Hovhaness, Alan (1911 - 2000)

[Mario]

Slowly exploring the “Living Stereo” 60-CD box, I’ve come across this:

Hovhaness S No 2 “Mysterious Mountain” Chicago S O – Reiner 1958

Parading my ignorance publicly again (what’s the alternative, to be dishonest? Nah! Man Utd fan I may be, dishonest I’m not (note, Man Utd, NOT ManU please)), I do not know a single note of Hovhaness. Listening to it, this is quite delightful.

Is there any reason why we do not hear more of him, or have I gone and landed myself in hot water again with his fans?

Mario

[richardfinegold]

I recently came across that same disc in the same collection and wondered the same thing. I have only heard a few other works by him.
His fecundity may work against him. He also bucked learned Musicological trends by writing unapologetically tonal (and frequently Modal) Music at a time when squeaks and squawks were supposed to be the gate to Musical Nirvana. He also is unapologetically a Man of Faith and that hasn’t been cool for about a Century

[Pulcinella]

Well, there's an awful lot of music he wrote, but I suspect that opinions differ as to its worth.
434 opus numbers and 67 symphonies, according to wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Hovhaness

The mysterious mountain is the piece that most people have heard (or heard about), I suspect: I too have that Reiner performance in a coupling with Lieutenant Kijé and the Divertimento from The fairy's kiss.
I have another CD of two symphonies: 50 (Mount St Helen's) and 22 (City of light), played by the Seattle Symphony (Schwarz conducting S50, and the composer himself conducting S22), both enjoyable enough if nothing that special.
I also have a couple of pieces on a compilation CD: Psalm and fugue for string orchestra (charming: reminiscent of Cowell's Hymn and fuguing tune No 10, if you know that) and Shepherd of Israel (I don't really get on with the 'cantillation of a synagogue cantor', as the liner notes describe it, but it's appropriate given that the piece was dedicated to the founding of the newly created State of Israel); I bought the CD primarily for the main work on it: Meditations on Ecclesiastes by Norman Dello Joio, somewhat in the same vein as Bliss' Mediations on a theme of John Blow, though a friend had introduced me to the Hovhaness Psalm and fugue in a blind 'Guess the composer' test. (I guessed Cowell!)

[Bryn]

Back in the days of the BBC's own Radio 3 forum, we had a discussion of two about Hovhaness. I recall a particular fan/authority on his music turned up to criticise Evelyn Glennie for modifying the instrumentation of one of his works. Regrettably, the name of the fan/authority escapes me but Hovhaness certainly attracts some very enthusiastic followers. Hovhaness's And God Created Great Whales is another of his better known works worth hearing.

Some useful information and links here: https://www.otherminds.org/alan-hovhaness-centennial/

[Richard Barrett]

at a time when squeaks and squawks were supposed to be the gate to Musical Nirvana.

Actually John Cage and Hovhaness were good friends, and Cage was one of many "avant-garde" composers in the USA who had a high appreciation of Hovhaness's music. Let's stick to the facts rather than unwarranted assumptions, shall we?

I don't think you have to go too far in the music of folk-influenced composers from eastern Europe and some of the ex-USSR countries to find large amounts of music in the same kind of vein as Hovhaness. My feeling is that he spread a few really interesting ideas over an enormous amount of music. A bit more subtlety in orchestration wouldn't have gone amiss, for example, but every piece I've heard has at least one moment that makes me sit up and take notice.

[jayne lee wilson]

I recently came across that same disc in the same collection and wondered the same thing. I have only heard a few other works by him.
His fecundity may work against him. He also bucked learned Musicological trends by writing unapologetically tonal (and frequently Modal) Music at a time when squeaks and squawks were supposed to be the gate to Musical Nirvana. He also is unapologetically a Man of Faith and that hasn’t been cool for about a Century

Who squeaked and who squawked? I think we should be told.....

[Mario]

Could one of our kind hosts please edit the title of this new thread so that it conforms to the usual style (and then delete this message)?

Hovhaness, Alan (1911 - 2000)

Thanks in anticipation.

Agreed Pulcinella, and of course, mea culpa. I did not know about these sub-threads. And I should also know about the last name, first name system too! Moderators please correct, also moving the Mozart PC 27 thread please.

Sorry,

Mario

[Bella Kemp]

He is a wonderful composer but perhaps not better known because, as others have said, he drowned his voice out by being so prolific. I love his 23rd symphony, but by virtue of it being the 23rd amongst over 60, it just gets lost. And perhaps like so many composers who never make the first rank, his work rarely develops to reveal greater insight into the human condition. Incidentally, perhaps this lack of profound depth and range may also be observed in those composers lately championed by Tom Service in his generous but misguided attempts to make music more 'inclusive'.

[Mario]

I’ve just asked the moderators to move this thread appropriately to the Composers thread (and also the Mozart PC 27 thread). Sorry about that, but I didn’t know about these sub-threads.

More by luck than judgement, it seems I have the definitive version of the 2nd symphony (it came with the Living Stereo 60-CD box).

So, where else to buy complete symphony boxed sets. Amazon don’t seem to have any.

Any other suggestions please?

Mario

[Pulcinella]

It might be worth looking at this article, Mario, though it's from July 2001.
You're not going to find a complete symphony set, though (even if you had time to listen to them all!).

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2001/july01/hovhanessoverview.htm

[Mario]

Many thanks P!

Mario

[Richard Barrett]

Yes, an interesting article, Pulcinella, it would be nice to be able to hear more or the music for non-Western instruments and ensembles, although yet again the author sets "serial music" up as a straw man... I don't know how such people haven't noticed, but 99% at least of all music produced in the 20th and 21st centuries has been straightforwardly tonal, so that it might be wondered why the remaining <1% generates such opprobrium...

Bella, which composers did you mean with your Tom Service comment?

[LMcD]

I had no idea Alan Hovhaness had written 67 numbered symphonies. Mind you, Leif Segerstam has apparently composed over 330. Amazon delivery drivers are probably praying that nobody releases a box set.

[Bella Kemp]

Yes, an interesting article, Pulcinella, it would be nice to be able to hear more or the music for non-Western instruments and ensembles, although yet again the author sets "serial music" up as a straw man... I don't know how such people haven't noticed, but 99% at least of all music produced in the 20th and 21st centuries has been straightforwardly tonal, so that it might be wondered why the remaining <1% generates such opprobrium...

Bella, which composers did you mean with your Tom Service comment?

Hi Richard - Apologies, I think my comment was misguided. I have, on the whole, been fascinated and delighted by the many new and rediscovered composers that have lately been appearing on Radio 3. Only time will tell which ones will make it into a more inclusive canon - indeed, most will probably fade away again, but it's good to get the chance to hear this music.

[Suffolkcoastal]

With listening to the Hovhaness symphonies one has to completely forget about symphonic form in the traditional sense, but rather take it as a ritualistic, almost timeless & dreamlike experience. It is a world that one tends to either be totally 'in tune' with or not at all. I've recordings of quite a few of the 67 numbered symphonies and have listened to 50 of them. No 2 'Mysterious Mountain' is the best known. Among the more engaging symphonies are Nos 7, 11, 17 & 19 'Vishnu' which is among his best works IMO, 46, 48 & 50 'Mount St Helens' the recording of which became an unlikely best seller in the early 1990's. His songs are very attractive, although unfortunately most were recorded by his wife, and sadly listening to her singing is a rather painful experience! The Prayer of St Gregory for Trumpet & Strings is another work that his broadcast from time to time. I'm also rather fond of the 2nd Guitar Concerto.