Poulenc Fauré Komitas

Released in 2015 by the Swiss label Claves, this recording serves as a bridge between the French chamber music tradition and the haunting, modal folk-inspired compositions of the Armenian priest and musicologist Komitas Vardapet. The album was born from the collaboration between the Armenian-French cellist Astrig Siranossian and pianist Théo Fouchenneret, both of whom were rising stars in the European classical scene at the time. Their objective was to highlight the thematic resonance between Fauré’s elegiac lyricism, Poulenc’s sophisticated wit, and the profound, sorrowful simplicity of Komitas’s miniatures.

The project is widely regarded as a significant contribution to the cello repertoire, praised by critics for the performers' technical precision and emotional sincerity. The selection of works creates a dialogue that transcends cultural boundaries, grounding the Western impressionist aesthetic in the starker, ancient roots of Armenian music. Siranossian’s interpretation of the Komitas pieces, in particular, was lauded for bringing a nuanced, contemporary perspective to music that often remains obscured within the standard classical canon.