Havergal Brian.

[cilgwyn]

I'm going to have to put it on again,aren't I?! I don't know about Stone.though? But a side by side comparison of their interpretations may be useful?
Whether or not they are great songs,or not,there is always something special about something you enjoyed when you were young. But,I don't think it's JUST that! Incidentally,I remember MY landlord at the time had the singer Cleo Laine's Shakespeare album (or whatever it's called?). I remember listening to her singing 'When Icicles hang by the wall'. Terrible! Off it went & I can't stand 'scat' singinganyway,even when Ella Fitzgerald did it!

Going on to other youthful favourites. I know what John thinks,but I have to admit,'Das Siegeslied' sounds every bit as thrilling as I remember it in the Poole AMF download! Oh dear,I've said it now!!!

I also listened to the Maurice Handford performance. He takes this at quite a pace! The sound quality didn't put me off,after years of dodgy off air tapes! Fascinating to hear this. The soloist in the second movement is disappointing,though! A bit 'pedestrian' I thought! I need another listen though!
I still preferred it to the Marco Polo,though!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I am going to listen to some Brian before turning in... Nos da!

[cilgwyn]

A good idea & it IS getting late! Nos da!

[cilgwyn]

A good idea & it IS getting late! Nos da!

And prynhawn da! I just don't want it getting too much like the Walton's,that' all!
I think I will brave that Mark Stone cd later. I'd just like to compare some of the interpretations,side by side,just to be sure. I have to say,it doesn't look promising for Mark Stone! Which is intriguing,because his cd releases have had some enthusiastic reviews,in IRR Magazine,for example. Not having heard those I can only wonder whether he just had a bad 'day' when he was recording the Brian cd,whether he just has no empathy for Brian's idiom,or whether some IRR critics just have thicker skins than 'we' do? Of course,Musicweb often carries more than one review,so maybe one of their other 'critics' will have a more positive opinion. Rob Barnett springs to mind. I remember he used to write in the British Music Society Journal & Newsletter,back in the 1980's when I was a member. His reviews are usually very detailed & I enjoy reading them;but on the downside,I feel he tends to be a bit too nice,at times. I've bought some cds of obscurities after reading his reviews & ended up wondering what the h*** he saw in them!
Conversely,you can be nasty & vacuous like 'the Hurwitz' (as some people call him) or Andrew Clements (arguably emptier!). Still,I bet Barnett knows about the Brian Rayner Cook recording!!
  In all fairness to EM,he does go into some detail to explain exactly WHY he doesn't like the cd,even going so far as to,justifiably,praise it's physical presentation!(The booklet is excellent!) I can't verify Johan's point about the Finzi-Brian comparison,because I don't really know enough about Finzi. As to not having heard of the Rayner Cook recording (if he hasn't?).If he isn't into Brian,like we are,I think that is understandable. It's not a cd that has been heavily promoted. I actually thought it was 'out of print' until fairly recently. But,to be a well informed critic,he does need to know,if only to get the 'record' straight!

[John Whitmore]

Good! I'll have a look at that in a minute! EM needs to be made aware of the BRC recording,if he isn't already,and if he is,I would have thought he would have mentioned it for comparison purposes?
I just had another look at the old 1983 Gramophone review,when that Magazine was still a 'must buy!' (I couldn't wait to get my hands on it!! ) Very enthusiastic! The reviewer was a 'TH'!

Trevor Harvey I presume. I like him - he gave the LSSO/Bliss Argo LP the thumbs up. I must listen to HB 4. Still working up to it.

[calyptorhynchus]

I pretty much agree with the Musicweb review, though without having the technical knowledge of the human voice the reviewer does!

Good riposte by Johan. I was amused by the suggestion of Finzi's influence in 1921. In that year Finzi was a shy 20 year old who'd written nothing and lived in his mother in Harrogate! (Or maybe they'd just moved away from there).

Pleased to hear about the Naxos 22-24 disk. Even if it isn't great at least it will be a Cd quality recording of 24. I hope record producers soon realise that in recording HB disks the best "filler" piece is another HB symphony. They are short enough.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Finzi living 'in' his mother, age 20... Poor woman. 


I agree with your remark that it will be good to have a CD quality recording of 24 at last.


