Born: October 28, 1896; Wahoo, NE
Died: February 26, 1981; Rochester, NY
Howard Hanson was among the first twentieth century American composers to achieve widespread prominence. In contrast to the angular Stravinskian and Americana-influenced sounds that dominated American concert music prior to World War II, Hanson wrote in an unabashedly Romantic idiom influenced by his Nordic roots. Of particular importance to the composer was the music of Sibelius; however, he also acknowledged the influence of composers such asRead more Palestrina and Bach.
After boyhood studies on the piano, Hanson studied music at the Institute of Musical Art in New York City and Northwestern University, where he earned a degree in 1916. In 1921, he became the first American to win the Prix de Rome, which provided him the opportunity to study with Ottorino Respighi, whose colorful orchestral language was clearly an influence on Hanson's own. Upon his return to the United States, Hanson was appointed head of the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester at the age of 28. Under the composer's guidance over the course of more than four decades, Eastman became one of the world's preeminent educational institutions. During his tenure there Hanson continued to compose prolifically; he also embarked on a career as a conductor, in which capacity he proved himself one of the great champions of American music. At Eastman, it has been calculated, he presented some 1,500 works by 700 composers. Hanson also commercially recorded a number of modern works in a series for the Mercury label in the 1950s, drawing much attention to otherwise neglected repertoire.
Hanson's most characteristic works are undoubtedly his seven symphonies. The first of these, the "Nordic" Symphony (1922), dates from the composer's studies in Rome. The Second Symphony ("Romantic"), remains Hanson's best-known work, a characteristic realization of the lush, lyric aesthetic with which he is closely associated. Further notable among Hanson's symphonies are the Symphony No. 4 (1943), awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and the Symphony No. 7 (1977), one of a series of works inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman. Other important works in Hanson's catalogue include The Lament for Beowulf (1925) for chorus and orchestra; the opera Merry Mount (1933), well received at its premiere and in subsequent productions, but now rarely performed; and a variety of other chamber, vocal, and orchestral works. Read less
Label: Klavier Records
Catalog: 11218
Release Date: 04/21/2017
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Jack Stamp,
Vittorio Giannini,
Howard Hanson,
William Schuman
...
Conductor:
Lowell E. Graham
Orchestra/Ensemble:
USAF Heritage of America Band
Label: Mercury Living Presence
Catalog: 002275902
Release Date: 03/23/2015
Number of Discs: 53
Composer:
Johannes Brahms,
Franz Lehár,
Emil Waldteufel,
Johann Strauss Jr.
...
Performer:
Rafael Druian,
Georges Miquelle,
Eugene List,
Alfred Mouledous
...
Conductor:
Antal Doráti,
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski,
Frederick Fennell,
Anatole Fistoulari
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
London Symphony Orchestra,
Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra,
Philharmonia Hungarica
...
Label: Naxos
Catalog: 571354
Release Date: 10/14/2014
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Robin Holloway,
Howard Hanson,
Robert Matthew-Walker,
George Frideric Handel
...
Performer:
Leslie Howard,
John Lill,
Mark Bebbington,
Julian Jacobson
Label: Delos
Catalog: 3440
Release Date: 04/30/2013
Number of Discs: 3
Composer:
Dmitri Shostakovich,
Antonín Dvorák,
Aram Khachaturian,
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
...
Performer:
James Earl Jones,
Charles Butler,
Marina Domashenko,
Dmitri Hvorostovsky
...
Conductor:
Andrew Litton,
Zdenek Macal,
Constantine Orbelian,
James DePreist
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dallas Symphony Orchestra,
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra,
Moscow Chamber Orchestra
...
Label: Altissimo
Catalog: 70262
Release Date: 06/26/2012
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Howard Hanson,
John Philip Sousa,
Jean Sibelius,
Johann Strauss Sr.
...
Conductor:
Philip C. Chevallard
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Air Force Band Of The Golden Gate
Label: Emi Classics
Catalog: 27851
Release Date: 06/05/2012
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Louis Moreau Gottschalk,
Stephen Foster,
Edward MacDowell,
Scott Joplin
...
Performer:
Leonard Pennario,
Salli Terri,
Matt Glaser,
Thomas Hampson
...
Conductor:
Simon Rattle,
Leonard Slatkin,
Neil Richardson,
John McGlinn
...
Label: Altissimo
Catalog: 56042
Release Date: 05/29/2012
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
William Paris Chambers,
Adolphe Sellenick,
Morton Gould,
Howard Hanson
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Air Force Band,
United States Marine Band,
United States Naval Academy Band
...
Label: Altissimo
Catalog: 60282
Release Date: 03/27/2012
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Larry Mactaggart,
Larry Grossman,
Lee Greenwood,
Woody Guthrie
...
Performer:
David Farwig,
Richard Pearson,
David L. Nokes,
Donna Abraira
...
Conductor:
Lowell E. Graham
Orchestra/Ensemble:
United States Air Force Band,
United States Air Force Singing Sergeants
Label: Guild
Catalog: 2379
Release Date: 03/13/2012
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Igor Stravinsky,
Howard Hanson,
Roy Harris,
Paul Hindemith
...
Conductor:
Leopold Stokowski
Orchestra/Ensemble:
NBC Symphony Orchestra,
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra,
West German Radio Symphony Orchestra
...
Recommendation
Label: Paraclete Recordings
Catalog: 48
Release Date: 05/11/2010
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Frank Martin,
Edvard Grieg,
Howard Hanson
Performer:
Wayne Schuman,
James Jordan
Conductor:
Elizabeth C. Patterson
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Gloriae Dei Cantores
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