2nd symphony (Hanson)
The 2nd symphony op. 30 by the American composer Howard Hanson (1896–1981) is nicknamed "Romantic" and was premiered in Boston in 1930 .
Origin and premiere
Eight years after his 1st symphony ("Nordic"), Howard Hanson, now director of the Eastman School of Music , created his 2nd symphony, which he nicknamed "Romantic". The symphony was commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra on the occasion of its 50th anniversary and was premiered on November 28, 1930 in Boston under the direction of Sergei Kusewizki . Further commissioned works for this orchestra jubilee were the 1st symphony by Honegger , the 4th symphony by Prokofiev , the 3rd symphony by Albert Roussel , Stravinsky's psalm symphony and the symphonic ode by Aaron Copland .
Cast, playing time and characterization
The score calls for a continuous symphonic Instrumentation: piccolo , 2 flutes , 2 oboes , English horn , two clarinets , two bassoons , contrabassoon , four horns , three trumpets , three trombone , tuba , timpani , snare drum , pool , harp and strings .
The playing time of Howard Hanson's 2nd symphony is around 27 minutes. The work is in three movements:
- adagio
- Andante con tenerezza
- Allegro con brio
The Adagio introduction of the first movement is characterized by an ascending three-tone motif that forms a minor third , soon followed by three falling notes, which also represent the beginning of the main theme presented in the horns. The quiet second theme is introduced in the oboe, then in the solo horn. The movement's hallmarks are less thematic processing in a symphonic sense than an episodic sequence of sections of dramatic tension, juxtaposed with long, lyrical passages.
The second movement begins with a hymn-like melody from the woodwinds in third doubles, followed by a counter melody in the horn, then in the high treble of the strings. In some transitions in the further course of the movement there are unexpected harmonic turns, but dissonances are soon resolved again. In the middle of the sentence, the three-tone motto with which the work begins is repeated as a reminiscence.
The excited beginning of the 3rd movement is followed by a muted string passage. Subsequent ostinati by strings and timpani underline a line of wind instruments that is somewhat reminiscent of Stravinsky’s Le sacre du printemps . However, the movement soon leads to several increases in which the themes of the first movement are taken up again.
reception
Howard Hanson's Symphony No. 2 was a huge success and picked up by many orchestras, including the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini . Hanson himself often conducted his 2nd symphony in concert and also made two recordings under his direction (in the 1930s and 1958). It should remain his most famous work.
The accessibility of the symphony was entirely intentional, as a statement by Hanson shows: “The symphony represents for me my escape from the rather bitter type of modern musical realism which occupies so large a place in contemporary thought. Much contemporary music seems to me to be showing a tendency to become entirely too cerebral. I do not believe that music is primarily a matter of intellect, but rather a manifestation of the emotions. I have, therefore, aimed in this symphony to create a work that was young in spirit, lyrical and romantic in temperament, simple and direct in expression. "(" For me, the symphony represents my escape from the rather austere type of modern musical Realism that occupies such a big place in contemporary thought. Much of contemporary music for me tends to be too cerebral. I don't think music is primarily a question of the intellect, but rather a manifestation of the emotions In this symphony I tried to create a work young in spirit, lyrical and romantic in temperament and simple and direct in expression. ").
The 2nd theme of the 1st movement achieved particular popularity, became the "Interlochen Theme" as the signature melody of the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen ( Michigan ) and is traditionally played there at the end of concerts. Hanson himself took it up again in later works, for example in the "Song of Democrazy" from 1957.
In 1979 Ridley Scott , director of Alien , added the last minutes of the first movement of Howard Hanson's Symphony No. 2 to the end of the film. This happened without the knowledge of the film composer Jerry Goldsmith and Hansons himself, both of whom were unhappy. However, Hanson waived legal remedies, especially since it revived interest in his work. According to Williams, the music for the final part of the film ET by John Williams from 1982 is heavily oriented towards the 2nd symphony of Hanson, who died in 1981, in parts.
Individual evidence
- ^ Neil Butterworth: The American Symphony , London / New York, Routledge, 2018, EAN 9780429789441 p. 35
- ↑ Jay Nordlinger: Perfect moments at Interlochen
- ↑ James Arey: The Curiously Cinematic Case of Howard Hanson's "Romantic" Symphony
literature
- Neil Butterworth: The American Symphony , London / New York, Routledge, 2018, EAN 9780429789441 pp. 33–35.