Alan Hovhaness

Alan Hovhaness ( born March 8, 1911 in Somerville, Massachusetts, † June 21, 2000 in Seattle ) was an American composer Armenian- Scottish descent.

Life

Hovhaness was baptized with the name Alan Vaness Chakmakjian. His parents were of Armenian origin Haroutioun Hovanes Chakmakjian, chemistry professor at Tufts College, and Madeleine Scott, an American of Scottish ancestry. From 1931 he used the nickname " Hovaness " in memory of his paternal grandfather and changed it officially about 1940 to " Hovhaness ". The young Alan showed an early interest in music and began to compose the age of seven. At the beginning of the 1930s, he studied at the New England Conservatory of Music with Heinrich Gebhard (piano) and Frederick Converse (composition). In 1934 he visited he admired Jean Sibelius in Finland, which was to be godfather to his daughter a little later.

From about 1940 he worked intensively on Armenian culture and music; at that time he was organist at St. James Armenian Apostolic Church in Watertown (Massachusetts ). During this time he destroyed a variety hitherto incurred compositions. In 1942 he won a scholarship to the master class of Bohuslav Martinů at Tanglewood. However, Martinů recently suffered a serious accident, which made it impossible for him to fulfill his teaching obligations. Instead, Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein conducted the composition seminar. During a recording of Hovhaness ' Symphony No. 1 ( Exile Symphony ), Copland talked loudly continually, and after recording Bernstein remarked: I can not stand this cheap ghetto music. ( I can not stand this cheap ghetto music). Hovhaness was frustrated and left Tanglewood already during his scholarship back. In the following years he devoted himself increasingly Armenian issues, particularly the typical Armenian music modes. He was supported by about John Cage and Martha Graham while he was still active as a church organist.

Lou Harrison rated 1945, a concert in which also Hovhaness ' piano concerto was played Lousadzak:

"There is almost nothing Occurring most of the time but unison melodies and very lengthy drone basses, Which is all very Armenian. It is so very modern indeed in its elegant simplicity and adamant modal integrity, being, in effect, as tight and strong in its way as a twelve -tone work of the Austrian type. There is no harmony Either, and the brilliance and excitement of parts of the piano concerto were due Entirely to vigor of idea. It really takes a sound musicality to invent a succession of stimulating ideas within the bounds of an unaltered mode and without shifting the home -tone. "

" Most of the time happens almost nothing, apart from unison melodies over very long lasting, monotone bass, which is very Armenian. It is also very modern in its elegant simplicity and immovable modal unit and in its own way just as convincing as a twelve-tone composition by type of Viennese School. There is no harmonic events and the brilliance and sometimes violent outbursts of the Piano Concerto are fully consistent with the expression of the idea. It requires in fact a sound musicality to develop a stimulating idea sequence within the boundaries of an unchanged mode and this. , Without changing the basic key "

However, there were still some criticism:

"The seria lists were all there. And so were the Americanists, Both Aaron Copland 's group and Virgil's. And here what 's something that had come out of Boston did none of us had ever heard of and which completely Call differentFrom either. There was nearly a riot in the foyer [ falling on intermission ] - everybody shouting. A real whoop -dee- doo. "

" All serialist were there. And of course the Americanists, the followers of Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson. And then there was something that had come from Boston, which no one had ever heard of us and from all other completely different. In the foyer, there was almost a riot (during pause ), everything screamed around. A real hullabaloo. "

In 1948 Hovhaness taught for three years at the Boston Conservatory. From 1951 he devoted himself almost entirely to composition. In 1954 he wrote the score for the Broadway play The Flowering Peach by Clifford Odets, and then two scores for NBC documentaries.

His biggest success was by then in 1955 the premiere of his Symphony No. 2 Mysterious Mountain, which Leopold Stokowski had been commissioned by the Houston Symphony. In the same year published MGM Records recordings of several of his works. 1956-1958 taught Hovhaness composition at the Eastman School of Music.

1959 to 1963 undertook Hovhaness a number of research trips to India, Hawaii, Japan and South Korea to learn about the music traditions of these countries. Beginning of the 1970s he moved permanently to Seattle after he was 1966/67, already been composer-in- residence at the Seattle Symphony. The eruption of Mount St. Helens inspired him to create a symphony of the same name ( the No. 50, scoring his best-known works ).

Work

Alan Hovhaness ' music reveals itself also to the uninformed listener and unfold their effect particularly by a frequently contemplative and mystical appearing attitude, a high proportion of repetitive elements and solemn chorale - culminations. It integrates the music of many cultures and reaches next European influences ( which are expressed about the use of church modes or fugal passages), for example, Armenian modes and elements of Asian music cultures. Despite occasional atonal or sporadically dodecaphonic experiments is Hovhaness the tonality felt obliged.

