Howard Hanson

Opera:

Opus 31. "The Merry Mount", 3 acts (1933)

Choral works:

Symphonic poem "North and West" with obbligato chorus (1923)

"The Lament for Beowulf" for chorus & orchestra (1925)

"Heroic Elegy" for wordless chorus & orchestra (1927)

"Drum Taps" (Walt Whitman) for baritone, chorus & orchestra (1935)

Orchestral works:

Symphonic Prelude (1916)

Symphonic Legend (1917)

Symphonic Rhapsody (1919)

Symphonic poem "Before the Dawn" (1920)

Symphony No. 1 ("Nordic"), E mi. (1922)

Symphony No. 2 ("Romantic") (1930)

Symphony No. 3 (1941)

Symphony No. 4 (1943) - Pulitzer Prize Winner

Serenade (1945)

Symphony No. 5 ("Sinfonia Sacra") (1955)

Symphony No. 6 (1967)

Symphony No. 7 ("Sea Symphony") (Walt Whitman) (1977)

Ballet "Nymphs and Satyr" (1979)

Exaltation, op.20, symphonic. poem, pf obbl., 1920

Sym. no.1 'Nordic', e, op.21, 1922

Lux aeterna, op.24, sym. poem, va obb1., 1923

Pan and the Priest, op.26, sym. poem, pf obb1., 1926

Organ Concerto, op.27, 1926

Sym. no.2 'Romantic', op.30, 1930

Sym. no.3, op.33, 1937 - 8; Merry Mount, suite, 1938

Sym. no.4 'The Requiem', op.34, 1943

Serenade, op.35, fl, harp, str, 1945

Piano Concerto, op.36, 1948

Pastorale, op.38, ob, harp, str, 1949

Fantasy-Variations on a Theme of Youth, op.40, pf, orch, 1951

Sym. no.5 'Sinfonia sacra', op.43, 1954

Elegy, op.44, 1956

Mosaics, 1958

Summer Seascape, 1958

Bold Island Suite, op.46, 1961

For the First Time, 1963

Summer Seascape II, 1966

Dies natalis I, 1967

Sym. no.6, 1968

Sym. no.7 'Sea', with chorus, 1977

Solo instrument and orchestra:

Symphonic poem "Exaltation" with piano obbligato (1920)

Concerto for organ strings & harp (1921)

Symphonic poem "Lux aeterna" with viola obbligato (1923)

Symphonic poem "Pan and the Priest" with piano obbligato (1926)

Organ Concerto (1926)

Piano Concerto (1948)

Voice and orchestra:

Songs from Walt Whitman (1915)

The Untold Want

Portals

Joy! Shipmate, Joy!

Chamber music:

Quintet, F mi., for 2 violins, viola, cello & piano (1916)

"Concerto da camera" for 2 violins, viola, cello & piano (1917)

String Quartet (1923)

Choral:

The Lament for Beowulf, op.25, chorus, orch, 1925

Songs from Drum Taps, op.32, Bar, chorus, orch, 1935

The Cherubic Hymn, op.37, chorus, orch, 1949

How Excellent Thy Name, op.41, female vv, pf, 1952

Song of Democracy, chorus, orch, 1957

Song of Human Rights, chorus, orch, 1963

Psalm CL, male vv, 1965

Psalm CXXI, Bar, chorus, orch, 1968

Streams in the Desert, chorus, orch, 1969

The Mystic Trumpeter, narrator, chorus, orch, 1970

New Land, New Covenant, oratorio, 1976

Howard Hanson was born in Wahoo, Nebraska on October 28, 1896. His mother taught him music, and he later attended Luther College for more musical training. Hanson studied in Rome, attended the Institute of Musical Art (later to become the Julliard School), and Northwestern University. He was an instructor at Northwestern for a couple years. Hanson taught theory and composition at College of the Pacific. Hanson was head of the Eastman School of Music in New York for 40 years. He helped to strengthen the curriculum of the Conservatory. Hanson conducted many American works. His style was lyrical and harmonic, and liked asymmetrical rhythms. Hanson was influenced by the Gregorian Chant, Jean Sibelius, and Edvard Grieg. Most people consider him to have a Romantic style. Hanson conducted his Symphony no. 4 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra on December 3, 1943, and the next year he won a Pulitzer Prize for that piece. Hanson was awarded the American Prix de Rome in Music from the California Forest Play. Hanson was very interested in educating younger people about music, and was involved in organizations such as Music Teachers National Association and the National Association of Schools of Music. He was the president of the National Music Council. Hanson died Feb. 26, 1981.