Hanson: Symphony No. 1, 'nordic' / Merry Mount Suite

Description

Howard Hanson (1896-1981): Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 Howard Hanson was born in Wahoo, Nebraska, on October 28th, 1896. He studied at the Institute of Musical Art, before graduating from Northwestern University in 1916. He taught at the College of the Pacific, and theConservatory of Fine Arts, before winning the American Prix de Rome for hisballet Californian Forest Play of 1920. His appointment as Director ofthe Eastman School, Rochester, inaugurated a 40 year association, during which Hansontaught many composers of the younger generation, as well as shaping itsorchestra, the Eastman Philharmonia, into a body of national standing. This isreflected in the many recordings they made, particularly in the 1950s and '60sfor the Mercury label, covering a wide range of American music in addition toHanson's own. In 1964, Hanson founded the Institute of American Music of the Eastman School, marking the culmination of his pioneering work into the study anddissemination of American music across a broad range of genres. He received 36American honorary degrees, a Pulitzer Prize for his Fourth Symphony, andwas elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1935, and to the American Academy of Arts and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1979. He died on February 26th, 1981. As a composer, Hanson was an unashamed musical romantic.Perhaps through his Swedish ancestry, he displayed an early and lifelong adherenceto North European symphonism - particularly Sibelius, whose influence hetransmuted in very specific and, in his view, specifically American ways. Thisis nowhere more apparent than in his Nordic Symphony, Op. 21, the firstof the seven symphonies which would span the entirety of his composing career.Completed in 1922 during his time in Rome, the influence of his then-teacher Respighican be detected in the powerfully evocative orchestral style. The fact,however, that it shares the same key, E minor, as Sibelius's First Symphony cannotbe coincidental, as Hanson's freewheeling and often intuitive approach to form frequentlybrings to mind the Finnish composer. The opening movement begins with an earnest melody onstrings, quickly becoming more expansive and impulsive. A vivid panorama opensout, with more than a hint of Bax's Tintagel in the vivid orchestral colouration.After an evocative transition on horn and solo woodwind, the second theme (2:21)alternates between upper and lower strings, before sounding forth imperiouslyin full orchestra. Solo wind herald a return of the opening theme, as the movement'smaterial is not so much developed as animated by skilful harmonic eleboration.Increasing intensity is gained (6:46), and the mood darkens, before aheightened restatement of the opening theme. The second theme now maintains themomentum, as a rhythmically-incisive figure in the horns presages the mainclimax (beginning 10:35). This is snatched short, however, and the movementends with a plangent reminiscence of the opening mood. The slow m