Alan Hovhaness Quotes

To me, atonality is against nature. There is a center to everything that exists.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Against Atonality Center Everything Exist Nature
I found a greater identity with my own emotions in the Armenian culture as I grew older.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Country Culture Emotion Found Greater Grew Identity Older Own
As well as from the beginning, although I didn’t know anything about it.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Anything From Beginning
It’s hard for me to think of others because I’m not particularly in sympathy with the music of this century.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Century Hard Music Often Particular Sympathy Think
Well, my grandfather was a minister and sort of Protestant, and this was rather depressing to me.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Depress Grandfather Minister Protestant Rather Well
My purpose is to create music not for snobs, but for all people, music which is beautiful and healing.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Beautiful Create Hear Music People Purpose Snob
The greater the emotional intensity, the greater the simplicity.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Emotional Greater Intensity Simplicity
I was born in Somerville, but I don’t remember very much about it because we moved from there to Arlington when I was five years old, and it was in Arlington that I spent most of my childhood.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Childhood Country Five Move Old Remember Sometimes Spent
I’ve always regarded nature as the clothing of God.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Always Cloth God Nature Regard
The composer…joins Heaven and Earth with threads of sounds.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Composer Earth Heaven Join Sound Thread
She came from an old family, some of whom lived in upper New York State and some of whom had come over from Scotland.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Country Family Live Mother Old State Upper
There is nothing like practice.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Like Nothing Practice
The planets have the sun, the earth, the moon.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Earth Moon Planet Sun
I did all kinds of things in order to earn a living.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Earn Kind Living Order Thing
I was much more interested in the orchestra than the piano.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Interest More Much Orchestra Piano
My mother’s background was Scottish.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Background Country Mother
This is not to say that the Scots are not fine people, but they were all sort of.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Fine People Say Scot Sort
But I did become fairly proficient as a pianist and my teachers felt I had talent and wanted me to become a good concert pianist and earn my living that way.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Concert Earn Fairy Live Pianist Proficient Talent That Want Way
I think that of my 21 symphonies, each has its own place.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Each Own Place Symphony Think
To attempt what old Chinese painters called ‘spirit resonance’ in melody and sound.
ALAN HOVHANESS

Attempt Country Melody Old Painter Resonance Sound Spirit

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