A Birthday: Alan Hovhaness
Evening Music | May 6, 2010
American composer of Armenian and Scottish descent Alan Hovhaness was born on this date in 1911. We hear a couple of his works in celebration...
First, we hear from another Birthday Baby, the Italian opera composer Ruggero Leoncavallo, whose Intermezzo from “I pagliacci” is performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra under Tullio Serafin. Then violinist Donna Fairbanks and harpist Lysa Ryttling bring us the deceptively simple Sonata, Opus 406, by Hovhaness, a work whose melodic line can be played either on flute or violin, as in this case. Later, we hear Hovhaness’s “Khorhoort Nahadagats” (Mystery of the Holy Martyrs), a work commissioned by the Diocese of the Armenian Church. In this long meditation, the oud, lute, or guitar is given the role of religious celebrant, with the string orchestra substituting for a choir. This evening’s soloist is guitarist Michael Long, who is joined by the KBS Symphony under the baton of Vakhtang Jordania.
Just when you thought it was time to put away the birthday cake, we have to get it out again for C. P. E. Bach, who was born in 1714. Harpsichord/conductor Gustav Leonhardt brings us his Concerto in D Minor, WQ 23. And then there is tenor Robert Tear (3/8/1939), who sings poems from “A Shropshire Lad” as we enjoy Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “On Wenlock Edge.”
So much lovely listening: from Quantz to Beethoven and Mozart to Glass. Along the way, all of the Erik Satie “Gnossiennes,” those strange and beautiful modal creations, glistening under Jean-Yeves Thibaudet’s magic fingertips. By the way, he plays along with members of the New York Philharmonic in a chamber-music afternoon at the 92nd St. Y on Sunday, March 13th.
First, we hear from another Birthday Baby, the Italian opera composer Ruggero Leoncavallo, whose Intermezzo from “I pagliacci” is performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra under Tullio Serafin. Then violinist Donna Fairbanks and harpist Lysa Ryttling bring us the deceptively simple Sonata, Opus 406, by Hovhaness, a work whose melodic line can be played either on flute or violin, as in this case. Later, we hear Hovhaness’s “Khorhoort Nahadagats” (Mystery of the Holy Martyrs), a work commissioned by the Diocese of the Armenian Church. In this long meditation, the oud, lute, or guitar is given the role of religious celebrant, with the string orchestra substituting for a choir. This evening’s soloist is guitarist Michael Long, who is joined by the KBS Symphony under the baton of Vakhtang Jordania.
Just when you thought it was time to put away the birthday cake, we have to get it out again for C. P. E. Bach, who was born in 1714. Harpsichord/conductor Gustav Leonhardt brings us his Concerto in D Minor, WQ 23. And then there is tenor Robert Tear (3/8/1939), who sings poems from “A Shropshire Lad” as we enjoy Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “On Wenlock Edge.”
So much lovely listening: from Quantz to Beethoven and Mozart to Glass. Along the way, all of the Erik Satie “Gnossiennes,” those strange and beautiful modal creations, glistening under Jean-Yeves Thibaudet’s magic fingertips. By the way, he plays along with members of the New York Philharmonic in a chamber-music afternoon at the 92nd St. Y on Sunday, March 13th.
