The music of the Armenian-American composer Alan Hovhaness has shown remarkable persistence, with its unique, Eastern-inflected style finding adherents no matter what the dominant musical ideology of the day. His style varied little over large stretches of his career, with modal, emotional (some would say kitschy) melodies woven together into big contrapuntal waves that at their best reach points of high, mystic-ecstatic intensity. Hovhaness wrote 67 symphonies that are known (so far); the Symphony No. 48, Op. 355 ("Vision ...
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The music of the Armenian-American composer Alan Hovhaness has shown remarkable persistence, with its unique, Eastern-inflected style finding adherents no matter what the dominant musical ideology of the day. His style varied little over large stretches of his career, with modal, emotional (some would say kitschy) melodies woven together into big contrapuntal waves that at their best reach points of high, mystic-ecstatic intensity. Hovhaness wrote 67 symphonies that are known (so far); the Symphony No. 48, Op. 355 ("Vision of Andromeda"), here receives its world premiere, and there are plenty of other pieces awaiting premieres for orchestras that so desire. Hovhaness was known to be interested in astronomy, though it would be hard to say that the extra-galactic subject matter inspired any major changes in his style, but the symphony is an imposing four-movement work with two long, heavily contrapuntal movements (evoking floating galaxies if you work at it) framing two shorter inner movements that both...
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The Naxos American Classics series has brought deserved attention to much American music that would otherwise be neglected. Among the many composers featured in this series is Alan Hovhaness (1911 -- 2000) who has been featured in several American Classics CDs beginning in 2002. Hovhaness was a prolific composer with 67 symphonies and many other works to his credit. I knew his music before the American Classics series, but the Naxos CDs have greatly enhanced my appreciation of Hovhaness, whose reputation appears to be rising following his death.
In this, the most recent American Classics Hovhaness CD, Gerald Schwarz conducts the Eastern Music Festival Faculty Orchestra in three works. Schwarz, the Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony, has long been a champion of Hovhaness and of American music. The Eastern Festival Orchestra is a group of professional musicians and teachers who gather in Greensboro, North Carolina every summer to perform and to teach promising young musicians. They play beautifully on this CD. The recording dates from July 2013. Hovhaness' widow, Hinako Fujihara Hovhaness, wrote the liner notes.
The world premiere recording of Hovhaness' Symphony no. 48, "Vision of Andromeda" is the highlight of this CD. Hovhaness described this 30 minute, four movement symphony composed in 1982 as "inspired by the wonders and mysteries of astronomy and the giant galaxy of Andromeda, with other galaxies rotating around it." The work is large and spacious. It has a distinctly mystical feel, as does much of Hovhaness' music. The work consists of two lengthy outer movements and two shorter inner movements. Tempos are generally slow but work to climaxes. The instrumentation is highly imaginative and characteristic of the composer with much use of solo winds, gongs, bells, and drums which give the work an Eastern feel. The musical themes are long, sinuous and modal. Each movement tends to take a lengthy flowing theme and to develop it. Hovhaness makes great use of counterpoint. The first movement reminded me of a large musical arch as textures and tempos picked up and receded. The second movement is a fugue which begins with a light texture but which is dramatically developed. In the third movement, a solo bassoon sings the theme in the upper portions of its register only to have it repeated and embellished by the solo flute. The long finale features Hovhaness' array of gongs, bells, and brass chorales as the music captures what I think is a pantheistic feeling of immensity and mystery. This symphony is immediately recognizable as Hovhaness. It is good to have it recorded in this convincing performance.
In 1989, Hovhaness composed a three movement "Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Strings", op 344. Unlike the symphony, this piece has recently been recorded by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project directed by Gil Rose with Kenneth Radnofsky playing the soprano sax. This new recording with Schwarz features soloist Greg Banaszak and is taken at a slightly more deliberate tempo than the Boston recording. This lovely work features much interplay between the soloist and the small orchestra and winding, long modal themes in the sax. Each movement features a change of mood and tempo which is managed seamlessly. Hovhaness writes idiomatically for the sax with many melodies having a popular, bluesy feel. The first movement shifts from a lyrical theme to fugal writing while the second movement moves from a slow popular waltz to a much faster, jumpier form of dance. The finale, titled "Let the Living and The Celestial Sing" moves from a tranquil theme to an expansive fugue before returning to a sudden quiet close. With at least two recent, high-quality recordings, this little romantic concerto may become one of Hovhaness' better-known compositions.
The final work on this CD is the seven-minute "Prelude and Quadruple Fugue", Op. 128 written early in Hovhaness' career in 1936 and revised in 1954. While much of Hovhaness' music generates a feeling of stillness, this short work generates excitement. It begins slowly with a melancholy theme in the lower strings but soon builds to a huge fugue with four separate themes in the manner inspired by the conclusion to Bach's "Art of Fugue". Hovhaness is a master of counterpoint and makes this piece work in dramatic fashion.
This CD will be of interest to those who already know Hovhaness and to those coming to him for the first time. Naxos deserves thanks for helping to make his music, including some rare works, accessible. I also owe Naxos thanks for sending me a copy of this CD to review.
