# Howard Hanson: The Symphonies



## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

American composer Howard Hanson's (1896-1981), the symphonies. He wrote seven of them. I have the first two.

Purpose of this thread is to ask you for your recommendation of these symphonies whether recorded as a complete cycle or as individual ones. I don't know his other symphonies, yet.

Record label Naxos has released the next instalment (or will be next month in December 2011) performed by the Seattle Symphony under G. Schwarz, of symphony #3.

Thoughts / comments / opinions of all nature, all welcome about the recordings and works. Thank you in advance.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I have had the complete set by Schwartz and the Seattle Symphony on Delos for 20 years or so, and am quite satisfied with it. Well worth exploring all of them. It looks like Naxos is reissuing these, so sticking with their releases is a cost-effective option.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I only have the "Romantic" Symphony (no. 2) in two different top-notch recordings:



















I also have these pleasant piano works:










I picked these up about two years ago while I was fleshing out my collection of American composers. There's a box set of the whole of Hanson's symphonies by Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony, but it is grossly over-priced. I should give a listen to whatever I can find by him on Spotify and get back to you.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I just checked out Spotify and found a slew of Hanson there. There's a disc on the Delos label that contains Symphonies 2,4,6 & 7 and several other orchestral works. The disc contains recordings by Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony. Just listening now to the 6th symphony I have little doubt that the majority of Hanson's oeuvre in worth hearing... and for the ridiculous price on Amazon...

Check a disc entitled, Music of Howard Hanson, Volume One


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Thanks. You guys are correct. I'm not familiar with the Delos label and so didn't realise the Naxos discs are reissues. So I guess the Schwarz version would be the one to go for, albeit I'll settle with the Naxos reissues as I already have the first two symphonies. Naxos has already reissued symphonies #1 to #5 thus far (or will be by December), all this year.


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

I can second the recommendations for the Schwarz recordings. I have the complete Delos set and was delighted to see Naxos reissuing them, thereby making them available to a much wider audience. Get them all and enjoy!


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Hanson's symphonies have a strong flavor of Wagner, I think. Given my don't-bash-composers policy, that's all I can say about that.

I _can_ say that Hanson-the-conductor and his orchestra performed and recorded a lot of music by young composers who otherwise might not have been heard.


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## GoneBaroque (Jun 16, 2011)

The "Romantic" (no. 2) is his most popular followed by the First (Nordic). I recently heard his 4 titled "Requiem" and p;lan to hear Numbers 5 and 7 in the near future. Incidentally No. 7 "A Sea Symphony" shares with the Vaughan Williams 1st 
symphony in using text from Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass". For Hanson's symphonies as well an for Alan Hovhaness (who is another favorite) you cannot get better than Schwarz.


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