Topic: Howard Hanson (1896-1981)

[vandermolen]

I offer this bit of evidence:



It was mono so no CD release.

Now, can anyone tell me which Hanson symphonies have singing?

Here's another old Merc that was never reissued



I have that one on vinyl, awful condition, paid 50 cents, just good enough to give an idea how good it would sound on a clean copy.

Pictures didn't come out. Was the Merc with Hanson's 4th Symphony? Always regretted that not appearing on CD.

[Scarpia]

Whether the image appear or not seems to be a bit random.  I've attached them below.  I have the LP featuring Griffes and Loeffler.  Unfortunately I don't have the one with Hanson 4.  Both were Mono, and very very few of the Mono Mercury's ever got issued on CD.  The annoying thing was that just when they had run out of stereo issues and were starting the mono recordings they decided to start over and do them on SACD.  That project flopped (very few people feel the need to hear a DSD recording of an analog tape with 10% distortion and a 50dB noise floor) and they never got to the Mono releases.

[vandermolen]

Whether the image appear or not seems to be a bit random.  I've attached them below.  I have the LP featuring Griffes and Loeffler.  Unfortunately I don't have the one with Hanson 4.  Both were Mono, and very very few of the Mono Mercury's ever got issued on CD.  The annoying thing was that just when they had run out of stereo issues and were starting the mono recordings they decided to start over and do them on SACD.  That project flopped (very few people feel the need to hear a DSD recording of an analog tape with 10% distortion and a 50dB noise floor) and they never got to the Mono releases.

Thanks - pictures came out fine. That Harris/Hanson LP looks really good. I have the Hanson on LP but with a different cover and coupling (Lament for Beowulf possibly - it's in the attic somewhere). This needs to be on CD. I have the Griffes on CD and Stokowski doing the Loeffler Poem.

[schweitzeralan]

Whether the image appear or not seems to be a bit random.  I've attached them below.  I have the LP featuring Griffes and Loeffler.  Unfortunately I don't have the one with Hanson 4.  Both were Mono, and very very few of the Mono Mercury's ever got issued on CD.  The annoying thing was that just when they had run out of stereo issues and were starting the mono recordings they decided to start over and do them on SACD.  That project flopped (very few people feel the need to hear a DSD recording of an analog tape with 10% distortion and a 50dB noise floor) and they never got to the Mono releases.

I once owned both LPs but no longer.  I do miss the Loeffler.

[Scarpia]

Thanks - pictures came out fine. That Harris/Hanson LP looks really good. I have the Hanson on LP but with a different cover and coupling (Lament for Beowulf possibly - it's in the attic somewhere). This needs to be on CD. I have the Griffes on CD and Stokowski doing the Loeffler Poem.

Who do you have doing the Griffes (on CD)?

[vandermolen]

Who do you have doing the Griffes (on CD)?

I thought I had Hanson doing it on a Mercury CD - but I don't - he conducts the Poem for Flute and Orchestra instead. I have a not very good Naxos version - an old Sony recording (Lois Lane I think - isn't that a character from 'Superman'?!) but by far the best is Charles Gerhardt on the great CD below:

PS (added later) I was talking rubbish - the Sony version is Andre Kostelanetz and His Orchestra, recorded in 1975 - Sony Essential Classics. Also a very atmospheric version, which I have just played.  The Gerhardt is better recorded I think.

[vandermolen]

I have an interesting CD on Bay Cities of Hanson conducting the premiere performance of his valedictory ' A Sea Symphony (to words of Walt Witman)' in 1977 with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra in Interlochen, Michigan.  As the CD notes say, the performance is testimony to the obvious affection between the frail composer/conductor and his young performers. Also on the CD is the excellent 'Pan and the Priest' (thanks jowcol to alerting me to this work that I had hitherto ignored - interestingly premiered in London by Sir Henry Wood in 1926) and Variations on Two Ancient Hymn Tunes and Hanson's String Quartet - a great disc.

ps, I've added a link to a review on the US Amazon site, which suggests that Hanson 'should have been born a Brit' - to me, though, his music sounds very American. I guess that the suggestion was partly due to the fact that Vaughan Williams' much earlier 'Sea Symphony' is also to words by Whitman (having said that Whitman was American - maybe VW should have been born an American!) The VW may be the greater work but I enjoy the Hanson more.


http://www.amazon.com/Hanson-Symphony-Whitman-Variations-Ancient/dp/B00008ER4P/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1266653560&sr=1-4

[snyprrr]

Has his String Quartet been discussed?

