Hovhaness’s complete sonatas and sonatinas

A pianist facing Hovhaness’ works risks losing himself among sonatas, sonatinas, suites and other pieces. In this huge body of music we can find classical sonatas forms, aleatoric pieces, suites in ancient style, and ancient forms (like fugues or canons) completely revisited in an eastern style. Any performer wishing to expand his repertoire and to promote Hovhaness music has many different choices: to play some works taken from a specific period, to select only some compositions following their music features, or to study only certain kinds of compositions. We followed the latter path, even though, as Wayne David Johnson points out in his thesis (see bibliography), Hovhaness’ choice of titles like “sonata” or “sonatina” can be “rather puzzling”. The reasons for this choice are:

  1. Many recordings of piano music are available but not as an organic set. The simplest thing is to select a particular example representative of a particular type of composition.
  2. Choosing the “sonata” form, we can show a broad chronological span of Hovhaness’ output, from the first sonata (Ricercare) dating 1935, to the last (Katahdin) dating 1987.
  3. This chronological span also reflects Hovhaness’ attitude towards styles. In this way a complete recording of his sonatas can give a full overview of Hovhaness’ stylistic features

We hope that this work will bring Hovhaness to his rightful place in the piano’s repertoire. My complete recording is now available on iTunes (7 CDs) by Taukay editions.

Or you can freely listen to all the sonatas on my Youtube channel:

Sonata “Ricercare”, op. 12
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Ricercare”, op. 12 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Ricercare”, op. 12 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Ricercare”, op. 12 (III)

Sonatina, op. 120
Alan Hovhaness – Sonatina, op. 120 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonatina, op. 120 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonatina, op. 120 (III)

Sonata op. 145
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata op. 145 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata op. 145 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata op. 145 (III)

Sonata “Lake of Van”, op. 175
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Lake of Van”, op. 175 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Lake of Van”, op. 175 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Lake of Van”, op. 175 (III)

Sonata “Madras”, op. 176
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Madras”, op. 176 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Madras”, op. 176 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Madras”, op. 176 (III)

Sonata “Poseidon”, op. 191
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Poseidon”, op. 191 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Poseidon”, op. 191 (II)

Sonata “Bardo” op. 192
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Bardo” op. 192 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Bardo” op. 192 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Bardo” op. 192 (III)

Sonatina “Meditation on Mt. Monadnok”, op. 288
Alan Hovhaness – Sonatina “Meditation on Mt. Monadnok”, op. 288 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonatina “Meditation on Mt. Monadnok”, op. 288 (II)

Sonata “Mt. Belknap”, op. 299 n. 1
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Belknap”, op. 299 n. 1 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Belknap”, op. 299 n. 1 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Belknap”, op. 299 n. 1 (III)

Sonata “Mt. Ossipee”, op. 299 n. 2
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Ossipee”, op. 299 n. 2 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Ossipee”, op. 299 n. 2 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Ossipee”, op. 299 n. 2 (III)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Ossipee”, op. 299 n. 2 (IV)

Sonata “Mt. Shasta”, op. 299 n. 3
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Shasta”, op. 299 n. 3 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Shasta”, op. 299 n. 3 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Shasta”, op. 299 n. 3 (I)

Sonata “Fred the cat”, op. 301
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Fred the cat”, op. 301 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Fred the cat”, op. 301 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Fred the cat”, op. 301 (III)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Fred the cat”, op. 301 (IV)

Sonata “Ananda”, op. 303
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Ananda”, op. 303 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Ananda”, op. 303 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Ananda”, op. 303 (III)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Ananda”, op. 303 (IV)

Sonata “Mt. Chocorua”, op. 335
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Chocorua”, op. 335 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Chocorua”, op. 335 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Chocorua”, op. 335 (III)

Sonata “Blue Job Mountain”, op. 340
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Blue Job Mountain”, op. 340 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Blue Job Mountain”, op. 340 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Blue Job Mountain”, op. 340 (III)

Sonata “Catamount”, op. 345
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Catamount”, op. 345 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Catamount”, op. 345 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Catamount”, op. 345 (III)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Catamount”, op. 345 (IV)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Catamount”, op. 345 (V)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Catamount”, op. 345 (VI)

Sonata “Prospect Hill”, op. 346
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Prospect Hill”, op. 346 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Prospect Hill”, op. 346 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Prospect Hill”, op. 346 (III)

Sonata “Journey to Arcturus”, op. 354
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Journey to Arcturus”, op. 354 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Journey to Arcturus”, op. 354 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Journey to Arcturus”, op. 354 (III)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Journey to Arcturus”, op. 354 (IV)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Journey to Arcturus”, op. 354 (V)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Journey to Arcturus”, op. 354 (VI)

Sonata “To Hiroshige’s cat”, op. 366
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “To Hiroshige’s cat”, op. 366 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “To Hiroshige’s cat”, op. 366 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “To Hiroshige’s cat”, op. 366 (III)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “To Hiroshige’s cat”, op. 366 (IV)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “To Hiroshige’s cat”, op. 366 (V)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “To Hiroshige’s cat”, op. 366 (VI)

Sonata “On the long total eclipse of the moon”, op. 367
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “On the long total eclipse of the moon”, op. 367 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “On the long total eclipse of the moon”, op. 367 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “On the long total eclipse of the moon”, op. 367 (III)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “On the long total eclipse of the moon”, op. 367 (IV)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “On the long total eclipse of the moon”, op. 367 (V)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “On the long total eclipse of the moon”, op. 367 (VI)

Sonata “Tsugouharu Fujita’s sleeping cat”, op. 368
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Tsugouharu Fujita’s sleeping cat”, op. 368 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Tsugouharu Fujita’s sleeping cat”, op. 368 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Tsugouharu Fujita’s sleeping cat”, op. 368 (III)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Tsugouharu Fujita’s sleeping cat”, op. 368 (IV)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Tsugouharu Fujita’s sleeping cat”, op. 368 (V)

Sonata “Lake Sammamish”, op. 369
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Lake Sammamish”, op. 369 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Lake Sammamish”, op. 369 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Lake Sammamish”, op. 369 (III)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Lake Sammamish”, op. 369 (IV)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Lake Sammamish”, op. 369 (V)

Sonata “Cougar Mountain”, op. 390
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Cougar Mountain”, op. 390 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Cougar Mountain”, op. 390 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Cougar Mountain”, op. 390 (III)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Cougar Mountain”, op. 390 (IV)

Sonata op. 399
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata op. 399 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata op. 399 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata op. 399 (III)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata op. 399 (IV)

Sonata “Mt. Katahdin”, op. 405
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Katahdin”, op. 405 (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Katahdin”, op. 405 (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Katahdin”, op. 405 (III)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata “Mt. Katahdin”, op. 405 (IV)

Sonata op. 22 [juvenile]
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata op. 22 [juvenile] (I)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata op. 22 [juvenile] (II)
Alan Hovhaness – Sonata op. 22 [juvenile] (III)