A native of Massachusetts, Alan Hovhaness was born March 8th, 1911 to Armenian and Scottish parents. He expressed an interest in music, composition, mysticism and meditation early in childhood. In the early 1930’s, Hovhaness studied with Fredrick Shepherd Converse at the New England Conservatory(NEC) and Bohuslav Martinů at Tanglewood. While at NEC, he was exposed to the music of India and the far east. Even though Hovhaness showed a great interest in this “new” music, his works pre-1936, are all very much in the style of the Renaissance and incorporate late Romantic chordal language. The characteristics of the Renaissance and Romantic period are marks of his “first period”. In the summer of 1943, Hovhaness had a life changing experience at the Berkshire Music Center where Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland criticized his music. Hovhaness was crushed by their criticism, so much so that he destroyed many pieces. He began rethinking his style and turned to his Armenian roots. His main focus was on the music of priest/composer - Komitas Vardapet. From this exploration in Armenian music, his “second period” became more rhythmically and contrapuntally alive. However, he stuck to his old habit of harmonies. In 1948, Hovhaness began teaching at the Boston Conservatory. This lasted until 1952, when he moved to New York. He traveled almost continuously through the 1950’s. During this time he rethought his style again and the outcome was his “third period”. His music became very popular in the post WWII era due to the fact that he took active rhythm, romantic flavored chords, and a pinch of armenian music and added a little bit of experimentation with a side of eastern flare. In 1960, Hovhaness had to of course vamp up his style by adding in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean influences and instruments to ring in his “fourth period”. He let these eastern ideas and sounds dominate in his style of composing and the out come was well received in a society that was terrified of communists and anti-war in Vietnam. In the 1970’s, like everyone else, Hovhaness had to experiment with his style (surprise!) and out came his “fifth period”, which is really his last. In this groovy period, Hovhaness started to incorporate western ideas back into his works in the sense of harmony and not form. He took a leaf from Rock n’ roll’s book and made his pieces longer and slower (rock pieces from this time are often very, very long and the performers were so drugged up that they were very slow), however, these pieces are decadent in how they are scored and the chords magniloquently soar over time. Up until his death in 2000, Hovhaness mostly wrote in the style of his “fifth period”. As mentioned at the beginning, Hovhaness was interested in mysticism and meditation. Almost all of his works are rooted in religion and not just one religion. He uses Indian raga and tala, Western isorhythm,modal fugues, polymodal canons, and different modes in addition to other techniques, to evoke different feelings towards a supreme being such as fear, tranquility, thankfulness, and repentance. His work totals over 400 opus numbers including 60 symphonies (the majority of which were written after he turned 60), 12 operas, 6 ballets, and countless choral, solo, and chamber pieces.
Hovhaness’ Harp Sonata, op. 127 movement 1. Allegro, exemplifies his broad spectrum of musical interests, especially in music of other cultures. It was written in 1954 during his “third period” for Basque-Spanish harpist, Nicanor Zabaleta. The first movement is driven by a simple rhythmic pattern as well as certain other repeated rhythmic motifs and written-out metrical shifts. Harmonically, the piece is based on simple modes, especially the Eastern-associated pentatonic scale. There are three basic sections to the first movement, AbA1. The final return to the opening material is a bit surprising as it comes in a different mode with the same tonal center, which sequences to bring us to the exact reiteration of the opening. The entire movement is stock-full of these exotic sounds of foreign lands. See if you can identify the areas in which Hovhaness uses the pentatonic scale and other places where you can hear other cultural influences.
An excellent recording of this piece as well as some of Hovhaness' other chamber pieces is available on iTunes on Yolanda Kondonassis' CD "Music of Alan Hovhaness".
