Hovhaness: Mysterious Mountain

Most people became acquainted with Hovhaness's greatest symphony, Mysterious Mountain (Symphony 2), through this recording when it appeared on vinyl during the Stone Age. It plays like an extended prayer and is oddly structured. It was an immediate hit when it appeared in 1955. Stravinsky's The Fairy's Kiss is a 1928 ballet commission that, quite intentionally, recalls Tchaikovsky and was written to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his death. Last here is a bang-up reading of Serge Prokofiev's classic Lieutenant Kije Suite. If you want to turn a young person onto classical music, play this disc. Worked with me. --Paul Cook Amazon.com

Decent Recording, Especially for the Stravinsky

I can't speak for the Hovhaness, because I'm not a big fan, and I think the Prokofiev ("Lieutenant Kijé"), while fair, has been done better on other recordings. But this was my introduction to "The Fairy's Kiss: Divertimento," and I have to say that even hearing other recordings that I prefer for technical reasons, this reading is terrific. The wild, schizophrenic string playing at two key points during the Danses suisses is a great wake-up call, and the orchestra plays feistily throughout. My only regret is that the recording wasn't preserved better with age, as there is too much white noise for my taste. But if you don't mind that, I definitely recommend Reiner's interpretation of the Stravinsky. January 3, 2008

Sublime

Taking into account Mysterious Mountain. There are some noticable crackling early on, which I attribute to the age of the recording, but the performance is great. Very grand.....inspirational. June 30, 2007

Try to find a better recording than this. Go ahead, I'll wait.

At the moment I have over 1000 cd's of music of every sort though mostly western classical, and I have no problem recommending this before any of them. This piece of music by Alan Hovhaness is easily the most simply beautiful thing I have ever heard and never fails to inspire and uplift upon repeated listenings. The performance here by Reiner and The Chicago Symphony is virtuosic and sensitive, revealing the hidden details of this seemingly simple piece of music. This is THE recording to own of this work, no competition. However, don't let this be your only recording of music by Hovhaness. Don't let shallow comments like "All his music sounds the same" or he "re-wrote this symphony 60 more times," keep you from further explorations of Hovhaness' music. Odd that those same criticisms aren't raised with the music of Haydn and Mozart... The performance of the Stravinsky work is equally impressive. The superb solo and ensemble playing of the Chicago musicians under Reiner reveal the characters and colors of this lesser known Stravinsky work. This is a recording I have treasured for years and I have no doubts that you will as well. Highest Recommendation! April 24, 2007

Fire and Ice: Fritz Reiner's Legacy Lives On

For many of us some of the most thrilling recordings during the 1950s and 1960s were those made by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The magic that happened between conductor and orchestra is legendary. Fortunately we are seeing more of his recordings remastered and made available to a new audience on CD.

This CD remastering of the old 1955 recording is a terrific example. This is probably the most eloquent recorded performance of Armenian American Alan Hovhaness' Symphony No.2 (better known as 'Mysterious Mountain'). Hovhaness created some lushly atmospheric works that have somehow slipped into the realm of 'old style' and therefore are not performed frequently. But this performance of Symphony No. 2 should bring back some to the fold. The recorded sound of this extended poem is lush and full-bodied and Reiner moves the blocks of strings movements like few others can.

Keeping in line with his penchant for embracing new and old works this CD includes an abbreviated but well played 'Divertimento', Stravinsky's own symphonic suite from his Tchaikovskyesque ballet 'The Fairy's Kiss'. This is not one of Stravinsky's more memorable scores and is far better represented in the violin/piano transcription, but Reiner makes it work well in the few moments he includes here.

Prokofiev's suite from 'Lieutenant Kije' fares very well in Reiner's bristling and tongue in cheek reading. This is a romp of a performance and one that should please even the most 'anti-contemporary music' friends you may have! But the glory of the recording is the respect Reiner pays to Hovhaness and for this it is worth the purchase. Grady Harp, May 06 May 8, 2006

Mountaintop Experience

For many, climbing a mountain (or a hill) is more than a physical exercise. Amercian composer Alan Hovhaness recognized that there is a spiritual quality to being on top of a mountain, perhaps going back to the Biblical example of the three disciples who joined Jesus Christ on a mountain. Simon Peter said, "Lord, it is good for us to be here." Mountains can be a place for meditation and reflection.

In his second symphony, which he called "Mysterious Mountain," Alan Hovhaness imagined a mountain where one could indeed have a spiritual experience. Perhaps this was his vision of an IDEAL mountain, certainly a place to get away from things and spend time in contemplation. There's no doubt that the symphony, which was premiered by Leopold Stokowski and the Houston Symphony in 1955 (on NBC television), is an uplifting piece. It is also very majestic and profound at times, setting a pattern for Hovhaness in the numerous symphonies he wrote in the years after 1955.

Fritz Reiner's remarkable recording of "Mysterious Mountain" was one of a series of incredible stereophonic recordings that RCA Victor made in Chicago's Orchestra Hall between 1954 and 1962. Using just three microphones and a triple-track tape recorder, RCA achieved outstanding results with a greater clarity than had been accomplished in earlier recordings. This particular recording remains a "high water" mark and is probably the definitive version of a magnificent work that can be quite inspirational. Yes, Hovhaness does represent a mountaintop experience and, some years later, he celebrated yet another mountain in his "Mount Saint Helens" symphony, recorded by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the volcano's violent 1980 eruption.

The lighter work on this disc is a top-notch performance of Igor Stravinsky's tribute to Peter Tchaikovsky, a divertimento drawn from the ballet "The Fairy's Kiss." Much in the same vein as Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty," this is magical, delightful, and enchanting music that is given a very fine interpretation by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony. Although there are a few obvious quotes from the music of Tchaikovsky, much of the score is a homage to the earlier composer that represents his considerable imagination and musical abilities.

Stravinsky (1882-1971) once said, "Of all of us, Tchaikovksy was the most Russian." Stravinsky once glimpsed Tchaikovsky, just before the premiere of the sixth symphony in 1893, and was left forever with an image of a tragic but very gifted composer/conductor. Reiner's recording is a very good representation of this musical tribute.

One of the first recordings this writer ever heard by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony was their performance of the orchestral suite that Sergei Prokofiev prepared from his film score for "Lt. Kije," based on a classic Russian tale of a mythical Russian Army officer created by a bureaucratic error. The satirical qualities of the story were not lost on Prokofiev, who readily composed music that suited the various episodes of the lieutenant's supposed life.

Reiner's interepretation of this delightful music was thoroughly enjoyable, even if it omits the baritone solo in the original score (included in Seiji Ozawa's Deutsche Grammophon recording with the Boston Symphony).

The score begins with a mysterious, haunting theme representing the birth of Kije; this music is later repeated, in a somewhat altered version, for Kije's death. Along the way, we hear a delightful, appropriately martial, march; an exquisite and intense love theme; a grandiose, pompous wedding celebration; and a furious sleigh ride. All of this is played extremely well by the Chicago musicians and, once again, the ground-breaking stereophonic recording still has a remarkably modern sound. April 26, 2006

More reviews at Amazon.com ...