Havergal Brian.

[karlhenning]

There is NO Rule Six!

[John Whitmore]

Very droll... 


Here some info on the Brisbane Gothic, cut and pasted from the Unsung Composers forum, where fellow GMG member Albion posted this:


Melissa Gill, sop; Kathleen Lamont, alto; Luke Venables, ten; Dimitri Kopanakis, bass/ The Gothic Symphony Chorus/ The Gothic Symphony Children's Chorus/ The Gothic Symphony Orchestra/ John Curro (Brisbane 22/12/2010, br. Australian 4MBS 4/6/2011)

Thanks Johan. I will definitely take a listen. I've just been on Amazon to try to buy the10/21 CD and the price is over £100! Still need to hear the Hull recordings - any chance of a link from a certain Hollander??

[John Whitmore]

PS There is no rule 5 either.

[karlhenning]

PS There is no rule 5 either.

"No pooftahs."

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thanks Johan. I will definitely take a listen. I've just been on Amazon to try to buy the10/21 CD and the price is over £100! Still need to hear the Hull recordings - any chance of a link from a certain Hollander??

I only have a few files, not all the recordings. Am in a hurry...

[John Whitmore]

I only have a few files, not all the recordings. Am in a hurry...

In a hurry to do what? Novel writing perhaps?

[John Whitmore]

I've just listened to bits and bobs from the Brisbane Gothic. You know, whether or not you think the music is good, bad or indifferent (I'm firmly in the indifferent camp) you simply have to applaud the fact that the performers took on such a huge task and actually pulled it off live. It's a tremendous achievement. Those taking part in Brisbane will never forget the experience. By the way, is it just me or is the very end of the work chopped off in Johan's link? It's a shame. By the way, what's the chance of the BBC Music Magazine offering the Proms Gothic performance as a free cover mount disc, either as a double CD or a DVD? Why doesn't the HBS lobby for this? It would immediately expose new people to Brian's work.

[cilgwyn]

That would be some compensation for not televising it. Even I'd buy a copy.
(Incidentally,I have noticed that some of those cover cd's end up on Amazon & on my local s/h market stall).
As regards 'lobbying'. I'm not a member,but from what I know of the HBS,they've been lobbying like billy-o for a couple of decades & ,I may be mistaken,but I believe they are currently trying to get someone to release a cd of the event? Chandos would be ideal,but for some reason they just don't seem to like Brian much? Maybe,they can be persuaded to change their mind. (Call me a cynic,but in my humble opinion,some of their recent premiere recordings of long neglected works would have been better off left rotting in the box!)
I wonder who else could be persuaded?

[cilgwyn]

Good news on the HB front! Just noticed on the Havergal Brian Society website,now! The Marco Polo cd of Symphonies 20,25 & the Fantastic Variations is being reissued on the Naxos budget label on the 27th of June.

PS: WHOOOOOOOOOPEEE!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Sorry, everyone, for my absence. Life is intervening quite imperiously, so I have to go AWOL some more.

Yes, good news, that re-issue of 20 & 25! It is one of the better Naxos discs. The last time I listened, No. 20 impressed and moved me very much.

'Bye for now!'

[DaveF]

I just read in IRR Magazine the following,in a review of the Dutton cd of off air broadcast recordings of Havergal Brian. The reviewer is Richard Whitehouse.

" Harry Newstone gave some notable (not always for the right reasons) Brian Premieres..."

Not sure exactly what this is supposed to mean.

He's no doubt referring to the premiere of the symphony no.30 (New Philharmonia, conducted by Newstone, 24.9.76) which went hopelessly wrong in one passage and nearly came apart.  The off-air recording, in the HBS library, clearly picks up Newstone's desperate spoken attempts to get it all back together again, while most of the orchestra sits in appalled silence.
DF

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thanks! Yes, that must be it. I think I know the passage in question -  second movement, that shadowy Misterioso passage...

[cilgwyn]

Thank you Dave. Poor Mr Newstone. (That performance won't be up for a cd release,any time soon then!). I was intrigued by that comment (in the IRR).
They must be difficult to get right.

[Brian]

Also new on Naxos this month: a "21st anniversary" edition of the Marco Polo Gothic, with a new slipcase, timed to coincide with the Proms performance.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Also new on Naxos this month: a "21st anniversary" edition of the Marco Polo Gothic, with a new slipcase, timed to coincide with the Proms performance.

Very good! Thank you, Brian (Reinhart, that is). But - 21 years...    Time flies!

[Brian]

Very good! Thank you, Brian (Reinhart, that is). But - 21 years...    Time flies!

That recording is my age. 
Correction: I was born between the recording sessions for Part I and Part II.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

That recording is my age. 
Correction: I was born between the recording sessions for Part I and Part II.

Then you ought to enter the RAH on 17th July between the Vivace and the Te Deum laudamus (if they let you).

[Brian]

Then you ought to enter the RAH on 17th July between the Vivace and the Te Deum laudamus (if they let you).

Psh, like I'd miss a single minute!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Psh, like I'd miss a single minute!

That's more like it! Though after the incredible Vivace, you might be so stunned as to be unable to take anything new in for a few minutes... 

[cilgwyn]

Just had a look at the new edition of the Naxos 'Gothic'. Ooooh1 Very smart & appropriately 'Gothic'. It just shows how important that release is in the Naxos back catalogue. And,let's not forget,(HBS fans haven't!) it was a hugely important milestone in the history of that symphony,whether you like the performance/recording or not.and even IF miserable gits like me aren't grateful for it.
There are allot of very satisfied customers out there who might not have heard the symphony if it hadn't been offered at Naxos's super budget label price. Music loving cd buyers who may well have moved onto the Testament release of Boult's performance,who may buy the Brisbane performance if it hits cd,and may even have bought tickets for the forthcoming Prom.

NB: On reflection,I AM grateful!

NB2: Not to be churlish,but one day I hope they will release MY favourite
       performance,on cd,the Ole Schmidt!

NB3: By that time my favourite could be the Brisbane or the Prom 2011,if it's
       released on cd.......or,another performance?!!!!!