Alan Hovhaness

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

lives

it was born as Alan Vaness Chakmakjian. Its parents were Haroutioun Hovanes Chakmakjian, chemistry professor at the Tufts college, and larva line Scott. After the death of its nut/mother at the 3. It used and changed October 1930 the surnames “Hovaness” in memory of its grandfather on the paternal side, it officially about 1940 to “Hovhaness”. The young Alan showed from childhood to musical interest, and decided at the age of 14 years to dedicate itself to the composition. It studied at the Tufts college and later at the new England Conservatory OF music with Frederick Converse.

For instance starting from 1940 awaked its interest in Armenian culture and music; at that time it worked as organist at the pc. James Armenian Apostolic Church in Watertown, Massachusetts. In this time it destroyed also many its nearly 1000 up to then developed works. 1942 it won a scholarship for Tanglewood, in order to study in the master class of Bohuslav Martinu. However Martinu in the early summer suffered this yearly a heavy accident, which made it impossible for him to follow its training obligations. Instead the composition seminar, in which Hovhaness participated, was led by Aaron copilot country and Leonard amber. During an admission of Hovhaness' of first symphony copilot country conversed continual loudly, and after conclusion of the admission amber noticed: I can't stood this cheap ghetto for music. (I do not know this cheap Ghettomusik borne). Hovhaness was annoyed and frustrated by its experiences in Tanglewood, and left it soon again, still during its Stipendiats. In the following he dedicated completely Armenian topics, in particular the use of modes, to year which are typical for Armenian music, and operated themselves these studies over several years, supported by other musicians, about John Cage and Martha Graham, while he was further active as church organist.

Lou Harrison judged 1945 a concert, with which also Hovhaness' piano concert Lousadzak was played:

There is almost emergency-hung occurring most OF the time but unison melodies and very lengthy drone of bass, which is all very Armenian. It is thus very modern indeed in its elegantly simplicity and adamant modal integrity, being, in effect, as tight and strong in its way as A twelve clay/tone work OF the Austrian type. There is NO harmony more either, and the brilliance and excitement OF parts OF the piano concerto were due entirely tons vigor OF idea. It really takes A sound musicality tons invent A succession OF stimulating ideas within the bounds OF unaltered mode and without on shifting the home clay/tone. (During most time nearly nothing, apart from Unisono melodies over very slow roaring basses, actually happens which works in very Armenian. It is at the same time very modern in its elegant Schlichtheit and unverrückbaren modalen unit, and in its kind just as convincing as a twelve-clay/tone composition according to kind of the Viennese school. There are no harmonious events, and the Brillianz and partly violent outbreaks of the piano concert stand completely in conformity with the expression strength of the idea. It requires indeed a musi potashty oriented on the sound, in order to develop a consequence of energizing ideas within the borders of an unchanged mode, and this without a change of the kind of basic clay/tone).

However there, like already in former times, were also critical voices:

The serialists were all there. And so were the Americanists, both Aaron Copland's group and Virgil's. And here which something that had come out OF bad clay/tone that none OF US had more ever heard OF and which completely difference from more either. There which nearly A riot into the entrance hall [during intermission] - everybody shouting. A material whoop DTE doo. (All Serialisten was there. And naturally also the Americaists, the trailers of Aaron copilot country and Virgil Thomson. And then there was some more, which had come from bad clay/tone, which had ever heard still nobody of us and from all different one completely differed. In the entrance hall there was nearly a rebellion (during the break), everything cried around. A true Tohuwabohu; Miller and Lieberman 1998).

1948 came Hovhaness to bad clay/tone the Conservatory, in order to teach there for three years. Starting from 1951 he dedicated himself to the composition completely. Into the 1950er years extended it its style beyond the Armenian music and was suitable style elements of various origin on. it wrote the score to 1954 to the piece of Broadway of The flow ring Peach of Clifford Odets, and afterwards two scores for NBC - documentations.

Its up to then largest break-through came 1955, as its 2. Symphony Mysterious Mountain, which had given Leopold Stokowski in order, by which Houston Symphony from the baptism was lifted, and in the same year published MGM record photographs of several of its works.

