Howard Hanson (1896-1981)

[vandermolen]

And here's that famous old LP - a nostalgia trip:

[drogulus]

Here they all are (other than Symphony 4  ) in a great boxed set.

     Yes! I always meant to get this. I'd love to hear his Mosaics especially, my favorite Hanson piece.

[vandermolen]

     Yes! I always meant to get this. I'd love to hear his Mosaics especially, my favorite Hanson piece.

Yes, Mosaics is good, as is the Piano Concerto - great set.

[jowcol]

Sure I' ve already said this, but the Hanson Piano Concerto is one of my favorite works of Hanson, as well as one of my favorite Piano Concerti!

[vandermolen]

Sure I' ve already said this, but the Hanson Piano Concerto is one of my favorite works of Hanson, as well as one of my favorite Piano Concerti!

Yes, I find it to be a very endearing and moving work. The Elegy for Koussevitsy is perhaps my favourite work by Hanson, along with Symphony 3 (especially with Koussevitsky conducting).

[PerfectWagnerite]

I love Hanson. I still think he is under-represented in the recording media and in the concert hall. Other than Schwarz there is still no complete set of symphonies out there. You  compare Hanson to Copland for example, Copland recordings are loaded in the catalogue. It is so sad that for someone like Hanson who has championed American music for his entire life he has no real modern champion.

[schweitzeralan]

I love Hanson. I still think he is under-represented in the recording media and in the concert hall. Other than Schwarz there is still no complete set of symphonies out there. You  compare Hanson to Copland for example, Copland recordings are loaded in the catalogue. It is so sad that for someone like Hanson who has championed American music for his entire life he has no real modern champion.

I've read articles in the past by critics who have given Hanson low grades; I think it was due to the fact that H. never fell into the Modernist/Neoclassical style which dominated the field for decades. Other composers like Creston, for example, would often receive lukewarm praise.  All this is behind us now. Gratefully Hanson's works have been recorded, thanks to his symphony orchestra.  He has created great, sincere, serious works in his symphonies and tone poems.  I'm not too familiar with his piano works. I also recall that, in the old days, Hanson's music was used as background sources for many live TV dramas. I learned much about his works at that time.

[vandermolen]

I love Hanson. I still think he is under-represented in the recording media and in the concert hall. Other than Schwarz there is still no complete set of symphonies out there. You  compare Hanson to Copland for example, Copland recordings are loaded in the catalogue. It is so sad that for someone like Hanson who has championed American music for his entire life he has no real modern champion.

I agree.

[vandermolen]

I've been thinking what a great work 'Elegy in Memory of Serge Koussevitsky' is. It is actually my favourite Hanson work at the moment. I find it very moving, sad, resigned and yet defiant - a wonderful tribute to his friend (and all in under 12 minutes!). Like Sainton's 'Nadir' of Part's 'Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten', it says a great deal in a very short time scale.  The CD below is my favourite as it contains three of Hanson's finest scores in great performances (although Koussevitsky's own recording of Hanson's Symphony 3 is best of all).

ps The picture has come out tinsy - it features Symph 3, Elegy for Koussevitsky and the choral Lament for Beowolf - all conducted by Hanson himself.

[jowcol]

That is an excellent disc, Jeffrey.  Lament for Beowulf is one of my favorite 20th Century Choral works.   
I must admit I haven't fully embraced Hanson's Third as much as I have 2,4, and 6.  The third is more of a true symphony-- maybe that is what has been holding me back!  I'll need to give it another try.

[vandermolen]

That is an excellent disc, Jeffrey.  Lament for Beowulf is one of my favorite 20th Century Choral works.   
I must admit I haven't fully embraced Hanson's Third as much as I have 2,4, and 6.  The third is more of a true symphony-- maybe that is what has been holding me back!  I'll need to give it another try.

Thanks for the reply John,

Do you know Koussevitsky conducting Hanson's Symphony No 3? Like Beecham's Sibelius No 4 or Furtwangler's Bruckner No 9 it is, IMHO, in a class of its own as a performance. It was around, very cheaply on Dutton a while back. It sounds like a much greater work in this performance.

PS I agree about Lament for Beowulf.

[jowcol]

I'm not sure if Symphonic Poem "Pan and the Priest" has come up yet, but that is also a fave of mine. 

[vandermolen]

I'm not sure if Symphonic Poem "Pan and the Priest" has come up yet, but that is also a fave of mine.

Played it this morning (Naxos version) - yes, it is a fine work.  My favourite unknown Hanson is the Bold Island Suite on Telarc, which is classic Hanson and should be better known.

[Lethevich]

Could somebody familiar with his symphony cycle maybe offer a mini overview of it? I ask because as far as I can tell, his first three are his most popular, then the next four rarely discussed. So far my favourite is his 6th*, and I find his 7th to be somewhat regressive and excessively comfortable. I don't know why I'm having such difficulties with the first three (the first two in particular) - it's such an overtly accessable language, but it's not clicking at all and I'm not sure what my expectations should be...

*I love it when Romantic composers of the 20th century, when confronted by modernism as an unavoidable trend, are forced to make subtle changes to their style to maintain a sense of "relevence". While these works are often mocked for such half-efforts, they can actually underline stylistic traits that were there all along in the composer's arsenal but simply not fully realised. I find the 6th's wonderful tight construction to fully epitomise this kind of work.

[jowcol]

Could somebody familiar with his symphony cycle maybe offer a mini overview of it? I ask because as far as I can tell, his first three are his most popular, then the next four rarely discussed. So far my favourite is his 6th*, and I find his 7th to be somewhat regressive and excessively comfortable. I don't know why I'm having such difficulties with the first three (the first two in particular) - it's such an overtly accessable language, but it's not clicking at all and I'm not sure what my expectations should be...

*I love it when Romantic composers of the 20th century, when confronted by modernism as an unavoidable trend, are forced to make subtle changes to their style to maintain a sense of "relevence". While these works are often mocked for such half-efforts, they can actually underline stylistic traits that were there all along in the composer's arsenal but simply not fully realised. I find the 6th's wonderful tight construction to fully epitomise this kind of work.

Not sure if I can provide the best overview, but 4 is probably my favorite after the 2nd.  A bit more sombre than some of the others.  I've been known to put it on infinite repeat when I'm working. As I recall, 7 has some choral parts, and struck me as a bit lite-- but there is a great spot where he quotes on of the immortal progressions from the second.  I need to listen to 5 again-- it didn't pull me in originally.  And I'll definitely need to listen to 6 again with your comments in mind.

[vandermolen]

I really like the sombre opening of Pan and the Priest. Very pleased to have discovered it.

[drogulus]

Could somebody familiar with his symphony cycle maybe offer a mini overview of it? I ask because as far as I can tell, his first three are his most popular, then the next four rarely discussed. So far my favourite is his 6th*, and I find his 7th to be somewhat regressive and excessively comfortable. I don't know why I'm having such difficulties with the first three (the first two in particular) - it's such an overtly accessable language, but it's not clicking at all and I'm not sure what my expectations should be...

*I love it when Romantic composers of the 20th century, when confronted by modernism as an unavoidable trend, are forced to make subtle changes to their style to maintain a sense of "relevence". While these works are often mocked for such half-efforts, they can actually underline stylistic traits that were there all along in the composer's arsenal but simply not fully realised. I find the 6th's wonderful tight construction to fully epitomise this kind of work.

     The 5th (Sinfonia Sacra) hasn't received much attention but I find it quite stirring. It also has a tinge of modernism, at least by comparison with the earlier works.

[Scarpia]

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.

[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.