Havergal Brian.

Started by Harry, June 09, 2007, 04:36:53 AM

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J.Z. Herrenberg

Alas, no. We'll just have to be patient, I guess. Another nice thing on the horizon, though, is a DVD of the Brisbane 'Gothic' of 2010...
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Albion

Thanks. I'm sure that when it eventually appears this recording of Faust with the forces of ENO will be a spectacular vindication of Brian's operatic mastery... ;D
A piece is worth your attention, and is itself for you praiseworthy, if it makes you feel you have not wasted your time over it. (SG, 1922)

J.Z. Herrenberg

In preparation for that event, you can always study the piano reduction:

https://ump.co.uk/catalogue/havergal-brian-faust/
Several symphonies can now be studied in score online. Check the HBS site.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

relm1

Quote from: vandermolen on December 16, 2020, 01:12:20 PM
Exciting new release!


Of course, I must own this but I wish Groves had recorded Part 2 as well.  :(

vandermolen

Quote from: relm1 on December 17, 2020, 03:14:13 PM
Of course, I must own this but I wish Groves had recorded Part 2 as well.  :(
Yes, I agree but I prefer the orchestral sections (apart from the ethereal last chord of the finale).
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Klaatu

Hi everyone,

Here's a late Christmas present!

I can't tell you how delighted I was to find this today - the documentary "The Grateful and the Dead", about the rock band The Grateful Dead and their Rex Foundation, which subsidised the performance of neglected classical music. I saw this on TV back in 1992 and kept hoping somebody would upload it - and they have!

This documentary is now on YouTube and contains rarely-seen footage of HB and the rehearsals for the Bratislava performance of The Gothic. And several other neglected and worthy composers besides. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/x1ZKCVaPw7c

Klaatu

PS The HB section starts around 24 minutes in ..... immediately followed by Bob Simpson! What's not to like?

J.Z. Herrenberg

Nice! I remember watching that, too. Many thanks for this great find!
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

vandermolen

Enthusiastic review of new Heritage release of Charles Groves conducting Part 1 of the Gothic Symphony. I didn't know or have forgotten that Brian sanction performances of the orchestral movements without the choral finale:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2021/Feb/Brian-sy1-HTGCD172.htm
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

J.Z. Herrenberg

#8029
Will read. If they are enthusiastic, so am I. 'In Memoriam' gets its best performance and Part 1 of The Gothic, although a bit rough around the edges, is very exciting. That climax in the Vivace, with the three giant chords, is taken very slowly, and it works very well.
Update: good review! Totally agree.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

relm1

Quote from: J.Z. Herrenberg on February 11, 2021, 10:39:42 AM
Will read. If they are enthusiastic, so am I. 'In Memoriam' gets its best performance and Part 1 of The Gothic, although a bit rough around the edges, is very exciting. That climax in the Vivace, with the three giant chords, is taken very slowly, and it works very well.
Update: good review! Totally agree.

Completely agree.  Very good and exciting performance I very much enjoyed.  Wish we had his part 2 though.  i like his pacing better than Boults maybe even my favorite.

Maestro267

I'm into session 4 (of 8) of a Havergal Brian symphony run. First time I'll have listened to all 32 in numerical order.

Planned (or already completed) schedule:

Session 1: No. 1 (yesterday)
Session 2: Nos. 2-3 (yesterday)
Session 3: Nos. 4-6 (earlier today)
Session 4: Nos. 7-9 (currently playing No. 7 as I write)
Session 5: Nos. 10-15
Session 6: Nos. 16-20
Session 7: Nos. 21-26
Session 8: Nos. 27-32

J.Z. Herrenberg

That sounds wonderful. You will notice that every symphony has its own character.  While I do have my favorites, I am very glad we have 32 of them! Happy listening!
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

calyptorhynchus

The thing everyone knows about Brian is that he wrote one of the longest symphonies ever. I like to remind people that he also wrote some short symphonies, including one of the shortest ever written, #22.
I had thought that this symphony was the shortest symphony written in Britain, however today I came across the late C18 symphonies of John Marsh. One of these, #3 on the Olympia disc, lasts 9:14, easily beating the very lengthy HB #22 (9:22 in the Walker version).  :)
'Many men are melancholy by hearing music, but it is a pleasing melancholy that it causeth.' Robert Burton

relm1

Quote from: Klaatu on December 28, 2020, 02:03:42 PM
Hi everyone,

Here's a late Christmas present!

I can't tell you how delighted I was to find this today - the documentary "The Grateful and the Dead", about the rock band The Grateful Dead and their Rex Foundation, which subsidised the performance of neglected classical music. I saw this on TV back in 1992 and kept hoping somebody would upload it - and they have!

This documentary is now on YouTube and contains rarely-seen footage of HB and the rehearsals for the Bratislava performance of The Gothic. And several other neglected and worthy composers besides. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/x1ZKCVaPw7c

Eh eh, I've recorded there with that orchestra!  More relevant to the topic, I recorded lots of rehearsal videos of Brisbane Gothic which was the first concert performance in 30 years.  I might upload if people care but I recall the video wasn't in great quality as I had a mediocre camera in 2010. 

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: calyptorhynchus on March 25, 2021, 01:13:09 PM
The thing everyone knows about Brian is that he wrote one of the longest symphonies ever. I like to remind people that he also wrote some short symphonies, including one of the shortest ever written, #22.
I had thought that this symphony was the shortest symphony written in Britain, however today I came across the late C18 symphonies of John Marsh. One of these, #3 on the Olympia disc, lasts 9:14, easily beating the very lengthy HB #22 (9:22 in the Walker version).  :)
So, is the Marsh called 'Symphonia Brevisissima'?
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: relm1 on March 25, 2021, 03:50:30 PM
Eh eh, I've recorded there with that orchestra!  More relevant to the topic, I recorded lots of rehearsal videos of Brisbane Gothic which was the first concert performance in 30 years.  I might upload if people care but I recall the video wasn't in great quality as I had a mediocre camera in 2010.
I care! And it's the audio that mainly matters, as far as I'm concerned. Just realized: you play the trombone, so you must have participated in those awesome pedal notes in the Vivace... !
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

springrite

Quote from: calyptorhynchus on March 25, 2021, 01:13:09 PM
The thing everyone knows about Brian is that he wrote one of the longest symphonies ever. I like to remind people that he also wrote some short symphonies, including one of the shortest ever written, #22.
I had thought that this symphony was the shortest symphony written in Britain, however today I came across the late C18 symphonies of John Marsh. One of these, #3 on the Olympia disc, lasts 9:14, easily beating the very lengthy HB #22 (9:22 in the Walker version).  :)
If I were to conduct it, it will probably come in at 8:59!
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.

calyptorhynchus

Quote from: springrite on March 25, 2021, 05:39:30 PM
If I were to conduct it, it will probably come in at 8:59!
Ah, but then you'd conduct the Marsh symphony similarly fast.  ;)
'Many men are melancholy by hearing music, but it is a pleasing melancholy that it causeth.' Robert Burton

springrite

Quote from: calyptorhynchus on March 25, 2021, 08:22:37 PM
Ah, but then you'd conduct the Marsh symphony similarly fast.  ;)
But I'd play it like it's Morton Feldman...
Do what I must do, and let what must happen happen.