Music of Alan Hovhaness

As much as I tend to cordially despise any sort of "mood-altering" music, I'll make an exception for this hypnotic collection of works for harp by Alan Hovhaness. The prolific composer -- he wrote 67 symphonies prior to his death in June 2000 -- was also a passionate naturalist, as may be gathered from the ethereal "Spirit of Trees," a sonata for harp and guitar here receiving its world premiere recording. The lovely American harpist Yolanda Kondonassis plays with abundant intelligence and refinement, 

both in the sonata and in its companion pieces: the Concerto for Harp and String Orchestra, the solo Harp Sonata, "Upon Enchanted Ground" -- scored for flute, cello, harp, and giant tam-tam -- and the enchanting "Garden of Adonis," in which Kondonassis is joined by flutist Eugenia Zukerman. Although this is not necessarily or exclusively music for tree-huggers, they will no doubt be delighted by the album's insistence that "A portion of the proceeds of this recording will benefit the worldwide effort to conserve the earth's natural rainforests." No mention is made, alas, of any plans for the "unnatural" ones.