Musical instrument duduk: history of creation, interesting facts, description and photo. Duduk (tsiranapokh) - musical instrument - history, photo, video Who plays the duduk

Prepare for us a series of materials about the most national musical instrument - the duduk. In this article, read about 10 interesting facts about duduk.

Fact No. 1.

The Armenian duduk is made only from a certain variety of apricot tree, which grows only in Armenia.

The climate of Armenia favors the growth of the desired variety of apricot tree. It is no coincidence that the Latin word for apricot is “ Prunus armeniaca", that is, "Armenian plum". Great Armenian masters experimented and tried to use other types of wood. For example, duduk was planed from plum, pear, apple, walnut and even bone. But only apricot gave the unique velvety sound characteristic of the duduk. Other wind musical instruments - shvi and zurna - are also made from apricot.

By the way, a blooming apricot is a symbol of tender first love, and its wood is a symbol of strength of spirit, faithful and long-lasting love.

Fact No. 2.

The recognized “king” of duduk to this day is the Great Warpet Vache Hovsepyan (1925-1978).

To this day, Vache Hovsepyan is the greatest duduk player of the 20th century. 37 years have passed since the great maestro passed away, but no one has yet surpassed the warpet in his virtuoso playing of the duduk. Vache Hovsepyan's performance was admired all over the world. If you want to hear the real voice of the duduk, listen to Vache Hovsepyan.

Fact No. 3.

In 2005, UNESCO declared the music performed on the Armenian duduk a masterpiece of the oral and intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The world famous duduk musician Jivan Gasparyan made a significant contribution to the popularization of the instrument and the recognition of duduk at the world level.

Fact No. 4.

When performing the part of a lady on the duduk, the musician is required to possess the technique of circular (continuous) breathing and have a completely smooth sound transmission.

Dam is a continuously sounding tonic note, against which the main melody of the work develops. The art of performing dama (damqash) by a musician, as it may seem at first glance, does not involve any particular complexity. But, as professional duduk players say, performing just one (sometimes several) dama notes is much more difficult than the entire score of a solo duduk. The art of performing dama on the duduk requires special skills, namely the correct positioning of the oral apparatus during the game and special endurance of the performer, who continuously passes air through himself.

Fact No. 5.

Previously, a person playing the duduk was not taken seriously and was contemptuously called “zurnachi.”

Some families refused to marry their daughters to “zurnachi”, as they considered him a frivolous and insolvent person. Today, the attitude towards the duduk has changed dramatically. Half a century ago, the Armenian folk wind instrument was included in the academic program at the Yerevan State Conservatory, where there is now a faculty for the “duduk” class, which has produced many professional, certified duduk players. Today, the duduk is heard not only in the soundtracks of Hollywood films, but also in orchestras and operas.

Fact No. 6.

Duduk is extremely durable.

Like any “live” musical instrument, the duduk requires constant care. Caring for the duduk involves rubbing its main part with walnut oil. In addition to the fact that apricot wood has a high density (772 kg/m3) and high wear resistance, walnut oil gives the duduk surface even greater strength, which protects it from the aggressive effects of climate and environment - humidity, heat, low temperatures. In addition, walnut oil gives the instrument a unique look.

Fact No. 7

In February 2015, a unique historical event took place in the history of Russian opera.

On February 18, 19, 21, 22, 2015, the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater hosted the premiere of the opera “Khovanshchina”, in which, for the first time in the history of Russian opera, the voice of the Armenian duduk was heard performed by the famous Moscow duduk player Oganes Kazaryan. This event is significant in the history of Russian opera and was covered in the media.

Fact No. 8.

Many people associate the sound of the duduk only with sadness and sorrow.

There is a stereotype that only sad melodies are played on the duduk. In fact, you can play anything you want on the duduk, including very funny and joyful pieces. Duduk accompanies festive ceremonies - weddings and birthdays. Nowadays, duduk is becoming an integral participant in such musical trends as blues, jazz, rock, rock and roll, pop music, and classical music. The grandson of the world famous musician Jivan Gasparyan is a duduk player who actively experiments with duduk in other musical styles, mainly jazz.

Fact No. 9.

Most people know about the duduk from Ridley Scott's film Gladiator.

