Havergal Brian.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I can recommend it unreservedly. Excellent performances in excellent sound. There's not a weak work on this disc and they span more than four decades, with English Suite No. 3 written in the early 1920s and Symphony No. 30 in 1968.

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I can recommend it unreservedly. Excellent performances in excellent sound. There's not a weak work on this disc and they span more than four decades, with English Suite No. 3 written in the early 1920s and Symphony No. 30 in 1968.

Great! Thanks, Johan. I'll be buying this one then. How would you describe the music?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Great! Thanks, Johan. I'll be buying this one then. How would you describe the music?

English Suite No. 3 - mercurial, bizarrely pastoral, lightning-quick, grand


Symphony No. 10 - heroic, lyrical, stormy, triumphant, accepting, mysterious


Concerto for Orchestra - polyphonic, starts out forbidding but mellows along the way, with an exhilarating ending


Symphony No. 30 - serious, varied, the final minutes among Brian's most impressive

[Mirror Image]

English Suite No. 3 - mercurial, bizarrely pastoral, lightning-quick, grand


Symphony No. 10 - heroic, lyrical, stormy, triumphant, accepting, mysterious


Concerto for Orchestra - polyphonic, starts out forbidding but mellows along the way, with an exhilarating ending


Symphony No. 30 - serious, varied, the final minutes among Brian's most impressive

Thanks again, Johan! I just bought this recording. I look forward to hearing it. I only wish Brabbins would recording the whole symphonic cycle!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thanks again, Johan! I just bought this recording. I look forward to hearing it. I only wish Brabbins would record the whole symphonic cycle!

So say we all!


Report back when you have listened to the music!

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So say we all!


Report back when you have listened to the music!

Will do, Johan. I believe I will be receiving the Brabbins' Gothic performance today as it's out for delivery from the post office. I will be listening to this as soon as humanly possible.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Will do, Johan. I believe I will be receiving the Brabbins' Gothic performance today as it's out for delivery from the post office. I will be listening to this as soon as humanly possible.

I'm expecting the Gothic to hit Delft on Wednesday... 

[Lethevich]

A second for that Dutton disc - it's one of the best sounding orchestral recordings I've heard (of any composer) on a purely technicaly level. It just sounds so balanced, clear and powerful.

So say we all!

ಠ_ಠ what you did there: i saw it

[Mirror Image]

I'm expecting the Gothic to hit Delft on Wednesday... 

Alright, we can rejoice in unison then!

[Mirror Image]

A second for that Dutton disc - it's one of the best sounding orchestral recordings I've heard (of any composer) on a purely technicaly level. It just sounds so balanced, clear and powerful.

Being an audiophile, this is good news to me.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

ಠ_ಠ what you did there: i saw it

[John Whitmore]

Can anyone comment on this recording with Brabbins? I'm very interested in it. How would you rate the music? Essential Brian?



Thanks in advance.

It's a fine CD with some excellent music in wide ranging styles beautifully recorded. One of the best in the Brian catalogue. My only criticism, personally, is that there's just a bit of fire and bite missing here and there. If I were to choose one Brian CD to give as a pressy to a Brian hater in order to convert him/her to the notion that Brian, maybe, isn't a bad composer after all it would be this one. Others would be the Lyrita 6/16, CBS Psalm23/Suite 5 and the new Hyperion Gothic (which can be done by listening to the BBC broadcast if you are a cheapskate). If none of these do the trick pack it in.

[Mirror Image]

It's a fine CD with some excellent music in wide ranging styles beautifully recorded. One of the best in the Brian catalogue. My only criticism, personally, is that there's just a bit of fire and bite missing here and there. If I were to choose one Brian CD to give as a pressy to a Brian hater in order to convert him/her to the notion that Brian, maybe, isn't a bad composer after all it would be this one. Others would be the Lyrita 6/16, CBS Psalm23/Suite 5 and the new Hyperion Gothic (which can be done by listening to the BBC broadcast if you are a cheapskate). If none of these do the trick pack it in.

Thanks for the feedback in regards to this recording. I've been a fan of Brian for many years now. The first work I heard was Gothic and it remains one of my favorites of his. I look forward to receiving this disc and the new Gothic recording on Hyperion.