[vandermolen]

Has his String Quartet been discussed?

Don't think so - listening to it now. It seems an entirely characteristic work. It is in a single movement (17 mins). The booklet notes sum it up well '...impressive juxtaposition of heart-on-sleeve rhapsodic lyricism and passages of extrovert drama'. As with 'Pan and the Priest' I am surprised that I did not really notice it before - any Hanson fan should like it. By the way I note that the Bay Cities CD label no longer exists, but there seem to be second hand copies of the CD available for c $5.00 on the Amazon US site.

[eyeresist]

I'm listening to a rip of my freshly-bought CD of symphonies 2 and 4, on Arte Nova. There are some brass glitches in the 4th, but otherwise this is really fine-sounding stuff with (possibly my projection) an enthusiastic orchestra, well led.

Slightly disturbed by obvious Sibelius moments in the 4th - Hanson has his own style, and doesn't need to borrow any other!

This is part of my renewed exploration of American composers, previously suspended due to too much crap accumulating. The problem is critics elevating many minor names to Great status (or at least praising without the necessary qualifying statements), thus obscuring the quality stuff from those who aren't already aficianados.

I'd say Hanson is great, and no excuses need be made for his emotionalism and melodism. I've just ordered the 4-disc Schwarz set. Is this all the Hanson I'll need?

[vandermolen]

I'm listening to a rip of my freshly-bought CD of symphonies 2 and 4, on Arte Nova. There are some brass glitches in the 4th, but otherwise this is really fine-sounding stuff with (possibly my projection) an enthusiastic orchestra, well led.

Slightly disturbed by obvious Sibelius moments in the 4th - Hanson has his own style, and doesn't need to borrow any other!

This is part of my renewed exploration of American composers, previously suspended due to too much crap accumulating. The problem is critics elevating many minor names to Great status (or at least praising without the necessary qualifying statements), thus obscuring the quality stuff from those who aren't already aficianados.

I'd say Hanson is great, and no excuses need be made for his emotionalism and melodism. I've just ordered the 4-disc Schwarz set. Is this all the Hanson I'll need?

Inclined to agree with you about the Arte Nova CD, which was poorly reviewed. I love the Elegy to Koussevitsky. I'd say that you need Volume 5 of the Delos Hanson series (see image - not in boxed set) - I played it yesterday.  The opening work Dies Natalis is classic Hanson.

[Lethe]

The problem is critics elevating many minor names to Great status (or at least praising without the necessary qualifying statements), thus obscuring the quality stuff from those who aren't already aficianados.

A big problem when exploring neglected music in general   The qualifications are most important to try to include, as many of the real inspired geniuses are also some of the most flawed, and people must understand what they are getting into

[vandermolen]

I have just discovered how good a work Hanson's 5th Symphony is; although I have it in the Delos box I had hardly played it before, as I tend to play the Mercury CDs. Symphony 5, as far as I know, is only available in the Delos set on CD. A concise and powerful work.

[Scarpia]

I have just discovered how good a work Hanson's 5th Symphony is; although I have it in the Delos box I had hardly played it before, as I tend to play the Mercury CDs. Symphony 5, as far as I know, is only available in the Delos set on CD. A concise and powerful work.

Does Hanson's 5th have chorus?

[Sergeant Rock]

Does Hanson's 5th have chorus?

No. Purely orchestral, and short: one movement, about fifteen minutes long. The 7th "A Sea Symphony" (words by Walt Whitman) employs a chorus.

Sarge

[vandermolen]

Found this CD second-hand on Amazon UK. It is a great disc and I love the Organ Concerto, which starts off a bit like Rautavaara. Whilst it is entirely characteristic of Hanson at his best, it is also unlike other works by him (not just because it features an organ!) I found this score very flowing in a sibelian kind of way and also inspiriting, especially the opening sections. This would be a great introduction to Hanson, notwithstanding the fact that it features lesser-known works.