However, you will be surprised to know that the film Gladiator turned out to be a flop at the box office. However, it still remains a film that introduced the viewer to the wonderful world of duduk performed by Jivan Gasparyan, who glorified the Armenian folk instrument throughout the world.

Fact No. 10.

Today, not only men, but also women play the duduk.

Duduk is originally a male instrument. Therefore, in earlier times only men were its performers. But this long-standing tradition has been broken, and modern statistics show great interest in the Armenian flute on the part of women. The first popular woman to pick up the duduk is Armine Simonyan. From the age of five, Armine plays the dhol, and from the age of six, the shvi and duduk. A concert film of the same name was made about fifteen-year-old Armina in 1989. It must be said that already famous musicians such as Vache Hovsepyan, Jivan Gaparyan, Mkrtich Malkhasyan, Gagik Malkhasyan received such an honor. Soon Armine received an invitation from the USA about cooperation. In 1988, Armine became a laureate of the All-Union Music Festival; participated in the Japanese competition, which was attended by Mikhail Gorbachev. Met with the legendary group “Scorpions”. Duduk Armine Simonyan sounds in the film “Violet Heart”.

It is a tube with 9 playing holes and a double reed. Common among the peoples of the Caucasus. It is most popular in Armenia, as well as among Armenians living outside its borders.

The traditional name of the Armenian duduk is tsiranapokh, which can literally be translated as “apricot pipe” or “soul of the apricot tree.”

Music on the Armenian duduk is most often performed in pairs: the leading duduk playing the melody, and the second duduk called " I'll give”, which, performing a continuous tonic background of a certain height, provides a specific ostinato sound of the main degrees of the mode.

A musician playing the dama (damkash) achieves a similar sound using a continuous breathing technique: inhaling through the nose, he retains air in his puffed out cheeks, and the flow of air from the oral cavity at the same time creates pressure on the tongue of the duduk.

Usually, during their training, Armenian duduk players also practice playing two other wind instruments - and.

When performing dance music, the duduku is sometimes accompanied by a percussion musical instrument dool. Duduk is widely used in folk orchestras and accompanies Armenian folk songs and dances, as well as wedding and funeral ceremonies.

Unique sound of duduk

Duduk has a warm, soft, slightly muffled sound and velvety timbre, characterized by lyricism, emotionality and expressiveness. When performing music in pairs (leading duduk and female duduk), a feeling of peace, tranquility and high spirituality often arises.

It is believed that the duduk, like no other instrument, is capable of expressing the soul of the Armenian people. The famous composer Aram Khachaturian once said that the duduk is the only instrument that makes him cry.

Music can be performed on the duduk in various keys. For example, a 40-centimeter duduk is considered most suitable for performing love songs, while a shorter one often accompanies dances.

The Armenian duduk has remained virtually unchanged throughout its centuries-old history - only the manner of playing has changed. Despite the fact that its range is one octave, playing the duduk requires considerable skill.

The famous Armenian duduk player Jivan Gasparyan notes: “The Americans and the Japanese tried to reproduce the sound of the duduk on a synthesizer, but each time they failed. This means that the duduk was given to us by God.”

Device

Duduk consists of a tube and a removable double tongue (reed). The length of the Armenian duduk tube is 28, 33 or 40 cm. There are 7 or 8 playing holes on the front side and one or two for the thumb on the back side. The length of the double tongue, known as "exeg", is usually 9-14 cm.

Sound is formed as a result of vibration of two reed plates and is regulated by changing the air pressure on the instrument's tongue, as well as closing and opening the playing holes. The reed is usually capped and has a tone control for tuning. By pressing the knob, the tone increases; when it is weakened, the tone decreases.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the duduk received the definition of a diatonic one-octave instrument. However, despite this, chromatic notes are achieved by partially covering the playing holes.

The earliest instruments, like the duduk, were made from animal bones and reeds. Currently, duduk is made exclusively from wood. And the Armenian duduk is made from an apricot tree, the fruits of which were first brought to Europe from Armenia. Apricot wood has a unique ability to resonate.

Variants of the duduk in other countries are made from other materials (plum wood, walnut wood, etc.), but, according to experts, such a duduk is characterized by a rather sharp, nasal sound, while the Armenian duduk is distinguished by a soft sound, more like to the voice.

