Symphony XIV (Hovhaness)

Alan Hovhaness

Subtitle: Ararat

This work bears the designation Opus 194.

General Info

Year: 1960
Duration: c. 14:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: C. F. Peters
Cost: Score and Parts - Rental | Score Only - $8.00 (pocket score)

Movements

1. - 7:00
2. - 4:05
3. Maestoso - 3:00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II-III-IV-V (2 parts double Piccolo)
Oboe I-II-III
Bassoon I-II-III
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III-IV-V-VI
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III-IV-V-VI
Horn in F I-II-III-IV-V-VI
Trombone I-II-III-IV-V-VI
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V-VI, including:

Bass Drum
Chimes, single (6)

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Wild fierceness of volcanic earthquake and avalanche-shaken mountains, rough stones, caves, rocks sculptured by tornadoes inspired this symphony of rough-hewn sounds.

1st Movement: An introduction of somber dragon-fly sounds in low clarinets, horns, trombones and roaring drums leads to a morose three-tone and, later, four-tone melody in low clarinets under flute cluster. Bassoons sing a clashing modal melody against the clarinets. A giant melody emerges, sung antiphonally between two groups of trumpets, followed by horns and trombones against dissonant clusters. Intensity increases in power and dissonance. (In ancient (Japanese) music, sounds of brief duration touched and released against longer sustained sounds were called 'dragon flies', as the dragon fly skims on the surface of the water.)

2nd movement: Clashing bells in 5/8, 7/8, 11/8, 13/8, 17/8, and drums in 19/8 ring in clangor. Dark trombones, clarinets, bassoons and horns sound ominous dragon-fly formations. Bells, lightning and thunder sound in piccolos, flutes and threatening trombones. Dark rumblings grow into a cataclysm of sounds.

3rd movement: Crashing drum meters 19/8, 17/8, 13/8, 7/4, 13/4, 23/8 clash continuously. Six trumpets sound a unison cry of mighty peaks bursting into sound clusters and then resolving into single tones. The trumpets rise above the roaring sea of superimposed drum rhythms. The poet Ishagain, writes of the peak of Mt. Ararat: "Infinite lightnings have touched the sword of the diamond."

- Program note from Chronology of the 'Early' Symphonies

Commercial Discography

Audio CD: Trinity College of Music Wind Orchestra (Keith Brion, conductor) - 2010

Media

Audio (Trinity College of Music Wind Orchestra (Keith Brion, conductor):

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Seattle Symphony / University of Washington Wind Ensemble (Gerard Schwarz, conductor) – 26 March 2011 (CBDNA 2011 National Conference, Seattle, Wash.)

Works for Winds by This Composer

Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints, Op. 211
Glory to God, Op. 124
Hymn to Yerevan, Op. 83
King Vahaken: Is There Survival?, Op. 59
Mountains and Rivers Without End, Op. 225
Prayer of St. Gregory (1946/1952/1972/2012)
Requiem and Resurrection, Op. 224 (1969)
Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places
Sharagan and Fugue (arr. Huelsmann) (1950/2008)
Suite for Band, Op. 15 (1948)
Symphony No. 4, Op. 165 (1958)
Symphony No. 7, "Nanga Parvat," Op. 178 (1959)
Symphony No. 14, "Ararat," Op. 194 (1961)
Symphony No. 17, Symphony for "Metal Orchestra," Op. 203 (1963)
Symphony No. 20, "Three Journeys to a Holy Mountain," Op. 223 (1969)
Symphony No. 23 (1972)
Symphony No. 29 (1977)
Symphony No. 53, "Star Dawn" (1983)
Tapor No. 1 (1968)
Tower Music Op. 129

Resources

Chronology of the 'Early' Symphonies, Alan Hovhaness website Accessed 1 June 2020
Alan Hovhaness: Retrospective of Music for Wind Band Accessed 1 June 2020