Armenian Orchestral Music

On this CD:

1. Gayane Suite No.1, for orchestra March
Composed by Aram Khachaturian
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

2. Valse D'Amour, Op. 47/5
Composed by Loris Tjeknavorian
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

3. Almast, opera Persian March (in C sharp minor)
Composed by Aexander Afanasii Spendiaryan
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

4. Rhapsody
Composed by Alexander Adgemian
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

5. Symphonic Pictures (or Symphonic Canvas) Sunrise
Composed by Ghazar (Lazar) Sarian
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

6. Symphonic Pictures (or Symphonic Canvas) Drinking Song
Composed by Ghazar (Lazar) Sarian
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

7. Yerevan-Erebouni for chorus & organ
Composed by Edgar Sergei Hovhannessian
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

8. Othello, ballet, Op. 31 Adagio
Composed by Loris Tjeknavorian
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

9. Symphonic Dances Lezginka
Composed by Edvard (Mikaeli) Mirzoyan
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

10. Sardarapat
Composed by Edgar Sergei Hovhannessian
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

11. Yerevanian Studies, Op. 30 Enzeli
Composed by Aexander Afanasii Spendiaryan
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

12. Yerevanian Studies, Op. 30 Hidjaz
Composed by Aexander Afanasii Spendiaryan
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

13. Sevan, Suite, ballet (Suite No. 2) Dances of the Fisherman
Composed by Grigor Yeghiazarian
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

14. Sevan, Suite, ballet (Suite No. 2) Dances of the Golden Fish
Composed by Grigor Yeghiazarian
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

15. Sevan, Suite, ballet (Suite No. 2) Dance of Young Girls (Nubari)
Composed by Grigor Yeghiazarian
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

16. Fantasy
Composed by Arno Babadjanyan
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

17. My Armenia, for chorus & orchestra, Op. 45
Composed by Loris Tjeknavorian
Performed by Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian

Tracks:

Lincolnshire Posy: 'Lisbon' (Sailor's Song)
Lincolnshire Posy: 'Horkstow Grange' (The Miser and his Man: A local Tragedy)
Lincolnshire Posy: 'Rufford Park Poachers' (Poaching Song)
Lincolnshire Posy: 'The brisk young Sailor' (returned to wed his true Love)
Lincolnshire Posy: 'Lord Melbourne' (War Song)
Lincolnshire Posy: 'The Lost Lady found' (Dance Song)
Lincolnshire Posy: Hill Song No. 2
Symphony for Band (Symphony No. 6): Adagio-Allegro
Symphony for Band (Symphony No. 6): Adagio sostenuto
Symphony for Band (Symphony No. 6): Allegretto
Symphony for Band (Symphony No. 6): Vivace
Armenian Dances: Allegro moderate
Armenian Dances: Allegro
Concerto for 23 Winds: Andante-Allegro non troppo
Concerto for 23 Winds: Vivace
Concerto for 23 Winds: Lento
Concerto for 23 Winds: Allegro molto
Three Japanese Dances: Dance with Pennons
Three Japanese Dances: Mourning Dance
Three Japanese Dances: Dance with Swords

Customer Reviews:

One of the Greatest Recordings of Wind Band Literature.......2007-01-19

This album is a reference work for anyone interested in wind band music. This was Fennell at his finest. A true pleasure to listen to. No one should perform Lincolnshire Posy without hearing this.

Eastman Wind Ensemble - Even Better on CD.......2002-08-07

If you liked the original recording on 33 1/3 RPM, you'll love the sound of the Eastman Wind Ensemble on CD. The sound is amazing (especially without the scratches), the textures even more alive in the re-mastered recording. This amazing ensemble is the not-so-subtle reminder of how a "band" should sound. Sit back, set the volume control to give your speakers a work-out, and enjoy the experience.

5 stars, if only for "Lincolnshire Posy".......2001-04-26

'Lincolnshire Posy' is one of the greatest compositions written for wind band, and this is likely the definitive recording of the work. Frederick Fennell's (the conductor's) full score has become the definitive edition, since Grainger never published anything but a condensed score. The Eastman Wind Ensemble provides a tremendous performance of the piece, and of all the works on the album.

I must admit that I usually only listen to 'Lincolnshire' and 'Hill Song' because I'm a bit of a Grainger fan, but all the music if great, especially Persichetti's 'Symphony for Band' and Rogers' 'Three Japanese Dances'.