The tongue is made from two pieces of reed, which grows in large quantities along the banks of the Araks River. Unlike other instruments with a double reed, the duduk's reed is quite wide, which gives the instrument its unique sad sound.

Origin, history of duduk

Duduk- one of the oldest wind musical instruments in the world. Some researchers believe that the duduk was first mentioned in the written monuments of the state of Urartu. In line with this hypothesis, we can believe that its history goes back about three thousand years.

Others attribute the appearance of the duduk to the reign of the Armenian king Tigran II the Great (95-55 BC). Armenian historian of the 5th century AD. e. Movses Khorenatsi in his writings speaks about the instrument “tsiranapokh” (apricot wood pipe), which is one of the oldest written references to this instrument. Duduk was depicted in many medieval Armenian manuscripts.

Perhaps due to the existence of quite extensive Armenian states (Great Armenia, Lesser Armenia, the Cilician Kingdom, etc.) and thanks to the Armenians who lived not only within the Armenian Highlands, but also in Persia, the Middle East, Asia Minor, in the Balkans, Caucasus, Crimea, etc., the duduk spread in these territories.

Also, the duduk could penetrate beyond its original distribution area thanks to the trade routes that existed at the relevant time, some of which passed through Armenia.

Having been borrowed from other countries and becoming an element of the culture of other peoples, the duduk has undergone some changes over the centuries. As a rule, this concerned melody, the number of sound holes and the materials from which the instrument is made.

Duduk in our time

Today we can hear duduk in many films. It has become one of the most popular instruments for performing music for Hollywood soundtracks.

The first world-famous film in which the duduk was played was “The Last Temptation of Christ.” Other films and television series followed. The most famous of them: “Gladiator”, “Ararat”, “Alexander”, “Passion of the Christ”, “Munich”, “Syriana”, “The Da Vinci Code”, “Ashes and Snow”, “Hulk”, “Xena the Queen” Warriors", "Russian House", "Raven", "Onegin".

Duduk performed by Djivan Gasparyan can be heard in more than three dozen films. Gasparyan collaborated with German film composer Hans Zimmer in writing the music for Gladiator. In 2001, the soundtrack to the film, performed by Gasparyan, won the Golden Globe in the category “Best Music”.

There are many famous duduk players in Armenia and among Armenians living beyond its borders, the most prominent of whom are Ludvig Gharibyan, Jivan Gasparyan, Gevorg Dabaghyan, Sergey Karapetyan, Mkrtich Malkhasyan, Vache Hovsepyan. Among Azerbaijani musicians, Alikhan Samedov is the most famous.

In 2005, the Armenian duduk was recognized as a masterpiece of the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Video: Duduk (tsiranapokh) on video + sound

Thanks to these videos, you can get acquainted with the instrument, watch a real game on it, listen to its sound, and feel the specifics of the technique:

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They say that this instrument expresses all the subtleties and experiences of the Armenian people, the pain of their souls and hearts. With the development of this musical instrument and from the moment they became familiar with it outside of Armenia, they became synonymous duduk and music for the soul.

Many people know that the Armenians are an ancient people who have survived not only many adversities throughout their history, but at the same time tried with all their might to preserve their original culture -Armenian dudukand Kochari dance give the most complete idea of ​​Armenian culture.

History of the creation and development of duduk. Other names for musical instruments.

In Armenia itself duduk has many names that come either from the peculiarities of its manufacture, or these names are literal translations.

Apricot pipe.

In ancient times, the duduk was made by the musician himself, and it was believed that this is why duduk and soul The musicians merged into one whole during the game and produced unimaginable melodies. The virtuosos of the game did not pass on their instrument to their sons and descendants, but shared the features and subtleties of manufacturing, helping not only to make the right instrument, but also to put their soul into it. Over time, this tradition lost its strength. Currently, duduk production is carried out by craftsmen who know all the subtleties and intricacies of this craft. In order to become a duduk player, it is not necessary to play an instrument of your own making. At the same time, the most popular duduk player of the present time says that he made his first duduk himself, as a tribute to tradition and as a sign that he chose his path consciously.

Soul of an apricot tree.

