Havergal Brian.

[Albion]

Not addressed to me but I'd strongly recommend the Symphony, Hierusalem, Quo Vadis (it has some longueurs but the most moving final section) and Concerto da Chiesa. No doubt Cesar will give you his own recommendations.
This is a good starting place:

"Night hath no wings" from Quo Vadis is sublime.

Primarily a choral composer, his works attained considerable success during his lifetime but have been neglected in performance since his death. Nevertheless, all the main works have now been recorded and you can build yourself a tidy library with the following essential discs:

In Honour of the City (1928)/ The Canterbury Pilgrims (1930) - Hickox (Chandos)
St Paul's Voyage to Melita (1933) - Hill (Naxos)
The Blacksmiths (1934) - Willcocks (Somm)
Nebuchadnezzar (1935) - Hickox (Chandos)
Quo Vadis (1939-48) - Hickox (Chandos)

I don't much care for the early Choral Symphony recorded by Naxos, but the accompanying rendition of St Paul's Voyage to Melita is absolutely superb: Dyson's depiction of the storm at sea is quite individual and the choral writing is incredibly difficult (as it is in The Blacksmiths). We are lucky to have all these works on disc for repeated listening.

Then pop in the symphony and concertos.

As with Cyril Scott, Dyson has been the subject of a relatively recent major study. If you have space on your shelves, Paul Spicer's "Sir George Dyson: his life and music" (The Boydell Press, 2014) is a model of scholarship and readability.

I think that Dyson developed a very recognisable and distinctive harmonic style quite early on, and his choral writing and orchestration is that of a consummate expert. What's not to like?

 

[vandermolen]

"Night hath no wings" from Quo Vadis is sublime.

Primarily a choral composer, his works attained considerable success during his lifetime but have been neglected in performance since his death. Nevertheless, all the main works have now been recorded and you can build yourself a tidy library with the following essential discs:

In Honour of the City (1928)/ The Canterbury Pilgrims (1930) - Hickox (Chandos)
St Paul's Voyage to Melita (1933) - Hill (Naxos)
The Blacksmiths (1934) - Willcocks (Somm)
Nebuchadnezzar (1935) - Hickox (Chandos)
Quo Vadis (1939-48) - Hickox (Chandos)

Then pop in the symphony and concertos.

As with Cyril Scott, Dyson has been the subject of a relatively recent major study. If you have space on your shelves, Paul Spicer's "Sir George Dyson: his life and music" (The Boydell Press, 2014) is a model of scholarship and readability.

I think that Dyson developed a very recognisable and distinctive harmonic style quite early on, and his choral writing and orchestration is that of a consummate expert. What's not to like?

 

I don't know The Blacksmiths but endorse your recommendations of all the others. 'In Honour of the City' (London) is a work that I especially enjoy.
This is also one of my favourite Dyson CDs

[Albion]

I don't know The Blacksmiths but endorse your recommendations of all the others. 'In Honour of the City' (London) is a work that I especially enjoy.

Dyson's In Honour of the City is simply thrilling, especially under Willcocks. It knocks Walton's 1937 setting into a cocked hat...

 

[relm1]

Dyson's In Honour of the City is simply thrilling, especially under Willcocks. It knocks Walton's 1937 setting into a cocked hat...

 

Is it basically another ode to London like RVW's London Symphony?  I guess those composers loved writing music to their city in those days.

[Roasted Swan]

"Night hath no wings" from Quo Vadis is sublime.

Primarily a choral composer, his works attained considerable success during his lifetime but have been neglected in performance since his death. Nevertheless, all the main works have now been recorded and you can build yourself a tidy library with the following essential discs:

In Honour of the City (1928)/ The Canterbury Pilgrims (1930) - Hickox (Chandos)
St Paul's Voyage to Melita (1933) - Hill (Naxos)
The Blacksmiths (1934) - Willcocks (Somm)
Nebuchadnezzar (1935) - Hickox (Chandos)
Quo Vadis (1939-48) - Hickox (Chandos)

I don't much care for the early Choral Symphony recorded by Naxos, but the accompanying rendition of St Paul's Voyage to Melita is absolutely superb: Dyson's depiction of the storm at sea is quite individual and the choral writing is incredibly difficult (as it is in The Blacksmiths). We are lucky to have all these works on disc for repeated listening.

Then pop in the symphony and concertos.

As with Cyril Scott, Dyson has been the subject of a relatively recent major study. If you have space on your shelves, Paul Spicer's "Sir George Dyson: his life and music" (The Boydell Press, 2014) is a model of scholarship and readability.

I think that Dyson developed a very recognisable and distinctive harmonic style quite early on, and his choral writing and orchestration is that of a consummate expert. What's not to like?

 

Very surprised you don't have the Concerto da Chiesa on your list which is not just one of Dyson's finest works but one of the great (but under-appreciated) British works for String Orchestra.  That said - I prefer Walton's "In Honour of the City of London"(!).  The version coupled with the Symphony on Naxos by Lloyd-Jones is a step up on Hickox's rather lack-lustre symphony I reckon......

[Symphonic Addict]

Which of Dyson's works would you particularly promote?

