Loris Tjeknavorian - Khachaturian: Valencian Widow Suite, Gayaneh Suite No.2 (1993)

Anyone that knows the music of Khachaturian will not be surprised to hear that his music on this CD, conducted by countryman Loris Tjeknavorian and the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, is full throated and exciting. What is equally excellent is the suite of dances from Tjeknavorian's own music that accompanies the Khachaturian on this disk.

Khachaturian's music to "The Valencian Widow" is from 1940 and sourced from a Spanish comedy. It was the composer's first large scale work for the stage. The music will be very familiar to lovers of Khachaturian with hard-driving rhythms, a great deal of Armenian-influence Spanish flavor, and a rhapsodic intermezzo before the final exciting dance. Tjeknavorian conducts Khachaturian's Suite No. 2 from "Gayaneh" in similar fashion.

The greater discovery on this disk are Tjeknavorian's own "Danses Fantastiques" from his "Ballet Fantastiques" Opus 2 composed in 1958 when he was a student at the Vienna Academy. Modeled directly on the style and substance of his hero and countryman, Khachaturian, the seven-movement suite is perhaps even more exciting and lacking in subtlety than Khachaturian's own music. It is exciting and involving from start to finish and concludes 65 wonderful minutes of Armenian music.

All throughout the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra plays with complete commitment in this variably exciting, rhapsodic and rapturous music. Listeners that love exotic classical dance, excitement and high emotion will have more than a good time with this disk.