Hovhaness (real name, Chakmakjian), Alan (Vaness Scott)
Hovhaness (real name, Chakmakjian), Alan (Vaness Scott)
Hovhaness (real name, Chakmakjian), Alan (Vaness Scott), prolific American composer of Armenian-Scottish descent; b. Somerville, Mass., March 8, 1911; d. Seattle, June 21, 2000. He took piano lessons with Adelaide Proctor and Heinrich Gebhard in Boston, and undertook academic studies at Tufts Univ. In 1932 he enrolled in the New England Cons, of Music in Boston as a student of Frederick Converse, and then was a scholarship student of Martinu at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood in the summer of 1942. He served on the faculty of the New England Cons, of Music (1948–51), then moved to N.Y. He was awarded 2 Guggenheim fellowships (1954 and 1958). In 1959 he received a Fulbright fellowship and traveled to India and Japan, where he collected native folk songs for future use and presented his own works, as pianist and conductor, receiving acclaim. In 1962 he was engaged as composer-in-residence at the Univ. of Hawaii; then traveled to Korea. In 1967 he was composer-in-residence of the Seattle Sym. Orch. From his earliest attempts at composition, he took great interest in the musical roots of his paternal ancestry, studying the folk songs assembled by Komitas. He gradually came to believe that music must reflect the natural monody embodied in national songs and ancient church hymns. In his music, he adopted modal melodies and triadic harmonies. This parti pris had the dual effect of alienating him from the milieu of modern composers while exercising great attraction for the music consumer at large. By dint of ceaseless repetition of melodic patterns and relentless dynamic tension, he succeeded in creating a sui generis type of impressionistic monody, flowing on the shimmering surfaces of euphony, free from the upsetting intrusion of heterogeneous dissonance; an air of mysticism pervaded his music, aided by the programmatic titles which he often assigned to his compositions. A composer of relentless fecundity, he produced over 60 syms.; several operas, quasi-operas, and pseudo-operas; and an enormous amount of choral music. The totality of his output is in excess of 370 opus numbers. In a laudable spirit of self-criticism, he destroyed 7 of his early syms. and began numbering them anew so that his first numbered sym. (subtitled Exile) was chronologically his 8th. He performed a similar auto-da-fé on other dispensable pieces. Among his more original compositions is a symphonic score And God Created Great Whales, in which the voices of humpback whales recorded on tape were used as a solo with the orch.; the work was performed to great effect in the campaign to save the whale from destruction by human (and inhuman) predators.
Works
dramatic: Opera: Etchmiadzin (1946); The Blue Flame (San Antonio, Dec. 13, 1959); Spirit of the Avalanche (Tokyo, Feb. 15, 1963); Wind Drum and The Burning House (both at Gatlinburg, Term., Aug. 23, 1964); Pilate (Los Angeles, June 26, 1966); The Travelers (Los Altos Hills, Calif., April 22, 1967); Pericles (1975); Tale of the Sun Goddess Going into the Stone House (1979). Operetta: Afton Water, after William Saroyan (1951). Ballet: Killer of Enemies (1983); God the Revenger (1986).
orch.: syms. (the numbering does not always coincide with the chronological order of composition): No. 1, Exile (BBC, London, May 26, 1939), No. 2, Mysterious Mountain (Houston, Oct. 31, 1955, Stokowski conducting), No. 3 (N.Y., Oct. 14, 1956), No. 4 for Concert Band (Pittsburgh, June 28, 1959), No. 5, Short Symphony (1959), No. 6, Celestial Gate (1959), No. 7, Nanga Parvat, for Band (1959), No. 8, Arjuna (1947; Madras, India, Feb. 1, 1960), No. 9, St. Vartan (N.Y., March 11, 1951), No. 10 (1959), No. 11, All Men Are Brothers (1960; New Orleans, March 21, 1961; rev. version, New Orleans, March 31, 1970), No. 12 for Chorus and Orch. (1960), No. 13 (1953), No. 14, Ararat (1960); No. 15, Silver Pilgrimage (N.Y., March 28, 1963), No. 16, Korean Kayageum, for Strings and Korean Percussion Instruments (Seoul, Jan. 26, 1963), No. 