Composers Datebook®

Hovhaness reaches No. 65

Composers Datebook - Oct. 6, 2024
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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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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.

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