Gusan |

Gusan is an Armenian folk professional singer-narrator and musician-instrumentalist. The art of the gusans goes back to the ancient, dofeod. period of Armenian history. According to the historian Movses Khorenatsi (fifth century), G. performed mythical. legends, etc. In cf. century, art-in G. received further development. They performed both individually and in whole groups, including performers for music. instruments, dancers and dancers (vardzaki), singers, actors, acrobats. Secular, democratic the direction of G.’s lawsuit was condemned by the church, which repeatedly opposed the “devil’s songs”. In the 5-18 centuries. G.’s place is occupied by ashugs (see Ashug).

References: Kushnarev X., Questions of history and theory of Armenian monodic music, L., 1958; Shaverdyan A., Essays on the history of Armenian music of the XIX-XX centuries, M., 1959; Atayan R., Armenian folk song, M., 1965.

G. Sh. Geodakian