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Alan Hovhaness
Alan Hovhaness , 1911–2000, American composer, b. Somerville, Mass., as Alan Vaness Chakmakjian. Hovhaness was of Armenian and Scottish descent, and many of his works are based on Armenian culture or show influences from Middle Eastern, Asian, or early European music. Inspired by nature and Christian mysticism, he was also interested in unusual sonorities, rejecting the harmonic complexities of much modern music in favor of melody, clarity, simplicity, and an encompassing musical atmosphere. Hovhaness was enormously prolific; although he destroyed many compositions in 1940, his extant works number about 500, including 67 symphonies. Among his works are Lousadzak [coming of light] (1945), for piano and strings; the widely played Second Symphony, subtitled Mysterious Mountain (1955); the symphonic poem Floating World–Ukiyo (1965); And God Created Great Whales (1970), for orchestra and recorded whalesong; and Mt. Katahdin (1987), a piano sonata. |
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"Alan Hovhaness." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Alan Hovhaness." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Hovhanes.html "Alan Hovhaness." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Hovhanes.html |
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Hovhaness, Alan
Hovhaness, Alan (1911–2000) US composer. Influenced by Far Eastern music, Hovhaness gained recognition as an original and exotic composer. His works, some of which reflect his Armenian ancestry, include Mysterious Mountain (1955), Magnificat (1957), and And God Created Great Whales (1970). He wrote 67 symphonies.
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"Hovhaness, Alan." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Hovhaness, Alan." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-HovhanessAlan.html "Hovhaness, Alan." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-HovhanessAlan.html |
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