Persian Roasted Chicken with Dried Cherry-Saffron Rice
Ingredients
1. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2. 1 onion, finely chopped
3. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
5. 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
6. 6 pounds chicken breasts, thighs and legs, with skin, on the bone
7. Salt and freshly ground pepper
8. Water
9. 2 cups basmati rice
10. 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter
11. 1/2 cup dried sour cherries (4 ounces)
12. 2 tablespoons sugar
13. 1/4 cup slivered almonds
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, onion, lemon juice, cumin and half of the saffron. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and turn to coat. Let the chicken stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Drain the chicken, scraping off the onion and saffron and transfer it to a large metal roasting pan. Add 1/2 cup of water, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 25 minutes longer, or until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the rice and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the rice in a colander and shake out any excess water. In a small bowl, dissolve the remaining saffron in 1 tablespoon of water. Return the rice to the saucepan and stir in the saffron water.
4. In a small skillet, melt the butter with the dried sour cherries and sugar. Spoon one third of the rice into a buttered 2-quart soufflé dish. Top with half of the sour cherries and slivered almonds. Cover with half of the remaining rice and the remaining sour cherries and almonds. Top with a final layer of rice and pour any remaining butter on top. Cover the soufflé dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes (while the chicken is baking), or until the rice is tender, light and fluffy.
5. Preheat the broiler when the rice is done. Broil the chicken, skin side down, for 2 minutes. Turn the chicken and broil until the skin is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Pour the pan juices into a warm gravy boat. Serve the chicken with the rice, passing the pan juices at the table.
* ACTIVE: 25 MIN
* TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS
* SERVINGS: 6
Anoosh Shariat, the executive chef at Park Place on Main in Louisville, Kentucky
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Elias Parish Alvars: Romance no. 93 and op. 62, Voyage d’un harpiste en Orient. No. 6 with Croque-Monsieur
To quote Hector Berlioz -"This man is a magician. In his hands the harp becomes a siren, with lovely neck inclined and wild hair flowing, stirred by his passionate embrace to utter the music of another world."Eli Parish was born in Teignmouth,England on February 28,1808. He studied with Flemish Harpist/composer François Dizi and worked with the foster brother of Napoleon III, Théodore Labarre. During the 1820’s Parish was employed in Soho Square by the harp manufactures Schwieso and Grosjean. While working for Schwieso and Grosjean, it is believed that Parish met A.Alvars, a mysterious person who dedicated a piece to Grosjean. Around the same time Parish added the surname of Alvars and changed Eli to Elias. This is the name that appears on his first published work. In 1830, after giving several concerts in Germany, Parish was mainly in Vienna. In 1833, he did a combined concert with John Field in Milan, Italy. In 1836, Parish was appointed principal harp for the Imperial and Royal Opera of Vienna. In 1838, Parish moved back to London and dedicated his Concertino in E minor op.34 to Queen Victoria. Also in 1838, Parish did some joint composition with Carl Czerny. The next couple years he spent touring the Eastern Mediterranean, which is depicted in his op. 62, Voyage d’un harpiste en Orient. In 1845, while on tour to Mount Vesuvius, Alvars fell and seriously injured himself. Due to his fall, he had to stay an extra two months in Naples to recover, however he never fully recovered which led to his ultimate demise. When he returned home from his little trip through the Mediterranean, he bought his first double-action harp from Pierre Erard. This opened up a whole new world of possibilities. He integrated new pedal and manual techniques, chordal glissandi with pedals (this is why harpist get paid the big bucks - that wonderful “angelic” sound), enharmonic effects ( use chromatics to have 2 pitches sound the same), combining harmonics and glissandi, and the use of double, triple and even quadruple harmonics. He opened up the possibilities of this new instrument to his contemporaries such as Liszt, Mendelssohn, and Berlioz. His skills as a harpist and composer were well past that of virtuosity with his ideas of preset pedals and use of the scordatura. In 1846, Parish was intent on settling permanently in London, but he found England to be against the idea of harp as a solo instrument (one has to remember that this was during the golden age of the piano as well as the dawn of the golden age for harp). Frustrated with musical establishment in England, Parish returned to Vienna, where in 1847 he became chamber musician to the emperor Franz Joseph. On January 2,1848, Parish gave his last major public appearance with a concert of his own compositions. He died a year later in poverty. His wife and daughter moved back to England after his death. His works include over 80 solo pieces for harp, 3 concerto, 2 concertino (one for solo and one for 2 harps), duos for Harp and Piano, a Symphony, 2 Piano concertos, an Opera, and an Overture inspired by Byron’s Manfred.
