Havergal Brian.

[karlhenning]

Here's the last Hattoff LP. A Holst Centenary from 1974. It includes Music for the Masque, Alcestis of Euripides and a talk by Imogen Holst. I understand that this was a limited edition recording produced for St. Paul's School. Steve thinks there were around 200 made but I can't confirm this one way or the other. Here is the link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?15lb1hy34e49o

John, I have yet to avail myself of the links/materials you so kindly provide, but I wanted to say: you are an animal. I mean this in the highest, worthiest sense.

[cilgwyn]

There were some very well sung excerpts of 'The Boatswains Mate',coupled I think,with her 'Mass' (?),some years ago. I though,at the time,I wouldn't mind hearing more. It sounded more individual than 'The Wrecker's',which strikes me as,not wanting to be too rude about it,not exactly subtle!

[John Whitmore]

This Opera Viva LP set was one that I missed when it came out in the early-1980s and has been on my wishlist ever since.

Here is the review from Gramophone (August 1985) -

BRITISH OPERA. Various artists with Opera Viva Orchestra / Leslie Head. Opera Viva digital ® OV101/2 (two records, nas). Notes included. Limited edition. Recorded at a public concert in 1983.

Holst (ed. C. Matthews): SITA—closing scene from Act 3. MacCunn: JEANIE DEANS—Effies cradle song. Naylor: THE ANGELUS—duet from Act 2. Smyth: THE BOATSWAINS MATE— Suppose you mean to do a given thing. What if I were young again. d'Erianger: TESS—Angel Clare's aria. Corder: NORDISA—Minna's song. Delius: IRMELIN—closing scene. Boughton: THE IMMORTAL HOUR—closing scene. Stanford: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING—ensemble from Act 1. A. G. Thomas: ESMERALDA - All is yet tranquil. . .What would I do for my Queen. Cowen: PAULINE—Dear Prince, Thy ring shall ever be.

This is an enterprising recording; everyone interested in British music should wish it well, for its proceeds will go to support future Opera Viva productions, threatened by chill economic winds. Opera Viva have given performances of many rare works and provide opportunities for young singers at that perilous stage between leaving college and obtaining a footing in a professional company. In these performances, recorded at a public concert in 1983, there are voices of whose future success one feels reasonably sure: the soprano Jeanette Wilson, for example, the mezzo Jenny Miller and the tenor David Skewes. As for the conductor, Leslie Head, his indefatigability in the cause of neglected British music is heroic.

The total rarity is the closing scene from Holst's Sita, composed in 1906 and placed third in a Ricordi competition. Two years later he composed the innovatory masterpiece Savitri but there's no hint of that kind of genius in Sita, even though the music is not without its attractions. The judges preferred Edward Naylor's The Angelus, and a duet from it gives us enough reason to revise their adjudication.

The ensemble from Stanford's Much Ado confirms the high estimate of this work held by the composer's pressure group, and what a charmer is the baritone aria from Goring Thomas's Esmeralda, persuasively sung by Mark Hoffman. For sheer professional craftsmanship in its command of pastiche, nothing on these LPs excels the aria from d'Erlanger's Tess. It's a long way from Hardy, but it explains why Zenatello sang it at Covent Garden in 1909, with Destinn as the heroine. The Ethel Smyth extract from The Boatswain's Mate has expertise too, but much more interesting, with its strange dark harmonies in the orchestra, is the song from MacCunn's Jeanie Deans. Now that there is a complete Irmelin on record (reviewed on page 268), it is good to have an alternative performance of the last scene, with Janine Osborne and David Skewes an appealing pair of lovers. Very likeable, too, is the elegant music from the 24-year-old Cowen's Pauline, rather Frenchified and written with a deft touch.

If the Delius, MacCunn and Stanford extracts are the only examples that make one eager to see the whole work staged, there is nothing here that does not refute that "land without music" gibe. The recordings are clear and, allowing for the conditions of public performance, well balanced.

Many thanks, indeed, for providing excellent transfers of some really fascinating material: these tantalising snippets indicate several neglected romantic British operas (especially Smyth's The Boatwain's Mate, Stanford's Much Ado About Nothing and Goring Thomas' Esmeralda) which some enterprising company should seriously investigate!

I'm really pleased that some people are getting pleasure from my uploads of Steve's LPs. It was fun to do and I've also come across some music that I wouldn't otherwise have heard. Anyway I am going to give Daniel Jones a try.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Listening to Imogen at the moment...

[John Whitmore]

John, I have yet to avail myself of the links/materials you so kindly provide, but I wanted to say: you are an animal. I mean this in the highest, worthiest sense.

Woof!!!!!

