Havergal Brian.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

And I'm especially forgiving. 

[John Whitmore]

And I'm especially forgiving. 

Are you equally thick though?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Wha?

[cilgwyn]

I just got an email from HMV,informing me that my £9.00,post free, 'Complete songs of Havergal Brian Vol 1,is on the way.Or as they put it," it's on the way!" It would have been nice,I suppose, to have bought it from 'Stone Records',but what with the credit crunch,all those Beecham cds & Schulhoff downloads,I paid for recently,and more & some controversy here,over his interpretations. Anyway,I'll soon find out for myself,won't I?!!! I grew up with Rayner-Cooks interpretations,so I await this cd with SOME trepidation,to be quite honest!!!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Don't be too scared, cilgwyn. Opinion is divided. John Grimshaw is extremely pleased and thinks that Mark Stone's voice is 'ideal', whereas I am more critical. Still, whatever the 'verdict of history', Mark Stone's recordings are important. The more singers take up this unknown repertoire, the better.

[cilgwyn]

Mark Stone's recordings have received allot of praise. It will be VERY interesting to see the Musicweb & IRR reviews. Andrew Clements & Hurwitz's efforts,less so! There's something about the human voice. I have heard fine performances of opera's & other musical works & it doesn't matter how good a performance is,if I don't like the singer,or singers,I won't listen to it much! Allot of current singers,particularly. They just seem to lack the individuality & charisma of the best singers of the past. Also,the tendency,on my part at least,to feel an attraction towards the first performance I heard,of a given work;especially when it's one I heard as a youth!
With respect to Brian Rayner- Cook,I have the additional 'problem' that he is so closely identified with these songs (for obvious reasons). It's almost as if he has made them his own. And,in a way,he has,hasn't he? Although,I don't think it's a Decca-Britten-Pears kind of problem. No one's been scared of trying. They just haven't tried!
I don't doubt that I will enjoy hearing another interpretation. I do,however,have a feeling that Rayner-Cook's recordings will be the ones that remain closest to my heart.
  By the way,that DOES sound a bit sentimental,but I can't think of a better way of putting it,at the moment!

Either way,unless the postman puts it through the wrong door I'm going to find out soon!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Well, the jury is out on Mark Stone, as we haven't heard Vol. 2. But at this moment Rayner-Cook still reigns supreme for me.

[cilgwyn]

We'll see. No sign of Vol 1 on the doormat (lino!),today! Only,Beecham's stereo recording of Berlioz's 'Symphonie Fantastique',so that'll have to do,for now!
It'll be coming from Jersey (or,Guernsey?) though,since it's hmv.So,it's a bit too early,yet!

[John Whitmore]

We'll see. No sign of Vol 1 on the doormat (lino!),today! Only,Beecham's stereo recording of Berlioz's 'Symphonie Fantastique',so that'll have to do,for now!
It'll be coming from Jersey (or,Guernsey?) though,since it's hmv.So,it's a bit too early,yet!

One of the great performances. You will love it.

[cilgwyn]

Wonderful,indeed! There'll always be someone who hasn't heard it! This is emi's latest 'remastered' edition. I'm on a bit of a Beecham fest,at the moment.(His Beethoven,at the moment) Which leads me to wonder if Brian knew this recording,or it's mono predecessor? Surely? He admired Berlioz. He must have had a record player.Although,some people didn't (my dad! Not even a cassette or cd player. He prefers books!). It seems a shame that we know the contents of Adolf Hitler's record collection ,but not Havergal Brian's! I do know he's supposed to have liked the Beatles!!!

[John Whitmore]

Wonderful,indeed! There'll always be someone who hasn't heard it! This is emi's latest 'remastered' edition. I'm on a bit of a Beecham fest,at the moment.(His Beethoven,at the moment) Which leads me to wonder if Brian knew this recording,or it's mono predecessor? Surely? He admired Berlioz. He must have had a record player.Although,some people didn't (my dad! Not even a cassette or cd player. He prefers books!). It seems a shame that we know the contents of Adolf Hitler's record collection ,but not Havergal Brian's! I do know he's supposed to have liked the Beatles!!!

Hitler hated the Beatles

[cilgwyn]

Oh no,we've got something in common!
This reminds me of some bloke in the old 'greasy spoon' working mans type cafe,I used to go to (long gone,sadly!) who used to swear he had 78's of the Beatles.We used to laugh at him,behind his back!
However,according to a google search. Some Beatles 78's WERE released in India,due to the poverty & subsequent scarcity of up to date equipment there.

But then again,I still use D90 cassettes & watch dvds on a CRT tv!!!!


Hopefully,that Mark Stone cd will arrive on Monday!

[cilgwyn]

I'll get my North Korean shellacs of the LSSO out,later!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

The HB thread may be prone to some off-topic rambling, but it remains one of GMG's funniest.

[John Whitmore]

Hitler was a huge fan of Freddie and the Dreamers. Himmler was more of a Clodagh Rodgers man, especially her epic Jack in the Box.

[John Whitmore]

The HB thread may be prone to some off-topic rambling, but it remains one of GMG's funniest.

Johan, in what way, exactly, can this be described as "off-topic rambling"? I don't know what on earth you could possibly mean. It's hugely insulting to Hitler and Clodagh Rodgers.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

 


I'm so sorry.

[hbswebmaster]

Cilgwyn,

Where did you get that nugget about Brian supposedly liking the Beatles? (I have a reason for asking...)

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I remember reading it, too, somewhere (Eastaugh, MacDonald, Newsletter?!)

[cilgwyn]

I'm afraid I don't remember. I'm sure I DID see it somewhere. Something about HB keeping up with the times. You know,liking Varese & stuff like that? I wasn't inferring that he had a big collection,or actually had Lps of the 'White Album' or 'Sgt Pepper'! Just liked what he'd heard (on the radio,perhaps?).

He missed punk,by a few years!