ith well over 400 works to his credit, Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000) was one of twentieth century America's most prolific and distinctive composers. Born in Somerville, MA to a family of Armenian and Scottish heritage, he had a strongly spiritual temperament that also encompassed an intense love of the environment. His gift for stately melodies and instrumental counterpoint was rooted in study of Renaissance and Baroque composers (especially Handel). In his study of music from Armenia, India, and Asia, he also gained a love for modal writing, and even adapted ragas in some of his compositions. The natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest led him to move to Seattle, where he spent the last 40 years of his life and grew a close association with the Seattle Symphony. The net result of these influences was an expressive, mystical sound that draws frequent comparison to, yet preceded, such contemporary composers as Part, Vasks, and Rautavaara. Naxos' first foray into Hovhaness' vast catalogue pairs the debut recording of his Cello Concerto, featuring Janos Starker with Dennis Russell Davies conducting, with the composer's own reading of his Symphony #22 "City Of Light". The Seattle Symphony performs both compositions.


The Cello Concerto (1936) was one of the few pieces spared when Hovhaness burned most of his early works in 1940. And it may be easy to see why, because as the liner notes explain, the Concerto has a "relative lack of contrapuntal thinking" in relation to his mature works. Here, though, it is this very simplicity that lends the Cello Concerto a straightforward expressiveness that aligns it with pieces written by Gorecki 50 years later. Often the cello and orchestra alternate melodic passages, with the orchestra providing only occasional counterpoint to the soloist. The result is a work that is somewhat understated, but because of the passion of instrumentalists Janos Starker and Dennis Russell Davies, the piece works beautifully.


That said, the jump from the Concerto to Symphony #22 "City Of Light" (1971) is startling. The strongly contrapuntal writing adds an extra dimension to Hovhaness' music that is not unlike when, in "The Wizard Of Oz", Dorothy opens the door and the scene switches from black and white to color. In addition to this mode of composition, Hovhaness' mystical streak is in full evidence here, as well. Although it was commissioned by the city of Birmingham, AL for its centennial, the Symphony has as much to do with historical realities as another work named after a Birmingham slogan - Sun Ra's "The Magic City". Both pieces deal with the quest for civic utopia, a dream that goes back to the very roots of European settlement in America (parodied by Baum as the Emerald City in "The Wizard Of Oz).


Hovhaness and Sun Ra tackle the same theme here, but they have different approaches towards realizing it. Where Sun Ra constructs his ideal through the disciplines of directed improvisation, Hovhaness' city is already built and seen from a distance, shimmering like El Dorado. The Symphony takes on the air of a pilgrimage as the main melodic theme is repeated and developed over the course of the first two movements. After a respite for a brief scherzo-like dance movement, Hovhaness pulls out all the stops in the finale. It begins with the main theme stated as a fanfare, with further development traded between strings and woodwinds. Soon, the orchestra states the theme, and it transforms into a fugue for strings, interrupted by a brass fanfare, another near-fugue for the strings, and finally a grand fanfare for full orchestra. By this time, the main melodic theme has grown from the pilgrim's processional of the first movement and the ethereal shimmering of the second to a statement of architectural weightiness that could give "The Great Gate Of Kiev" from Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exhibition" a run for its money. The majesty of the moment comes across as the composer conducts the Seattle Symphony with intensity.


Thus, the two pieces here serve as a good introduction to Hovhaness' music, and the fact that Naxos is a budget label makes it all the more enticing. If your curiosity is piqued by this collection, then perhaps further Hovhaness' works to mention would include "Mysterious Mountain" (his most popular work) and "And God Created Great Whales" (for orchestra and taped whalesong!).