The violinist shares influential memories behind recording the works of US composer Alan Hovhaness, now immortalised in a new album
Photo: supplied
Violinist Zina Schiff
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’Here’s a whale of a story for you!’ said conductor Andre Kostelanetz.
I was in upstate New York having an early breakfast with Andre before our dress rehearsal with the Rochester Philharmonic for a romantic Valentine’s Day concert, soloing Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole in my new ruffled red gown.
Between bites of toast, he began his tale. A zoologist friend had played a tape for him of humpback whales ’singing.’ Deeply moved by nature’s music, Andre thought to commission a work for orchestra, incorporating these unique sounds. His ’soulful’ friend, Alan Hovhaness, was just the composer to do it. And God Created the Great Whale premiered with the New York Philharmonic in 1971, Kostelanetz conducting.
Andre spoke to me of his joy in championing American composers, especially those who ’coloured outside the lines.’ He thought I might enjoy playing Hovhaness one day. Clearly, he loved designing daring, innovative programmes to delight his audiences and I was grateful he was a risk-taking man, hiring a young, unknown California soloist!
Fast-forward: San Francisco
When my first daughter was born, Andre sent a beautiful telegram, welcoming the baby and noting that she shared his initials AK. He took it personally, although it was unintentional!
The next time Andre conducted in San Francisco was a New Year’s Eve concert. The day before, he received word that his beloved friend, composer Richard Rogers, had died. When Andre telephoned me, he sounded grief-stricken. He invited us to dinner on 2 January at the most elegant Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, Cecilia Chiang’s Mandarin in Ghirardelli Square. He specifically wanted to eat Chinese food in homage to Rogers and his musical, Flower Drum Song, set in San Francisco. Andre had arranged and recorded the score.
My husband and I picked him up at his hotel, and we shared a memorable, sentimental dinner. Before returning to the hotel, Andre requested we stop off at the large Tower Record shop, insisting he go in alone. When he came out, he handed us an autographed copy of his recording of Flower Drum Song! We also had a gift for him - my husband’s first book, complete with a photo of the author and family (me and baby AK) on the back cover. Andre was flying from San Francisco to the Caribbean for a brief vacation, and now he had a new book to read on the plane.
We did not want this evening to end. As we hugged goodbyes, this dear man’s last words to me were ’and when I get home, I will arrange to bring you to solo with me and the New York Philharmonic.’ Exactly two weeks after Richard Rogers died, Andre Kostelanetz joined his friend in heaven.
Fast-forward:
After the release of my first two CDs, the Bach/Vivaldi and Lark Ascending with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, I was invited to do another pair of recordings with a different foreign orchestra. One of the works requested was the Hovhaness Violin Concerto. Andre would have been happy!
Soon I received a smudgy copy of the manuscript and visually fell in love with the notes, which danced playfully and passionately on the page. (It did take a while and patience before I could decipher them.) No orchestral score or piano reduction was available, so I learnt my part in a mysterious void. Thankfully, rehearsal time was budgeted into the recording plan.
When I first heard the opening pizzicati of the Concerto, I was so enchanted that I nearly missed my entrance. Each movement greeted me with its own magic, as I was transported into the soulful world of Andre’s friend. I thought I even heard whale gurgles amidst butterflies, hummingbirds, stars, jigs, and hymns. This was going to be fun!
The Hovhaness sessions were scheduled later in the week, while the longer works were set for recording first. At least, that was the plan… until during day one of the recording, an ’act of God’ caused the entire two CD project to be canceled! Of all the repertoire, I was most disappointed not to record the Hovhaness.
Fast forward: Salzburg
Flower Drum Song ’A hundred million miracles…are happening every day!’
Hovhaness Violin Concerto and Oror (Lullaby) recording. ’AK’ is on the podium. Avlana Kinneret Eisenberg! I wonder…is Andre still orchestrating…from above?
My initial intent was to pair the Concerto with other American orchestral works. When Naxos expressed interest in an all-Hovhaness album, I switched gears and contacted Mrs. Hovhaness, who graciously poked through boxes and found more music to explore. The Sonata was a significant addition to the album, and Les Baux a special treat. The Celestial Bird brought me back to the Lark Ascending - what joy to feel such freedom in one’s fingers! Sadly, unforeseen delays, including Covid, interfered. Mrs. Hovhaness did not live to hear our CD.
I am thrilled to finally bring this soulful, refreshingly bold, highly listenable and uplifting music to light. I am also grateful that the artwork of the internationally acclaimed Armenian ceramicist, my friend Arman Darian, is featured on the cover. His vivid swirling patterns, delicately painted on symbolic shapes of pottery in varied sizes, form a cohesive whole, celebrating and communicating the energy and moods of Hovhaness’s music, capturing the Oneness and wonder of it all. Hovhaness thought of his music as healing and wanted it to be a source of comfort. Surely, this is a time for his voice to be heard.
All this from a whale of a tale at breakfast in Rochester!
Alan Hovhaness’ Violin Concerto no.2 and Works for Violin & Piano is performed by Zina Schiff, Valerie Stark, Salzburg Chamber Soloists and Avlana Eisenberg in a new album on Naxos, out now. The album marks the 25th anniversary of the composer’s death.
Listen: The Strad Podcast Episode #49: Zina Schiff and Avlana Eisenberg on mother and daughter collaboration
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