Today we will look at 2 of his pieces, Romance no. 93 and his op. 62, Voyage d’un harpiste en Orient. No. 6 “Chanson Grec de Santorino”. Let’s start with the Romance.
Alvar’s books of Romances are taken from different love poems. Romance No.93 is based on Lord Byron’s. The left hand opens the piece with this wilting arpeggio almost as if the two lovers are swaying in each other's arms. The right hand (the melody) is the man expressing his love to the woman in his arms. You have to remember this is the 1800’s - everything is over done like a bad romance novel. When we get to the middle section, it is the woman speaking. The melody is almost saying “Oh, my love! Oh, my love!” in that over dramatic Liszt like way. We then get the man soothing the woman once more with his love poem( a recapitulation of the beginning). We close the scene with this first ascending then descending arpeggiation into quiet with two chords as the lovers are lost in each other’s arms and words. Liszt and Parish were friends and often wrote to one another. They mentioned each other often in their books and both shared a style. When listening to this piece, see if you can hear any connections between the two and also attempt hearing the romantic style in which they both wrote.
Alvar’s op. 62, Voyage d’un harpiste en Orient. No. 6 “Chanson Grec de Santorino,” which translates to “Greek song from Santorini”, depicts the years Alvars spent touring the Eastern Mediterranean. opens with the famous Alvars “5 measure introduction”, when in reality the introduction is 6 measures long. The piece is divided into two main sections with a small section at the end, ABa. The first big section is where the main theme is introduced, expanded on and then the theme is repeated. The second section is where Alvars goes into the relative minor, introduces a new theme, and changes the entire feel of the piece. He then makes his way back to Bb major to repeat the theme from the first section and closes with a big, flashy cadence. The opening and first section of this piece are very lovely. One can imagine themselves in a sailboat in the Mediterranean or sitting outside of a cafe soaking up the sun and enjoying life to the fullest. As stated above, Alvars had a drastic fall at Mount Vesuvius. This fall can be seen in the second section with the descending scales and hectic bass. The bass pattern is reminiscent of the silent movie scenes of the girl tied to the train tracks and Charlie Chaplain trying to help her before the train comes. This sad, tumbly section clearly shows the upheaval Alvars went through with his fall and hurting his arm so much that he could barely play anymore. However, like all of Alvars pieces there is a light at the end of the tunnel and happiness and peace return to us in the form of the first theme. With the singable melody and the lush rocking of the bass, one can almost hear the waves crashing on the beach, the taste of orangina, and the smell of the salty air of the sea.
Croque-Monsieur
Ingredients:
* 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
* 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/4 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
* Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
* Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
* Cayenne pepper, to taste
* 8 slices white bread, each 1/2 inch thick
* 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
* 8 oz. thinly sliced Gruyère cheese
* 6 oz. ham, thinly sliced
Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. When the butter is just hot, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells fragrant and nutty, like baked pastry and flour, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
In another small saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until bubbles form around the edges, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk the milk into the butter mixture until smooth and lump-free. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add the grated cheese, stirring until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Season with salt, white pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and let cool.
Preheat an electric croque-monsieur maker according to the manufacturer's instructions or oven to 350.
Brush one side of the bread slices with the melted butter and lay the slices, butter side down, on a clean work surface. Spread 1 Tbs. of the sauce over 4 of the slices. Top each with a slice of cheese, 1 or 2 slices of ham, another slice of cheese and one of the remaining bread slices, butter side up. Season the tops of the bread with salt and white pepper.
