32nd Annual Student Research Conference
An Analysis of Aram Khachaturian's Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano
Karmin B. Mazzocchi♦
Dr. Jesse D. Krebs, Faculty Mentor
Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) was a highly respected Armenian nationalist composer known for incorporating folk melodies from the Soviet Republic into his music. His stylistic innovations on the melodies developed into original musical compositions that helped to preserve the folk cultures. Khachaturian's Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano (1932) is a good example of his unique musical style, being an early composition in his career and the only one of its kind that he wrote. This work combines elements of Eastern dance rhythms, folk tunes, French impressionism, complex rhythmic patterns, and modal harmonies while reflecting Josef Stalin's guidelines for the new genre of socialist realism. My research will provide insight into how Khachaturian combined these elements into his trio by presenting individual segments from the work, discussing the characteristics previously mentioned that are used to make the piece unique, and performing the excerpts of it to put the information into an aural context.
Keywords: clarinet, Khachaturian, music, violin, folk music, Soviet Union, Armenia
Topic(s):Music
Presentation Type: Performance Art
Session: 313-5
Location: OP Performance Hall
Time: 2:50