17 for Metal Orch., commissioned by the American Metallurgical Congress (Cleveland, Oct. 23, 1963), No. 18, Circe (1964), No. 19, Vishnu (N.Y., June 2, 1967), No. 20, 3 Journeys to a Holy Mountain, for Concert Band (1968), No. 21, Etchmiadzin (1968), No. 22, City of Light (1970), No. 23, Ani, for Band (1972), No. 24, Majnun, for Chorus and Orch. (1973; Lubbock, Tex., Jan. 25, 1974), No. 25, Odysseus, for Chamber Orch. (1973; London, April 10, 1974), No. 26, Consolation (San Jose, Calif., Oct. 24, 1975), No. 27 (1975), No. 28 (1976), No. 29 for Horn and Orch. (Minneapolis, May 4, 1977), No. 30 (1976), No. 31 for Strings (Seattle, Dec. 7, 1977), No. 32 for Chamber Orch. (1977), No. 33 for Chamber Orch. (1978), No. 34 (1977), No. 35 for Korean Instruments and Orch. (Seoul, June 9, 1978), No. 36 for Flute and Orch. (Washington, D.C., Jan. 16, 1979; Rampai soloist; Rostropovich conducting), No. 37 (1978), No. 38 for Soprano and Orch. (1978), No. 39 for Guitar and Orch. (1978), No. 40 for Brass, Timpani, and Orch. (1979; Interlochen, April 9, 1982), No. 41, Mountain Sunset (1979), No. 42 (1979), No. 43 (1979; Aptos, Calif., Aug. 20, 1981), No. 44 (1980), No. 45 (1979), No. 46, To the Green Mountains (Burlington, Vt., May 2, 1981), No. 47, Walla Walla, Land of Many Waters, for Soprano and Orch. (Walla Walla, Wash., Nov. 24, 1981), No. 48, Vision of Andromeda (Miami, Fla., June 21, 1982), No. 49, Christmas, for Strings (1981), No. 50, Mount St. Helens (1982), No. 51 for Trumpet and Strings (1982), No. 52, Journey to Vega (1983), No. 53, Star Dawn, for Band (1983), No. 54 (1983), No. 55 (1983), No. 56 (1983), No. 57, Cold Mountain, for Tenor, Soprano, Clarinet, and Strings (1983), No. 58, Sacra, for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (Valparaiso, Ind., Nov. 10, 1985), No. 59 (Bellevue, Wash., Jan. 28, 1985), No. 60, To the Appalachian Mountains (Knoxville, Term., April 24, 1985), No. 61 (Boise, Idaho, Oct. 4, 1986). No. 62, Let Not Man Forget, for Baritone and Strings (1987), No. 63, Loon Lake (1988), No. 64 (1989), and No. 65, Artsakh (N.Y., Oct. 6, 1991). concertos: Cello Concerto (1936); Lousadzak (Coming of Light) for Piano and Strings (1944; Boston, Feb. 4, 1945); Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places, concerto for Trumpet and Strings (N.Y., June 17, 1945); Asori, concerto for Flute, Cornet, Bassoon, Trumpet, Timpani, and Strings (1946); Sosi, concerto for Violin, Piano, Percussion, and Strings (1948; N.Y., March 6, 1949); Artik, horn concerto (1948; Rochester, N.Y., May 7, 1954); Zertik Parkim, concerto for Piano and Chamber Orch. (1948); Elibus (God of Dawn), concerto for Flute and Strings (1949; San Francisco, Jan. 26, 1950); Khaldis, concerto for 4 Trumpets, Piano, and Percussion (1951); Talin, concerto for Viola and String Orch. (1952); Accordion Concerto (1959); Concerto for Harp and Strings (1973); Euphonium Concerto (1977); 2 guitar concertos (1977, 1985); Soprano Saxophone Concerto (1980). Also 8 numbered concertos: No. 1, Arevakal (Season of the Sun), for Orch. (1951; N.Y, Feb. 18, 1952), No. 2 for Violin and Strings (1951–57), No. 3, Diran, for Baritone Horn or Trombone and Strings (1948), No. 4 for Orch. (1952; Louisville, Ky., Feb. 20, 1954), No. 5 for Piano and Strings (1952), No. 6 for Harmonica and Strings (1953), No. 7 for Orch. (1953), and No. 8 for Orch. (1953). OTHER: Storm on Mt. Wildcat (1931); Celestial Fantasy (1944); 3 Armenian Rhapsodies (1944); Khiriam Hairis for Trumpet and Strings (1944); Tzaikerk (Evening Song; 1945); Kohar (1946); Forest of Prophetic Sounds (1948); Overture for Trombone and Strings (1948); Janabar, 5 hymns for Violin, Trumpet, Piano, and Strings (1949; N.Y, March 11, 1951); Prelude and Quadruple Fugue (1955); Meditation on Orpheus (1957–58); Copernicus, tone poem (1960); Mountain of Prophecy (1960); Meditation on Zeami, symphonic poem (1963; N.Y, Oct. 5, 1964); Ukiyo, Floating World, tone poem (1964; Salt Lake City, Jan. 30, 1965); Fantasy on Japanese Wood Prints for Xylophone and Orch. (Chicago, July 4, 1964); The Holy City (Portland, Ore., April 11, 1967); Fra