The second version of historians is reflected in the centuries-old history of the Armenians. The essence of this version is subtly intertwined with the first, but this one is more concise and voluminous. As a result of a huge number of persecutions and pilgrimages, the Armenians were looking not only for an outlet, but also for something that would prove to everyone that they are a developed people, with their own culture, their own history, their own characteristics. On the way from one area to another, during campaigns, the Armenians made duduks from “improvised materials”. These improvised means were precisely apricot trees.

Duduk.

During the era of the Ottoman Empire, the descendants of the Turks called this instrument because of the similarity of sound. Despite the enmity between the Turks and Armenians (the consequences of the genocide of 1915 and many years of denial), the Armenians left this name, since it is shorter and more convenient for many to pronounce than “tsiranapokh”.

Playing the duduk is an innate gift of Armenians.

In the 20th century, thanks to the musician Jivan Gasparyan, the whole world learned about the duduk. Armenians all over the world rejoiced - their compatriot not only became famous himself, but also glorified the national instrument! Rumors about Gasparyan and his talent spread throughout the Soviet Union, and then beyond its borders. The diasporas of many countries wanted to see him with concerts in order to “close their eyes and plunge into their homeland.” These are exactly the impressions that Armenians shared after attending Gasparyan’s concerts. Jivan not only introduced the world to the Armenian national instrument, he was able to do the incredible - raise the duduk to a new level. Duduk music became the title melody of the popular Hollywood film Gladiator.

This was a new stage in the history of duduk development. A huge number of musicians wanted to learn the intricacies of playing the “apricot pipe”, but they failed. Gasparyan commented on this fiasco of professionals as follows: “I don’t want to offend anyone, but in order to play the duduk well, you need to be Armenian. We have some kind of genetic program that allows us to transmit everything through the duduk - experiences, pain, joy, exultation. If I live to see the moment when a non-Armenian plays the duduk perfectly, I will give him a standing ovation.”

Armenians are also incredibly proud of the fact that in 2005 duduk music became a UNESCO cultural heritage masterpiece. This meant that the national Armenian instrument became close to people all over the world, and not just to the residents of Armenia and the Armenian people.

A special feature of playing the duduk is also the fact that for the fullness of the sound it is impossible to play solo. Playing the duduk is a paired performance, where one duduk player plays the solo and the second plays the background. Moreover, both musicians are equally important for any work. In some melodies, the duduk players are joined by drums and wind instruments.

Listening Armenian duduk, it is impossible not to be “infected” by the emotions that the musicians convey and it doesn’t matter at all whether it is a sad, melodic composition or an incendiary one, the listener instantly finds himself captive of the duduk, captive of an instrument that plays music for the soul.

We asked our friends from dudukist.ru to prepare for us a series of materials about the most national musical instrument - the duduk. In this article, read about the 10 best duduk compositions according to Dudukist.

DLE YAMAN

(Music and lyrics by Komitas)

“Dle Yaman” is the cry of the Great Grief, who was born on April 24, 1915 on Armenian soil soaked in blood and grief. The title "Dle Yaman" is not translated. This song was and is performed by many modern Armenian musicians. Including this song has become a composition that is also performed on the Armenian duduk. The most unsurpassed performance was by Vache Hovsepyan. But the world famous Armenian duduk musician Djivan Gasparyan brought the composition worldwide fame. This Great Song has come down to us in its original form unchanged - the way it was written by Soghomon, better known as Archimandrite Komitas. This song is a memory. But sometimes memory can be merciless to human consciousness. This is the established history of the people who honor the memory of all brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers. A memory that is immortalized in song.

OV, SIRUN, SIRUN (“Oh my beauty”)

(Folk music, lyrics: Levon Miridzhanyan)

This song is about the unrequited love of a young man for a very beautiful girl who failed to appreciate the depth of his feelings towards her. The song may seem familiar to people of the older generation - in Soviet times, Artashes Avetyan made a pop version of it. There is also a variation of this song, arranged for duduk.

AKH, INCH LAV E (“Oh, how good!”)

