in the 19th century. Both the decrypted and orally preserved versions of the sharakans are presented in modern notation system and in the accompanying CD recorded in Saghmosavank. Each piece is performed in three renderings: as decoded from ancient neumes; as transcribed from oral tradition in choral singing; and as transcribed from oral tradition in solo singing. There are significant differences between the original and orally preserved ones, and an attendee, hearing the parallel performances, will certainly see the superiority of the artistic value of the former over the latter ones.

Khaz-Notated Sharakans is also distinct for its appealing design and layout and can decorate the most ambitious library and audio collection. There is a khaz notated manuscript on the dark brown parchment-like cover of the publication, which looks like a partially edged smoking leather cover. The design concept belongs to the painter Sevan Naccashian who has, especially for this production, created a new letter font which appears on the book cover. Sevan Naccashian has designed it together with designer Varant Kandilian.