WorldView Episode 47: Howard Hanson
Thank you for tuning in to an all-new episode of WorldView on charlottesvilleclassical.org! Episode forty-seven features the sixth symphony of Howard Hanson, a quintessential American composer best known for his forty-year tenure as director of the Eastman School of Music.
Howard Harold Hanson was born in Nebraska in 1896 to parents of Swedish heritage. After pursuing music at an early age, Hanson studied composition and multiple instruments at both the Institute of Musical Art (soon to be the Julliard School) and Northwestern University. His first nationally recognized work, “The California Forest Play”, was published in 1920 while Hanson was serving on faculty at the College of the Pacific. In the mid-1920s, Hanson spent several years composing and developing his unique artistic style in Italy, where he was influenced by artists such as Gustav Holst (WorldView episode 27) and Giovanni Palestrina. After returning to the United States and briefly conducting the New York Symphony Orchestra, Hanson was approached by George Eastman to head the newly created Eastman School of Music.
George Eastman, inventor of the Kodak camera, founded the Eastman School in 1921 with a considerable endowment at the University of Rochester. Hanson served as director of the school from 1924 to 1964, during which time he diversified the school’s faculty, developed an international reputation for the institution, and expanded the ensemble opportunities available to students. During this time, the composer was also awarded a Pulitzer prize for his “Symphony No. 4” and premiered his only opera, “Merry Mount”, in 1934. After retiring from the Eastman School, Hanson was involved in several musical and educational organizations, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The composer passed away in Rochester in 1981.
This episode of WorldView features Hanson’s sixth symphony, performed by the Seattle Symphony and conductor Gerard Schwarz. The work was commissioned by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the orchestra.
WorldView Episode Forty-Seven Playlist:
Galina USTVOLSKAYA, “Grand Duet for Cello and Piano (1959)”, {Oleg Malov (pf), Frances-Marie Uitti (cl)} - Radio Netherlands
Howard HANSON, “Symphony No. 6”, {Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz (cond)} - Delos
Zez CONFREY, “Three Little Oddities”, {Eteri Andjaparidze (pf)} - Naxos
WorldView is a classical music radio show featuring composers from everywhere in the world - except Western Europe. Tune in to hear works by lesser-known artists such as Nancy Dalberg and Isang Yun, and widen your knowledge of classical music. Hinke Younger hosts each week’s episode of WorldView on Mondays at 9AM and 6PM (with a rebroadcast Saturdays at 2PM) on Charlottesvilleclassical.org.