Kenneth Schermerhorn, Nashville Symphony Orchestra - Howard Hanson: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1
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Artist: Kenneth Schermerhorn, Nashville Symphony OrchestraComposer: Howard Hanson
Conductor: Kenneth Schermerhorn
Orchestra: Nashville Symphony
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2000-07-18
Music Label: Naxos American
Soundtracks:
- Andante Solenne - Allegro Con Forza
- Andante Teneramente, Con Semplicita
- Allegro Con Fuoco
- Overture
- Children's Dance
- Love Duet
- Prelude To Act II And Maypole Dances
- Pan And The Priest, Op.26
- Rhythmic Variations On Two Ancient Hymns
Music reviews of Howard Hanson: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1
Music Review: An auspicious start to a new Hanson series
Rating: 5 Stars
This is a terrific coupling of Howard Hanson's orchestral music, both well-known and barely-known. It is advertised as Volume I of his orchestral works, and, if Kenneth Schermerhorn and Naxos follow through with the rest of Hanson's orchestral works, this could result in a near-definitive essay of one of America's most important and beloved composers.
Others, including Hanson himself, on Mercury Living Presence and Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra on Delos, have recorded his central repertoire, including the symphonies and the larger orchestral works. But no series was ever completed; Hanson's own foray, with the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra, was cut short by his retirement from active conducting in the mid-'60's. So this is a very welcome start to what this Hanson fan hopes to be a complete essaying of the orchestral works.
Basically conservative and an arch romantic, Hanson had been considered a "throwback" composer during much of his life, bypassing the avant garde, serialism, modernism, post-modernism, minimalism and all other "ism's" of the 20th century. But his music is immediately accessible and is characterized by a gift for melody, harmonic lushness and rich chromaticism reminiscent of Bruckner. Born of Swedish stock in Wahoo, Nebraska, his music comes naturally by its "Nordic" sense of place, with the symphonies and other works of Sibelius clearly in his musical DNA. But there are other identifiable musical "signatures" in addition to Sibelius and Bruckner: Hanson's frequent use of tympani ostinato in his symphonies recalls the opening bars of Brahms' 1st Symphony, and his often brilliant splashes of orchestra color, particularly high woodwinds, is a reminder that, after winning the American Prix de Rome in 1920, he studied under Ottorino Respighi while in Rome. (At the time, Respighi had only written "The Fountains of Rome," the first of three parts of his Roman triptych; "The Pines of Rome" and "Roman Festivals" were written after Hanson had returned to the U.S.)
I will cheerfully go on record to state that Schermerhorn's performance of the "Nordic" Symphony is the best available, from the perspectives of interpretation, performance and recorded sound quality. (Hanson's would of course have been the definitive one, were the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra up to snuff, and had Mercury had the access to recording technology that is presently available.) With modestly careful listening, one can pick out all of the musical signatures noted above, yet still conclude that Hanson is his own man, with his own musical thoughts to express.
Hanson's one opera, "Merry Mount," had been an instant success at its premiere, but has since languished in near-obscurity save for the orchestral suite which he fashioned from its incidental music. The "Love Duet" makes a strong case for a remounting of this opera; it is a gorgeous piece of music just waiting for the complete opera to surround it.
"Pan and the Priest" is an early tone poem, making its recording premiere, as far as I know, in this coupling. It brings to mind several of the great tone poems written by Sir Arnold Bax, Hanson's British contemporary, as well as those of Hugo Alfvén, his Swedish contemporary. This is excellent company to be allied with, and it is our loss that Hanson did not write more works in this genré. Identifiably Hanson, it holds up very well in comparison with the the poems of Bax and Alfvén.
"Rhythmic Variations on Two Ancient Hymns" also receives a recording premiere here. Modal in structure and feel, it is reminiscent of the simiarly modal music of Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Spendid performances and recording of a great cross-section of Hanson's orchestral works. Like Schermerhorn's Ives Symphony No. 2 which came immediately after this Hanson disc, yet another American Classics triumph for Naxos, "the little label that could."
Bob Zeidler
Description of Howard Hanson: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1
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