Angelico, symphonic poem (Detroit, March 21, 1968); Mountain and Rivers Without End for 10 Instruments (1968); And God Created Great Whales for Orch., with Voices of Humpback Whales recorded on Tape (1969; N.Y., June 11, 1970); A Rose for Emily, ballet (1970); Dawn on Mt. Tahoma (1973); Fanfare to the New Atlantis (1975); Ode to Freedom for Violin and Orch. (Vienna, Va., July 3, 1976, Yehudi Menuhin soloist); Rubaiyat for Narrator, Accordion, and Orch. (1975; N.Y, May 20, 1977). CHAMBER: 2 piano quintets (1926, rev. 1962; 1964); Piano Trio (1935); 5 string quartets (1936, 1950, 1968, 1970, 1976); Violin Sonata (1937); Suite for English Horn and Bassoon (1938); Varak for Violin and Piano (1944); Anahid for Flute, English Horn, Trumpet, Timpani, Percussion, and Strings (1944); Saris for Violin and Piano (1946); Haroutiun (Resurrection), aria and fugue for Trumpet and Strings (1948); Sosi (Forest of Prophetic Sounds) for Violin, Piano, Horn, Timpani, Giant Tam-tam, and Strings (1948); Khirgiz Suite for Violin and Piano (1951); Orbit No. 1 for Flute, Harp, Celesta, and Tam-tam (1952) and No. 2 for Alto Recorder and Piano (1952); koke no kiwa (Moss Garden) for English Horn, Clarinet, Harp, and Percussion (1954); Wind Quintet (1960); Nagooran for Ensemble of South Indian Instruments (1962); String Trio (1962); Sextet for Violin and 5 Percussionists (1966); 6 Dances for Brass Quintet (1967); Spirit of Ink, 9 pieces for 3 Flutes (1968); Vibration Painting for 13 String Instruments (1969); The Garden of Adonis for Flute and Harp (1971); Sonata for 2 Bassoons (1973); Clarinet Quartet (1973); Night of a White Cat for Clarinet and Piano (1973); Fantasy for Double Bass and Piano (1974); Suite for 4 Trumpets and Trombone (1976); Suite for Alto Saxophone and Guitar (1976); Septet for Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Trumpet, Trombone, Double Bass, and Percussion (1976); Sonata for 2 Clarinets (1977); Sunset on Mt. Tahoma for 2 Trumpets, Trombone, and Organ (1978); Sonata for Clarinet and Harpsichord (1978); Saxophone Trio (1979); 2 sonatas for 3 Trumpets and 2 Trombones (1979); Lake Winnipesaukee, sextet (1982); Capuan Sonata for Viola and Piano (1982); Prelude and Fugue for Brass Quartet (1983); Spirit of Trees, sonata for Harp and Guitar (1983); Clarinet Sonata (1983); Starry Night for Flute, Xylophone, and Harp (1984); Sonata for Alto Recorder and Harpsichord (1984); Mountain under the Sea for Alto Saxophone, Timpani, Vibraphone, Tam-tam, and Harp (1984). keyboard:(for Piano Solo unless otherwise given): Mountain Lullaby (1931); 3 Preludes and Fugues (1935); Sonata Ricercare (1935); Macedonian Mountain Dance (1937); Do you remember the last silence? (1957); Poseidon Sonata (1957); Child of the Garden for Piano, 4-Hands (1958); Madras Sonata (1947; final rev., 1959); Bardo Sonata (1959); Love Song Vanishing into Sounds of Crickets (1979); Sonata Catamount (1980); Sonata, Journey to Arcturus (1981); Hiroshige’s Cat (1982); Sonata No. 5 for Harpsichord (1982); Sonata on the Long Total Eclipse of the Moon, July 6, 1982 (1982); Tsugouharu Fujita’s Cat (1982); Lake Sammamish (1983); Organ Sonata No. 2, Invisible Sun (1984); Lilydale (1986); Cougar Mountain, sonata (1985); Sonata (1986). VOCAL: Ad Lyram for Solo Voices, Double Chorus, and Chamber Orch. (Houston, March 12, 1957); To the God Who Is in the Fire, cantata (Urbana, 111., April 13, 1957); Magnificat for Solo Voices, Chorus, and Chamber Orch. (1957); Fuji, cantata for Women’s Voices, Flute, Harp, and String Orch. (1960); In the Beginning Was the Word for Vocal Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1963); Lady of Light for Solo Voices, Chorus, and Chamber Orch. (1969); Saturn, 12 pieces for Soprano, Clarinet, and Piano (1971); The Way of Jesus, folk oratorio (N.Y., Feb. 23, 1975); Revelations of St. Paul, cantata (1980; N.Y., Jan. 28, 1981); The Waves Unbuild the Wasting Shore, cantata for Tenor, Chorus, and Organ (1983); Cantata Domino for Chorus and Organ (1984); innumerable hymns, anthems, sacred and secular choruses; songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire