Symphony No.66 "Hymn to Glacier Peak" - Alan Hovhaness

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gerard Schwarz.

I - Andante maestoso: 0:00
II - Love song to Hinako. Andante espressivo: 9:13
III - Prelude and fugue. Largo maestoso: 12:06

Hovhaness' Symphony No.66 was composed in 1992, being commissioned for the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. It was premiered that year by the same orchestra conducted by Ruben Gurevich. The subtitle of the work comes from the stratovolcano Glacier Peak in the Cascade Range, visible from Hovhaness's home in Seattle, Washington. The work is divided in three movements.

The first movement is structured in ternary form. Begins with a solemn hymn presented by the strings and enhanced by the trumpet. A trombone enters, followed by a short English horn solo recapitulating the hymn. This leads to a massive climax of the complete orchestra. The music calms down in a passage for strings, horn and trumpet. The middle section opens with a lively, dance-like theme presented in canonic form by the flutes, over a rhythmic line of the timpani. This is followed by a tense, slow section by the flutes. The opening hymn is recapitulated by the orchestra. The trumpet appears, adding a notalgic tone to the music. A heavenly coda ends the movement majestically, with the bells blowing in the background.

The second movement is dedicated to Hovhaness' wife Hinako, being a lovesong in monothematic form. It begins with a calm introduction from the strings, followed by a lyrical solo of the oboe over string's pizzicatos. It's the song dedicated to the composer's wive. The movement ends with a sustained note from the oboe and an ascending scale of the harp.

The third movement is very free in form. Begins solemnly with a hymn-like theme presented by the orchestra. Follows a lyrical solo of the clarinet accompanied by timpani and tremolos trings. A sudden and ominous themme abrutly appears, leading to a vivacious theme presented by the clarinet, which becomes the subject of a vigorous fugue for strings. The fugal writing becomes canonic, and the symphony ends brilliantly with a triumphal interpretation of the opening hymn.

Picture: Aerial photograph of the summit of Glacier Peak.

Musical analysis partially written by myself. Source: https://bit.ly/2ZCuYa0

Видео Symphony No.66 "Hymn to Glacier Peak" - Alan Hovhaness канала Sergio Cánovas