15+ Alan Hovhaness Quotes On Music, Japanese Woodprints

Alan Hovhaness was an American composer of Armenian and Scottish descent. He was known for his spiritual and mystical musical works, which often incorporated Armenian and Asian influences. He composed over 400 works, including 67 symphonies, and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1960 for his Symphony No. 2, "Mysterious Mountain". Following is our collection on famous quotes by Alan Hovhaness on love, life, music.

The composer...joins Heaven and Earth with threads of sounds. — Alan Hovhaness

This is not to say that the Scots are not fine people, but they were all sort of... well, my grandfather was a minister and sort of Protestant, and this was rather depressing to me. — Alan Hovhaness

My purpose is to create music not for snobs, but for all people, music which is beautiful and healing. To attempt what old Chinese painters called 'spirit resonance' in melody and sound. — Alan Hovhaness

I found a greater identity with my own emotions in the Armenian culture as I grew older, as well as from the beginning, although I didn't know anything about it. — Alan Hovhaness

My mother's background was Scottish. She came from an old family, some of whom lived in upper New York State and some of whom had come over from Scotland. — Alan Hovhaness

I was born in Somerville, but I don't remember very much about it because we moved from there to Arlington when I was five years old, and it was in Arlington that I spent most of my childhood. — Alan Hovhaness

It's hard for me to think of others because I'm not particularly in sympathy with the music of this century. — Alan Hovhaness

To me, atonality is against nature. There is a center to everything that exists. The planets have the sun, the earth, the moon. — Alan Hovhaness

I think that of my 21 symphonies, each has its own place. — Alan Hovhaness

The greater the emotional intensity, the greater the simplicity. — Alan Hovhaness

There were periods when I sometimes made fires in a large, open fireplace that lasted about two weeks, which was how long it took to burn my compositions. So there has been an awful lot that I have destroyed. — Alan Hovhaness

I did all kinds of things in order to earn a living. — Alan Hovhaness

There is nothing like practice. — Alan Hovhaness

I was much more interested in the orchestra than the piano, but I did become fairly proficient as a pianist and my teachers felt I had talent and wanted me to become a good concert pianist and earn my living that way. — Alan Hovhaness

No, no, I didn't know him. He lost his mind around 1917 because of the tragedy of the Armenians. — Alan Hovhaness

Life Lessons by Alan Hovhaness

1. Alan Hovhaness' work emphasizes the importance of combining traditional and modern musical elements, demonstrating the potential of combining different styles to create something new.
2. His work also highlights the importance of experimentation and exploration, encouraging listeners to take risks and explore new ideas.
3. Through his compositions, Hovhaness demonstrates the power of music to bring people together and to create a sense of unity and understanding.