Someone recently requested Hovhaness's Saint Vartan Symphony which is one of his finest and most interesting symphonies. I was most certain that I already shared it here. Well, I was wrong. The only solution is to finally post it. Because that's just how smart I am. The symphony has two parts and is actually made up of 24 short movements. I have a feeling that "Saint Vartan" is the only symphony that has a movement that is for piano and trombone only (Mvt. no. 14). The majority of the 24 short movements call for strings, horn, trumpet and various percussion. Solemn ceremonial arias are contrasted with lively, canonic dances and simply put the ride is exciting, the journey is entirely fresh and brimming with non-stop invention. "Artik" (named after a 7th century octagonal Armenian church) is a Concerto for Horn and String Orchestra that is solemn and extremely beautiful. This recording is (another) absolute treasure from Crystal Records.
The fine booklet contains notes on "Artik" written by Hovhaness and I will type it and the rest out tomorrow, it is getting late here.
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This is perhaps the most unflattering cover. A bad photo is only made worse when it appears to have been cut out with scissors and pasted by a 5 year old. And who would dare forsake the special effects in favor of the green screen? Ah well.
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| The original LP (from 1973 I believe) on Hovhaness's own Poseidon Society label. |
Hovhaness_Saint_Vartan_Symphony_No.9_Artik-Tzadik.zip
http://www102.zippyshare.com/v/APKXORT8/file.html
Enjoy!
14 comments:
I agree wholeheartedly about the cover -- I owned the CD and could barely stand to look at it! The best cover was the Unicorn LP release, also from 1973 (the best repro I could find is here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/LP-Alan-Hovhaness-Saint-Vartan-Symphony-Op-80-1973-/360675372793) -- it was that striking cover that drew me to first listen to Hovhaness, at a time when the Penguin Guide and The Gramophone simple dismissed his music as trash...
Oddly enough, I was just looking for this earlier today, and now here you are posting it and assuaging my frustration. Many thanks!
Thank you TZ I hope all is well with you.I know what I'm listening tomorrow.By the way thank you for the previous posts as well.And the high quality .Best wishes from Jerusalem.
Thanks Tzadik! You can't help but be drawn into Hovhaness's sound world a far cry from a lot of the noisy drek that serves as today's contemporary music. Is there a reference to the site pictured on the original Possidon Society cover? Mythical or actual? Thanks for your postings - now looking for City of Light Symphony.
Thanks, you have Conrad Beck - Complete music for solo piano / Toccata Classics?
So beautiful I'm in tears
DLing now, thank you! But man..... that cover.... Blech. I am really trying to think of a worse one.... I got nothing.
TZ
This is another wonderful recording.
I wonder have you ever come across this Hovhaness item, available for download:
http://www.ubu.com/sound/hovhaness.html
It's a two-part program in which "Charles Amirkhanian interviews composer Alan Hovhaness for the San Francisco Exploratorium’s Speaking of Music series, recorded on October 3, 1989."
Best wishes,
Philip
Is all OK?
You can find the Charles Amirkhanian interview, plus a host of other Hovhaness material, over at radiom.org. It is a treasure trove of modern American music. Jack
Thanks Tzadik. I have these on two discs but the turntable long busted. Love the trumbone especially. It could sound corny and churchy but somehow this horn music just doesn't, probably the player is very good.
I hope you are okay.
Anxiously,
Scraps
Where are you now ? Are you OK ?
Miss you much !!!
Are you OK, Tzadik?
My best wishes! Gabriel
Hey :) thank you so much for this
is there any chance you can re-upload the download link? the zippyshare link is down
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