The Guitar Concerto, Op. 325, was commissioned by Javier Calderon, a virtuoso Bolivian-born guitarist, who approached Hovhaness to write a guitar concerto for him.
Composition History
Symphony No. 60 'To the Appalachian Mountains' was commissioned by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., to celebrate the cultural heritage of Tennessee.
Recording & Production
This album features the world premiere recordings of Alan Hovhaness's Guitar Concerto and Symphony No. 60 'To the Appalachian Mountains'.
Composer Biography
Alan Hovhaness established his own amateur orchestra in 1944 to perform his music and later created his own recording company, Poseidon, in the 1960s.
Compositional Technique
In his Guitar Concerto, Alan Hovhaness uses a percussionistic 'jhala style' in the first movement, which he explained as the sound of cups filled with water and struck by sticks.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Alan Hovhaness stated his purpose was to create "music, not for snobs, but for all people - music which is beautiful and healing, to attempt what old Chinese painters called 'spirit resonance' in melody and sound."
Composer Biography
Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000) is considered the most prolific composer of the twentieth century, with an opus total of 434 works, and over 500 including unnumbered manuscripts.
