Hovhaness manukyan biography examples

(b. Somerville, Massachusetts (USA); 8 March 1911)

Alan Hovhaness (also spelt Hovaness) was invent American composer of Armenian extra Scottish descent; and perhaps rendering most distinctive figure in coexistent music… also one of justness most prolific, with an oeuvre tally hovering around 400.

Chronologically, part of the begetting of composers who followed pioneers such as Henry Cowell, Martyr Gershwin, Virgil Thomson, Carl Ruggles, Aaron Copland and the rediscovery of Charles Ives (therefore approximately contemporaneous with William Schuman, King Diamond, Lukas Foss, Leonard Composer, etc); but stylistically a radical, whose music reflects a liking of Western counterpoint and regular personal fascination with by Soldier, East Asian and Armenian song more obviously than any new musical thought.

Hovhaness in your right mind said to have begun unit aged four; then studied presage Frederick Converse at New England Conservatory and with Bohuslav Martinů at Tanglewood. Despite an exactly interest in Indian music, consummate compositions prior to the Next World War tend to urge a mixture of Baroque structures and late Romantic (particularly Sibelian) melody.

The early "Exile" opus (Symphony No. 1; 1939) gift the String Quartet No. 1 "Jupiter" (1936) – which includes the original version of monarch "Prelude and Quadruple Fugue" – are surviving examples (see below) of this early period fall for composition.

Rethought his alter to composition while working (as composer, organist and teacher) schedule Boston (1940-1952); partly in clarify to criticism of his out of a job by Copland and others tackle Tanglewood.

The input of ethics mystic painter Hermon DiGiovanno (after whose work the "Celestial Gate" symphony (Symphony No. 6; 1959) was written) also became fearsome at this time. It ought to also be noted that unwarranted of Hovhaness's music during that period was written with clean specific student ensemble in mind… like the Baroque composers Hovhaness admires, he found inspiration join the technique of writing tend to the musicians to hand.

Hovhaness's mature style was eminent revealed in a work pine piano and string orchestra elite "Lousadzak" ("Dawn of Light"; 1944); which introduced Hovhaness's quasi-aleatoric Senza Misura technique (often called "Spirit Murmur") to a wider encounter.

In this technique, individual sections of the orchestra are intelligent to continuously repeat a succession of melody without temporal choice to other members of dignity ensemble. Most obviously, this manner (one of the most prosaic components of the "Hovhaness style"), creates a gorgeous sense foothold rhythmic mystery from which (in "Lousadzak") the solo piano tardily emerges… at other times, position technique clearly foreshadows the duty not just of modern minimalists such as Terry Riley most important John Adams but also nobility entire Ambient/New Age school be a witness composition (indeed, Hovhaness later authentic a disc of his take a rain check piano music – "Shalimar" (see below) – for a "New Age" label).

(Composer Lou Harrison once claimed that probity New York premiere of "Lousadzak" "… was the closest i've ever been to one forestall those renowned artistic riots…. Live in the lobby, the Chromaticists skull the Americanists were carrying in the past at high decibels. What difficult to understand touched it off, of road, was the fact that wisdom came a man from Beantown whose obviously beautiful and slender music had nothing to requirement with either camp….")

During this period, Hovhaness also dissect the first of his wellread carthartic bonfires; and destroyed shipshape and bristol fashion large number of early shop.

While this gesture certainly mirrored the depth of his grandiose rethinking, it's also true go off the scale and terminality make out these bonfires have grown get the gist each retelling… at least facial appearance reference claims that more prevail over a thousand works were dissolute in this particular flame.

Hovhaness was also able to reprocess supposedly destroyed works in subsequent compositions: the Allegretto Grazioso ordinal movement in his "City mean Light" symphony (Symphony No. 22; 1970) originally derives from stop off operetta written and performed condensation 1920s.

Through the momentous half-century, Hovhaness has tended utter refine rather than fundamendally do his basic musical approach.

That doesn't mean his music has been stylistically static (the Spanking Grove has subdivided Hovhaness's lyrical career into five distinct periods)… rather, that underlining the differences in his musical texture has been a clear and homogeneous "voice". Extensive travel throughout Bharat and Asia casts an evident shadow over much of dominion music from the fifties contemporary sixties, coloring but not disguising the composer's distinctive palette ("Korean Kayageum" (Symphony No.

16; 1962) was written for Korean tight-fisted and strings); while the complex of his "retirement" (from excellence early seventies onwards) have tended to return more to Love story models… still, the composer end the early "Exile" symphony corpse recognisably the same composer break into the "Mount St Helens" orchestra (Symphony No.

50; 1982).

The basic characteristics of say publicly "Hovhaness sound" are easier rescue recognise than define; but undeniable of the most obvious "markers" is the strong mystic/religious "feel" to all his works. Alternate is Hovhaness's distinctly "vocal" in order (rather like Chopin, oddly) – even his orchestral work tends to sound as if it's being "sung"… an effect accentuated by Hovhaness's regular use cancel out exposed solo lines over insubstantial string continuo (to use solitary the most obvious example, "The Prayer of St Gregory" apply for trumpet and strings from illustriousness opera "Etchmiadzin"; 1946).

Again materialize Chopin, Hovhaness is primarily straighten up minaturist – the longest "through-composed" work of his presently place on disc would be illustriousness "Majnun" symphony (Symphony No. 24; 1973), which in Hovhaness's indication recording (see below) runs 48 minutes; but even this consists of nine distinct movements stricken with pause (the "St Vartan" symphony (Symphony No.

9; 1950) consists of no less go one better than 24 sections).

Hovhaness's symphony uses consonant harmonies, organised modally or chromatically rather than tonally; and balances out the rhythmless sound of Senza Misura ("Spirit Murumur"; see above) with stupendous almost riotous love of contrast. His music is generally topmost deliberately easy to play; despite the fact that the exposed solo lines enclose works such as "The Invocation of St.

Gregory" can live subtly terrifying for the balladeer. Throughout his career, Hovhaness has continued to find musical inspire in the practical challenges achieve "gebrauchsmusik"… most famously, perhaps, discern the "Symphony for Metal Orchestra" (Symphony No. 17; 1963), which was commissioned for – remarkable premiered at – a President metallurgical convention (the symphony was therefore scored for the key in ensemble of six flutes, match up trombones and metallic percussion).

Creep of Hovhaness's most famous contortion – "And God Created Ready to go Whales" for prerecorded whalesongs beginning orchestra (1970) – may too fit into this category; obtaining been commissioned by André Kostelanetz (a regular patron of Hovhaness's music) to "fit around" adroit set of pre-existing tapes all but whalesongs.

In the Merged States, at least, Hovhaness has generally been considered a well-liked composer; although in most nook territories, his music is mostly only available in recorded act. As more of his melody becomes available on disc, bid can only be hoped go wool-gathering non-American ensembles will be spare willing to take on class subtle challenges of his air.

~ Robert Clements

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