# Composers like Howard Hanson



## FluteFool (Mar 28, 2013)

I'm really enjoying Hanson Symphonies 2 and 3. I think people who dismiss his work as "Sibelian slush" (words of Michael Steinberg in The Symphony) are missing out. Anyway, I want to hear more of that "Neo-Romantic" style. Any suggestions? In my only recently begun foray into classical music I've given quite comprehensive listens to the Beethoven, Brahms, and Bruckner cycles.

Thanks!


----------



## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

There are only those by Hanson, where he 'slipped on a hat' and wrote that way.

Other late romantics are, of course, Sibelius, Rachmaninoff, and more modern yet 'romantic' in some aesthetic, Samuel Barber.
For Barber, the Violin Concerto, the Piano Concerto, the 'Cello Concerto, this last a bit more 'neoclassical.'


----------



## FluteFool (Mar 28, 2013)

Ah, yes, I should have mentioned Sibelius was one of the first composers I listened to repeatedly. I'm familiar with Rachmaninoff and Barber as well which I suppose I should have mentioned at the outset. Who/what else?


----------



## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Ives, Symphony No. 2. Nothing of his after that is 'neo-Romantic'.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I really have to tell the story that FluteFool refers to. Quoting Steinberg:

Early in my time as a music critic, I once referred to his Romantic Symphony as "Sibelian slush." Some five or six years later I met Hanson for the first time at an international music critics' symposium at Eastman. Hanson, who spoke at the opening session, had something individual and appropriate to say to each of the dozen and a half participants. When he came to me, he told the "Sibelian slush" story. Then, after a beautifully timed silence, he added: "Of course Mr. Steinberg was quite wrong. [Applause]. It is my *Nordic* Symphony that is 'Sibelian slush.' "


----------



## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

The second Mercury Living Presence box set has a little stack of Hanson conducted records of his own works and the works of similar composers... Gould, Chadwick, MacDowell, Moore, Carpenter, Phillips, Rogers, Sessions, Thompson, Griffes, Kennan, McCauley, Bergsma and a composer named McPhee that particularly impressed me. I know very little about this stuff, but this box had many things that made me very happy.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Colin McPhee is probably most famous for Tabuh-Tabuhan, written in 1936. It is still the best Western work inspired by the gamelan, IMO! Here's the first part.


----------



## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

It's funny how American that sounds to me. I can barely hear the gamelan in it.


----------



## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

You can try some Swedish composers that has that Nordic vibe; Lars-Erik Larsson, Erland von Koch, Kurt Atterberg, Wilhelm Petersson-Berger, Hugo Alfvén, Natanael Berg, Gunnar de Frumerie, John Fernström, Andreas Hallén, Bo Linde, Ludvig Norman, Ture Rangström, Lille Bror Söderlundh, Dag Wirén. (all I think, have articles on Wikipedia)

/ptr


----------



## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

ptr said:


> You can try some Swedish composers that has that Nordic vibe; Lars-Erik Larsson, Erland von Koch, Kurt Atterberg, Wilhelm Petersson-Berger, Hugo Alfvén, Natanael Berg, Gunnar de Frumerie, John Fernström, Andreas Hallén, Bo Linde, Ludvig Norman, Ture Rangström, Lille Bror Söderlundh, Dag Wirén. (all I think, have articles on Wikipedia)
> 
> /ptr


Both Erland von Koch and Dag Wiren wrote music for early Ingmar Bergman films. 

"ptr" did not mention Hilding Rosenberg ... maybe "ptr" dislikes the music of Rosenberg as much as Blomdahl?


----------



## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Prodromides said:


> "ptr" did not mention Hilding Rosenberg ... maybe "ptr" dislikes the music of Rosenberg as much as Blomdahl?


Not at all, I like Rosenberg quite a bit*, much more then I do Blomdahl anyway, but I consider him (rightly or wrongly) more modernistic, him shunning away from a late romantic nationalistic idiom to much to meet the requirements of a Hanson fan, I don't know if this meets Your view of Rosenberg? (Hence I left out several Swedish Composers that I like but that really don't meet the Hansonesque likeness that I believe that the OP asked for, no one would be happier if You prove me wrong about Rosenberg!  )

/ptr

*(I reckon him one of the most important Swedish composers after Stenhammar.)