If you're not familiar with Grainger, get this album and get familiar with him. He is one of the most important and best composers of the twentieth century, despite how little attention is paid to him outside the world of wind bands.

Big fat brass.......2001-04-08

Listening to this recording brings back memories of my own college band experience with some of these pieces. This performance is fun to listen to largely because of the good brass sound from the trumpets and bones. For instance, track 6 (last mvt of Lincolnshire Posy) rocks. Brass and chimes come accross very forcefully, leaving you, the listener, with no doubt that this group could easily give you 30% more without over blowing. In the words of Spinal Tap's Nigel Tuffnel, "This one goes to eleven"!

Performance Mistakes.......2001-01-01

Having heard this recording on it's original vinyl release, I have found it to be ok, but I have heard performance mistakes in Lincolnshire Posy(Euphonium 4th mvt) if I remember correctly, and I heard too many tempo variations too my liking. North Texas under Corcoran and Eastman under Hunsburger have done far better interpretations of these works.

Winter: A Collection of Seasonal Classics

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Winter: A Collection of Seasonal Classics

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
ASIN: B000AMY0DG
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Tracks:

I. Allegro Non Molto - Moscow Virtuosi
II. Largo - Moscow Virtuosi
II. Allegro - Moscow Virtuosi
Departure - Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Snow Outside The Window - Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Waltz On Ice - Scottish Chamber Orchestra
The Bonfire: Pioneer Gathering - Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Winter Evening - Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Marching Song: Return - Scottish Chamber Orchestra
In Freezing Winter Night From A Ceremony Of Carols, Op.28 - Edward Harris
Footprints In The Snow From Preludes, Book 1 - Gordon Fergus-Thompson
Snowflakes Are Dancing From Children's Corner - Gordon Fergus-Thompson
Holy Night - Loris Tjeknavorian
Polonaise - Loris Tjeknavorian
Procession To Midnight Mass And Carols - Loris Tjeknavorian
Dance Of The Sugar-Plum Fairy - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Waltz Of The Flowers - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Troika From Lieutenant Kiji: Suite, Op.60 - Loris Tjeknavorian
Once In Royal David's City - The Choir Of Wells Cathedral

Average customer rating:

Fifteen trumpets strong, one organ weak
Worth buying for the 1st Symphony

Khachaturian: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Khachaturian: Symphony No. 2 "The Bell"
Aram Khachaturian: Ode to Joy and other works
Violin Concerto / Cello Concerto
Khachaturian: Concerto for violin in Dm; Concerto for piano in Df
Khachaturian: Piano Concerto; Gayaneh Ballet Suite; Masquerade Suite

ASIN: B0000030TW
Release Date: 1993-12-07

Tracks:

Sym No.1 in e: First Movt: Andante/Maestoso Con Passioine/Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Sym No.1 in e: Second Movt: Adagio Sostenuto
Sym No.1 in e: Third Movt: Allegro Risoluto
Sym No.3 in C (Simfonya-Poema) In One Movt - Armenian PO/Loris Tjeknavorian/Arthur Adamian

Amazon.com

Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) wrote a kind of music that was, for the most part, approved of by the Soviet Union. Most of the time. But he was never a shill for the aparatchiks running the art ministry. We see this in his symphonies, especially the Symphony 1 (1934) where the folk melodies--or refrains of them--can be heard. But these elements aren't Soviet: they are Georgian, Khazar, and Mongolian. Khachaturian's appeal, even to this day, is in his ability to make modern many of the ethnic strains he had heard when he was a boy. And catch the brass-laiden Symphony 3. It's a gas. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Fifteen trumpets strong, one organ weak.......2005-03-03

Khachaturian's first symphony is greatly unrecognized, and unjustly so. The three movement symphony is the epitome of his orchestral writing. There are brilliant passages of excitement, with the expected loud brass, yet he also shows an ability to write soft and delicate, but persuasive, sections. The first movement is especially haunting, yet mystical, exploratory, both in the sense of the committed traveler and the agitated nomad. Half way through the first movement Khachaturian composes a fragile theme with the strings, backed by stratospheric winds and harp. The theme is gradually brought to life with even more support from the winds and strings, soon adding brass and percussion, moving the idea along.

The second and third movements are also interesting in their own right. Whereas the entire symphony is reminiscent of Gayaneh, the second movement is especially so, Khachaturian even directly quoting the Lullaby (or is it vice versa?).

