Howard Hanson(1896-1981): a Catalogue of the Orchestral and Choral Music

[Dundonnell]

A true American Romantic

Hanson has been fairly fortunate on cd, first with Mercury recordings of the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra led by hanson himself and more recently due to the efforts of Gerard Schwarz on Delos and latterly Naxos. I have absolutely no doubt that I have missed several other recordings.

Anyone who studies this list closely will notice that two works have the opus number 44. I have been unable to resolve this issue.

HOWARD HANSON: A CATALOGUE OF THE ORCHESTRAL AND CHORAL MUSIC

1916:      Symphonic Prelude for orchestra, op.6
1917:      Symphonic Legend for orchestra, op.8
1919:      Symphonic Rhapsody for orchestra, op.14
                Prelude and Ballet "The Forest Play", op.16
1920:      Symphonic Poem "Before the Dawn", op.17: 4 minutes
                Symphonic Poem "Exaltation" with piano obligatto, op.20
1922:      Symphony No.1 "Nordic, op.21: 29 minutes   + (Mercury, Delos and Naxos cds)
1923:      Symphonic Poem "North and West", op.22
                Symphonic Poem "Lux Aeterna" with viola obbligato, op.24: 16 minutes      +  (Delos and Naxos cds)
1925:      "The Lament for Beowulf" for chorus and orchestra, op.25: 19 minutes       + (Naxos cd)
1925-26:Symphonic Poem "Pan and the Priest", op.26: 13 minutes  +  (Naxos cd)
1926:      Organ Concerto(derived from North and West"), op.27    *
1927:      "Heroic Elegy" for chorus and orchestra, op.28
1930:      Symphony No.2 "Romantic", op.30: 28 minutes   + (several recordings)
1935:      Songs from "Drum Taps" for baritone, chorus and orchestra, op.32
1936-38:Symphony No.3, op.33: 36 minutes  + (Mercury, Delos and Naxos cds)
1938:      Suite from the Opera "Merry Mount", op.31: 17 minutes   +  (several recordings)
1941:      Concerto for Organ, Harp and Strings, op.22, No.3(reduced version of 1926 Organ Concerto): 16 minutes    +  (Albany and Naxos cds)
1943:      Symphony No.4 "Requiem", op.34: 26 minutes   +  (Mercury, Delos, Arte Nova and Naxos cds)
1945:      Serenade for Flute, Harp and Strings, op.35: 6 minutes   +  (several recordings)
1948:      Piano Concerto, op.36: 22 minutes   *   +  (Mercury, Vox and Delos cds)
1948-49/1950:Pastorale for Oboe, Harp and Strings, op. 38: 7 minutes   + (Delos and Naxos cds)
1949:      The Cherubic Hymn for chorus and orchestra, op. 37    +  (Haydn House cd)
1950:      Centennial Ode for baritone, narrator, chorus and orchestra
1951:      Fantasy Variations on a Theme of Youth for Piano and String Orchestra, op.40: 11 minutes    +  (Delos and Naxos cds)
1953:      "How Excellent Thy Name" for chorus and orchestra: 4 minutes
1954:      Symphony No.5 "Sinfonia Sacra", op.43: 15 minutes   + (Delos and Naxos cds)
1956:      Elegy in memory of Serge Koussevitsky for orchestra, op.44: 12 minutes     +  (Delos, Arte Nova and Naxos cds)
1957:      Song of Democracy for chorus and orchestra,op.44: 12 minutes                   + (Mercury and Citadel cds)
                "Mosaics" for orchestra: 12 minutes   +  (Delos and Naxos cds)
1959:      "Summer Seascape" for orchestra: 9 minutes (incorporated into "Bold  Island Suite")
1961:      "Bold Island Suite" for orchestra, op.46: 24 minutes       +   (Telarc cd)
1963:      Suite "For the First Time" for orchestra: 20 minutes    + (Mercury cd)
                Song of Human Rights for chorus and orchestra, op.49: 12 minutes
1965:      "Summer Seascape No.2" for Viola and Strings: 8 minutes   +  (Naxos cd)
                Psalm 150 "Praise Ye The Lord" for chorus and orchestra: 5 minutes
1967:      Symphony No.6: 20 minutes   + (Vox, Delos and Naxos cd)
               Dies Natalis" for orchestra: 16 minutes    +  (Delos and Naxos cds)
1968:      Psalm CXXI for baritone, chorus and orchestra: 4 minutes
1969:     "Streams in the Desert" for chorus and orchestra: 12 minutes   *
               "The Mystic Trumpeter" for narrator, mixed chorus and orchestra: 14 minutes   *   +  (Delos cd)
1974:     "Lumen in Christo" for women's voices and orchestra: 21 minutes   + (Delos and Naxos cds)
1976:      Oratorio "New Land, New Covenant" for soprano, bass, narrator, chorus and orchestra: 70 minutes    *
1977:      Symphony No.7 "A Sea Symphony" for chorus and orchestra after Walt Whitman: 18 minutes   +  (Delos and Naxos cd)
1977-78:Rhythmic Variations on Two Ancient Hymns for string orchestra: 7 minutes       +  (Naxos cd)
1979:      Ballet Suite "Nymphs and Satyrs" for chamber orchestra: 12 minutes  +  (Albany and Naxos cds)

