ALAN HOVHANESS (1911-2000): Symphony No. 60, Op. 396 "To the Appalachian Mountains", Guitar Concerto, Op. 325, Khrimian Hairig for Trumpet and Orchestra, Op. 49.

Description: Two first recordings here: the symphony from 1985 in which the composer used his recent studies of shape-notes and "mountain music" but where, except for a folk-song used in the brief third movement, all the melodies are Hovhaness' own (although, except for the Appalachian-style melodies, the symphony probably sounds pretty much like Hovhaness' Symphonies Nos. 10-59 or so). The concerto (1979) is back to all-Eastern sounds - moody and meditative with flashes of full-throated brassy faster music to keep you on your toes but the guitar makes the whole rather special. No hackneyed guitar tropes, a little repetitiveness but the opposition of the guitar to the orchestra makes for an attractive sonic mix (along with a lot of bells in the percussion section in the first movement). The 1944 trumpet/orchestra piece is one of the earliest examples of Hovhaness' mature style (it also appears in slightly revised form as the second movement of the 1959 Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places, Op. 213). David Leisner (guitar), Lars Ranch (trumpet), Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra; Gerard Schwarz.