Havergal Brian.

[Mountain Goat]

I caught the start of the programme while driving to work, an overture by Brian was announced as "coming up" but sadly arrived at work too soon! 

[springrite]

I caught the start of the programme while driving to work, an overture by Brian was announced as "coming up" but sadly arrived at work too soon! 

Well, otherwise you'd have to explain your late arrival by saying "I was waiting for an overture by Brian!" and I wonder what the boss would think of that! (It'd be even more interesting if one of the co-workers is named Brian)...

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Hahaha! (on the train, almost in Amsterdam)

[Mountain Goat]

Well, otherwise you'd have to explain your late arrival by saying "I was waiting for an overture by Brian!" and I wonder what the boss would think of that! (It'd be even more interesting if one of the co-workers is named Brian)...

According to the timings on the Radio 3 website I would have had to wait almost an hour, so I don't think he would have been too impressed. I did once arrive 5 minutes late because they were playing Shostakovich's 5th symphony, having listened to it from the start I wasn't going to switch off so close to the end - you have to get your priorities right!

[vandermolen]

Well, otherwise you'd have to explain your late arrival by saying "I was waiting for an overture by Brian!" and I wonder what the boss would think of that! (It'd be even more interesting if one of the co-workers is named Brian)...

V funny 

[vandermolen]

According to the timings on the Radio 3 website I would have had to wait almost an hour, so I don't think he would have been too impressed. I did once arrive 5 minutes late because they were playing Shostakovich's 5th symphony, having listened to it from the start I wasn't going to switch off so close to the end - you have to get your priorities right!

Yes, I've done this before, sitting in my car waiting for a work to end before going into work. Once, sitting in my car listening to work a colleague spotted me just sitting there and assumed that I couldn't face going into work and that he would have to try and coax me out of my car! Still, I bet that nobody else here has driven past a bus called 'Havergal Brian' on their way to work (in Brighton, not far from Brian's old home in Shoreham).

[vandermolen]

Delighted to hear again the Symphony 22 on the new Heritage release. I think that this school's performance actually has greater conviction than the professional Naxos recording. The greatest, certainly most enjoyable of Brian's late symphonies I think., looking forward to hearing the English Suite No 5 again, which I last heard in the days of LP.

[John Whitmore]

Delighted to hear again the Symphony 22 on the new Heritage release. I think that this school's performance actually has greater conviction than the professional Naxos recording. The greatest, certainly most enjoyable of Brian's late symphonies I think., looking forward to hearing the English Suite No 5 again, which I last heard in the days of LP.

Glad you like it. I think the Heritage 22 has more bite and atmosphere (close mic'd recording quality?) than the Naxos but obviously the Naxos has far superior orchestral playing in a more natural acoustic. You pay your money and take your choice. The suite (a bit Decca Phase Four-ish) is a tad scrappy here and there but the Elegy sounds good and the orchestra pulls it off.

[vandermolen]

Glad you like it. I think the Heritage 22 has more bite and atmosphere (close mic'd recording quality?) than the Naxos but obviously the Naxos has far superior orchestral playing in a more natural acoustic. You pay your money and take your choice. The suite (a bit Decca Phase Four-ish) is a tad scrappy here and there but the Elegy sounds good and the orchestra pulls it off.

Totally agree. Enjoying Psalm 23 now.

[vandermolen]

What is Symphony 13 like? My favourites are 1,2,3 6,7,8,9,10,16 and 22. I wonder how it compared with them. I ask as there is now a recording available.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

What is Symphony 13 like? My favourites are 1,2,3 6,7,8,9,10,16 and 22. I wonder how it compared with them. I ask as there is now a recording available.

Sorry for reacting so late, Jeffrey...