[Dundonnell]

The unrecorded Hanson would seem to include-

1927:  Heroic Elegy for chorus and orchestra
1935:  Songs from "Drum Taps" for baritone, chorus and orchestra
1963:  Song of Human Rights for chorus and orchestra
1969:  "Streams in the Desert" for chorus and orchestra
1976:  Oratorio "New Land, New Covenant"

[shamokin88]

I would like to add an additional piece, Hanson's Centennial Ode of 1950. This celebrates the centenary of the University of Rochester and is scored for chorus and and orchestra, two vocal soloists and a narrator. The music is substantially patched together from other pieces, and if the Romantic Symphony can be considered top-drawer Hanson - I certainly think so - then here is bottom-drawer Hanson. It runs for about 36 minutes. An LP, pressed by Columbia, was available during the 1950s from the university. I can upload it if anyone would like to hear it. We all make mistakes.

[Dundonnell]

Thanks for that information   List duly amended.

Apparently the University of Rochester was happy with the piece, calling it "magnificent" but then they would have been polite would they not

[suffolkcoastal]

Songs from Drum Taps was also recorded and available on LP. I had the chance to purchase it about 15 years ago and am still annoyed about not taking the opportunity.

[alberto]

Symphonies 3 and 4 were recorded by Hanson himself.
The Third condcted by Kussewitzky has circulated on various labels (I have it on Membran).

[suffolkcoastal]

As were symphonies 1, 2 & 5. Hanson's version of his 5th symphony wasn't issued on CD, I have it on LP coupled with his Cherubic Hymn and the Cello Concerto of Victor Herbert.

Hanson's own recording of his 4th symphony is over 5 minutes quicker than Schwarz's. Hanson drives the music forward almost too much, while Schwarz tends to wallow unecessarily in places.

[jowcol]

The unrecorded Hanson would seem to include-

1927:  Heroic Elegy for chorus and orchestra
1935:  Songs from "Drum Taps" for baritone, chorus and orchestra
1963:  Song of Human Rights for chorus and orchestra
1969:  "Streams in the Desert" for chorus and orchestra
1976:  Oratorio "New Land, New Covenant"

If you saw my notes with my most recent Harris post,  I also have versions of "Streams in the Desert" and "New Land, New Covenant" that I can post, with the same warning that I had modified the tracks for my mp3 player, and that there is a better source out there.  I also have two versions of the Organ Concerto for Full Orchestra (not the strings version-- it's a fantastic work, but the sound is not the best. )


I also have a track that is not on your list:

Music from the Forest Play "The Soul of the Sequoia" ( It's about a 10 minute work, and the sound is very good for the time. )
Rochester Civic Orchestra
Composer, conductor [28 April 1938]

I can upload these, and make better versions available if I get access to the sources again.

I share your love for Hanson, both as a composer and as a champion of music.

[Dundonnell]

Please do add those pieces when you can

And please pass on to Karl Miller-who I know is a member of this site but may not see this post-my absolute unfettered delight that at last, after all these years, it is becoming possible to hear a much wider range of the music composed by these great Americans. I would never have believed this to be possible but through this site the world has changed

I recall that a couple of months back Karl indicated that he could copy an amazingly large number of the Bernard Rogers' compositions too. If that is still possible-and obviously in the fullness of time-that would be wonderful also

[jowcol]

Please do add those pieces when you can

And please pass on to Karl Miller-who I know is a member of this site but may not see this post-my absolute unfettered delight that at last, after all these years, it is becoming possible to hear a much wider range of the music composed by these great Americans. I would never have believed this to be possible but through this site the world has changed

I recall that a couple of months back Karl indicated that he could copy an amazingly large number of the Bernard Rogers' compositions too. If that is still possible-and obviously in the fullness of time-that would be wonderful also

I talked to Karl before my Vacation and he was working on the next shipment for me to process.  He was working on the Bernard Rogers-- he said a several of the sources weren't the best, and had spent at least a week working on tweaking them--  that was before I left.

I'll post the Hanson works tomorrow -- what the same warnings I did the Harris tracks. 

[jowcol]

I've updated the downloads folder to include more works-- including the Soul of the Sequoia.

Described in more detail here.
http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,1522.msg32522.html#msg32522

[eschiss1]

There is a book ''Howard Hanson: a comprehensive catalog of the manuscripts'' which may provide some clarification if it can be tracked down.
Or, the opus number may have been used twice. This happens. More often happened, but still happens. (Especially when two different publishers are involved, though composers more often now keep their own catalogs.)

[Dundonnell]

There is a book ''Howard Hanson: a comprehensive catalog of the manuscripts'' which may provide some clarification if it can be tracked down.
Or, the opus number may have been used twice. This happens. More often happened, but still happens. (Especially when two different publishers are involved, though composers more often now keep their own catalogs.)

Don't get me started on the subject of the use by composers of opus numbers   (They stop using them, they miss numbers out, they use numbers for works written non-consecutively......... )

[TerraEpon]

What I never understood is how sometimes composers would somehow skip Opus number -- Sibelius for instance somehow had "open" Opp. 1, 3, and 6 which he used for much later works.