Havergal Brian.

[Dundonnell]

Everyone has a bank balance. It's just that some are red and others are black.

Some are very red

[cilgwyn]

I'll be performing my rendition of 'When icicles hang by the wall',outside Tesco soon!
(I'll be the one in the green overcoat! )
An cd player & an oversized family of cds to support. Please give generously!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

 

[calyptorhynchus]

Hello again

Still trying to organise my thoughts on the Tigers, but I thought I post this which I found in e-mail outbox (I wrote it to friend a few years ago trying to the persuade them to listen to Brian):

When I imagine the sound world of Havergal Brian's music I think of a late Victorian medium-sized town on market day. There is a fun fair in full swing. As someone walks through the town they hear snatches of: music from the funfair (several strains of popular music on various instruments), singers (popular and traditional), dance music (popular and traditional), a regimental marching band, the organ playing in the church, people singing hymns in the church, people practising piano or violin in their houses, raucous singing and other types of music from pubs etc etc. Perhaps the listener wanders beyond the town out into the countryside and hears bird-song, or the wind in the trees, or flowing brook.
And then you add in First World War.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I like the way you bring out the Ivesian and Mahlerian sides to Brian, Calyptorhynchus.

[cilgwyn]

Just in case you havent' seen it 'folks','The Hurwitz' (as some refer to him) has a review of  the Hyperion release of the 'Gothic' on Classics Today! It's not very long,not exactly deep & apparently we're all mad!
Still,it's (largely) a positive!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thanks for the heads-up. Well, after reading the 'review', I can live with it, though the words 'loony' and crazy' do stand out, as you say...

[Sergeant Rock]

....apparently we're all mad!

...the words 'loony' and crazy' do stand out, as you say...

The "crazy" ("you'd be crazy to listen to it even once") refers to the applause track only, not the work itself. Has anyone actually listened to all eight minutes and 40 seconds more than once...or even once? 

Sarge

[cilgwyn]

I'm booking myself in right now! Seriously,you don't sound TOO happy. To be fair,that xylophone is pretty wacky,but there's no doubt that,amid all the wackiness,like Berlioz,Brian KNOWS what he's doing. A short & shallow review,though. I wonder why some of these people bother? And,I'm not saying that just because his review annoys me! Which it doesn't! It's reviews like that which made me cancel Gramophone.

[cilgwyn]

Just remember to program out the 'Gothic' & put the applause on repeat! Or press the play button & listen to the applause every time you make a cup of tea or get up from you're chair!
You could even applaud the applause!

Which,in the words of Hurwitz himself,was 'well earned'!

[Sergeant Rock]

A short & shallow review,though.

I agree. His review of the Lenárd Gothic was equally poor. He spent half his words dissing Brian fans. His review of the Boult Gothic was a single short parargraph. Yeah, why bother?

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

Just remember to program out the 'Gothic' & put the applause on repeat!

We should recommend that to James...a forum member who listens almost exclusively (so it seems) to Stockhausen. He'd appreciate the noise 

Sarge

[cilgwyn]

Which begs the question,why did I bother with Hurwitz. Well,partly because he does sometimes have a different point of view than the other critics. He doesn't ALWAYS toe the line. Although,I usually get the feeling,that even then,it's just his egotistical desire for attention,not the fact that he,is any way,an interesting 'critic'.
His observations about Jaqueline du Pre were/are a case in point. I know what he means about all the 'hushed reverence' & the way people go on about her,but she WAS very talented & hey,nobody's perfect....not even Hurwitz!
I also rather found myself agreeing with his remarks about 'Gerontius'. I'm not a particularly big fan of that work myself,and I was glad someone felt the way I do,about it. I just wish it didn't have to be Hurwitz! Anyway,I'm not saying any more about Gerontius,here,except to say that it's the Barbirolli recording (and Elgar's own,very moving, excerpts,for me!).

If the Gothic was that bad Hyperion would have had to decide whether to include eight minutes of booing and hissing!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

We should recommend that to James...a forum member who listens almost exclusively (so it seems) to Stockhausen. He'd appreciate the noise

Sarge

:-D

I personally contributed to it. It's a concert for hands and 'Bravo!' shouting mouths, and arguably the biggest thing on the disc(s).

[Klaatu]

I quite like the Classics Today review....

Describing the Gothic as "visionary, sometimes magnificent, sometimes looney" is just about spot on!

If internet reviews had been around in Berlioz' day, he'd no doubt have been happy with that one!

[Sergeant Rock]

I quite like the Classics Today review....Describing the Gothic as "visionary, sometimes magnificent, sometimes looney" is just about spot on!

It's not what he said about the Gothic I object too (you're right, it's great description); it's the cursory nature of his review. He has an online review site which doesn't limit him in any way and yet all he can contribute to the discussion are two short paragraphs for a work as immense and rare as the Gothic? He's either lazy or has nothing really to say.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

:-D

I personally contributed to it. It's a concert for hands and 'Bravo!' shouting mouths, and arguably the biggest thing on the disc(s).

Yes, I was particularly taken by your solo, that Dutch-inflected Bravo. It really stood out 

Sarge

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Yes, I was particularly taken by your solo, that Dutch-inflected Bravo. It really stood out

You're too kind. But yes, I really gave my all. I won't be bettering that performance anytime soon.

[cilgwyn]

Encore!

[Dundonnell]

As the person standing next to Johan during the eight minutes of applause at the end of the Gothic I can attest to the considerable volume of his 'Bravos'

As a dour Scot I contented myself with as 'thunderous' clapping as I could manage at the expense of rather sore hands. However I should say that as someone who has often deplored the ridiculous propensity of Proms audiences to cheer ecstatically performances which I regarded as only so-so I had no difficulty in demonstating my appreciation of the immense undertaking by conductor, orchestra, soloists and choruses. There was so much riding on them all 'getting it right on the night' and they succeeded triumphantly