Duduk history

Whoever heard the lingering aching sounds of the duduk fell in love with them forever. A musical instrument made from an apricot tree has magical powers. The music of the duduk has absorbed the sounds of the wind of the ancient peaks of the Ararat mountains, the whispering of herbs in the meadows and plains, the crystal murmur of mountain rivers and the eternal sadness of the desert.

The first mention of a musical instrument

Dumb – one of the most ancient musical instruments. There are hypotheses that it sounded even in the ancient kingdom of Urartu, the territory of which partially belongs to modern Armenia. An instrument similar to the duduk is mentioned in the deciphered writings of Urartu. It can be assumed that the history of this instrument has more than three thousand years.

A cursory mention of an instrument resembling a duduk refers us to the history of the king of Great Armenia, Tigran II. In the records of Movses Khorenatsi, an Armenian historian of the XNUMXth century, there is a description of an instrument called “tsiranapokh”, which translates as “apricot tree pipe”. From the Armenian medieval manuscripts, images have come down to our time, thanks to which today one can imagine what the duduk looked like at that time. Thanks to the Armenians, the instrument became known far beyond the borders – the Middle East, the countries of the Balkan Peninsula and in the Crimea.

Duduk in Armenian folklore

Duduk music is part of the ethnic culture of Armenia. Here, the sensual story of the birth of the instrument is still passed from mouth to mouth. The legend tells of Young Breeze who fell in love with a blossoming apricot tree. But the old and evil Whirlwind did not allow him to caress the fragrant petals of a lonely tree. He threatened Veterka that he would turn the emerald mountain valley into a lifeless desert and the blossoming cloud of the tree would die from her hot breath. Young Breeze persuaded old Whirlwind not to do evil and let him live among the apricot blossoms. The old and evil Whirlwind agreed, but on the condition that Young Breeze would never fly. And if he violates the condition, then the tree will die forever. All spring and summer the Wind played with flowers and leaves of an apricot tree, which sang to him harmonious melodies. He was happy and carefree. With the advent of autumn, the petals fell and the Young Breeze became bored. More and more I wanted to circle with friends in the heavenly heights. Young Breeze could not resist and flew to the mountain peaks. The apricot tree could not bear the melancholy and disappeared. Among the withered grass, only one twig was lost. She was found by a lonely young man. He made a tube from an apricot twig, raised it to his lips, and she sang, told the young man a sad love story. Armenians say that this is how the duduk was born. And it will sound for real only when it is made by the hands of a musician who puts a particle of his soul into the instrument.

Duduk music today

Be that as it may, today the music of this reed instrument is known all over the world and since 2005 has been a UNESCO heritage. Duduk music accompanies the performances of not only folk Armenian ensembles. It sounds in the cinema, it can be heard in theaters and conservatories. The peoples of Turkey (Mei), China (Guanzi), Japan (Khichiriki), Azerbaijan (balaban or tyutyak) have musical instruments close to the duduk in sound and design.

The modern duduk is an instrument that, under the influence of different cultures, has undergone some changes: in melody, structure (the number of sound holes has changed), material. As before, the sounds of the duduk convey joy and sadness, delight and despondency. The centuries-old history of the “life” of this instrument has absorbed the feelings of people, for many years she meets them at birth and cries, seeing off a person forever.