Symphony No. 13? It inhabits some of the same territory as those 'middle' symphonies 6-12, but has a slightly different feel to it. It is not as cogent and compelling as, say, symphonies 6, 8 and 10. When you reach the (triumphant) ending, you don't get the feeling Brian really has overcome anything, to be honest. But the ride in itself is very enjoyable. I love the work (it would be revolutionary if I didn't, as a confirmed Brianite). There are some great moments in this symphony, which I wouldn't miss for the world. But Symphony No. 13 isn't the work I'd hold up as one of the great Brianic masterpieces. As for Brabbins's performance - it is good, but I prefer the first (BBC) performance ever, under Stanley Pope, which has never been issued commercially...

[calyptorhynchus]

Over at the Art-Music Forum someone with inside knowledge is hinting that a new HB disk is going to come from Dutton later this year.

[springrite]

Over at the Art-Music Forum someone with inside knowledge is hinting that a new HB disk is going to come from Dutton later this year.

Looking forward to it!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thanks, calyptorhynchus. I'm hoping for a recording of symphonies 14 and 27. Or a re-recording of No. 2.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

From the latest HBS Newsletter, which arrived in my Inbox a few minutes ago:

Following  the  enthusiastic  critical
response  to  the  recent  Naxos  disc  of  Symphonies  22-24
and  English  Suite  no.  1  performed  by  Alexander  Walker
and the New Russia State Symphony Orchestra, we have
agreed  to  fund  a  follow-up  disc  which  plugs  a  couple  of
other  gaps  in  the  availability  of  Brian's  symphonies  on
CD.  Again  with  the  New  Russia  State  Symphony
Orchestra,  Alexander  Walker  will  be  conducting
symphonies  6,  28,  29  and  31;  a  balance  between  first
recordings  (28  and  29)  and  new  versions  of  symphonies
first laid down in the 1970s (no. 6) and 80s (no. 31). The
recording sessions will take place in Moscow in late May
2014. If the rapidity of the first disc's issue is  anything to
go by, we would expect this one to be issued in early 2015.

Then,  only  two  months  later  on  July  25th  and  27th,  our
President  Martyn  Brabbins  and  the  Royal  Scottish
National  Orchestra  will  return  to  the  studio  again  for  a
third  Brian  disc  for  Dutton  Records.  The  day  between
sessions is because on the 26th, Martyn is conducting at a
special Commonwealth Games concert featuring both the
RSNO and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra! Details
of  the  disc's  programme  will  be  published  in  the  next
Newsletter  but  we  can  already  say  that  this  CD  will plug
some  other  notable  gaps  in  the  Brian
discography. Dutton's practice is not to let recordings  sit
around for very long at all, so we would expect this disc to
be available before Christmas this year.

[calyptorhynchus]

Fantastic news.

The Fredman 6 and th eGroves 31 are fine recordings, but it'll be good to have alternatives to compare, 28 and 29 will be eagerly awaited.

As for the Dutton, it's good that the different recording projects for unrecorded works haven't overlapped so far, so I look forward to... 14, 19, 26, 27?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I'd be very pleased if 14, 19 and 27 were to be recorded. They should fit on one CD.

[calyptorhynchus]

I'd sooner have 19, 26, 27.

The first movement of 26, as far as I can judge, seems to have a good 'feel' to it.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

It's been a while, but that first movement didn't seem to be as 'bad' as MM made it out to be. But I still prefer 14! And 2 needs a new recording very badly. The Mackerras is okay, of course (on Klassic Haus).

[vandermolen]

Sorry for reacting so late, Jeffrey...


Symphony No. 13? It inhabits some of the same territory as those 'middle' symphonies 6-12, but has a slightly different feel to it. It is not as cogent and compelling as, say, symphonies 6, 8 and 10. When you reach the (triumphant) ending, you don't get the feeling Brian really has overcome anything, to be honest. But the ride in itself is very enjoyable. I love the work (it would be revolutionary if I didn't, as a confirmed Brianite). There are some great moments in this symphony, which I wouldn't miss for the world. But Symphony No. 13 isn't the work I'd hold up as one of the great Brianic masterpieces. As for Brabbins's performance - it is good, but I prefer the first (BBC) performance ever, under Stanley Pope, which has never been issued commercially...

Many thanks Johan.