Havergal Brian.

[cilgwyn]

Thank you for this post,John. It should be better known,shouldn't it? The orchestration is very striking. I shall have to listen to it a bit more before I make any further comment!
I'm also rather glad I didn't buy the emi cd,now.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I took a shine to this piece about two minutes into our first rehearsal when that buzzing 2nd fiddle theme made a huge impact on me. The plaintive solo oboe is something else and the timp part is extraordinary. Love it!!

Same here. It's turned into one of my favourite one-movement symphonies. The Harris Third is another one. Oh, and I must plug my fellow Dutchman Léon Orthel's addition to that noble line, his 'Piccola Sinfonia', Symphony No. 2. Recommended!


http://www.mediafire.com/?ngjefnhztd2

[cilgwyn]

So the Prom Gothic is finally available for pre-order from the Hyperion website. If you are going to buy it from there,of course. There will be/are cheaper options. I do pre-order some releases of rare repertory from cd label websites eg the recent Holbrooke & Bate cds from Dutton,but obviously not everything,otherwise I would be flogging the Big Issue!
On an economy drive & I have bought my quota,so I think I will be buying this elsewhere! BUT IT'S THERE!
Inc-c-c-credible!

[cilgwyn]

And for those of us who still prefer ready made cds,to downloads,the Toccata Orchestral Works Vol 2,is available to order from the Toccata website (stocks expected,shortly).
As you will all,very probably know,allready!
But in case you don't!!!
ROLL UP! ROLL UP!

[cilgwyn]

<----Psst! Anyone fancy buying a nice woollen rug!

Also,an interesting 'new' release of recordings for admirers of Ralph Holmes,on the Heritage label,which includes Bax's Sonata No 3:

http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product/CD/HTGCD228.htm

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thanks, cilgwyn! The Gothic is now coming for real... I hope it will be selling well.

[John Whitmore]

<----Psst! Anyone fancy buying a nice woollen rug!

Also,an interesting 'new' release of recordings for admirers of Ralph Holmes,on the Heritage label,which includes Bax's Sonata No 3:

http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product/CD/HTGCD228.htm

Thanks. I will be getting this. His Delius and Tchaikovsky concerto recordings are excellent. This will be a nice addition. Such a shame he didn't record much. What he did record is quality.

[cilgwyn]

Interesting looking at the different timings of the four performances of the Violin Concerto,on the HBS website. I will print these out & have a more,in depth look,at this at more respectable hour!
I didn't know it was originally called the 'Heroic',but there certainly is an element of that in some of the more energetic passages. I wonder what happened to the original score? Unfortunately,it probably just got chucked out,when the train was given a clean. But,wouldn't it be fascinating if it turned up & it was possible to compare the VC we all know with the original? Unlikely,though!
John France on Musicweb was obviously very impressed (by the Naxos performance),referring to the score,more than once,as a masterpiece.
If the Holmes performance is eventually released,and it hopefully will be;I should think it would sound better than (extremely grateful as I am) Dundonnell's copy. In fact,I have a feeling that my cassette copy sounds better,but I shall have to find it. Unfortunately,as I have mentioned before,the last few minutes of the final movement were accidentally taped over,but the remainder is fine.

[Dundonnell]

Interesting looking at the different timings of the four performances of the Violin Concerto,on the HBS website. I will print these out & have a more,in depth look,at this at more respectable hour!
I didn't know it was originally called the 'Heroic',but there certainly is an element of that in some of the more energetic passages. I wonder what happened to the original score? Unfortunately,it probably just got chucked out,when the train was given a clean. But,wouldn't it be fascinating if it turned up & it was possible to compare the VC we all know with the original? Unlikely,though!
John France on Musicweb was obviously very impressed (by the Naxos performance),referring to the score,more than once,as a masterpiece.
If the Holmes performance is eventually released,and it hopefully will be;I should think it would sound better than (extremely grateful as I am) Dundonnell's copy. In fact,I have a feeling that my cassette copy sounds better,but I shall have to find it. Unfortunately,as I have mentioned before,the last few minutes of the final movement were accidentally taped over,but the remainder is fine.

I have no doubt that IF the Holmes performance is ever released it will "sound better than Dundonnell's copy".  It would be quite remarkable if it did not.

However, in the absence of such a transfer to cd and until you find your superior cassette copy.............

[kishnevi]

So the Prom Gothic is finally available for pre-order from the Hyperion website. If you are going to buy it from there,of course. There will be/are cheaper options. I do pre-order some releases of rare repertory from cd label websites eg the recent Holbrooke & Bate cds from Dutton,but obviously not everything,otherwise I would be flogging the Big Issue!
On an economy drive & I have bought my quota,so I think I will be buying this elsewhere! BUT IT'S THERE!
Inc-c-c-credible!

no listing as of yet on Amazon US.  However,
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/hyperion.php?k=2&w=Brian

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brian-Symphony-Gothic-HYPERION-CDA67971/dp/B005Z4D2EW/ref=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1320902812&sr=1-4

The Prestoclassical price reflects their current 20% off sale for all Hyperion

[Mirror Image]

no listing as of yet on Amazon US.  However,
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/hyperion.php?k=2&w=Brian

Say what?

