Peter Wisse:

>The other day, I heard on the radio, a piece which intrigued me.  It
>appeared to be the symphony "The misterious "Mountain" by Hovhaness, I
>bought the CD, and now I wonder if the other Symphonies by this composer
>are as beautiful as this one.  Who can tell me?

Hovhaness wrote a truckload of symphonies.  Not all of them are as
beautiful as the second (Mysterious Mountain).  On the other hand,
some are very beautiful indeed.  My favorites include the following:

 #1 "Exile"
 #2 "Mysterious Mountain"
 #4 (haven't heard #3) for band
 #6 "Celestial Gate" (haven't heard #5)
 #9 "St. Vartan" (haven't heard #8)
#11 "All Men Are Brothers" (haven't heard #10)
#15 "Silver Pilgrimage" (haven't heard #13)
#19 "Vishnu" (haven't heard #16 or 18)
#24 "Majnun"
#25 "Odysseus"

There are at least fifty symphonies.  After #25, I think there's a
significant fall-off, at least in the symphonies I've heard.

Steve Schwartz