[John Whitmore]

Listening to Imogen at the moment...

Hi Johan, has a package arrived in Delft yet?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Hi Johan, has a package arrived in Delft yet?

No, I expect it tomorrow. Things are slow here in Delft - a Brian CD I ordered from the HBS for my cousin and myself arrived in Amsterdam on Friday and still has to arrive here... 

[John Whitmore]

Many thanks to John again for bringing the Opera Viva and Holst to life. I rarely listened to the Holst as my re-recording was so bad, it really is a beautiful work.

Thanks to Cligwyn too, an unexpected bonus. I've heard Jones and Hoddinott on BBC radio 3 and I have a couple of pieces by Grace Williams, I'm looking forward to knowing them better.

Johan, I re-joined the HB society again so perhaps it is not so difficult (when you know how ) cheers.

Am I going bonkers? I thought there was a download link for Daniel Jones on here but it's disappeared. Can somebody help?

[cilgwyn]

http://www.mediafire.com/?gwsteelf843vw#

Don't worry,you're not cracking up,John! (see above link)

[John Whitmore]

http://www.mediafire.com/?gwsteelf843vw#

Don't worry,you're not cracking up,John! (see above link)

All downloaded. Will listen later. Many thanks.

[John Whitmore]

John, I have yet to avail myself of the links/materials you so kindly provide, but I wanted to say: you are an animal. I mean this in the highest, worthiest sense.

I've just been lurking on the Tippett site and see that you are a visitor there too, Karl. I have a few Tippett recordings from my time with the LSSO (including the first performance of The Shires Suite from the Cheltenham Festival in 1970). Any interest in download links?

[John Whitmore]

Just in case the internet police come after me I am leaving the 3 LP restoration links (Opera Viva, English Violin Music and Holst Centenary) live on the public domain of this forum until next Friday and then they will be gone. Hope this leaves people sufficient time to access them. I will, of course, keep them in my own personal upload folder.

[cilgwyn]

I was just saying earlier. I was on a forum a while ago & they were discussing a record label. Suddenly the owner of the label popped up. They had a bit of a shock. Luckily they were being complimentary!

[Brian]

I was just saying earlier. I was on a forum a while ago & they were discussing a record label. Suddenly the owner of the label popped up. They had a bit of a shock. Luckily they were being complimentary!

That happened to me on Facebook! One of my friends mentioned Naxos and we all had a big argument about Naxos' corporate model - and then Klaus Heymann posted a comment 

[karlhenning]

Tell Klaus to record Henning . . . .

[Dundonnell]

That happened to me on Facebook! One of my friends mentioned Naxos and we all had a big argument about Naxos' corporate model - and then Klaus Heymann posted a comment 

Ooohhhh!

I had better start being nice about that wonderful company BIS and the marvellous work they have done for so many worthy composers, particularly Sibelius, Kokkonen, Aho, Holmboe, Saeverud, Alfven, Blomdahl...........

[cilgwyn]

And I'd better be nice about Lyrita!

[John Whitmore]

This is totally off topic. I just got hold of these LPs from a friend who doesn't want them. I intend to make CD transfers. Just wondered if there is anything you would like me to upload to Mediafire. Here's the list:
Rach 2/Paray/Mercury
Elgar 1/Boult/Lyrita
Berlioz overtures/Previn/HMV
Previn showcase Ruy Blas, Classical symphony, Rosenkavalier waltzes RCA
Berlioz overtures/Boult/Pye
Sibelius 1 Collins/Decca
Tchaik and Sibelius Chung/Previn/Decca
Tchaik 5 Maazel/Decca
Honegger 3 and 4 Ansernet/Decca
Hurst conducts Wagner/Phase Four
Firebird, Borodin 2 Dorati/Mercury
Tchaik and Grieg concertos Friere/Kempe/CBS
Schubert Quintet in C/Saga (famous version)
Heldenleben Leinsdorf/RCA
Planets/Stokowski (tampered orchestration!)
Death and Trans, Francesca Maazel/Phase Four

[John Whitmore]

Just received two items off Ebay. Marco Polo HB 17/32 and HB 4/12. Don't know the music at all so I have more stuff to judge good old Havergal on.

[cilgwyn]

You haven't heard 'Das Siegeslied'? We were talking about that a few pages back (p119). WE were saying that it was 'our' least favourite Brian work. Well,the Brian enthusiasts who were on there at the time,anyway. Main reason: allot of 'padding'. Although,it contains allot of tremendous music,it does have me drumming the old fingers in places,especially in the last movement. And if you think the Gothic is LOUD!
The Poole is without question,the best performance.

NB: Accidentally,posted some comments about Brian's piano music on the DJ thread!!!