ALAN HOVHANESS (1911-2000): Angelic Song for Voice, Horn and String Orchestra, Op. 19, Concerto No. 3 "Diran (The Religious Singer)", Op. 94, Concerto for Horn and String Orchestra "Artik", Op. 78, Psalm and Fugue No. 2 for 4 Horns, Chahagir (Torch Bearer) for Solo Viola, Op. 56/1.

Description: Some very unusual and early Hovhaness here, with the Angelic Song (1947-8), Diran (1948) and Psalm and Fugue (1944) receiving their world premiere recordings. Angelic Song is the longest of these, written in the form of a Baroque cantata with homophony and imitative polyphony infused with the composer's own modal melodic and harmonic palette reminiscent of the scales of Orthodox chant. Diran uses the solo horn as a cantor (much as Artik also does in its multi-movement, larger-scale format) while the Psalm and Fugue of 1954 evolves from a similarly spiritual source. Robin Dauer (horn), Suzanne Banister (soprano), Hendrix College Chamber Orchestra; Karen Griebling (viola).