chose to be in Seattle. I’m building this house upward. I’m very delighted to see, very clearly, a beautiful view in both directions — both the Olympics and the Cascades. CSQ: Could you explain why you chose Andromeda as the title of your 48th Symphony? Hovhaness: We get a most beautiful view through the telescope of Andromeda as a whole universe, a galaxy — a tremendous number of suns, stars. And around that there are about three smaller universes, or galaxies, rotating. It’s the most beautiful sight, astronomically, that we have, as far as I’m concerned. That was what in- spired'me. No human being should take on such a sublime and tremendous subject. But then, a cat or a mouse may look at heaven also. This is only just the mood of the thing. One can’t describe such an overwhelming thing. I mean, compared with such things, we as human beings and our Earth and music wasn’t as good as his own and he should not bother to do anything to help Mozart, give Mozart a chance. When Mozart went to Prague, though, he had tremendous success. CSQ: Where do you feel your music has been best received? What country? Hovhaness: Well, it’s hard to say because I’ve been very happy with the way it’s received here, and in Japan, in Europe. CSQ: I asked that because I’ve detected from your remarks that you, like Mozart, have some enemies, or people who do not want to play your music. Hovhaness: Yes. I remember I had a phone call from Leopold Stokowski one time, when he’d been conducting my music. He was in Houston then. He’d always report, through some lady friend of his or somebody, what happened to my music. One time he called me and said, wYou know, I’m surprised. I hear that you have ” rm writing as though we could Isurvive, because I think, as a friend of mine said, we have to go down nobly, doing our work." our solar system is like nothing. But we still have to have fun while we’re here. So we’re inspired to do a little something. CSQ: As the composer of an orchestral piece that incorporates the songs of humpback whales, recorded underwater, a piece you called And God Created Great Whales, how do you feel about nuclear submarines cruising through the oceans? Hovhaness: I must say I hate anything to do with nuclear energy. We can’t control it, even for peaceful use. Unfortunately, I think that human beings are a kind of enemy of the Earth. They think the Earth was made for them. It wasn’t. I question it. And I think the human animal, which is an animal like all the others, is very clever, very intelligent, and very selfish and dangerous. And lacks wisdom. I think the more weapons we have, the more deadly we are, to ourselves and to the Earth. So I hope we can survive. I’m writing as though we could survive, because I think, as a friend of mine said, we have to go down nobly, doing our work. CSQ: I wonder at times, what would be the best for the planet: the continuation of our species, or the end of it? Hovhaness: The end of it would be best for the Earth as a whole. CSQ: You really believe that? There would be no more Hovhanesses composing symphonies brought from the Andromeda Galaxy. Hovhaness: I like composing, but that’s probably a selfish thing. And I don’t feel I’m that important. This is for the gods of higher intelligences to decide. But we, unfortunately, are like children playing with matches in a place where there’s gunpowder. So I’m very much afraid of those things. Enemies and Populists CSQ: Are there words you can attach to the Andromeda Symphony to contrast it from the 2nd Symphony, for example? Is it more severe? More serene? Spare? Abstract? Hovhaness: Of course when one says “abstract,” one thinks of it as a kind of dehumanized thing. It isn’t necessarily. I suppose the symphony is an abstract form in a way. It’s more spare, perhaps. But everything is line. Everything is a living melody, a melodic line, long lines. It’s hard to describe. It’s not hard to listen to.... .... After all, a Mozart symphony is abstract and yet we know he loved operas, and we keep hearing opera characters coming into his piano sonatas, his symphonies.... He loved writing operas. He didn’t have the opportunity to do what he wanted to do. He never got the commissions, because he had a powerful enemy who was next to the king, Salieri. And Salieri did everything he could to make the king feel that Mozart’s enemies in New York. But I’m going to try to fight and help you fight those enemies.” He said, “Of course they’re prejudiced and they don’t understand.” CSQ: How do you account for the fact, if it is a fact, that your music is not generally premiered by. the so- called major orchestras of this country or of Europe? Hovhaness: Snobbery. I don’t have a snobbish name. I don’t write in the style I’m supposed to. They don’t dare do it. They’re afraid of criticism. They’re doing it more now, though. CSQ: Again and again we hear another version of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, or another series of Beethoven’s symphonies. We don’t need more interpretations of these established works. Why do we keep getting them? Hovhaness: Well, of course these things are popular. But also the conductor wants to show off what he can do that everybody knows, so that they know he’s good. Naturally I never mind Beethoven symphonies because they’re all so marvelously written. I don’t care how many times they want to do it. That’s fine. But I wish they’d do other things too. CSQ: What works are the ones you want to be remembered by? Hovhaness: I think some of my best music hasn’t been played yet, because I’ve written an enormous amount, and it takes time. I write because I have to write, not necessarily for a recording or performance. ... Actually, if I have a commission and it’s going to be played somewhere, that’s all fine. But many things I write because they have to be written, that’s all. I have ideas for things, and I’m satisfied once I’ve done it. And I’ll tell you, it’s hard to answer what my favorite works are because I may suddenly remember one, but I forget what I’ve written; I don’t remember what I’ve composed. (Over the course of the interview, however, Hovhaness did mention certain works of his that he considers prominent: Symphony No. 2 [Mysterious Mountain]; Symphony No. 9 [Saint Vartan]; Symphony No. 19 [Vishnu]; Concerto No. 1 for Piano & String Orchestra [Lous- adzak]; and Symphony No. 24 [Majnun]. CSQ: You mention this alienation you feel from musical snobbishness. Hovhaness: Yuh, that’s why I like Sibelius. He’s a man of the people ... like Verdi was. I remember one time there was some discussion of peasants and their habits and so on, and Sibelius said, “But you know, that’s a source. It’s a source of energy, of creation.” And he never, never left the A MUSIC LESSON The inestimable Dr. Johnson, as those of you English lit types out there will know, reminds us that knowledge is of two distinct types: knowledge we ourselves possess and knowledge we have of where to find out more about something we know little of. How, you ask, does this relate to Tower Records? Simply put, if you want to expand your knowledge of music in Category A above, the smart thing to do is to realize that one of your best resources (Category B) is Tower Records. Now anybody can have a facile appreciation of popular music just by listening to AM radio and checking out the Top Forty Record Rack down at the mall. But Tower Records is an entirely different kettle of fish: we try to stock every LP and cassette currently in print (and many that aren't) in every conceivable category of music. Interested in aboriginal music of the Northern Australian outback? It's available at Tower. How about Pinetop Smith's legendary piano boogie-woogie from the 20s? Rare, historic recordings by operatic greats such as Callas and Caruso? Early Frank Zappa? Frankly, we think you can get a better musical education just walking down the aisles at Tower and reading the liner notes than you can at many universities. And at a cost that is significantly less. Put us to the test: we've got your music. OPEN 9AM TO MIDNIGHT •365 DAYS A YEAR in m s Seattle 500 Mercer St. 4321 University Way NE 38 Clinton St. Quarterly
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