Symphony No.2 'Mysterious Mountain' - Alan Hovhaness

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gerard Schwarz.

I - Andante con moto: 0:00
II - Double fugue. Moderato maestoso - Allegro vivo: 7:46
III - Andante espressivo: 13:40

Hovhaness' Symphony No.2 was composed in 1955 as a commission by the conductor Leopold Stokowski, who wanted a piece for his first appearance with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. The premiere, broadcasted nationwide over NBC radio, was an outstanding success for the composer. Up to this day, it remains his most-recorded and performed orchestral work. The composition blends elements of consonant Western hymns, pentatonicism, and polyphonicism.

The mountain to which the subtitle refers doesn't really exist, more like an imaginary place. A way of expressing the author's own philosophy as he tells us in the next paragraph: "Mountains are symbols, Iike pyramids, of man's attempt to know God. Mountains are symbolic meeting pIaces between the mundane and spiritual worId. To some, the Mysterious Mountain may be the phantom peak, unmeasured, thought to be higher than Everest, as seen from great distances by fliers in Tibet. To some, it may be the solitary mountain, the tower of strength over a countryside - Fujiyama, Ararat, Monadnock, Shasta, or Grand Teton."

The first movement is monothematic. Opens with a calm, heavenly main theme in form of an hymn, supported by pizzicatos of the basses. Long and beautiful vocal-like lines glide effortlessly between the woodwind instruments, punctuated by celesta arabesques and harp ripples. The music is mostly modal, being Phrygian the predominant mode. There is no real development, instead the theme is slowly transformed and reestated continously. A calm but solemn coda ends the movement.

The second movement consist of a double fugue. As with the first movement, opens with a celestial, pentatonic first theme that has the quality of 16th century vocal music. The fugue resembes the polyphonic techniques of Renaissance masters like Josquin Desprez, developed almost like religious hymn. The second fugue, taken from his String Quartet No.1 of 1936, is restless and agitated, being presented by the strings. Then both themes are combined, with the first one reappearing in the basses, building towards a dizzying climax. The movement concludes brilliantly in the middle of said climax.

The third movement is very free in form. Begins with a mysterious, even ominous, hymn presented by muted horns and trombones. It follows a 13-beat Indian raga-like chant (or "giant wave") emerging from the depths until reaching a climax. A new, more heavenly and hopeful hymn is presented. This theme is taken and expanded by oboes and clarinets, supported by the gentle duo of celesta and harp. Muted violins take it as well, followed by the rest of the strings and then the whole orchestra. The symphony ends with a glowing, almost divine coda.

Picture: Photograph of mount Fuji, Japan.

[freddystoof]

What a glorious music to listen to ... uplifting and inspiring, trully one fo the great symphonies of the 20th century ! Muchissimas gracias

[sneezyserena]

A beautiful symphony. Many thanks for posting it.

[scottmichaelawaken]

Great symphony! I never realized Hohvaness wrote so many symphonies. 67! And over 400 works!

This review on wiki NAILS the characterization of his music:
"The Boston Globe music critic Richard Buell wrote: "Although he has been stereotyped as a self-consciously Armenian composer (rather as Ernest Bloch is seen as a Jewish composer), his output assimilates the music of many cultures. What may be most American about all of it is the way it turns its materials into a kind of exoticism. The atmosphere is hushed, reverential, mystical, nostalgic."[3]"

[ChrisBreemer]

Like the first symphony, this one sounds very English in places.

[fulviopolce]

Affascinante, ispirata e magnificamente orchestrata, gloriosa sinfonia.La registrazione è ottima così come il post.Grazie .

[williamrubinstein]

Why can't all twentieth century music be like this? It has affinities to Vaighan Williams- if you like one

[petergraham]

I wonder if Vaughan-Williams ever heard this music. Maybe he heard a recording although he passed away 3 years after the Hovhannes premiere. This piece has much in common with the TALLIS FANTASIA in mood & spiritual resonance.

[scottmichaelawaken]

I don't know if this is a term.
But Hohvaness' sound in this symphony, I would sort of term it as a sort of "neo-barique" sound...