Monday, November 23, 2015

Alan Hovhaness - Symphony Etchmiadzin (Symphony No. 21) - Armenian Rhapsody No. 3 - Mountains and Rivers Without End - Fra Angelico - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Alan Hovhaness conducting - Crystal Records 1987

When I started this blog, one of my intentions was to share all of the Hovhaness that I have (and let me tell you it's a lot, I must be one of his number one followers errrr I mean fans), and right away in succession, a true posting "flood". The unfortunate, wonderful thing is that there is just too too much music out there that I also love, and it seemed to me that it would be tedious and take some of the magic and excitement out of the discoveries for (some) visitors. Indeed, I meant to have an all-Hovhaness tribute blog years ago, as well as a proper website to spread awareness of Arnold Rosner's music, way before an official page finally came into existence. Here's the official Rosner site for those interested: http://www.arnoldrosnermusic.com/  The 'webmaster' is one Carson Cooman, also a (fairly young) composer who admired Rosner's music for many years. Rosner tried to get Carson and myself together for many years, feeling we'd be kindred spirits, and also to discuss archiving Rosner's music and the caring for his estate when the time would come. Because of all the darkness and conflict in my life at the time, I resisted, for several years. I finally met Mr. Cooman at Rosner's memorial concert and I cannot say that I was terribly impressed. WOW I am getting off-topic, sorry all! 


I will say one more thing. I am usually hesitant to post a lot of Hovhaness as I assume that most visitors to my blog already have the majority of available recordings. As his music saved my life so to speak several times, and since it's one of the most important, transcendental and beautiful parts of my arbitrary human life-I suppose it's my duty to keep sharing it if anyone finds it to be a discovery, whether it's 100 people or a single visitor having his/her first acquaintance; AH changed my life for the better many moons ago, and words fail to express how substantial that enrichment was and remains today.


Enjoy all!

New link:

Hovhaness_Symphony_Etchmiadzin_Fra_Angelico_Etc-Tzadik.zip

http://www46.zippyshare.com/v/nPW4xbiN/file.html

15 comments:

theblueamos said...

Never enough Hovhaness!!! Thank you from Jerusalem.

Unknown said...

Super.Colosal.Tapirman.

Unknown said...

Thank you. You IS the best !!! My superman !!!
Love you very much

Scraps said...

if anyone finds it to be a discovery, whether it's 100 people or a single visitor having his/her first acquaintance

I certainly know of Hovhaness, but I haven't listened to him, and your championing of him is going to be the difference. (Basically there are two reasons for my not listening before: his deluge of compositions, which is intimidating; and his [I thought] mysticism, which [I thought] would get up my nose. That last reason eventually I threw away as a juvenile attitude, and indeed once I suffered my stroke, when I came out the other side I discovered that I wanted to try lots of things that I used to dismiss, from food to music. I just hadn't got around to Hovhaness yet, and now you and your fandom is bracing.)

When I used to have a blog, I hesitated to write about Henry Threadgill, my very favorite living musician, because everybody who knew me already knew my fandom of Threadgill. But I decided, like you, if I converted even one person to Threadgillmania, it would be worth it. And wouldn't you know it, one person spoke up and said he was converted, and that was awesome.

Tzadik said...

Hello there Blue my friend, enjoy the AH! Never enough Hovhaness indeed; and that's quite the testament to his music-he was, after all, one of the most prolific composers out there :)

I recall when Naxos *finally* released a Hovhaness disc..although AH has been 'on the map' since the early introduction to audiences of works such as "Mysterious Mountain", "And God Created Great Whales" and so on, really it was after the vinyl age, even w. many many great LP recordings-that Hovhaness's genius as a composer of the 20th century came to be truly celebrated and recognized. I used to wait and wait and wait for news of upcoming AH releases-I still do-but now it's guaranteed like a sunny day, it used to be such a waiting game for a AH-freak!

TZ

Tzadik said...

Doctor T, this disc is new to you? I'm very happy to hear that :-)

Su TZ

Tzadik said...

Thank you for your kind words dear nhac, happy you are enjoying the Hovhaness! Once bitten by the "Hovhaness bug" there's no turning back ;-)

Much love back at you,

TZ

Tzadik said...

Scraps, I understand. Hovhaness wrote ALOT of music-mostly out-of-this-world (pun might as well be intended), and really there's maybe 10% of it recorded at this time(!!). Although there's imo tons of masterpieces, there are those who dismiss AH, (without really having enough criteria to do so) due to the fact that he was so very prolific and especially because in his latest years, he recycled some material into new works. Typically that view comes from not exploring the majority of his creative career-and that's over 60 years!

Now, his music is often considered to be steeped in "mysticism", however it's imo in the most profound and moving way-it centers around a strong love for humanity and especially through the reverence for nature, and it's mysterious, unfathomable power and beauty. In other word's this ain't no "pop" new-age mysticism, and I can think of a few composers who are guilty of that (then again, an artist can do what he or she pleases-so who am I to cast a sentence??).

I hope this music become meaningful to you-I think it will. It's not only beautiful, but somehow very powerful for the soul-well should it exist ;) I think you will only find it spectacular and 'healing' in the best possible emotional sense-AH has been my strongest prescription for years.

Confession..I know little about Henry Threadgill. I know the name. Don't recall his works at all. Now I have something to go forth and discover, don't I?

It's exhilarating for me to enlighten a person to any great art-and indeed even ONE, that is as great as many more, as an entire universe opens up for life...

Best regards,

TZ

Scraps said...

(Threadgill is a jazz musician.)

Tzadik said...

Hey Scraps. That he's a Jazz musician is pretty much all that I remembered ;)

Hope to check out his stuff soon.

Regards,

TZ

alexlekh said...

File not found,reupload please.Thanks!

Autumnal Nostalgic said...

Podría reponer el enlace por favor? Mil gracias!!

sazor said...

Reup please.

Anonymous said...

Can you repost this record, please ? Thank kou so very much

Tzadik said...

Re-up in a minute everyone...