Klarinet Archive - Posting 000998.txt from 2000/06

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Alan Hovhaness
Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2000 14:22:28 -0400

Daniel Leeson posted:

<<<I regret to announce that Alan Hovaness died. It was reported in the NY
Times yesterday (west coast edition) with an enormous obituary. . . .I don't
know if Hovaness ever wrote any solo music for the clarinet . . . .>>>

He did. His viola concerto, "Talin," (1952) was rewritten by the composer
for clarinet. His words, taken from the liner notes:

"I made the clarinet version of _Talin_ for Lawrence Sobol after
hearing his splendid and poetic performance of a new work, Saturn, which I
wrote for him in 1971. This inspired me to transfer this viola concerto to
the clarinet as an alternate version . . . ."

So, Mr. Hovhaness wrote Saturn and transferred Talin; we therefore have at
least 2 of his compositions in our repertoire.

My orchestra has recorded his Symphony No 16; hopefully, the label (Koch)
that has been having some financial difficulties will get it released in
*my* lifetime. Mr. Hovhaness came to a couple of the recording sessions - a
very gracious man, albeit not quite there. . . .

. . . . which leads to the anecdote du jour. A few years back, my orchestra
programmed several pieces of Hovhaness' music. Since he lived here in the
Northwest, he came to hear the concert (very nice of him, too). After
playing one of the pieces, the conductor pointed out that the composer was
in the audience for the requisite recognition -- at which point Mr.
Hovhaness ambled up to the stage, v e r y s l o w l y, grabbed the
microphone and proceeded to give a lecture about the piece.

This would have been OK, I guess -- some people in the audience like that
stuff -- but his remark went something like this: "I don't remember writing
this piece, but it's pretty and I rather liked it!" He then told a story of
"things oriental (his words) that had little to do with anything, and sat
down.

kjf

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