Music of Howard Hanson, Vol. 1

March 15, 2010 * Comments(0)

Music of Howard Hanson, Vol. 1

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Music of Howard Hanson, Vol. 1 CustomerReview

The first double-volume of orchestral works by Howard Hanson performed by the Seattle Symphony conducted by Gerard Schwarz contains some of his most famous and engaging works. Hanson’s style is post-romantic (in the sense of Sibelius or Vaughan Williams), usually broad and wistful but always personal. And the performances on these discs are generally very good, although perhaps lacking the last touch of finesse (the Seattle strings are marvelous, however) and generally well-judged and -shaped.

The second symphony is perhaps his masterpiece with its sweeping, broad and utterly compelling melodies, flowing from one engaging idea to the next seamlessly. Brilliantly scored, this epic but generally nostalgically atmospheric work is certainly a must-hear, and even though I haven’t heard enough competing performances to really compare this one to others, at least Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony make an utterly convincing case for it. Even though the second is his masterpiece, the fourth symphony – subtitled `Requiem’ – isn’t far behind. It consists of a turbulently romantic first movement, a softly touching and affecting largo, a brief, menacing scherzo and an eloquent finale, and it is full of imaginative touches and memorable material. I am less convinced by the sixth; as with the fifth, this one consists of a series of brief, continuous movements, and while there are many good ideas here, and they are skillfully put together, the work as a whole fails to engage. Similarly with the seventh, A Sea Symphony, for chorus and orchestra, written at the age of 81 – while it is worth a listen, I have to admit that, in the end, the most memorable thing about it is the quotations from the second symphony.

The couplings are generally engaging. That is, the Fantasy Variations on a Theme of Youth is rather slight, if excellently performed here with a spirited Carol Rosenberger as soloist. The quietly dream-like Serenade for flute, harp and strings is, on the other hand, memorable and touching. The Koussevitzky Elegie is also a fine, serene and poignant work and the Mosaics is a lively and colorful set of variations. Like I said above, the performances are well-judged and spirited, and the sound quality is generally very good. In short, then, this is a release well worth checking out, and while not all the works here are masterpieces, some are at least very close.

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