 

The Canterbury Pilgrims is glorious, that would be my first choice. Then the Violin Concerto and the Choral Symphony. I see others mentioning the Symphony in G major, but I frankly don't consider it that special.

[calyptorhynchus]

Dyson? Get a thread.

[vandermolen]

The Canterbury Pilgrims is glorious, that would be my first choice. Then the Violin Concerto and the Choral Symphony. I see others mentioning the Symphony in G major, but I frankly don't consider it that special.

It's grown on me over the years 

[Roasted Swan]

Dyson? Get a thread.

C'mon! Brian is up to page 411(!!!) - he can spare a pal a page....

[Albion]

C'mon! Brian is up to page 411(!!!) - he can spare a pal a page....

    

Tangential posting is greatly to be welcomed. It can divert many a chat...

[Albion]

Is it basically another ode to London like RVW's London Symphony?  I guess those composers loved writing music to their city in those days.

Other than Alan Bush and Korngold, nobody has much bothered with my adopted city...

 

[Roasted Swan]

Other than Alan Bush and Korngold, nobody has much bothered with my adopted city...

 

TANGENTIAL POSTING ALERT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8retP3Durs

[Irons]

Why no mention of Dyson's Violin Concerto? I prefer it to his Symphony.

[Albion]

TANGENTIAL POSTING ALERT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8retP3Durs

 

Where I live in Nottingham, you'd better have more than a bow and arrow at your disposal to repel the marauders and don't even think of going out in green tights...

 

[Albion]

What might constitute an "essential" Havergal Brian library on CD if you had to restrict yourself to only ten recordings (including reissued compilations)?

Mine would (possibly) be:

The Vision of Cleopatra, Fantastic Variations, For Valour (Dutton)
The Tigers (Testament)
Symphony No.1, The Gothic (Hyperion)
Symphony Nos 3 and 17 (Heritage)
Symphonies Nos 5, 19 and 27, Festal Dance (Dutton)
Symphonies Nos 6 and 16 (Lyrita)
Symphonies Nos 7, 8, 9, 31 and The Tinker's Wedding (EMI)
Symphonies Nos 10 and 30, Concerto for Orchestra, English Suite No.3 (Dutton)
Faust (Dutton)
Symphonies Nos 22, 23 and 24, English Suite No.1 (Naxos)

I think it gives a fair view of early, middle and late Brian as well as showing off what he could do in vocal/ choral music and opera.

[relm1]

I really liked The Vision of Cleopatra.  I think very highly of early Brian.  They are all such strong works yet full of character.  Perhaps not as individual as his mid/late works but fine nonetheless. 

[Albion]

I really liked The Vision of Cleopatra.  I think very highly of early Brian.  They are all such strong works yet full of character.  Perhaps not as individual as his mid/late works but fine nonetheless. 

The Vision of Cleopatra is just simply gorgeous, ecstatic and full of melody and John Pickard's re-orchestration is virtuosic. The disc (CDLX 7348) also contains one of Brian's most beautiful works Requiem for the Rose. Of course Brian's style changed over a 70 year composing career, but this early stuff (along with the Burlesque Variations, For Valour, Psalm 23, English Suite No.1, In Memoriam, Fantastic Variations and Doctor Merryheart) is really wonderful and so approachable. No concert promoter will ever programme it since Brian has the misguided reputation of being a "tough nut to crack"...

[calyptorhynchus]

No concert promoter will ever programme it since Brian has the misguided reputation of being a "tough nut to crack"...

Makes you wonder how 'concert promoters' get their jobs in the first place. We seem to live in a society where incompetents rule.

[relm1]

The Vision of Cleopatra is just simply gorgeous, ecstatic and full of melody and John Pickard's re-orchestration is virtuosic. The disc (CDLX 7348) also contains one of Brian's most beautiful works Requiem for the Rose. Of course Brian's style changed over a 70 year composing career, but this early stuff (along with the Burlesque Variations, For Valour, Psalm 23, English Suite No.1, In Memoriam, Fantastic Variations and Doctor Merryheart) is really wonderful and so approachable. No concert promoter will ever programme it since Brian has the misguided reputation of being a "tough nut to crack"...

I think there is a clear line between Tchaikovsky-> Rachmaninoff -> Prokofiev -> Brian.  So much of Rach's Symphony No. 3 I hear in many works of Prokofiev.  You can clearly tell there is a passing of the baton.  Brian, similarly, has this inheritance of germanic an russian tradition.  Yet it's clearly individual. 

[Albion]

I think there is a clear line between Tchaikovsky-> Rachmaninoff -> Prokofiev -> Brian.  So much of Rach's Symphony No. 3 I hear in many works of Prokofiev.  You can clearly tell there is a passing of the baton.  Brian, similarly, has this inheritance of germanic an russian tradition.  Yet it's clearly individual. 

Brian was incredibly aware of musical heritage and repertoire both as a professional critic and a composer (remaining tuned-in to contemporary music throughout his entire life) and one of his great heroes was Berlioz, a similarly total maverick. I equate Brian in some ways with Rued Langgaard, writing his music to total indifference but still ploughing on and creating a unique sound-world...