Old World, New Age

Thanks to the increasing popularity of world music, Western audiences have been able to discover centuries-old musical idioms.

One of the more prominent “discoveries” has been the ancient, plaintive sound of the Armenian instrument known as the duduk, one of the oldest wind instruments in the world and a sound for the ‘90s.

The chief proponent of the duduk is Djivan Gasparyan, whose name has become synonymous with the instrument made from the wood of Armenian apricot trees.

Gasparyan’s melancholic lyricism and highly nuanced mastery has made him a popular source of meditative music for Western ears while acting as a musical ambassador for Armenia.

Apart from performing and recording traditional Armenian folk music, Gasparyan has also been involved in projects that cross cultural borders.

He will perform Thursday evening at the Skirball Cultural Center with musician Michael Brook.

While rehearsing in North Hollywood last week, Gasparyan also found time to lay down duduk tracks for the score to the upcoming Ridley Scott film, “Gladiator.”

With kind eyes and an amiable manner, he sat down for an interview in a designer pizza joint and spoke through his translator, tour manager and engineer, Dickran Bezirgenian.

The best examples of Gasparyan’s art can be heard on more purely Armenian projects. Several have been released domestically on labels such as Traditional Crossroads and Gyroscope.

The unadorned, indigenous style “always has been the most close to your heart,” he said, “because it embodies folk, traditional Armenian music.

“However modern we live or where, you still want to go back to your roots, like any culture. We listen to Gregorian chants amidst the insanity, or classical music.”

He began playing the instrument at age 8, and in the early stages of his professional life was involved in the influential Tatoul Altonian Ensemble. He also performed for silent Armenian movies.

From the beginning, he was seeking a more personal and expressive style on the instrument, finding nuances and half-tones between the established notes.

Gasparyan explains that the name “duduk” isn’t accurate, but an appellation given to the instrument because of its similarity to the Russian instrument called the “dudka.”

The real Armenian name for the instrument, the origins of which can be traced to the 3rd century, is “tziranapogh,” based on the words “tziran” (apricot) and “pogh” (wind instrument).

By his estimation, Gasparyan has been involved in roughly 50 albums, but his fame in the West began to build after his appearance on Peter Gabriel’s soundtrack for the Martin Scorsese film “The Last Temptation of Christ.”

Later came the 1989 release of the achingly beautiful “I Will Not Be Sad in This World,” and the advocacy of rock world figures such as REM’s Michael Stipe.

Gasparyan went on to work with artists as varied as the Kronos Quartet, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Lionel Richie. He was also included on the eclectic soundtrack for “Dead Man Walking.”

Gasparyan and Brook joined forces last year to record “Black Rock,” which blends atmospheric electro-acoustic tracks by Brook and multi-instrumentalist Richard Evans, graced with Gasparyan’s distinctive sound.

In years past, Gasparyan has often been included in diverse cultural packages showcasing the arts from the Soviet Union, where life has changed radically for artists--especially those with international status--since the fall of the Iron Curtain.

“In the old days, they had to be approved by the central committee from Moscow,” he said. “He would have an invitation from France, but they would have to go through the Politburo and wait 10 or 15 days to find out if they get the approval. Nowadays, I get the letter right away.”

These days, Gasparyan said, “Whenever I go somewhere, Armenia is proud, because I’m representing the country in the best way possible.”

In his own country, Gasparyan was given the laurel of the People’s Artist of Armenia in 1973. Before his Western celebrity turned him into an itinerant, worldly musician, he taught advanced duduk at the university in Yerevan, Armenia.

In part, his interest in teaching has to do with nurturing the future of the instrument. Among Gasparyan’s projects is a 50-piece duduk ensemble composed of his former students. The group has toured the former Soviet Union but not beyond.

The international acclaim he’s enjoying now is a delayed reward for a lifetime devoted to the instrument, in stark contrast to his modest beginnings.

“When I started, I wasn’t getting paid for it,” he said. “I did it because I enjoyed it. Some days, I only had a piece of bread to eat, but I had the duduk and that was enough for me to find balance.”

BE THERE

Djivan Gasparyan and Michael Brook, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Sepulveda Pass. Free admission, parking $5. (310) 440-4500.