musicologist-medievalist, scientific editor at the Armenian Encyclopedia Publishing House SNCO of the National Academy of Sciences of RA. She graduated from the Department of Musicology of the Komitas State Conservatory in Yerevan obtaining a Bachelor’s (2010) and a Master’s (2011) Degree. Since 2012 she is a PhD candidate at the M. Abeghyan Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of the RA (supervisor A. V. Isahakyan). Musheghyan is an acting pedagogue. She has presented papers at various conferences.

THE MAIN TENDENCIES OF THE ARMENIAN MUSICAL-THEORETICAL THOUGHT IN THE XVIII CENTURY

The paper observes the manifestations of the Armenian musical-theoretical thought during the “renewal” period (XVII-XVIII centuries) to define the realities and nodes, which gradually acquired the role of an introductory stage for the further development of Armenian music culture. The development of the Armenian music theory of the “renewal”’ period is reviewed from the perspectives of three main branches: the theoretical views of (1) Khachatur Erzrumetsi and Mkhitar Sebastatsi, (2) Tamburi Harutin, (3) Grigor Gapasaqalyan.
Considering Khachatur Erzrumetsi’s and Mkhitar Sebastatsi’s musical-theoretical works, a conclusion arises that the authors linked the tendencies of the further development of the theoretical mind with the adoption of the European theoretical system and the introducing of music notation. Those tendencies were later synthesized with national music traditions, thereby becoming the mainstream of Armenian music theory that beginning from the middle of the XIX century prepared for the development of Armenian art music.
Tamburi Harutin’s musical-theoretical views allow concluding that he searched for the paths of development of Armenian music in the Eastern tradition. This branch continued evolving and gaining followers up to the XX century. Hakobos Ayvazyan was the most prominent of the followers, even though other authors also reflected the principles of this direction before him.
The third branch is reflected in Grigor Gapasaqalyan’s musical-theoretical works. He was attempting to revive the medieval Armenian musical tradition through the involvement of Greek neumes, as well as various khaz signs, invented by him. Though these kinds of attempts actually failed in this area, however, an important result was seen in the creation of Hampartsoum Limondjian’s so-called Armenian New Notation. In this new notation, the Armenian traditional music system was once again synthesized with both the Western and partially the Eastern systems.
The above-mentioned three branches brought up new tendencies for the development of Armenian music culture. The first and the third branches, being the ones embracing modern tendencies of European and Armenian traditions were later on incorporated into the school of thought of the Armenian Theorists of Constantinople, while the third one continued to flourish until XIX-XX centuries.