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July 2013 Pianist Nicola Giosmin Records Landmark Hovhaness Piano Sonata Cycle |
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The most significant Hovhaness offering so far this century has come to us from an unlikely place, not America as one might expect but Paris, where young Italian pianist Nicola Giosmin is currently based.Without the usual concerns of a recording contract, remuneration or renown, Giosmin humbly set about honouring the composer's legacy in the best possible way he could, by recording every Hovhaness piano sonata and sonatina he could lay his hands on, spurred on only by a desire to bring the music he so admired to a wider audience. In several cases this meant some detective work in tracking down unrecorded or hard-to-find scores from both the composer's formative and twilight years, some of which were obtainable only from the composer's estate. The first fruits of this intense labour began to appear, appropriately enough, in the composer's centennial year of 2011 (a year which otherwise witnessed a dearth of newly recorded material). With the first two volumes alone Giosmin had already made the world premiere recordings of five sonatas, thus filling a gaping (and somewhat puzzling) hole in the Hovhaness recordings archive. The Hovhaness piano discography has of course benefited from the talents of several stellar pianists over the years — Maro Ajemian and William Masselos in the mid-20th century, and in recent decades Keith Jarrett and Sahan Arzruni — but Nicola Giosmin's enthusiasm, not to mention stamina, have brought forth at a single stroke more Hovhaness repertoire than any previous pianist undertook over the course of an entire career. We therefore asked Giosmin for the background to what is, even in the annals of the vast Hovhaness discography, a truly landmark recording project — that interview can be read here. To date the musical feast amounts to six CDs or volumes (with individually-downloadable tracks) comprising some five hours of music. The tally of premiere commercial recordings currently runs to six piano sonatas (Catamount, Cougar Mountain, Journey to Arcturus, Mount Belknap, On the Long Total Eclipse of the Moon, and Sonata Op.399), plus the first complete recording of the Lake of Van sonata. This will rise to nine premiere recordings when the final 7th volume is released, completing Giosmin's comprehensive survey of Hovhaness's surviving sonatas and sonatinas for solo piano. Below we list each existing volume's tracks, together with a selection of audio clips. |
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ALAN HOVHANESS 
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"The originality of his writing ... 
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In Summary...Giosmin has honoured Hovhaness in the best possible way, in focusing on a cycle of complete sonatas his accomplishment is twofold: he has rescued from obscurity unknown works by a major American composer, and simultaneously illustrated just how multi-faceted Hovhaness's piano writing is. There is music here awaiting pianists of diverse stylistic persuasions, and from a technical standpoint there is material suited to students, advanced students and professional recitalists alike. In some of the more familiar pieces, some dynamics and tempi differ markedly from existing recordings that we have become used to, but in Giosmin's hands it all works and serves to highlight the fact that Hovhaness's often minimalist score markings can leave doors open to as yet unfamiliar approaches that still remain faithful to the music's essence. The sheer eclecticism of Hovhaness's piano writing — traversing everything from Western fugue and sonata forms to Eastern idioms such as jhala and gamelan — demands a pianist unshackled from the egocentric tyranny of imposing one's own personality onto the music and who instead serves as a sympathetic conduit through which Hovhaness's poetical, improvisatory, mystical and ethnic streaks can speak as unfettered as they need to. Giosmin rises to the occasion and there's no doubting his commitment to the music (he has even spoken of extensive background research as preparation). In conclusion, Giosmin has delivered an extraordinary tour de force of both pianism and musical detective work. The six (eventually nine) premiere recordings alone make this an essential acquisition for Hovhaness fans, those with an interest in 20th century American piano music and also musical institutions. As for the curious and latecomers to Hovhaness: there is plenty to dip into and explore, so don't hesitate! |
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Complete Sonatas and Sonatinas Volume 1 |
52:09 | ||
| 1-3 | Sonata Ricercare Op.12 (1935) | 8:10 | ||
| 4-9 | Sonata: Catamount Op.345 (1980) 1st recording |
8:56 | ||
| 10-13 | Piano Sonata Op.399 (1986) 1st recording | 10:38 | ||
| 14-17 | Sonata: Cougar Mountain Op.390 (1985) 1st recording |
15:55 | ||
| 18-20 | Piano Sonatina Op.120 (1962) | 8:30 | ||
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Complete Sonatas and Sonatinas Volume 2 |
48:43 | ||
| 1-3 | Bardo Sonata Op.192 (1959) | 11:35 | ||
| 4-7 | Sonata: Mount Ossipee Op.299 No.2 (1977) | 5:13 | ||
| 8-13 | Sonata: Journey to Arcturus Op.354 (1981) 1st recording |
20:19 | ||
| 14-16 | Sonata: Mount Belknap Op.299 No.1 (1977) 1st recording |
11:36 | ||
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Complete Sonatas and Sonatinas Volume 3 |
50:09 | ||
| 1-3 | Sonata: Prospect Hill Op.346 (1980) | 7:20 | ||
| 4-7 | Sonata: Fred the Cat Op.301 (1977) | 7:40 | ||
| 8-13 | Sonata: To Hiroshige's Cat Op.366 (1982) | 17:41 | ||
| 14-18 | Sonata: Fujita's Sleeping Cat Op.368 (1977) | 11:38 | ||
| 19-20 | Sonatina: Meditation on Mt. Monadnock Op.288 (77) | 5:50 | ||
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Complete Sonatas and Sonatinas Volume 4 |
57:33 | ||
| 1-3 | Sonata: Blue Job Mountain Op.340 (1979) | 12:11 | ||
| 4-9 | Sonata: On the Long Total Eclipse of the Moon Op.367 (1982) 1st recording | 25:03 | ||
| 10-12 | Piano Sonata Op.145 (1956) | 9:57 | ||
| 13-15 | Sonata: Lake of Van Op.175 (1959) 1st complete recording |
10:22 | ||
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Complete Sonatas and Sonatinas Volume 5 |
43:36 | ||
| 1-3 | Madras Sonata Op.176 (1947/51/59) | 10:55 | ||
| 4-7 | Sonata Ananda Op.303 (1977) | 19:28 | ||
| 8-11 | Sonata: Mount Kathadin Op.405 (1987) | 13:13 | ||
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Complete Sonatas and Sonatinas Volume 6 |
46:59 | ||
| 1-3 | Sonata: Mount Chocorua Op.335 (1982) | 26:48 | ||
| 4-5 | Poseidon Sonata Op.191 (1957) | 20:11 | ||
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Complete Sonatas and Sonatinas Volume 7 |
60:24 | ||
| 1-3 | Sonata: Mount Shasta Op.299 No.3 (1982) | 15:18 | ||
| 4-8 | Sonata: Lake Sammamish Op.369 (1982) | 17:58 | ||
| 9-11 | Sonata Op.22 (1938, later withdrawn) | 27:08 | ||
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