Program 770: The Art of Anahid Ajemian
KALW Broadcast Date: January 28, 2024 | Host: Charles Amirkhanian
Charles Amirkhanian pays homage to visionary violinist Anahid Ajemian (January 26, 1924–June 13, 2016) in celebration this week of the 100th anniversary of her birth in New York City. Ajemian, and her older sister, pianist Maro Ajemian, were early advocates of the music of maverick composers John Cage, Alan Hovhaness, and Lou Harrison. They went on to record dozens of LPs in the 1950s for MGM Records featuring then-little-known contemporary music, some of which is heard here by composers Wallingford Riegger, Silvestre Revueltas, Carlos Chavez, and others. Included are rare recordings of the 1942 American premiere of the Khachaturian Piano Concerto, a 1947 V-Disc of Debussy’s Violin Sonata, and a 1948 RCA Victor 78rpm side of Khachaturian’s Chant-Poéme.
Program Audio
30-Second Spot
Track Info & Links
Title: Concerto No 2 for violin and orchestra
Composer: Alan Hovhaness
Performers: MGM Symphony Orchestra, Carlos Surinach, conductor
Recording Title: Alan Hovhaness – Maro Ajemian, Anahid Ajemian, Carlos Surinach – Lousadzak: Concerto No. 1 For Piano And String Orchestra, Op. 48 / Concerto No. 2 For Violin And String Orchestra, Op. 89a
Record Label: MGM Records
Catalog Number: E3504
Title: Concerto for Piano
Composer: Aram Khachaturian
Performers: Maro Ajemian, Piano; Juilliard School Orchestra, Albert Stoessel, conductor
Recording Title: The 1942 American Premiere of Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto
Title: Sonata for Violin and Piano
Composer: Claude Debussy
Performers: Anahid Ajemian, violin; Eleanor Gough, piano
Recording Title: Sonata for Violin and Piano, Debussy
Record Label: V-Disc recording
Catalog Number: V-Disc 746
Title: Anahid: Fantasy for Orchestra
Composer: Alan Hovhaness
Performers: MGM Symphony Orchestra, Carlos Surinach, conductor
Recording Title: Anahid: Fantasy for Orchestra
Record Label: MGM Records
Catalog Number: E3504
Title: Chant-Poéme
Composer: Aram Khachaturian
Performers: Anahid Ajemian, violin; Maro Ajemian, piano
Recording Title: Khachaturian: Chant-Poéme
Record Label: RCA Victor
Catalog Number: RCA Victor 12-0343
Title: Sonata No. 4, Movement 3 “Shall We Gather at the River”
Composer: Charles Ives
Performers: Anahid Ajemian, violin; Maro Ajemian, piano
Recording Title: Henry Cowell, Alan Hovhaness, Charles Ives – Set Of Five / Kirgiz Suite / Sonata No. 4
Record Label: MGM Records
Catalogue Number: E3454
Title: Set of Five, Movement 4 “Presto-leggiero”
Composer: Henry Cowell
Performers: Anahid Ajemian, violin; Maro Ajemian, piano
Recording Title: Henry Cowell, Alan Hovhaness, Charles Ives – Set Of Five / Kirgiz Suite / Sonata No. 4
Record Label: MGM Records
Catalogue Number: E3454
Title: Khirgiz Suite, Movement 2
Composer: Alan Hovhaness
Performers: Anahid Ajemian, violin; Maro Ajemian, piano
Recording Title: Henry Cowell, Alan Hovhaness, Charles Ives – Set Of Five / Kirgiz Suite / Sonata No. 4
Record Label: MGM Records
Catalogue Number: E3454
Title: Sonatina
Composer: Carlos Chavez
Performers: Anahid Ajemian, violin; Maro Ajemian, piano
Recording Title: Carlos Surinach / Carlos Chavez* / Silvestre Revueltas – Maro Ajemian, Anahid Ajemian – Doppio Concertino / Sonatina / Three Pieces
Record Label: MGM Records
Catalogue Number: E-3180
Title: Three Pieces for Violin and Piano
Composer: Silvestre Revueltas
Performers: Anahid Ajemian, violin; Maro Ajemian, piano
Recording Title: Carlos Surinach / Carlos Chavez / Silvestre Revueltas* – Maro Ajemian, Anahid Ajemian – Doppio Concertino / Sonatina / Three Pieces
Record Label: MGM Records
Catalogue Number: E-3180
Title: Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, movement 2
Composer: Anton Webern
Performers: Anahid Ajemian, violin; Maro Ajemian, piano
Recording Title: Kurt Weill, Anton von Webern*, Anahid Ajemian – Concerto For Violin And Wind Orchestra, Op. 12
Record Label: MGM Records
Catalogue Number: E3179
Title: Sonatina for Violin and Piano, movement 2
Composer: Wallingford Riegger
Performers: Anahid Ajemian, violin; Maro Ajemian, piano
Recording Title: Maro Ajemian, Anahid Ajemian – Double Concerto For Solo Violin and Piano With Orchestra
Record Label: MGM Records
Catalogue Number: E3179
Title: String Quartet No. 4
Composer: Elliott Carter
Performers: Composers String Quartet
Recording Title: Composers Quartet: Elliott Carter, Milton Babbitt, Mel Powell
Record Label: Music & Arts
Catalogue Number: CD 606
Title: Suite for Violin, Piano, and Small Orchestra
Composer: Lou Harrison
Performers: Maro Ajemian, piano; Anahid Ajemian, violin; chamber orchestra, Leopold Stokowski, conductor
Recording Title: Henry Cowell: Persian Set/Lou Harrison: Suite
Record Label: CRI
Catalogue Number: CRI SD 114
