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Mercury Living Presence Boxed Set CD9 van55
Hanson: Symphony No. 1 Nordic; Symphony No. 2 Romantic; Song of Democracy
Eastman-Rochester Orchestra
Eastman School of Music Chorus
Howard Hanson, cond.

Howard Hanson (1896 - 1981) was among the first twentieth century American composers to achieve widespread prominence. In contrast to the angular Stravinskian and Americana-influenced sounds that dominated American concert music prior to World War II, Hanson wrote in an unabashedly Romantic idiom influenced by his Nordic roots. Of particular importance to the composer was the music of Sibelius; however, he also acknowledged the influence of composers such as Palestrina and Bach.
Hanson's most characteristic works are undoubtedly his seven symphonies. The first of these, the "Nordic" Symphony (1922), dates from the composer's studies in Rome. The Second Symphony ("Romantic"), remains Hanson's best-known work, a characteristic realization of the lush, lyric aesthetic with which he is closely associated.