[John Whitmore]

Thanks for the feedback in regards to this recording. I've been a fan of Brian for many years now. The first work I heard was Gothic and it remains one of my favorites of his. I look forward to receiving this disc and the new Gothic recording on Hyperion.

I've just played it through. It is really excellent with my one proviso about it being a bit laid back for my taste - but this is my subjective view. Others will disagree. Johan (especially) and me have a few Brian downloads if you are interested. Drop me an email and I will send you my links. I'm not a huge fan but think HB deserves to be treated more fairly by the London music establishment. He's too easily dismissed. As a Leicester man it's my solemn duty to help out!!!!!

[Mirror Image]

I've just played it through. It is really excellent with my one proviso about it being a bit laid back for my taste - but this is my subjective view. Others will disagree. Johan (especially) and me have a few Brian downloads if you are interested. Drop me an email and I will send you my links. I'm not a huge fan but think HB deserves to be treated more fairly by the London music establishment. He's too easily dismissed. As a Leicester man it's my solemn duty to help out!!!!!

Thanks, John. I appreciate it.

Re: Brabbins' Gothic

I'm sure it supersedes the Ondrej Lenard recording on Marco Polo. I've waited to a hear the Gothic performed by English orchestras with an English conductor and now my wish has been granted. The BBC Proms confirmed, for me, that if this work can get performed that many obscure treasures will be able to be given the light of day too. One can only hope...

[Dundonnell]

Thanks, John. I appreciate it.

Re: Brabbins' Gothic

I'm sure it supersedes the Ondrej Lenard recording on Marco Polo. I've waited to a hear the Gothic performed by English orchestras with an English conductor and now my wish has been granted. The BBC Proms confirmed, for me, that if this work can get performed that many obscure treasures will be able to be given the light of day too. One can only hope...

To be dreadfully pedantic only half of the orchestra/s was "English"; the other half was the B.B.C. National Orchestra of Wales, which, as cilgwyn would be quick to point out, is Welsh

But your overall point is well made

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To be dreadfully pedantic only half of the orchestra/s was "English"; the other half was the B.B.C. National Orchestra of Wales, which, as cilgwyn would be quick to point out, is Welsh

But your overall point is well made

Oh, I hope cilgwyn forgives my moronic error! Long live the Welsh!

[Mirror Image]

So I listened to Brabbins' Gothic...

Right now, the only word I can come up with is "stunning." I don't care what anybody says negatively about this recording. I think it's an outstanding performance and the fact that Brabbins didn't make any horrible mistakes speaks volumes. The recording quality, one of the most important factors for something of this size, was fantastic. All of the brass, strings, percussion, etc. sounded opulent. The only criticism I have is that there wasn't enough cowbell in this performance. Anyway, a fine recording and performance and will reward the listener each time they return.

Record of the year? Maybe, but it's certainly the best Gothic of the two I own.

[John Whitmore]

So I listened to Brabbins' Gothic...

Right now, the only word I can come up with is "stunning." I don't care what anybody says negatively about this recording. I think it's an outstanding performance and the fact that Brabbins didn't make any horrible mistakes speaks volumes. The recording quality, one of the most important factors for something of this size, was fantastic. All of the brass, violins, percussion, etc. sounded opulent. The only criticism I have is that there wasn't enough cowbell in this performance. Anyway, a fine recording and performance and will reward the listener each time they return.

Record of the year? Maybe, but it's certainly the best Gothic of the two I own.

Point 1: Try Mahler 6. Point 2: Make sure to download the Schmidt/LSO and Curro/Brisbane performances. Both free. Both excellent in their different ways. One for the superlative world class playing, the other for its guts, drive and excitement. Don't forget Boult either. Basically just get all of 'em!!

[John Whitmore]

To be dreadfully pedantic only half of the orchestra/s was "English"; the other half was the B.B.C. National Orchestra of Wales, which, as cilgwyn would be quick to point out, is Welsh

But your overall point is well made

To be very pedantic indeed I doubt very much that half the performers were Welsh. Mainly Engish I think. Same nationality as the composer unless Stoke is now classed as East Wales