Havergal Brian.

[vandermolen]

Courtesy of the HBS, or is it available to ship already from online stores?

I had almost decided to pass on this one based on the excerpts on that site, but now I can see that I must take the plunge, if only for the 16th. I listened to the Fredman on Lyrita recently and was once again, quite blown away - this is certainly one of Brian's finest.

From HBS along with their mug!

[vandermolen]

I have my HB Society mug at work and drink tea out of it all the time. I work in a busy government department and lots of people see me using it, but no-one has ever asked me who Havergal Brian is. 

I had a Miaskovsky mug at work but it disappeared. 

[vandermolen]

Regarding,the point made by calyptorhyncus! Maybe,your wife won't even notice?!!
I'm sure nothing passes her,razor sharp,observational powers,though?!! Unluckily,for you!

Oddly enough she hasn't noticed it so far.

[vandermolen]

No's 6 & 16 seemed to go very well together,on the old Lyrita Lp,somehow? I'm sure I read,somewhere,that a different symphony was considered,initially;but they,subsequently,settled on No 16?! (Although,I may have got this wrong?)
I actually heard the Hyperion recording of No3,via the musicassette,released by the same company! I remember I had to turn it over,for the third movement. I was thinking,I wouldn't mind tracking down the cassette,s/h,for old times sake!! I wish I'd kept the Aries Lp,in a way! Did you buy any,vandermolen? It would be quite nice to have the one of the Gothic,actually! I presume the money wouldn't go to any bootleggers,now?!! I can't imagine they got rich on Brian? (Mansions,swimming pools!! ) They had great taste in music,though! Fair play!! I remember reading that their Lp of the Gothic was one of their better efforts (in terms of sound!) They seem to fetch quite a bit,now!

Didn't have any Brian bootleg's as far as I'm aware cilgwyn. The only LPs I have were the Groves 8 and 9 ( a marvellous LP), the Lyrita 6 and 16 ( terrific) and the Leicestershire Schools SO performing symphonies 10 and 21 and Symphony 22 etc on a CBS LP. The first Gothic Symphony I owned was on a Marco Polo CD which was reissued on Naxos.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Didn't have any Brian bootleg's as far as I'm aware cilgwyn. The only LPs I have were the Groves 8 and 9 ( a marvellous LP), the Lyrita 6 and 16 ( terrific) and the Leicestershire Schools SO performing symphonies 10 and 21 and Symphony 22 etc on a CBS LP. The first Gothic Symphony I owned was on a Marco Polo CD which was reissued on Naxos.

I only had the Groves and the other three LPs I had to tape (friend + local library). This brings back memories...

[vandermolen]

I only had the Groves and the other three LPs I had to tape (friend + local library). This brings back memories...

I also had the Mackerras version of Symphony 7 on an EMI LP.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I also had the Mackerras version of Symphony 7 on an EMI LP.

I bought a CD player especially for the CD, my first one ever...

[vandermolen]

I bought a CD player especially for the CD, my first one ever...

My first CD was Tubin's symphonies 2 and 6 (Jarvi) before I had a CD player. A friend allowed me to listen to it on his CD player.

[springrite]

My first CD was Tubin's symphonies 2 and 6 (Jarvi) before I had a CD player. A friend allowed me to listen to it on his CD player.

I bought my first CD before I had a player as well. It was Gershwin's An American in Paris, by the Lebeque sisters.

[cilgwyn]

The first cd's I ever played,were borrowed from the library. You were only allowed two;and one of them was Haitink's recording of the Sinfonia Antartica. I'm not sure about the other one? I think it might have been orchestral works by Manuel de Falla? But,I can't remember which recording?!! I believe it was digital?
I should point out (again) that I had no idea,at the time ,that the Aries Lp was pirated! I just remember thinking it was strange that it hadn't been advertised in Gramophone! It was just in a list from Michael G Thomas,who used to advertise in the back pages of Gramophone. They had a lot of bootleg type Lp sets of,off the beaten operas;and a cassette of Harriet Cohen's performance of Winter Legends,once;which I considered buying,but didn't! This would have been the broadcast performance,released by Dutton,some years later.

