Inessa Bazayev Ph.D. Candidate in Music Theory, New York, June 2004
Berge Turabian’s album “Bird Song” is the fourth album in the series of ‘The Armenian Poets in Songs’. It brings forth three prominent living poets in Diaspora – Zahrad, Khrakhuni, and Igna Sariaslan. Mr. Turabian’s mellifluous songs are beautifully coupled with the poems, particularly Zahrad’s “Christmas Tree,” which captures some of the most graceful nuances of Armenian culture. The same song is further intensified by Anahit Sharian, who was the winner of the 2003 Sayat-Nova Song Competition in Yerevan, Armenia, who adds her lyrical voice on five duets. Listeners instantly find themselves witnessing a magical process – an amalgamate of ancient traditions and contemporary words, melodies and rhythms. In short, each melody of the song translucently interweaves music with words and unforgettably insinuates into the depths of the listener’s soul. The Book CD, very handsomely designed and printed in Armenia, includes the lyrics of the three poets in Armenian, as well as in English and French translations. A preface is signed by the CD’s author Berge Turabian, who also translated the poets into French and English with Anahit Dashtents and Arousiak Turabian. Robert Haddedjian, another living writer from Istanbul, concludes the CD book with an appraisal note about Mr. Turabian’s style in music, poetry and singing.