I took singing lessons when I was in my twenties, so I do have a certain inside knowledge. The reviewer says the things I personally think, too. And I don't like Mark Stone's enunciation either.

[Sergeant Rock]

Finzi living 'in' his mother, age 20... Poor woman. 

The longest human gestation in recorded history   

Sarge

[calyptorhynchus]

I'm known as a demon proof-reader of everyone's work but my own.

[cilgwyn]

I tried the Mark Stone cd again,last night,as I said I would. I made a particular point of comparing their rendition of Sorrow Song. After a while Stones 'bawling' got a bit too much for me & off it went!
Brian Rayner Cook stayed on until I went to bed!
It struck to me that the only really good thing about the Stone cd is the booklet!!

[John Whitmore]

I pretty much agree with the Musicweb review, though without having the technical knowledge of the human voice the reviewer does!

Good riposte by Johan. I was amused by the suggestion of Finzi's influence in 1921. In that year Finzi was a shy 20 year old who'd written nothing and lived in his mother in Harrogate! (Or maybe they'd just moved away from there).

Pleased to hear about the Naxos 22-24 disk. Even if it isn't great at least it will be a Cd quality recording of 24. I hope record producers soon realise that in recording HB disks the best "filler" piece is another HB symphony. They are short enough.

Incest is really not a good idea.

[cilgwyn]

Womb sweet womb!

[John Whitmore]

ATTENTION: MARTYN BECKER
Hi Martyn,
I've tried to reply to a couple of your emails but all of a sudden your email address (the one via the home page of the HBS) is giving me problems. Emails keep bouncing back. Do you have another address? If so please drop me a line. I've got something for you. Thanks.
PS Listened to the 1st movement of No. 4 and then had to give it a rest. It's no better than OK and to be honest am I alone in finding the opening theme really embarrassing? It's trying to be noble and uplifting but comes across as very bad film music. The sort of idea that Korngold would have assigned to the bin. The choral writing is very clumsy. I just don't get it.

[Albion]

EM needs to be made aware of the BRC recording,if he isn't already,and if he is,I would have thought he would have mentioned it for comparison purposes?

Before the discussion goes on, it might be as well to point out a minor detail ...

http://www.englishmusicfestival.org.uk/marshall-luck.html

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I had a suspicion the reviewer might be as shown... 

[cilgwyn]

Before the discussion goes on, it might be as well to point out a minor detail ...

http://www.englishmusicfestival.org.uk/marshall-luck.html

Whoa!!!! Not bad looking for a bloke!!!

[cilgwyn]

John's going to love this!
I'm still counting the 'he's'!!!

"..he does go into some detail.."
"..he doesn't like the cd,.."
"..he does need to know.."
"..he does assume she's a man!
(etc,etc..)

She Jane,Me Tarzan!!!

This sorry,story can only get worse!!

[cilgwyn]

Maybe I'll change my user name to Mr Cilgwyn? Just in case!
There are some bigots out there!

[John Whitmore]

John's going to love this!
I'm still counting the 'he's'!!!

"..he does go into some detail.."
"..he doesn't like the cd,.."
"..he does need to know.."
"..he does assume she's a man!
(etc,etc..)

She Jane,Me Tarzan!!!

This sorry,story can only get worse!!

Her beard ain't up to much is it? One of the ugliest blokes I've clapped eyes on.

[cilgwyn]

  You're sparing my blushes,John! Actually,I think that's how they 'grow' them these days!
For some reason,her coat reminded me of one my mother had years ago. It was made of Moleskin,allot of moleskins actually (Well,it would have to be a b***** big mole,wouldn't it?!) And it was mole coloured,not red,obviously & seem to remember it had a velvet like texture. I think it belonged to an aunt or great grandmother. Not the done thing to wear,these days,of course! But I remember my mother used to go out in it.

There were some very big mole hills in the field behind the house & I used to worry some times,if her shoes were a bit muddy!

I think I will have another listen to the Leslie Head Symphony No 2,later? "Raw and wild"?!! :)I like that! I haven't made a cdr of the third yet,as I was getting a bit low on them,but it sounds like an intriguing contrast!

I'm sorry the AMF Das Siegeslied didn't blow you away,John! Sometimes I get the feeling you'd rather listen to those 'noisy roadworks?!!'