[calyptorhynchus]

The new Brian disk arrived in Australia and I have been listening to it. First thoughts, don't ditch your Fredman and Mackerras recordings yet.

Mainly this is because the 7th and 16th (haven't listened to Tinker's Wedding yet) seem much more lightweight than the older recordings. Fredman's 16 was a sort of granite monolith sitting on the audio landscape and radiating power. This recording is very competent, and, as always, a different recording will give you new insights into various passages that sound different, but it doesn't have that primal energy the older recording does.

I also see now why the critic that someone quoted earlier was talking about disruptive passages in 7. In this recording the flow of the music is is very disrupted in a way that Mackerras didn't bring out (I think for the best). In the older recording the music was more similar in mood throughout and that's an interpretation I prefer. In new this version of 7 I felt I was listing to a new symphony almost, and I didn't like it as much as the older version.

But I wouldn't tell anyone not to get them, particularly as the disk isn't full-price. As they say, I'll have to listen to them more.

And now on to Holmboe's Accordion Sonatas 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Enjoy them!


Your review confirms my hunch. I still have to get the disk. I'm not really in a hurry...

[vandermolen]

The first cd's I ever played,were borrowed from the library. You were only allowed two;and one of them was Haitink's recording of the Sinfonia Antartica. I'm not sure about the other one? I think it might have been orchestral works by Manuel de Falla? But,I can't remember which recording?!! I believe it was digital?
I should point out (again) that I had no idea,at the time ,that the Aries Lp was pirated! I just remember thinking it was strange that it hadn't been advertised in Gramophone! It was just in a list from Michael G Thomas,who used to advertise in the back pages of Gramophone. They had a lot of bootleg type Lp sets of,off the beaten operas;and a cassette of Harriet Cohen's performance of Winter Legends,once;which I considered buying,but didn't! This would have been the broadcast performance,released by Dutton,some years later.

Don't worry cilgwyn your underworld connections are safe with us.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Don't worry cilgwyn your underworld connections are safe with us.

[Christo]

Don't worry cilgwyn your underworld connections are safe with us.

Only once met the famous Worshipful Company of Somehow Assembled Brianites - in London, wasn't it in 1994 or so? Since then, I've always known all Brianites to be 'underworld'. 

[calyptorhynchus]

On the other hand the performance of The Tinker's Wedding on the new disk is much the best I have heard. Much more expansive and less hurried than other recordings. 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Only once met the famous Worshipful Company of Somehow Assembled Brianites - in London, wasn't it in 1994 or so? Since then, I've always known all Brianites to be 'underworld'. 

27 May 1995...


Our historic first meeting.

[cilgwyn]

Don't worry cilgwyn your underworld connections are safe with us.

Just for one moment (when I saw your post & Johan's) I wondered what I'd done?!! I can honestly say that there were no clandestine meetings in a derelict warehouse! No other illegal contraband,was involved!! I think it came in a plain,brown,wrapper,though?!!
I must admit,I had this mental picture of you,and Johan;with stacks of Aries Lp's! Was,I,really,the only one?!! That makes me feel good! The thought of some pirate (albeit,a pirate with good taste in music!) lying next to a swimming pool,surrounded by beautiful women;living it up off the back of profits,made from pirated Havergal Brian Lp's and mugs,like me!!!!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

On the other hand the performance of The Tinker's Wedding on the new disk is much the best I have heard. Much more expansive and less hurried than other recordings. 

Admirable understatement.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

The thought of some pirate (albeit,a pirate with good taste in music!) lying next to a swimming pool,surrounded by beautiful women;living it up off the back of profits,made from pirated Havergal Brian Lp's and mugs,like me!!!!

Havergal Island... The mind boggles.