The composition tells the story of a man who stands on the top of a high mountain on a sunny spring day and contemplates the blossoming world around him. His homeland is waking up from a long winter sleep, birds are chirping around, flowers are blooming, a thawed river is murmuring, shimmering in the rays of the spring sun. By the way, this is a very simple and uncomplicated composition for duduk, it is included in the introductory and graduation programs for studying the duduk class at the Yerevan State Conservatory. Perhaps the best performance of this composition was by duduk player Levon Minassian in his album “Songs from a World Apart”, 2005.

KRUNK (“Crane”)

(Music by Komitas)

This song tells about the time of the Armenian genocide. It tells about a little boy who survived; his entire family was killed, but he doesn’t know about it. And so he walks around and asks everyone if anyone has seen his mom or dad, sisters and brothers. When he approaches the crane and asks him the same question, the crane flaps its wings and flies away without giving an answer. The work “Krunk” was written by Komitas and performed by many famous musicians. Later the song was rewritten for the duduk score.

YERAZ ("Dream")

(Words by Hovhannes Shiraz, played duduk by Levon Minassyan)

The song tells about the piercing longing for a long-dead mother, who appeared to her son in a dream and this dream was so vivid that the son felt the warmth of his mother’s hands and her kiss, and this melody reminded him of the carefree days of childhood. At the end of the dream, the mother hugs her son to her chest, wiping his eyes from tears. He wakes up, and tears are still running from his eyes. And the son regrets that this was just a dream.

The most beautiful performances of this composition belong to Varduhi Khachatryan and Levon Minassyan, who performed it in his album “The Doudouk: Beyond Borders”, 2000, track No. 3.

SIRECI YARIS TARAN (“If you fell in love, your beloved was taken away”)

(Words by Avetik Isahakyan, played duduk by Vache Hovsepyan)

This song tells how a young man fell in love with a beautiful girl, but his beloved was taken away by another. Now this little-known song, which was featured as a composition in Ridley Scott's film Gladiator, has gained worldwide fame. In the film, the composition is called “To Zucchabar”, the arrangement was written by Hans Zimmer, and performed by world-famous duduk player Djivan Gasparyan.

INDZ MI KHNDRI ("Without asking me")

(Composer A. Mailyan, Vache Hovsepyan plays duduk)

This composition tells the story of First Love.

This incident happened in Armenia many centuries ago. The young girl grew up in a small village village and sang in the church choir. One day a young guy came to their settlement for Liturgy, and when he saw a beautiful stranger, he fell in love with her. After the end of the liturgy, they met, but the girl did not take the young man’s love and courtship seriously and laughed at his feelings. She thought it was a non-committal child's play. And then one day a young man decides to propose to the girl to marry him. One Sunday, after the liturgy, he proposed to his beloved in public, but she said contemptuously: “I won’t marry you and don’t ask!” After that incident, the young guy was not seen in the village again. This guy turned out to be a beginner, still unknown musician, who played an amazing musical instrument - the duduk. In those days, the duduk player and his instrument were not taken seriously. Such a musician was contemptuously called “zurnachi” and not a single family married their daughter to such a person. Years passed and the incident, which the whole village had been talking about for a long time, was gradually forgotten. The girl got married. But one day they met again after 15 years and after listening to him play the duduk, the girl fell in love with the duduk player. When they were alone, the girl, stepping over her pride, confessed her feelings to him. To which the musician replied to the girl: “I once loved you, but you refused me. And now you want to return everything, but without asking me? Don’t ask me about this, because time has passed...”

MI LACACNI ("Don't make me cry")

(Composer Vache Hovsepyan)

(In Jivan Gasparyan’s album “The Art Of Armenian Duduk” (1995) the composition is referred to as “Evening Hour”)

This is a story about a young guy who suffered for many years, loving one beautiful but arrogant girl who did not notice his love for her. She did not appreciate the depth of his feelings and the beauty of his heart. Years passed and multiple wounds turned into scars, and the young man’s heart hardened like steel.

MACHKAL ("Plowman")

(Words by Avetik Isahakyan, performed on duduk by Vache Hovsepyan)

The word Մաճկալ (“machkal”) is translated from Armenian as “plowman.” Machkal was formed from two Armenian words “machi” - “plow handle” and “heli” - “hand”. This composition tells the story of the hard work of a tiller (plowman), who gets up very early and goes to cultivate the land, earning his piece of bread by the sweat of his brow. The land of Armenia, mountainous and rocky, predetermined the fate of the peasant. In ancient times there was little good soil, pliable for cultivation, and if there was, it was usually waterless. The breadwinner of a peasant family and the hero of folk songs was, of course, an ox. In Medieval Armenia, in the 13th century, there was a law according to which it was forbidden to take an ox from a peasant, since they were a necessary condition for work and life.