----------



## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

ptr said:


> Not at all, I like Rosenberg quite a bit*, much more then I do Blomdahl anyway, but I consider him (rightly or wrongly) more modernistic, him shunning away from a late romantic nationalistic idiom to much to meet the requirements of a Hanson fan, I don't know if this meets Your view of Rosenberg? (Hence I left out several Swedish Composers that I like but that really don't meet the Hansonesque likeness that I believe that the OP asked for, no one would be happier if You prove me wrong about Rosenberg!  )
> 
> /ptr
> 
> *(I reckon him one of the most important Swedish composers after Stenhammar.)


Hi "ptr".

Only familiar with Hilding Rosenberg via 2 or 3 of his works; I simply haven't heard enough of Rosenberg's _oeuvre_.
But what little I have heard doesn't sound too modernistic to me - almost neo-classical is my impression.

The album of Erland von Koch which I have (the Swedish Society CD) contains pieces which I feel are slightly more modern ...










... than these albums of Rosenberg:


----------



## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Composers like Howard HansonThey do?

If you like Howard Hanson, I suggest George LLoyd, Samuel Barber, David Diamond, Vincent Persichetti, Ernest Bloch, Aaron Copland, John Harbison....


----------



## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Prodromides said:


> Hi "ptr".
> 
> Only familiar with Hilding Rosenberg via 2 or 3 of his works; I simply haven't heard enough of Rosenberg's _oeuvre_.
> But what little I have heard doesn't sound too modernistic to me - almost neo-classical is my impression.
> ...


I think we seem to ad quite different values the word "modernistic", maybe I should have cut the "istic" from modern, because while both are basically neo-classical, I feel that Rosenberg is the more "modern" of the two (more influenced by the post Schönberg school and later Hindemith's Unterweisung im Tonsatz), von Koch on the other hand, are more influenced by the Bartók/Kodaly school of utilising traditional (folk) music, and with the Swedish (Dalecarlian) folk music is very consonant making all of his music "melodic" in a very Schubertian way, in Sweden anyway, von Koch is seen as the (much) more conservative of the two (but neither is seen as avant-garde).

My views on these two and the post WWII musical life in Sweden is very coloured by what I have read and heard about their activities during this period, there has been more then one (almost cyclic) stormy discussions about the post WWII musical life in Sweden and what the major intellectual parties said or did or not and who got hurt in the process why no one was reprimanded (like von Koch, whose autobiography is loaded with unsettled scores with, not Rosenberg, but Rosenberg's disciples like fx. Blomdahl).. But then, I think there have been similar intellectual discussions about "music" in most western countries during this period. 
I'm sure that viewed from the outside, both Rosenberg and von Koch (and Blomdahl to) may have somewhat different persona's/reputations then for someone like me viewing with an "insiders" stance! So, neither of us are right or wrong, we just have slightly different perspectives! :tiphat:

/ptr


----------



## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

bigshot said:


> The second Mercury Living Presence box set has a little stack of Hanson conducted records of his own works and the works of similar composers... Gould, Chadwick, MacDowell, Moore, Carpenter, Phillips, Rogers, Sessions, Thompson, Griffes, Kennan, McCauley, Bergsma and a composer named McPhee that particularly impressed me. I know very little about this stuff, but this box had many things that made me very happy.


You've activated a long dormant memory cell in me, now recalling Roger Session's "Black Maskers" Suite....


----------



## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Contemporary Finnish composer, Einojuhani Rautavaara, who has many stylistic 'hats' pretty much sincerely has and 'owns' a vocabulary and writing style which is directly in the late romantic -- the large, 'grand' and wide-sweeping musical gesture.

Try his Piano Concerto No. 1, Mvt. I


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

PetrB said:


> You've activated a long dormant memory cell in me, now recalling Roger Session's "Black Maskers" Suite....


Black Maskers. Yes. Black Maskers indeed! Same CD as Tabuh-Tabuhan...


----------



## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

Like mentioned already, I was going to say Barber and Diamond as well as some of the works of Hovhaness for sure. Piston's 2nd and 4th have some glorious parts!!!!

I ADORE American symphonies!!!!


----------



## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

Love Erland Von Koch and that cd in particular. Unfortunely my copy has gone bad, so am looking for another. So far, no luck.
Good that I have 2 other cds: Phono Suecia PSCD 710-Nordic Capriccio, Sym. #2, Viola Concerto(wonderful) and Cinderella Suite.
Phono Suecia PSCD 55-Nordic Capriccio(like this version better), Scandinavian Dances, Saxophone Concerto(not a big fan of this instrument but love it here), Swedish Dance Rhapsody and Characters-a piece for violin,piano and orchrestra.
Sorry, OT but take any opportunity presented to talk about this composer.


----------