His catalog of works contains more than 500 works, including 67 symphonies. Among the most important works include:

Piano Works

• No Ghazal. 1 op 36 no. 1
• Komachi op 240
• Piano Sonata op 346 Prospect Hill
• Shalimar op 177

Chamber Music

• Firdausi op 252 for clarinet, harp and percussion
• Sonata for 2 Bassoons (or Cello and Bassoon ), Op 266
• Sonata for Oboe and Bassoon, Op 302
• Sonata for Harp, Op 127
• Sonata for Harp and Guitar Spirit of Trees, Op 374
• Sonata for Solo Viola, Op 423
• String Quartet No.. 1 op 8
• String Quartet No.. 2
• String Quartet No.. 3
• String Quartet No.. 4 The Ancient Tree
• Suite for English Horn and Bassoon, Op 21
• Suite for Oboe and Bassoon, Op 23
• Suite for Cello and Piano, Op 193
• Tumburu op 264 no. 1, for piano trio
• Upon Enchanted Ground, Op 90 No. 1, for flute, cello, giant tam-tam and harp
• Varuna, Op 264 No. 2, for piano trio
• Yakamochi op 193 no. 2, for solo cello
• Chahagir op 56a, for solo viola

Works for Orchestra

• And God Created Great Whales, Op 229 (1970)
• Armenian Rhapsody No.. 1 op 45
• Armenian Rhapsody No.. 2 op 51
• Armenian Rhapsody No.. 3 op 189
• Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Op 17 (1936 )
• Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, Op 325
• Concerto for Harp and Strings, Op 267
• Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra No.. 2 Op 89 (1957 )
• Concerto No.. 10 for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, Op 413
• Fantasy on Japanese Wood Prints, Op 211, for xylophone and orchestra
• Fra Angelico, Op 220 (1967)
• Khrymian hairing op 49, for trumpet and orchestra
• Kohar op 66 no. 1
• Symphony No.. 2 Mysterious Mountain, Op 132 (1955 )
• Symphony No.. 5 Op 170 ( 1953 rev 1963. )
• Symphony No.. 6 Celestial Gate
• Symphony No.. 9 St. Vartan op 180 ( 1949-50 )
• Symphony No.. 15 Silver Pilgrimage, Op 199 (1962 )
• Symphony No.. 22 City of Light, Op 236 (1970 )
• Symphony No.. 24 Letters In The Sand Op 273 (1973 )
• Symphony No.. 38 Op 314, for orchestra with soprano and coloratura solo flute
• Symphony No.. 50 Mount St. Helens, Op 360 (1982 )
• Symphony No.. 66 Hymn To Glacier Peak, Op 428
• Tzaikerk op 53, for violin, flute, percussion and strings (1945 )

Works for wind

• 3 Improvisations for Band, Op 248 No 2 (1952 ) Impromptu On A Bansri Tune
• Impromptu On A Bengal Tune ( My Boat Is on country)
• Impromptu On A Pakistan Lute Tune
• 5 Fantasies for Brass Choir, Op 70 (1967 )
• Canzona for Brass And Fugue, Op 72 (1967 )
• Concerto No.. 3 Diran, the Religious Singer, for Euphonium (1948 )
• Hymn To Yerevan, Op 83, for symphonic band
• Requiem And Resurrection for Brass Ensemble, Op 224 (1968)
• Return And Rebuild The Desolate Places - Concerto for Trumpet and Symphonic Band ( 1959)
• Sharagan and Fugue for Brass Choir, Op 58, for 2 trumpets, horn in F, baritone, tuba (1947 )
• Suite for Band, Op 15, for wind orchestra (1948 )
• Tapor ( processional ), Op 14, for wind orchestra (1948 )
• Tower Music ( suite) for 9 wind instruments ( flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 2 trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba) (1955 )
• Symphony No.. 4, Op 165, for Symphonic Band ( 1958) Andante ( hymn & fugue )
• Allegro (Dance -trio- dance ).
• Andante espressivo ( hymn & fugue )
• Symphony No.. 7 Nanga Parvat, Op 178, for Symphonic Band ( 1959) Con ferocita
• March
• Sunset
• Symphony No.. 14 Ararat, Op 194, for Symphonic Band ( 1960)
• Symphony No.. 17 for Metal Instruments op 203, 6 flutes, 3 trombones and 5 percussion (1963 )
• Symphony No.. 20 Three Journeys To A Holy Mountain, Op 223, for Symphonic Band ( 1968)
• Symphony No.. 23 Ani, Op 249, for Symphonic Band ( 1972)
• Symphony No.. 53 Dawn Star, Op 377, for Symphonic Band ( 1983)

Hovhaness also composed numerous sacred works, including Magnificat op 157 (1958). More often played z.T. in progress, is also Prayer of St. Gregory, Op 62b (1946 ), for trumpet and strings ( interlude from the opera Etchmiadzin ).