Search - Alan Hovhaness, Gerard Schwarz, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra :: Hovhaness: Mysterious Mountains

Good intro to Hovhaness

Gregory Hayes | Volkswagen Bus, CA USA | 06/13/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard Mysterious Mountain by Alan Hovhaness on a local classical station. Even through my ancient, tinny cassette radio, the music came across rich and captivating, and I put it on my must-buy list. Now that a couple of years has passed and I've finally heard the recording properly, I'm even more impressed.



Hovhaness' works on this album are both simple and grand, complex and humble, and I'd guess very approachable to a wide variety of listeners. His harmonic motion compels with rich orchestration, highlighted with moments of delicious and sometimes excruciating delicacy.



While Mysterious Mountains brought me to this CD--and is still wonderful, as is Hymn to a Glacier Peak--his Symphony No. 50, Mount St. Helens, has become my Hovhaness favorite.



I have a weak spot for the real Mount St. Helens, images of whose eruption filled my childhood imagination and contributed to my ongoing fascination with the natural world. Hovhaness nailed the emotions and imagery of the volcano and its surrounding scenery; though the third movement's portrayal of the eruption itself starts off rough, the finale wraps up the movement and entire symphony with just the right flavor of rebirth and majesty. I now count this among my favorite tone poems, and I look forward to finding more of his works to enjoy.



Haven't heard Hovhaness before? If you like Gorecki, Vaughan Williams, Sibelius, Copland or Bernstein, give him a shot."