Give Alan Hovhaness a listen...

[Shane Sanders]

I've been absorbing a lot of his compositions lately, but only heard his Guitar Concerto today for the first time. It was tasty and exotic all the way.

Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, David Leisner (guitar)

http://open.spotify.com/album/6lC70AgbnDcFRVNqYzzO4L

spotify:album:6lC70AgbnDcFRVNqYzzO4L


It's hard to pin him down as a composer, but he really knows how to capture lumbering melancholia. Other things I noticed about him was a love of interesting timbre and a lovely sparity to many of his pieces.

 

[jb70]

dude. two words: mysterious mountain!

 

[Shane Sanders]

dude. two words: mysterious mountain!

I'm about two minutes into it right now...love it already. This piece reminds me of the famous exotica composers like Les Baxter and Martin Denny, though less given to sentimentality.

 

[jb70]

agreed. it's one of my favorite pieces of all time. also check out "and god created great whales" and "celestial fantasy"

 

[Shane Sanders]

I think this version of the Guitar Concerto may be more powerful:
http://open.spotify.com/album/3ATAaUMOQhGIkBPux3mQ0D

 

[gixxerrock]

hadn't heard of him, but am enjoying it now

 

[Shane Sanders]

agreed. it's one of my favorite pieces of all time. also check out "and god created great whales" and "celestial fantasy"

Enjoyed both, especially "Celestial Fantasy"

Went on to "Shephard of Israel" and "Fanfare for the New Atlantis"...yummy.

 

[oakfloor]

dude. two words: mysterious mountain!

Bingo!!

 

[Trevordog]

I read that he had some type of OCD type condition where he had to write music 24/7. Supposedly John Zorn has the same type of condition. I kind of like his obsession with monophonic texture.

 

[jb70]

Enjoyed both, especially "Celestial Fantasy"

Went on to "Shephard of Israel" and "Fanfare for the New Atlantis"...yummy.

ah. i need to check those out. thanks for the heads up shane!

 

[urizen]

David Tannenbaum recorded a fine solo guitar interpretation of Hovhaness' Sonata # 1 (Adagio, Allegro, Presto,& Adante) along with sections from Aaron Jay Kernis' Partita, which is a truly and moodily beautiful composition by someone few people seem to have ever heard of---the Tannenbaum disc is definitely worth looking for (and, mirabile dictu, there's a serious serial piece by Zappa on it too).

 

[6Tones]

I got heavy into him back in college. Good stuff ,kind of the 'newage dude' of the classical world to me ;0