Unfortunately this is the only recording at present of the first symphony. What a shame! Fortunately it is done well enough so as not to make a pressing demand for a second recording (though it would be nice). Of the three symphonies, the first has to be my favorite. And I respect those who favor the second and third, which are meritable each in their own right. But the loudness present in all three symphonies is here supplemented by a gentle introspectiveness that calls the listener to reconsider the cause of the loudness, whereas in the other two symphonies any softer portions do not demand the same gentleness, but rather affirm the loud war-likeness of the thundering portions.

The third symphony has one other recording available. Of the two, this is not the prefered recording. But both are so different that it is worth having both. I believe some material (and/or repeats) are cut in this recording, making it about five minutes shorter. While the fifteen trumpets blast the air, the organ makes a tiny puncture. Be prepared to have your hand on the volume dial before and after the organ solos. Interstingly enough, the soft organ creates a contrasting balance in the sections shared by the organ and the orchestra, where now the orchestra takes on the lead, and the organ accompanies (opposed to the other recording of the third).

If not the third, the first is definitely reason enough to get this CD. Out of all of the unfamiliar symphonies I've heard, this is one the best (as well as Kurt Atterberg's third and Howard Hanson's fourth, also favorites). If you enjoy the concept of an organ with the symphony, and particularly like Khachaturian's rough-edged usage of it contrariwise to Saint-Saen's organ symphony, look into Copland's first symphony, which utilizes an organ throughout the three movements.

Worth buying for the 1st Symphony.......2001-08-13

Khachaturian's 1st symphony is a very laudable work that is hard to find. Since this is the only version I own, I would give it 5 stars. It's very full of the kind of Khachaturian lush orchestration that we've come to expect from this composer.

The third symphony is very well done here, too. The trumpet work (and K's symphonies are known for loud brass sections) is splendid. The reason I can only give this work 3 stars is the organ. A HUGE disappointment. And it's not because Arthur Adamian doesn't do a fine job. He does. It's the recording itself. The organ simply isn't LOUD enough to hold it's own with the orchestra and that's very important in this work. The orchestra is in a daemonic race with the organ and the organ should be tweeking the nose of the string section. The orchestra ulitimately loses the 'race' and gives up. But if the organ isn't loud enough, what's the point? In this performance the orchestra wins by default. The organ is what makes this unique (and very underheard) symphony even more special. Compare this interpretation to Fedor Glushchencko conducting the BBC Philharmonic--on the Chandos label. That version milks the loudness and intensity of this score in a very dramatic and satisfying manner. It will surely be raising the short hairs on the back of your neck!

Armenian Orchestral Music
Average customer rating:

GREAT CD!

Armenian Orchestral Music

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Khachaturian | Khachaturian, Aram | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Hovhannessian:Marmar/Symphony No.3

ASIN: B00000DC20
Release Date: 1998-10-20

Tracks:

Gayaneh: March
Valse D'Amour
Almast: Persian March
Rhapsody
Symphonic Canvas - Armenia: Sunrise
Symphonic Canvas - Armenia: Drinking Song
Erebouni - Yerevan
Othello: Adagio
Symphonic Dances: Lezginka
Sardarapat
Yerevanian Studies: Enzeli
Yerevanian Studies: Hidjaz
Seven: Suite No. 2: Dances Of The Fishermen
Seven: Suite No. 2: Dances Of The Golden Fish
Seven: Suite No. 2: Dance Of Young Girls
Fantasy
My Armenia

Customer Reviews:

GREAT CD!.......2000-12-22

This is a great collection of Armenian classical music. Armenian folk music has left a brilliant mark on civilization; influenced by folk, Armenian classical music encompasses textures unknown to the western worlds.

Average customer rating:

Short, sweet and to the point (who knows from dangling partciples and diminished 19ths)

Hovhaness: Armenian Rhapsody 1, 2, 3

Manufacturer: Koch Vision
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Hovhaness Treasures
Hovhaness: Khaldis, Mt. Katahdin, Fantasy
Hovhaness: Mystery Of The Holy Martyrs/Symphony No.3
Hovhaness: Requiem and Resurrection; Symphony No. 19 "Vishnu"
Hovhaness: Symphonies Nos. 4, 20 & 53; The Prayer of St. Gregory

ASIN: B000001SXZ
Release Date: 1997-11-18

Tracks:

