ARMENIANS AROUND THE WORLD ARE MOURNING THE PASSING OF THE GREAT ~ DJIVAN GASPARIAN

ARMENIANS AROUND THE WORLD ARE MOURNING THE PASSING OF THE GREAT ~ DJIVAN GASPARIAN

RIP Legendary ”Master of Duduk” Djivan Gasparyan (1928 – 2021)

People’s Artist of Armenia, world known musician and composer Jivan Gasparyan, who is internationally renowned “master of the Duduk,” passed away on Tuesday, the grandson of the musician Jivan Gasparyan junior shared the news on social media. “The world suffered an unimaginable loss this night. It is with deep sorrow to inform about this huge loss. Rest in peace and may the Lord keep your soul in lights” Gasparyan junior wrote on Facebook, sharing the photo of the musician.

Born in Solak, Armenia to parents from Mush, Gasparyan started to play duduk when he was six. In 1948, he became a soloist of the Armenian Song and Dance Popular Ensemble and the Yerevan Philharmonic Orchestra. He has won four medals at UNESCO worldwide competitions. In 1973 Gasparyan was awarded the honorary title People’s Artist of Armenia received the WOMEX (World Music Expo) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.In 2006 he was nominated for Grammy awards for the Best Traditional World Music Album.

Throughout his career, Gasparyan has worked with musicians such as Brian Eno, David Sylvian, Peter Gabriel and Michael Brook, and has composed music for many Hollywood soundtrack films, including ‘The Siege’ and ‘Gladiator’.

ARMENIAN DUDUK

The duduk (/duːˈduːk/ doo-DOOK; Armenian: դուդուկ ) or tsiranapogh (Armenian: ծիրանափող, meaning “apricot-made wind instrument”), is an ancient Armenian double reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood. It is indigenous to Armenia. Variations of the Armenian duduk appear throughout the Caucasus and the Middle East, including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Turkey, and Iran. It is commonly played in pairs: while the first player plays the melody, the second plays a steady drone called dum, and the sound of the two instruments together creates a richer, more haunting sound.

The unflattened reed and cylindrical body produce a sound closer to the English horn than the oboe or bassoon. Unlike other double reed instruments like the oboe or shawm, the duduk has a very large reed proportional to its size.

UNESCO proclaimed the Armenian duduk and its music as a Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005 and inscribed it in 2008. Duduk music has been used in a number of films, most notably in The Russia House and Gladiator.