The work “Machkal” was considered the crowning work of the master Vache Hovsepyan.

HOVERN INKAN ("Coming Twilight")

(Vache Hovsepyan plays duduk)

The composition tells the story of an orphan boy who lies paralyzed in the hospital. For days on end he watches other children being visited by their families, but no one comes to him, he is an orphan. At night, when everyone is sleeping, a light wind blows through the open window after a hot day. The boy, smelling the wet earth and spring wildflowers, remembers himself running across a field, among scattering grasshoppers with multi-colored wings to meet his dad. Rain drips quietly, slowly plunging the boy into his wonderful sleep.

National Armenian wind instrument, which has received worldwide recognition. In Armenia it is also called tsiranapokh (literally “apricot pipe”). Duduk is both a very simple and complex instrument. It is a tube with eight holes on the front side and one on the back

It would seem that it could be simpler. However, as soon as the master starts playing, this small piece of apricot tree fills the space with an incredibly beautiful melody, completely capturing the attention of the listeners.

It is impossible to say exactly when exactly this instrument first appeared in Armenia. The Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi mentioned it back in the 5th century. One thing is clear: duduk melodies have been an integral part of the Armenian national culture since ancient times. To its sounds, weddings and celebrations were celebrated and people who left this world were seen off on their eternal journey. Duduk, better than all other instruments, expressed the feelings and emotions of the Armenian people.

Get ready to listen to the duduk

Have you ever heard birds singing in a clearing, or the quiet murmur of a mountain stream? Or maybe you prefer the quiet rustling of leaves humming the gentle melody of the forest? The Armenian duduk is capable of conveying the entire depth of this natural “music”. The instrument conveys a warm and soft sound. He is expressive, emotional and lyrical.

Often, when listening to duduk melodies, a feeling of spiritual peace and renunciation of all earthly things arises. The melodies of the duduk are pure and natural; they contain the essence of the universe. It is not surprising that even after a hard day, this music can give peace and tranquility to any listener.

But how can such a simple instrument conceal so many charming and unique sounds?

One of the main secrets of the duduk is the material it is made of. Apricot wood gives the instrument the ability to resonate. Thanks to this, the sound of the duduk is very similar to a voice. How can any sound compare in power to the human voice!

Sensuality, emotions, hopes - not a single instrument is able to convey the experiences of the human soul with the strength and passion that the duduk does. And if you put this powerful tool in the hands of an experienced master, its strength will increase significantly. Perhaps this is why the music performed on the duduk by Jivan Gasporyan conquered the whole world, becoming one of the already recognized masterpieces of the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Forget for a moment about all your worries, close the door to all the hardships and plunge into the sensual and stunning world of duduk. He will open to you the most intimate corners of the human soul.

DUDUK - Djivan Gasparyan-Kapuit Manushak (Blue Violet)

Live duduk music

The instrument, which appeared thousands of years ago, still continues to captivate with its unforgettable and beautiful sound. Duduk can play music in a variety of keys, but most often sad melodies sound from it. They tell the listener the story of an entire people who have gone through a great journey. This story contains both joy and sadness, it contains life itself, embodied in music. That is why the motives of the duduk will never become outdated or fade away, because the soul of the people is hidden in them.

But duduk music is not only the heritage of Armenia itself. Now it sounds all over the world. Performed by the most famous contemporary masters (Jivan Gasparyan, Ludvig Gharibyan, Gevorg Dabaghyan, Hovhannes Kasyan) it can be heard both on world concert stages and in modern films.

This is how the duduk sounded in the world-famous film “The Last Temptation of Christ”, and then in such famous film adaptations as “Gladiator”, “Ararat”, “Alexander”, “The Da Vinci Code”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” , “The Passion of the Christ”, “Onegin” and many others.

And this is just the beginning of a new history for the instrument.

Jivan Gasparyan (duduk) soundtrack from the movie Gladiator