Havergal Brian.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

To the Brianites: what's your favorite performance of The Gothic and why?

I know five performances: Boult, Schmidt, Lenard, Curro, Brabbins. Three of those are available on CD. The question is difficult to answer, because every performance has its own pros and cons. The Gothic is in two parts, the first purely orchestral, the second choral. I think Boult and Curro are my top picks for Part 1, and Boult and Brabbins for Part 2. Why - excitement and/or precision.

[Mirror Image]

I know five performances: Boult, Schmidt, Lenard, Curro, Brabbins. Three of those are available on CD. The question is difficult to answer, because every performance has its own pros and cons. The Gothic is in two parts, the first purely orchestral, the second choral. I think Boult and Curro are my top picks for Part 1, and Boult and Brabbins for Part 2. Why - excitement and/or precision.

Very nice. Thanks for your feedback, Johan. How's the audio quality on the Boult?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Very nice. Thanks for your feedback, Johan. How's the audio quality on the Boult?

I know how important sonics are for you, John. The Boult is from 1966, and was only issued on Testament a few years ago. Having been used to bad-sounding tapes, that release was a big improvement. But it remains analog. (The Brabbins sounds terrific, but that's 2011 for you...)

[Mirror Image]

I know how important sonics are for you, John. The Boult is from 1966, and was only issued on Testament a few years ago. Having been used to bad-sounding tapes, that release was a big improvement. But it remains analog. (The Brabbins sounds terrific, but that's 2011 for you...)

Thanks, Johan. I just bought the Boult performance of The Gothic. Coincidently, I just listened to a bit of it on YouTube and was enthralled with it so far.

[André]

Time for a reassessment. I have Boult and Brabbyns but can't remember much besides preferring Boult. I will give both a spin eventually.

[Mirror Image]

Time for a reassessment. I have Boult and Brabbyns but can't remember much besides preferring Boult. I will give both a spin eventually.

Looking forward to your feedback.

[André]

Ooops. I feel pressure 

OK, I've pulled them down from the shelves and will listen to Brabbyns later this week.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Poor André...

[Mirror Image]

Ooops. I feel pressure 

OK, I've pulled them down from the shelves and will listen to Brabbyns later this week.

Poor André...

No pressure, Andre. Completely at your leisure.

[André]

Poor André...

Actually, being prodded to step out of one's routine (for one's own good, of course) is quite healthy. Beware of apathy and listener fatigue, I say ! 

[relm1]

I know five performances: Boult, Schmidt, Lenard, Curro, Brabbins. Three of those are available on CD. The question is difficult to answer, because every performance has its own pros and cons. The Gothic is in two parts, the first purely orchestral, the second choral. I think Boult and Curro are my top picks for Part 1, and Boult and Brabbins for Part 2. Why - excitement and/or precision.

I will confess to not having heard Schmidt.  I own the others.  I think my go to version would be Brabbins though in some crucial moments I prefer Lenard however it has an inferior sound and instrumentation shortcuts.  It would be great if it was remastered.  Curro is a good "best of bread" that holds very special place for me since I was at the rehearsals and concert.  At the time no one know if the Gothic would ever be performed again.  Ultimately, great and complex works such as this are never recorded perfectly.  Any one version is a compromise.

[springrite]

To the Brianites: what's your favorite performance of The Gothic and why?

Being a Brianite and a Brabbinite, I'd vote for Brabbins.

[Mirror Image]

Being a Brianite and a Brabbinite, I'd vote for Brabbins.

But why Brabbins over the others, Paul? Is there something you really admire in his performance that the others do not have?

[springrite]

But why Brabbins over the others, Paul? Is there something you really admire in his performance that the others do not have?

Maybe just better sound more than anything else.

[kyjo]

Okay, so I finally got around to listening to the Gothic for the first time a couple months ago via the Lenard recording on Naxos/Marco Polo. I must confess that I could make no sense of the music whatsoever, turned it off about halfway through, and haven't since been compelled to finish listening to it. Should I try listening to a different recording (I'm suspecting the Lenard isn't the best available)? Or is Brian just not my thing? Enlighten me, please, Brianites

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Okay, so I finally got around to listening to the Gothic for the first time a couple months ago via the Lenard recording on Naxos/Marco Polo. I must confess that I could make no sense of the music whatsoever, turned it off about halfway through, and haven't since been compelled to finish listening to it. Should I try listening to a different recording (I'm suspecting the Lenard isn't the best available)? Or is Brian just not my thing? Enlighten me, please, Brianites

Of course it could simply just not be your cup of tea. Loving Brian isn't mandatory. What I do like to know is  - what do you expect the music to do, which it doesn't? Brian's structures are not traditional. Brian moves in his own mysterious ways... Adjusting to that is often key to 'getting' his music.

[Klaatu]

kyjo -

I didn't listen to the Gothic until long after I'd heard some of HB's much shorter (and arguably, greater) symphonies, especially 6, 8, 10 and 16.

I often suggest newcomers start with 6 and 10 - great works, full of Brian idiosyncrasies, but with some beautiful lyrical content not always present in his knottier works. I suggest listening to 6 in both Fredman and Walker versions, and 10 in both the LSSO/Loughran and Brabbins versions. (Currently all available on YouTube).

Each of these only lasts 15-20 minutes. If you are initially confused and then drawn back (as I was) for another listen, you're on your way to becoming a Brianite - and then you can revisit the Gothic!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Excellent suggestion, Klaatu.

[vandermolen]

Following my public 'Naming and Shaming' on this Forum, as a lapsed HB Society member, I'd like it put on record that I have now re-joined the HB Society and will be obtaining (one way or another) my HB Society Mug in due course.


On a separate note, I have at least three recordings of the Gothic (not including the same one twice on Marco Polo and Naxos  )

I rather like the old Marco Polo one (Lenard), probably because for a long time it was the only one available and I played it constantly. Although I was at the Brabbins concert (as I had been at the Schmidt one) I've hardly played the CD, so I need to rectify that as well.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

The Prodigal Son returns... 'I'll be back' - but that's a different franchise... Enjoy your mug, and Brabbins!