Armenian Rhapsody No. 1, Op. 45
Armenian Rhapsody No. 2, Op. 51
Armenian Rhapsody No. 3, Op. 189
Symphony No. 38, Op. 314: 3. 'My Soul Is A Bird'
Symphony No. 38, Op. 314: 4. 'Lullaby'
Concerto No. 10, Op. 413 For Piano, Trumpet, And Strings: 1. Andante espressivo
Concerto No. 10, Op. 413 For Piano, Trumpet, And Strings: 2. Adagio espressivo
Concerto No. 10, Op. 413 For Piano, Trumpet, And Strings: 3. Allegro
Concerto No. 10, Op. 413 For Piano, Trumpet, And Strings: 4. Andante cantabile
Concerto No. 10, Op. 413 For Piano, Trumpet, And Strings: 5. Andante maestoso
Concerto No. 10, Op. 413 For Piano, Trumpet, And Strings: 6. 'Wandering In Space' - Andante misterio

Customer Reviews:

Short, sweet and to the point (who knows from dangling partciples and diminished 19ths).......2005-12-17

These are the finest versions of the 3 Rhapsodies ever put on CD. Even better than the composer's own. Conductor Schwarz has a long term relationship with the composer and it clearly shows. He leads the wonderful Seattle Orchestra through ethereal and heavenly moods and sonics on all the compositions here and the accoustic in The Seattle opera was made for this. The Koch sound engineers provide SUPERB sound with great depth, clarity, wide dynamic range and rich warm textures. I don't think a better sound stage could be provided no matter what the music. Simply uplifting. The rest of the CD pieces are: Symphony #38 (M Soul Is A Bird/Lullaby) and Concerto #10 for piano, trumpet and strings. Also done as well as can be. This Cd is a must for fans of Hovhaness and his Armenian roots.

Average customer rating:

An aural journey through diverse cultures

Yes

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Yes
Yes: Screenplay and Notes
Claude Chalhoub
Orlando: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
21 Grams

ASIN: B0009HBPCQ
Release Date: 2005-06-21

Tracks:

Glass: Paru River [Aguas da Amazonia] - Ensemble: Uakti
Chopin: Waltz No. 7 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 64, No. 2 - Piano: Dmitri Alexeev
Ten Long Years - B.B. King, Eric Clapton
Iguazu - Gustavo Santaolalla
Norketsou Bar - Winds of Passion
Pink Shoes - Fred Firth, Thomas Bloch
Rachmaninov: 1. Moderato [Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18] -Conductor: Esa-Pekka Salonen Piano: Yefim Bronfman The Philharmonica
Satie: No. 1 Lent [Gnossiennes Arranged by Claude Chaloub] - Daryl Johnson, Michael Brook, The String Octet Violin: Claude Chaloub
Run - Fred Firth, Thomas Bloch
Brahms: Waltz, Op. 39, No. 15 - Piano: Katia Lab, Marielle Labe
El Carretero - Gonzalo Grau
Sweet - Fred Firth, Thomas Bloch
Yeghishi Bar - Yeghish Monaukian
12/12 - Cafacuba, Kronos Quartet
Fawn - Fred Firth, Thomas Bloch

Album Description

From "Orlando" to "The Tango Lesson" and onward, director Sally Potter has always been closely involved with the soundtracks to her films--with outstanding results. This score for "Yes" is no different, as it weaves diverse music--including Philip Glass, Gustavo Santaolalla, Kronos Quartet, "Fawn" (by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan), and Eric Clapton with BB King--into both a superb tapestry for this motion picture and as a compelling listening experience on its own.

Further original music by Sally Potter was made with the participation of long-term collaborator, the celebrated guitarist, composer and improviser Fred Frith, who has played on Sally's last four films. Frith has composed for Ensemble Modern and Asko Ensemble amongst others. Best known world-wide as an improvising guitarist, he played on albums ranging from The Residents and Reni Lussier to Brian Eno and Amy Denio.

Customer Reviews:

An aural journey through diverse cultures.......2005-06-28

Quite an eclectic mix of artists and music. I am not sure this CD is for everyone...

From hypnotic instrumentals to howling blues to middle eastern influenced dances to chill dance grooves to classical piano to latin salsa, the soundtrack takes you on an aural journey through diverse cultures. I'm sure it reflects the culture clash depicted in the movie's storyline.

