Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Amirkhanian, Charles
2. Hovhaness, Alan, 1911-2000
3. Cage, John
4. KPFA (Radio station : Berkeley, Calif.), radio producer.
5. MGM Chamber Orchestra.
6. Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, donor.

Found in

1. Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.

Description

1. 1 streaming audio file (51 minutes) : digital, stereo

Summary

1. Begins abruptly with an unidentified excerpt of music; program host Charles Amirkhanian describes the musical influences that Alan Hovhaness incorporates into his compositions; Amirkhanian gives a brief biography of Hovhaness in his early years and introduces his 1975 interview with Hovhaness; [interview begins ca. 3:43] Amirkhanian recalls the pivotal childhood experience of listening to the recording, Piano compositions, by Alan Hovhaness and John Cage, and expresses his admiration of Hovhaness; Hovhaness speaks briefly about the record, now out of print; Hovhaness speaks about his earliest experiments in the 1940s with the Armenian instrument, Qānūn, and the resulting composition "Invocation to Vahaken" (1945); [excerpt of "Invocation to Vahaken" from Piano compositions by Alan Hovhaness and John Cage]; Hovhaness briefly describes his other works with similar instrumentation; Hovhaness describes the first performance and composition of "Nagooran", South Indian orchestra (1960); Hovhaness speaks about his early musical influences while growing up in Massachusetts, and beginning to compose at 7 years old; briefly, operas that he composed in junior and senior high school; his admiration of works by the composer, Jean Sibelius; Hovhaness speaks about why he threw away his earliest compositions in the 1930s and 1940s; Hovhaness speaks about his original last name and why he changed it; he describes the style and composition of Symphony no. 26 [on the occasion of its world premiere in San Jose, 1975]; Hovhaness speaks about inspiration from nature and Eastern religions; [excerpt of Anahid (1944-45), played by the MGM Chamber Orchestra]; [interview continues, ca. 38:18]; Hovhaness speaks about his interest in inventing musical instruments that play microtones; electronic music, his brief experimentation with it and his distaste of its sound; Hovhaness speaks about his publishers throughout the years, including MGM records and music producer Ed Cole; Hovhaness speaks briefly about conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in recording his work for Poseidon Society Records; Hovhaness speaks about forthcoming records and recording projects; [excerpt from Symphony no. 26].

Uniform title

1. Ode to gravity (Radio program)

Alternative title

1. Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection. Audio materials.

Subject

1. Radio interviews
2. Biographical radio programs
3. Classical music radio programs
4. Hovhaness, Alan, 1911-2000
5. Percussion and piano music
6. Chamber orchestra music

Genre/Form

1. Biographical radio programs.
2. Classical music radio programs.
3. Radio interviews.

Call number

1. *LDC-A 411

Note

1. Title provided by cataloger based on the photocopied insert of the original reel container included with the audio disc and audition.
2. Photocopied insert of the original reel container, side 1: "Pacifica KPFA FM 94.1, KPFB FM 89.3 ; Ode to Gravity ; The World of Alan Hovhaness ; American composer Alan Hovhaness (b. 1911, Somerville, Mass.) has successfully combined Eastern and Western music to produce unique works both exotic and immediately accessible. Incorporating music reflecting his Armenian heritage with procedures common in Medieval and pre-Baroque Western music, Hovhaness has produced an enormous catalogue of works after destroying his first thousand pieces which he regarded as learning pieces. This program, including an interview with the composer by Charles Amirkhanian recorded in late 1975, introduces both early and late compositions: Mihr, for two pianos, Invocations to Vahaken IV and V (piano and percussion), Komitas: Yerangi, And God Created Great Whales (tape and orchestra), October Mountain, percussion ensemble, Khaldis Concerto for 4 Trumpets, Piano and Percussion (1st mvmt), Symphony no. 15, "Silver Pilgrimmage", Anahid. chamber orchestra ; Broadcast: 28 Jan 1976 Wednesday, 22 Nov 1981 Thursday 9:00am". Photocopied insert of the original reel container, side 2: "Pacifica KPFA FM 94.1, KPFB FM 89.3 ; Ode to Gravity ; The World of Alan Hovhaness ; Reel two of two ; Originally broadcast 1/28/76 on KPFA. Also available in archives of Pacifica Program Service AZ 0021 a/b.".
3. Sound quality is good.

Access (note)

1. Patrons can access streaming audio only on site at NYPL Research Libraries.

Event (note)

1. Originally recorded on a reel to reel in an unidentified location.

Source (note)

1. Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation

Linking entry (note)

1. Forms part of the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.

Author

1. Amirkhanian, Charles, radio producer.

Title

1. World of Alan Hovhaness : Ode to gravity, KPFA-FM (Radio program) / produced and hosted by Charles Amirkhanian; with interviewee, Alan Hovhaness.

Production

1. 1975.

Playing time

1. 005057

Type of content

1. spoken word

Type of medium

1. audio

Type of carrier

1. audio disc
2. online resource

Digital file characteristics

1. audio file

Event

1. Originally recorded on a reel to reel in an unidentified location.
2. Dubbed to audio disc from the original reel at Other Minds Archive, San Franciso, California, [probably 1990's?].

Restricted access

1. Patrons can access streaming audio only on site at NYPL Research Libraries.

Original version

1. Archival original: (1 audio disc (51 minutes) : digital, 4 3/4 in., stereo) in *LDC-A 411.

Linking entry

1. Forms part of the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.

Local note

1. Transferred from original audio disc by the New York Public Library's Audio and Moving Image Preservation (PAMI) sound engineering staff at the Library for the Performing Arts on February 17, 2015.

Source

1. Gift; Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, 2011-2012.

Connect to:

1. Request Access to Music & Recorded Sound Division Special Collections material
2. NYPL Digital Collections

Added author

1. Amirkhanian, Charles, interviewer.
2. Amirkhanian, Charles, host.
3. Hovhaness, Alan, 1911-2000, interviewee.
4. Cage, John, instrumentalist.
5. Hovhaness, Alan, 1911-2000, instrumentalist.
6. KPFA (Radio station : Berkeley, Calif.), radio producer.
7. MGM Chamber Orchestra.
8. Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, donor.

Added title

1. Ode to gravity (Radio program)
2. Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection. Audio materials.

Found in:

1. Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.

Research call number

1. *LDC-A 411