Synopsis
On today’s date in 1991, the American Composers Orchestra gave a concert at Carnegie Hall, celebrating the 80th birthday of Armenian-American composer Alan Hovhaness. Hovhaness was on hand, and conducted the world premiere performance of his Symphony No. 65.
By the time of this death in 2000, Hovhaness had composed 67 symphonies, and ranks as one of the most prolific composers of symphonies in the 20th century.
“I write too much, far too much,” he once wrote to a friend. “This is my insanity.” Even so, performers and audiences seemed to respond to the emotional forthrightness of his music.
Hovhaness rejected the mid-20th century trends towards complexity and atonality, and instead turned to archaic and Eastern musical models. Many of his works were inspired by Armenian themes, real or imagined.
In reviewing the premiere of his Symphony No. 65, the New York Times critic wrote, “Mr. Hovhaness seems to have used liturgical roots to create his own imaginary Armenia, a music that may exist only in [his] imagination.”
Music Played in Today's Program
Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000): Symphony No. 2 (Mysterious Mountain); Chicago Symphony; Fritz Reiner, conductor; RCA 61957
On This Day
Births
1882 - Polish composer Karol Szymanowski, in Tymoszówska, Ukraine
1943 - German composer Udo Zimmermann, in Dresden
Deaths
1909 - American composer and organist Dudley Buck, 70, in West Orange, New Jersey
1947 - Finnish composer Leevi Medetoja, 59, in Helsinki
Premieres
1600 - Jacopo Peri: opera, Euridice, at the marriage of Maria de Medici to King Henri IV of France, in Florence, Italy. The oldest surviving complete opera
1868 - Offenbach: operetta La Périchole, at the Variétés, in Paris
1911 - Reger: A Comedy Overture, by the Boston Symphony with Max Fiedler conducting
1939 - William Schuman: American Festival Overture, by the Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting
1963 - Ibert: Symphonie Marine (composed in 1931), in Paris
1977 - Tippett: Symphony No. 4, by the Chicago Symphony, Sir Georg Solti conducting
1991 - Hovhaness: Symphony No. 65 (Artstakh), at Carnegie Hall in New York, with the composer conducting
1996 - Zemlinksy: opera Der König Candaules (King Candaules), posthumously, in Hamburg at the Staatsoper. This unfinished opera was written in 1936, and completed for its 1996 premiere by Anthony Beaumont.
Others
1739 - Handel completes his Concerto Grosso No. 3 (Gregorian date: Oct. 17)
1802 - Beethoven files his will, the so-called Heiligenstadt Testament, to be opened after his death
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About Composers Datebook®
Host John Birge presents a daily snapshot of composers past and present, with timely information, intriguing musical events and appropriate, accessible music related to each.
He has been hosting, producing and performing classical music for more than 25 years. Since 1997, he has been hosting on Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Service. He played French horn for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra and performed with them on their centennial tour of Europe in 1995. He was trained at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy.