Arrange the sandwiches, 2 at a time, on the preheated croque-monsieur maker, close the lid and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions until crisp, golden and heated through. If using the oven, arrange on cookie sheet and cook until crisp, golden and heated through. (about 7-10 mins.) Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Serve immediately
Serves 4.
recipe from Francois Payard, Payard Patisserie & Bistro, New York City
Today we will look at 2 of his pieces, Romance no. 93 and his op. 62, Voyage d’un harpiste en Orient. No. 6 “Chanson Grec de Santorino”. Let’s start with the Romance.
Alvar’s books of Romances are taken from different love poems. Romance No.93 is based on Lord Byron’s. The left hand opens the piece with this wilting arpeggio almost as if the two lovers are swaying in each other's arms. The right hand (the melody) is the man expressing his love to the woman in his arms. You have to remember this is the 1800’s - everything is over done like a bad romance novel. When we get to the middle section, it is the woman speaking. The melody is almost saying “Oh, my love! Oh, my love!” in that over dramatic Liszt like way. We then get the man soothing the woman once more with his love poem( a recapitulation of the beginning). We close the scene with this first ascending then descending arpeggiation into quiet with two chords as the lovers are lost in each other’s arms and words. Liszt and Parish were friends and often wrote to one another. They mentioned each other often in their books and both shared a style. When listening to this piece, see if you can hear any connections between the two and also attempt hearing the romantic style in which they both wrote.
Alvar’s op. 62, Voyage d’un harpiste en Orient. No. 6 “Chanson Grec de Santorino,” which translates to “Greek song from Santorini”, depicts the years Alvars spent touring the Eastern Mediterranean. opens with the famous Alvars “5 measure introduction”, when in reality the introduction is 6 measures long. The piece is divided into two main sections with a small section at the end, ABa. The first big section is where the main theme is introduced, expanded on and then the theme is repeated. The second section is where Alvars goes into the relative minor, introduces a new theme, and changes the entire feel of the piece. He then makes his way back to Bb major to repeat the theme from the first section and closes with a big, flashy cadence. The opening and first section of this piece are very lovely. One can imagine themselves in a sailboat in the Mediterranean or sitting outside of a cafe soaking up the sun and enjoying life to the fullest. As stated above, Alvars had a drastic fall at Mount Vesuvius. This fall can be seen in the second section with the descending scales and hectic bass. The bass pattern is reminiscent of the silent movie scenes of the girl tied to the train tracks and Charlie Chaplain trying to help her before the train comes. This sad, tumbly section clearly shows the upheaval Alvars went through with his fall and hurting his arm so much that he could barely play anymore. However, like all of Alvars pieces there is a light at the end of the tunnel and happiness and peace return to us in the form of the first theme. With the singable melody and the lush rocking of the bass, one can almost hear the waves crashing on the beach, the taste of orangina, and the smell of the salty air of the sea.
Croque-Monsieur
Ingredients:
* 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
* 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/4 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
* Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
* Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
* Cayenne pepper, to taste
* 8 slices white bread, each 1/2 inch thick
* 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
* 8 oz. thinly sliced Gruyère cheese
* 6 oz. ham, thinly sliced
Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. When the butter is just hot, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells fragrant and nutty, like baked pastry and flour, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
In another small saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until bubbles form around the edges, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk the milk into the butter mixture until smooth and lump-free. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add the grated cheese, stirring until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Season with salt, white pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and let cool.
Preheat an electric croque-monsieur maker according to the manufacturer's instructions or oven to 350.
Brush one side of the bread slices with the melted butter and lay the slices, butter side down, on a clean work surface. Spread 1 Tbs. of the sauce over 4 of the slices. Top each with a slice of cheese, 1 or 2 slices of ham, another slice of cheese and one of the remaining bread slices, butter side up. Season the tops of the bread with salt and white pepper.
Arrange the sandwiches, 2 at a time, on the preheated croque-monsieur maker, close the lid and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions until crisp, golden and heated through. If using the oven, arrange on cookie sheet and cook until crisp, golden and heated through. (about 7-10 mins.) Repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Serve immediately
Serves 4.
recipe from Francois Payard, Payard Patisserie & Bistro, New York City
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