The diversity found within the four works by Alan Hovhaness recorded here (three for the first time) represents a microcosm of the dilemma posed by his oeuvre: a disconcerting juxtaposition of music of intoxicating beauty and originality with mediocre material of questionable taste. Some of the composer's work escapes this inconsistency; Symphony No. 2, "Mysterious Mountain," rightly his most popular and enduring piece, is exquisitely effective in its strangeness. The works here show the unmistakable influence of his ...
Read More
The diversity found within the four works by Alan Hovhaness recorded here (three for the first time) represents a microcosm of the dilemma posed by his oeuvre: a disconcerting juxtaposition of music of intoxicating beauty and originality with mediocre material of questionable taste. Some of the composer's work escapes this inconsistency; Symphony No. 2, "Mysterious Mountain," rightly his most popular and enduring piece, is exquisitely effective in its strangeness. The works here show the unmistakable influence of his intense study of the musics of India, Japan, and Hawaii. Ode to the Temple of Sound, which the composer describes as a "festive overture," begins with an inchoate, atmospheric haze of ethereal loveliness: shimmering, sparkling, mysterious sounds heard as if from a great distance. The remaining sections of the piece, however, are blandly pentatonic exercises in Orientalism, which, though doubtless are the result of the composer's serious study of the music of Japan, sound clunky when played...
Read Less
Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2024 Rovi Corporation.