Listening to the sample tracks (at Barnes & Noble.com) makes me wish that I lived in a more culturally diverse area... This is the type of movie I have to watch on DVD because theaters won't risk showing independent films here.

To find the sample tracks at B&N search for "Yes" as the title, then sort the results by "date released". Since it just came out, it should be near the top of the list. Enjoy.

BTW, my 4-star rating is based only on the sample tracks I was able to hear.

Rimsky-Korsakov: Golden Cockerel Suite; Tsar Saltan Suite; Chrismas Eve Suite

Average customer rating:

Rimsky-Korsakov: Golden Cockerel Suite; Tsar Saltan Suite; Chrismas Eve Suite

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
ASIN: B0000030SP
Release Date: 1993-12-16

Tracks:

The Golden Cockerel - Ste: First Movt: Tsar Dodon In His Palace
The Golden Cockerel - Ste: Second Movt: Tsar Dodon On The Battlefield
The Golden Cockerel - Ste: Third Movt: Tsar Dodon As The Guest Of The Queen Of Shemakha
The Golden Cockerel - Ste: Fourth Movt: The Wedding And Lamentable End Of Dodon
The Tale Of Tsar Saltan - Ste, Op.57: First Movt: The Tsar's Farewell And Departure (Intro...
The Tale Of Tsar Saltan - Ste, Op.57: Second Movt: The Tarina in A Barrel At Sea (Intro To Act 1)
The Tale Of Tsar Saltan - Ste, Op.57: Third Movt: The Three Wonders (Intro To Act 4, Scene2)
Flight Of The Bumble-Bee: From 'The Tale Of Tsar Saltan'
Christmas Eve - Ste: Holy Night
Christmas Eve - Ste: Games And Dances Of The Stars .1 Mazurka/.2 The Sixth Comet/.3 Csardas And...
Christmas Eve - Ste: The Devils Christmas
Christmas Eve - Ste: Polonaise
Christmas Eve - Ste: Procession To Midnight Mass And Carols

Amazon.com

The Armenian Philharmonic is just the orchestra for this kind of thing. Hardly a world-class organization, what they lack in polish they more than make up for in sheer color and enthusiasm. There's a tendency in today's orchestras to play everything with the same, highly finished gloss. This is simply a function of their high level of proficiency. And while there's nothing at all wrong with technical perfection, the fact is that this music usually doesn't arouse the kind of dedication you notice when a musician really feels proud of having conquered a tricky piece of writing. Well, you do get that sense of pride with the Armenians, and it's probably as close as we can come to what the music sounded like in the composer's own time. --David Hurwitz

Hovhaness: Symphony Etchmiadzin; Armenian Rhapsody No. 3

Average customer rating:

not essential
Beautiful Music Without End

Hovhaness: Symphony Etchmiadzin; Armenian Rhapsody No. 3

Manufacturer: Crystal Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Hovhaness: Requiem and Resurrection; Symphony No. 19 "Vishnu"
Music of Alan Hovhaness: Saint Vartan Symphon; Artik
Hovhaness: Celestial Gate and Other Orchestral Works
Hovhaness Treasures
Hovhaness: Mystery Of The Holy Martyrs/Symphony No.3

ASIN: B000003J73
Release Date: 1993-08-19

Tracks:

Sym Etchmiadzin (Sym No.21): Andante maestoso
Sym Etchmiadzin (Sym No.21): Pavana
Sym Etchmiadzin (Sym No.21): Introduzione, Largo, Maestoso
Armenian Rhap No.3
Mountains And Rivers Without End
Fra Angelico

Customer Reviews:

not essential.......2005-10-19

The recording quality and musicianship is good on this recording. In my opinion the pieces are not his best and this can be passed over for other Hovhaness. This might be more appropriate for the completist. Try out Mysterious Mountain or Celestial Gate by this same composer before this CD.

