Texts by Mkrtich Naghash, music by John Hodian
With its geographical location on the southern slopes of the Caucasus, Armenia is a fascinating cultural country. Its eventful, in parts painful history under various rulers - including Byzantines, Mongols, Ottomans, Persians and Turks - makes its rich musical culture an interface between Christian-Western and Oriental influences. John Hodian, an American composer with Armenian roots, focuses on this with his Naghash Ensemble. The ensemble is named after the Armenian priest Mkrtich Naghash, who in the 15th century left behind moving, timeless poems about life in exile and man's relationship with God. For their musical setting, Hodian combines the spirituality of traditional Armenian music with new classical music, post-minimalism and the energy of jazz and rock. Three singers and four instrumentalists on the oboe-like duduk, the lute oud and the drums dhol and dumbek as well as Hodian on the grand piano breathe new life into Naghash's poems - sometimes mystical-oriental, sometimes minimalist-classical, sometimes jazzy-vibrating, but always moving and compelling!
The Naghash Ensemble Armenia:
John Hodian piano and composition
Hasmik Baghdasaryan soprano
Tatevik Movsesyan soprano
Arpine Ter-Petrosyan alto
Harutyun Chkolyan duduk (Armenian oboe type), shvi (Armenian flute)
Aramayis Nikoghosyan oud (bent neck lute)
Tigran Hovhannisyan dhol (cylinder drum), dumbek (goblet drum), daf (frame drum)
Tickets € 30 / 25 / 20 (20 discount)
Bus shuttle Bremen – Papenburg – Bremen / departure and arrival times:
Departure Domsheide: 5:00 p.m.
Concert starts: 7:30 p.m.
Departure from venue: approx. 9:20 p.m.
Arrival Domsheide: approx. 11:05 p.m.
Round trip fare: 20 EUR
Bus tickets can only be purchased from the ticket service in the Glocke (Tel. 0421 / 33 66 99, Mon-Fri 12-6 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.-2 p.m.) or directly from the Music Festival web shop