[asin]B005Z4D2EW[/asin]

[cilgwyn]

I have no doubt that IF the Holmes performance is ever released it will "sound better than Dundonnell's copy".  It would be quite remarkable if it did not.

However, in the absence of such a transfer to cd and until you find your superior cassette copy.............

I'll find it! I'll find it!!!!!

[cilgwyn]

Yeeeeehooooooooh! (Ahem!) I have now located the,aforementioned, cassette & YES,the sound quality beats Dundonnells tape of Brians VC,hands down.....BUT as I pointed out before,the last few minutes of the final movement have been taped over.....by a Welsh language lesson!!!! So,good news & bad news.....and until I upload it Dundonnells tape reigns supreme ,and......even after I upload it,Dundonnell's final movement of Brian's marvellous VC,will reign supreme !!! Unless,you want a free Welsh language lesson,with your Brian VC,of course !
Incidentally,the cassette is,apparently, a copy made from a copy of a tape which was in the collection of the Havergal Brian Society itself!  )

NB: That's enough emoticons,ed.!

[Lethevich]

I finally purchased Vol.2 of Toccata's Brian writings on musical matters. I waited so long because I already owned Vol.1, but they had a bundle deal with Vols.1, 2 and their songs CD that was cheaper than buying Vol.2 and the songs alone. I eventually just gave up on waiting for a paperback of Vol.2 or for the price to go down, so I now have two copies of Vol.1

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

@cilgwyn Congratulations on finding your cassette! It would still be very worthwhile to have the first two movements in the best sound possible. An upload would be very much appreciated. If you do, check the bitrate - 192kbps would be very nice...

@Lethe You must have mixed feelings - glad at having vol. 2, miffed because you now are the proud possessor of 2 copies of vol 1... Perhaps someone on this thread would be willing to buy it from you. It's excellent fare - Brian writing about the British music of his time.

[John Whitmore]

Yeeeeehooooooooh! (Ahem!) I have now located the,aforementioned, cassette & YES,the sound quality beats Dundonnells tape of Brians VC,hands down.....BUT as I pointed out before,the last few minutes of the final movement have been taped over.....by a Welsh language lesson!!!! So,good news & bad news.....and until I upload it Dundonnells tape reigns supreme ,and......even after I upload it,Dundonnell's final movement of Brian's marvellous VC,will reign supreme !!! Unless,you want a free Welsh language lesson,with your Brian VC,of course !
Incidentally,the cassette is,apparently, a copy made from a copy of a tape which was in the collection of the Havergal Brian Society itself!  )

NB: That's enough emoticons,ed.!

If your cassette is a copy of a copy of a tape held by the HBS why can't somebody borrow it again from the HBS (with the last movt intact I assume) and then share it? Or am I reading this wrong? Alternatively, your tape could be transferred with the missing part at the end (albeit lower quality) laminated in from the Dundonnel recording. The resulting hybrid, if not perfecvt, would be an improvement wouldn't it?

[John Whitmore]

@cilgwyn Congratulations on finding your cassette! It would still be very worthwhile to have the first two movements in the best sound possible. An upload would be very much appreciated. If you do, check the bitrate - 192kbps would be very nice...

@Lethe You must have mixed feelings - glad at having vol. 2, miffed because you now are the proud possessor of 2 copies of vol 1... Perhaps someone on this thread would be willing to buy it from you. It's excellent fare - Brian writing about the British music of his time.

A bitrate of 256 would be better

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

If your cassette is a copy of a copy of a tape held by the HBS why can't somebody borrow it again from the HBS (with the last movt intact I assume) and then share it? Or am I reading this wrong? Alternatively, your tape could be transferred with the missing part at the end (albeit lower quality) laminated in from the Dundonnel recording. The resulting hybrid, if not perfecvt, would be an improvement wouldn't it?

It's not that easy. As an HBS member I can borrow CDs with radio performances from the Recordings Library. You have to pay a deposit and copying is prohibited for copyright reasons. (Martyn, the HBS Webmaster, may correct me if I'm wrong). I wish the HBS would have its Library online, and that performances could be streamed to members. That would really be a 21st century solution. Now it's a hassle.

[cilgwyn]

A pefunctory sample. I will have to listen all the way through,of course! (Delius on at the moment!) How the Welsh language lesson got there,I don't know. A dodgy tape recorder,no doubt. The tape was in the machine when the button was pressed. At least it happened near the end! There may be a little wow and flutter,here and there (remember that?).

The Brian bundle is £60! I've got the songs.though & like Tony H-H-Hancock,I'm on an economy drive at the moment! I had a look at the Toccata site,now. A pdf gives you the contents list & VERY tantalising,it is. As well as the aknowledged greats,Brian gives us allot of his thoughts on composers who are only now being re-evaluated through the efforts of the smaller cd labels. Bantock,I notice gets a whole chapter (as do Delius & Elgar)! Foulds,Scott,Sorabji,Holbrooke,Coleridge Taylor,Dyson,Arnold Cooke,Hurlstone,Cowen,McEwen,Walford Davies all get a mention. There's also allot about the BBC!
Xmas,maybe?

[Lethevich]

The Brian bundle is £60!

It's down to around £45 if you utilise their Discovery Club option. The freebies that you get with the initial subscription more than pays for the yearly fee (I initially signed up to it when Brian vol.1 came out).