Armenian Neume System of Notation

Robert Arshaki At'ayan was born in Tehran in 1915, son of the writer and translator Arshak Gevorg At'ayan (1877-938). His family emigrated to Armenia in 1922. During the Stalin era of repressions, his father was wrongfully tried and executed in 1938, and was exonerated posthumously in 1955.Young Robert studied music at the Ereven Conservatory. He graduated in 1941 and began teaching in the same institution from 1944. In 1962 he became director of the institute and professor in 1977. His doctoral research on Armenian khaz notation, prepared under the supervision of Professor K'. K'oushnaryan, was published in 1959. Translation and Introduction by Vrej N. Nersessian

• Preface to the English translation THE ARMENIAN NEUME SYSTEM OF NOTATION 1. The khaz system of prosody 2. Ancient Armenian manuscripts and their significance for the study of musical khaz notation 3. The origin and development of khaz notation and its relationship with the development of Armenian medieval music 4. A critical review of some of the major studies devoted to khazes 5. The meanings of some of the khazes of the tenth-twelfth centuries and the principal features of the system

'the most profound and stimulating work on this topic.' - Levon Abrahamian, Journal of Royal Anthropological Institute