Old Armenian Songs: A Nineteenth Century Compilation by Ghewond Alishan

This volume is a compilation of songs in original Armenian and translated into English. The collection is only of lyrics and no music notation is included. The collection of songs presented here was first published in 1852 in Venice, as part of a project to preserve Armenian culture. The collection was made from Armenian manuscripts held at the Armenian monastery in San Lazzaro, dating from the 14th to 18th centuries, and is therefore of great value for historical ethnomusicologists, historians, and Armenologists in general. Andy Nercessian introduces the collection, and puts the contents in perspective through annotations which complement the original footnotes made by Ghewond Alishan. The songs are included in the original Armenian, as well as in translation. Some of the songs are well-known folk songs commonly performed by singers and folk musical ensembles in Armenia today, such as Groung (Crane). Included are wedding songs, laments, songs about foreign oppression, and love songs.