Beautiful Music Without End.......2003-06-01

Yes, yes. Alan Hovhaness (1911 - 2000) wrote too much - so that, if one listened to his catalogue of works one after the other the redundancy-effect would soon come into play. A surfeit of pleasure would neutralize pleasure. One might say the same about Mozart. Imagine listening to all the symphonies, one after the other, in sequence, or all the piano sonatas, or all the operas. The "if one listened to it all..." argument is a sophism. Another, more just, way of looking at the matter is that Hovhaness wrote consistently beautiful and attractive music from the mid-1940s right up until the year of his death. Sample the catalogue at any random point and the discovery is likely to be a pleasant one. The series of Hovhaness discs issued by Peter Christ of Crystal Records offers a case in point. Mainly, these recycle (with new engineering) master-tapes from Hovhaness' own Poseidon label of the 1970s, through the medium of which he offered a representative selection of his many symphonies (latterly sixty-seven in all), with professional orchestras, on long-playing records - with other, smaller works as fillers. A good place to begin in the Crystal series of re-issues of those old Poseidon recordings is the program containing Symphony No. 21 "Etchmiadzin" (1968), the chamber symphony "Mountains and Rivers without End" (1972), and two smaller, but not insignificant, works. "Etchmiadzin" celebrates the national piety of medieval Armenia, the land of Hovhaness' forefathers - like so many of his scores. In three movements, this Symphony uses baroque forms combined with Anatolian modes to create the effect that might have happened had Johann Sebastian Bach hailed from the Caucasus Mountains rather than from Leipzig. The orchestra is baroque: strings, brass, and tympani, as in a Bach suite or overture, with some added, faintly exotic percussion; the expression is controlled rather than wild, as Hovhaness could be in some of his compositions of the mid-1960s and the 1970s. The opening "Andante Maestoso" conveys the pomp and ceremony that Hovhaness imagines for the Tenth-Century religious center of the Armenian faith. The middle-movement "Pavana" calls forth a quieter, but equally pious mood. The conflict inherent in faith - the need to defend belief against unbelief - seems to be the idea in the concluding "Introduzione, Largo Maestoso," which correspond to the Bachian model of a prelude-and-fugue. Many modern people have made what the philosopher William Barrett once called "The Journey to the East." Hovhaness helps to guide us on that journey. The inspiration for "Mountains and Rivers without End" comes from farther afield than the Armenian highlands. The Korean peninsula is its provenance - especially the Sixteenth-Century Korea of those romantic watercolor rolls showing vast, undulating landscapes of mountain and lake, with bucolic scenes. When I first encountered this music, shortly after it appeared on vinyl, I regarded it as perfect for the Bohemian evenings of the time: a jug of wine, a book of verse, and an LP of Alan Hovhaness seemed to me the necessary ingredients of a transcendental experience - especially when I could rope a girl into the formula. (She would constitute the requisite second person, the "thou," of the "Rubaiyat's" recipe for earthly happiness.) My re-reception of the music thirty years later naturally takes coloration from my nostalgia. Yet, as my Brooklyn friend Steve Kogan tells me, nostalgia is a necessary (even if it is not a sufficient) ingredient of maturity. The flutes unfold avian arabesques, the trombones low like kine, the strings make a background out of Hovhaness' patented "spirit-murmur." It is as affecting and innocent as I remember it. When the music ends, I feel a sadness, as though, after a spell of aerial rapture, I descended once more to cold earth. Ideally, it should indeed continue "without end." Alas, we live in the world of time and space. The "Armenian Rhapsody No. 3," although slight, is gorgeous and tuneful. The final item on the program, the "Fra Angelico" Fantasy (1968), might be its composer's most perfect accomplishment. At sixteen minutes' performing-time, it qualifies as substantial; in form, it is a species of passacaglia, with a chorale-tune, eastern in flavor, introduced right away cycling through the instrumental choirs only to reappear in the finale augmented and made splendorous in a true musical apotheosis. I listened to "Fra Angelico" for the first time late at night, on headphones, after purchasing it in the Tower Records in Westwood Village in 1973 or 74 or thereabouts. The gooseflesh has never really gone away. How lovely it is to live in a world where Alan Hovhaness made sublime music! Strongly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Memories of Poland

Manufacturer: Cbc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000025VE8
Release Date: 1996-06-20

Tracks:

Andante Spianato And Grande Polonaise in E flat, Op.22: I. Andante Spianato
Andante Spianato And Grande Polonaise in E flat, Op.22: II. Polonaise - Allegro Molto
Con in E, Op.59: I. Moderato
Con in E, Op.59: II. Andante
Con in E, Op.59: III. Scherzo & Vivace
Con in E, Op.59: IV. Allegro Deciso
Souvenirs De Pologne: I. Maestoso
Souvenirs De Pologne: II. Appassionato
Souvenirs De Pologne: III. Capriccioso
Souvenirs De Pologne: IV. Giocoso
Souvenirs De Pologne: V. Pastorale