1959 to 1963 undertook Hovhaness a set from Forschungsreisen to India, Hawaii, Japan and South Korea, in order to investigate the old music traditions of these countries and to possibly transfer elements from it to its own compositions.

it pulled 1963 after Seattle, where it lived up to its death. 1966/67 it was Composer in Residence of the Seattle Symphony. The volcanic eruption of the Mount pc. Helens inspired it to a symphony of the same name.

work

its music is opened also for the not trained listener, and often caused tendencies of Mysterien or the meditation. The music critic bad clay/tone of the Globe, smelling pool of broadcasting corporations Buell, wrote: “Although it was stamped as a self-confident Armenian composer (more still like Ernest Bloch than Jewish composer applies), assimilated its work the music of many cultures. Thereby the kind is most American how it transforms its material into a kind of the Exotismus. The atmosphere is absorbed, ehrfürchtig, mystisch and backwards-turned. “

Belong to the most important works:

works for orchestra

• 2. Symphony Mysterious Mountain, OI. 132 (1955)
• 5. Symphony, OI. 170 (1953; rev. 1963)
• 9. Symphony pc. Vartan, OI. 180 (1949-50)
• 15. Symphony Silver Pilgrimage, OI. 199 (1963)
• 22. Symphony town center OF Light, OI. 236 (1970)
• 24. Symphony Letters into the sand, OI. 273 (1973)
• 50. Symphony Mount pc. Helens, OI. 360 (1982)
• Fra Angelico, OI. 220 (1967)
• and God created whales, OI great. 229 (1970)

1948 Suite for

• opus 15, for blowing orchestras 1952 3 improvisation for bound opus 248 No. bound works for blowing orchestra 1947 Sharagan and Fugue
• for brass choir opus horn in F, Bariton,
• tuba 1948 Tapor ( processional) opus 14,
• for blowing orchestras for 58, for 2 trumpets. 2
  1. Impromptu on A Bansri Tune
  2. Impromptu on A Bengal Tune (My Boat Is on country)
  3. Impromptu on A Pakistan Lute Tune
• 1955 Tower music (suite) for 9 Bläser (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 2 trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba)
• 1958 4. Symphony opus 165, for Symphoni blowing orchestra
  1. Andante (hymn & fugue)
  2. Allegro (thank trio thanks).
  3. Andante espressivo (hymn & fugue)
• 1959 7. Symphony “Nanga Parvat” opus 178 desolate Places concert
  1. for trumpet
  2. and
  3. Symphoni
• blowing orchestra 1960 14, the for Symphoni blowing orchestra Con ferocita March Sunset 1959 Return
• and Rebuild. Symphony “era advice” opus 194, for Symphoni blowing orchestra
• 1963 17. Symphony opus 203, for 6 flutes, 3 trombones and 5 Perkussion
• 1967 5 Fantasies for brass choir opus 70
• 1967 Canzona and Fugue for brass opus 72
• 1968 20. Symphony “Three Journeys ton of A Holy Mountain” opus 223 for Symphoni blowing orchestra
• 1968 Requiem and Resurrection for brass ensemble opus 224
• 1972 23. Symphony “Ani” opus 249, for Symphoni blowing orchestra
• 1983 53. In addition symphony “star Dawn ” opus 377, for Symphoni
• blowing orchestra Hymn tons of Yerevan opus 83, for Symphoni

blowing orchestra Hovhaness composed numerous of religious of works, under it Magnificat OI. 157 (1958).

literature

• Gagne, Cole (1993). Soundpieces 2: Interview with American Composers. Scarecrow press. ISBN 0810827107.
• Harrison, Lou. Alan Hovhaness Offers original Compositions. New York Herald grandstand, 18 June 1945, p. 11.
• Howard, smelling pool of broadcasting corporations (1983). The Works OF Alan Hovhaness: A Catalog, Opus 1-Opus 360. Per at music the Resources. ISBN 0912483008.
• Miller, Leta E. and Lieberman, Frederic (1998). Lou Harrison: Composing A World. Oxford University press. ISBN 0195110226.

Web on the left of

• Alan Hovhaness website