Abstract
<jats:p>During the 10th to 15th centuries, Armenian musical art experienced unprecedented development. The musical compositions inherited from early medieval times, including psalms and hymns, gradually gave way to taghs (liturgical and lyrical songs) and melodies. By the late 10th century, the Armenian Renaissance began, marked by Grigor Narekatsi’s poem The Book of Lamentations and his innovative taghs, which became guiding elements for the future development of Armenian cultural life, literature, and various branches of the arts, including vocal music, poetry, visual arts, miniature painting, and manuscript illumination. Following Grigor Narekatsi, the tagh tradition was further developed by Hovhannes Erznkatsi (Pluz), Hovhannes Tlkurantsi, Nerses Shnorhali, and others. Their taghs and lyrical songs were closely linked to both folk minstrel songs and hymns, enjoying widespread popularity. The second most prominent philosopher-poet and hymnographer of the Armenian Renaissance, as well as a key figure in the continuation of Armenian musical traditions, was Nerses Shnorhali. He played a crucial role in the transformative reform of the Armenian liturgy and its musical structuring. His vast body of work includes hundreds of hymns, anthems, and spiritual songs that enriched the musical components of Armenian liturgical services, refined the melodies of sacred songs, and enhanced church chanting traditions. Later, in the 17th–18th centuries, taghs gradually lost their prominence, giving way to the evolving minstrel-folk compositions that eventually led to the development of the ashugh (troubadour) tradition. During this period, renowned ashugh schools emerged in Tiflis, Yerevan, Alexandropol, and New Julfa. Among the most distinguished figures of the Armenian ashugh tradition was Naghash Hovnatanyan, a poet, painter, and musician, who composed songs in a language accessible to the people, laying the foundation for the further evolution of Armenian ashugh music. Following Naghash Hovnatanyan, the tradition of Armenian lyricism and ashugh music was enriched by Sayat-Nova, Aghbar Adam, Niran, Shirin, Sheram, and Jivani. Their songs became an integral part of the national musical treasury, serving as cornerstones of Armenian national identity and self-awareness. The rich musical heritage left by these artists played a fundamental role in shaping the entire system of musical expression in Armenian compositional art. Naturally, Armenia’s historical development and its interactions with both Western and Eastern cultures had a certain influence on the evolution of Armenian musical traditions. However, despite external influences, Armenian musical art remained distinct from the medieval musical cultures of neighboring nations due to its unique national character, identity, traditions, developmental patterns, and distinctive features. The thematic and stylistic diversity of hymns, taghs, lullabies, folk-minstrel songs, and ashugh compositions, along with their rich performance techniques, innovative structural improvements, expressive uniqueness, and artistic depth, as well as their continuous adaptation to the national mindset and social-political realities, have fostered the continuous evolution of Armenian musical thought and artistic creativity for centuries.</jats:p>