No guilt at all for me enjoying Hovhaness’s gorgeous, pan-spiritual, contrapuntal proto-minimalism or whatever one wants to call it. Sure, his innumerable opuses may be all of one general sound, but oh what a sound! I am so glad you reviewed this disc - I had no idea the invaluable BMOP had recorded any Hovhaness. This “Exile” will have to be pretty darn good to compete with the Naxos pairing with Symphony #50, yet another 20th-century American work audiences would adore if allowed to hear in concert. Kudos also should go to Crystal Records for continuing to record as-yet unrecorded Hovhaness repertoire.
I agree about feeling guilt free for enjoying Hovhaness as well...have you heard any of his 'teens' symphonies? #'s 13 to 19 are almost all different from the Mysterious Mountain approach and are almost all different from one another...and like Dave points out, his non symphonic output has some real gems too!
Thank you David for promoting Hovhaness, a prolific American composer criminally neglected because .... well, he's mystical and spiritual and we live in a secular and materialistic age. Yes, his music has a sameness, but really, one could say that about the Haydn symphonies, couldn't one? Our concert life would improve by a quantum leap if every scheduled work by the sainted Elliot Carter were replaced by one of Hovhaness' wonderful pieces.
No, once couldn't say that about the Haydn symphonies, and the comparison is really unhelpful. Thank God we live in a secular and materialistic age. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about.
And as a postscript, Stokowski did the 'Exile' Symphony with the NBC Symphony in December, 1942. That has an earlier completely different version of the 2nd mvt. It can be heard on Guild or Pristine Classics. Hovhaness got the Symphony heard in England in 1939 before this American premiere!
lol - I often compose innocent and embarrassingly simplistic music - however, it's actually an aesthetic preference where I seek to explore the possibilities in simplicity - how much can one evoke or express in the least complicated way ? - I simply enjoy this approach to music more than any other - if someone thinks I could never write a fugue, then fine - maybe once a year I get a fugal bug and throw some fugue like mish mash into the 'B' section of an A-B-A - then the fugal itch is fully scratched and it's back to the land of foolish simplicity
Bless you! for candidly sharing your thoughts on your methods. One of my recordings offers up a photo of the composer at his work station , a charming feline sharing his desk. Could the cat be his amanuensis? The man did write a great deal of music. A helping paw is understandable. I am holding a CD on Crystal Records of of Alan Hovaness's Symphony #6 "Celestial Gate" and Symphony #25 "Odysseus". The filler is ""Prayer of Saint Gregory". Not a shabby program. The performances are conducted by the composer with the Polyphonia Orchestra of London. Whether or not Symphony #25 conjures up any Homeric image is an individual take, I would guess. I love the guys music.
No guilt at all for me enjoying Hovhaness’s gorgeous, pan-spiritual, contrapuntal proto-minimalism or whatever one wants to call it. Sure, his innumerable opuses may be all of one general sound, but oh what a sound! I am so glad you reviewed this disc - I had no idea the invaluable BMOP had recorded any Hovhaness. This “Exile” will have to be pretty darn good to compete with the Naxos pairing with Symphony #50, yet another 20th-century American work audiences would adore if allowed to hear in concert. Kudos also should go to Crystal Records for continuing to record as-yet unrecorded Hovhaness repertoire.
I agree about feeling guilt free for enjoying Hovhaness as well...have you heard any of his 'teens' symphonies? #'s 13 to 19 are almost all different from the Mysterious Mountain approach and are almost all different from one another...and like Dave points out, his non symphonic output has some real gems too!
@@ericleiter6179 I think I’ve heard 13,14, and 20. All magnificent and yes, they do sound pretty different from the Mysterious Mountain.
@AlexMadorsky The 19th, Vishnu, is my favorite and the 15 Silver Pilgrimage is really worth checking out too
Thank you David for promoting Hovhaness, a prolific American composer criminally neglected because .... well, he's mystical and spiritual and we live in a secular and materialistic age. Yes, his music has a sameness, but really, one could say that about the Haydn symphonies, couldn't one? Our concert life would improve by a quantum leap if every scheduled work by the sainted Elliot Carter were replaced by one of Hovhaness' wonderful pieces.
No, once couldn't say that about the Haydn symphonies, and the comparison is really unhelpful. Thank God we live in a secular and materialistic age. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about.
I heard the Fra Angelica recently and liked it very much. Hovahness had his moments and is worthy of a listen now and then.
@philipedschI knew that, but David pronounced it with an a at the end. So …
And as a postscript, Stokowski did the 'Exile' Symphony with the NBC Symphony in December, 1942. That has an earlier completely different version of the 2nd mvt. It can be heard on Guild or Pristine Classics. Hovhaness got the Symphony heard in England in 1939 before this American premiere!
Not a great composer but his music for the most part is relaxing! Still like it.
lol - I often compose innocent and embarrassingly simplistic music - however, it's actually an aesthetic preference where I seek to explore the possibilities in simplicity - how much can one evoke or express in the least complicated way ? - I simply enjoy this approach to music more than any other - if someone thinks I could never write a fugue, then fine - maybe once a year I get a fugal bug and throw some fugue like mish mash into the 'B' section of an A-B-A - then the fugal itch is fully scratched and it's back to the land of foolish simplicity
Bless you! for candidly sharing your thoughts on your methods.
One of my recordings offers up a photo of the composer at his work station , a charming feline sharing his desk. Could the cat be his amanuensis?
The man did write a great deal of music. A helping paw is understandable.
I am holding a CD on Crystal Records of of Alan Hovaness's Symphony #6 "Celestial Gate" and Symphony #25 "Odysseus".
The filler is ""Prayer of Saint Gregory".
Not a shabby program.
The performances are conducted by the composer with the Polyphonia Orchestra of London.
Whether or not Symphony #25 conjures up any Homeric image is an individual take, I would guess.
I love the guys music.
Ghetto music? Like Hip Hop? Which is 50 years old? Which, like jazz, is an original American genre.