Havergal Brian.

[springrite]

I see that info on the Testament issue of The Tigers has appeared on their website:

https://www.testament.co.uk/default.aspx?PageID=74

No mention of an issue date, but this is good news after quite a long period of silence.

I like what I have heard of the excerpts, so I am interested!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thanks, Augustus! The Tigers is one of the best things Brian ever did, musically. And this performance is excellent. High time it reaches a larger audience!

[cilgwyn]

Despite my previous comments I totally agree with you,Johan! And anyway,it's the sheer eccentricity of the invention and disregard for conventional structure that make it so fascinating. I think that allot of people who only know Brian via the Gothic will be a bit surprised by this release. We have access to it of course,but others don't. This will help bring this wonderful opera to a new audience and others who may have heard it on the radio years ago and wondered about that strange opera they heard and thought they might never hear it again......

[cilgwyn]

This kind of release makes me wish there were still record stores,or latterly,cd stores like there used to be. (None where I live!!) This is the kind of release I would accidentally discover while rummaging through the A-Z racks on display. You would pull it out,look at it,read the notes and think "Hm! I think I'm going to have to buy this one? Maybe,I can just about afford this as well?!" I suppose the contemporary equivalent is surfing Amazon,and the similar products that pop up when you look at anything. But will the temptation be as strong if you don't even know who HB is,or you didn't know he composed operas,let alone comic ones? You're in a shop,you have The Tigers there in your sweating hands and the till is only a few feet away! No waiting for despatch or post! (Until you get home with it,of course! ).
(Of course,you can download,but it's not the same..........is it?!!!!)

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I know what you mean, cilgwyn. How do you stumble on something in cyberspace? It presupposes knowledge, it presumes you are looking for what you already know.  I stumbled on MM's book in the library whilst looking for something about Bruckner. Happy days, happy discoveries!

[cilgwyn]

I should have mentioned libraries! So many discoveries there! As to record (cd) stores. You tended to look through all the racks that were there;unless it was a genre you didn't like (country and western here,for example! ) so sooner or later your fingers would find something unusual and you could literally just pull it out and look at it,including the notes. On the internet,as you say,you are more likely to be looking for something specific. Unless you are like me,you or Dundonnell (Colin) say,and you are obviously looking for something different or unusual. As to libraries. Here,at least in recent years,and particularly post crash,they do seem allot less adventurous in their choice of repertoire. The BBC are much help either! If I liked classical music and I hadn't heard of HB,how would I discover his music? I might have adventurous tastes but  there would less points of contact with the rare and offbeat outside the usual canon!
Also,even if there is a 'record' store,people know that they can get cds allot cheaper on the internet,so they simply don't go. Chain stores,need I add,tend to play safe in their repertory,unlike the old independents. Although,the last store selling cds here,MVC,which closed a few years ago had the odd surprise. I remember finding the emi Brian 'twofer' in the rack! Other than that,the main sourse of unusual repertoire there was the Naxos label. Lots of Bax in the rack and only around £4 if you used your MVC card and walked to the counter! I wonder how many people discovered or furthered their interest in Bax,beyond Tintagel,by finding one of those Naxos cds in a rack like that? Not my favourite Bax cycle,but a pretty good introduction. You could also find their excellent recent Brian release like that,couldn't you?!

[John Whitmore]

I know what you mean, cilgwyn. How do you stumble on something in cyberspace? It presupposes knowledge, it presumes you are looking for what you already know.  I stumbled on MM's book in the library whilst looking for something about Bruckner. Happy days, happy discoveries!

Are you mad? 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Are you mad? 

[Karl Henning]

A Johan sighting! 

[calyptorhynchus]

We used to have a very good CD shop in Canberra (Abels in Manuka for those who know the National Capital). Its annual sale was the highlight of my musical year and I'd retire there for an afternoon and return with new listening for the next year.

It closed about 5 years ago, but just at that time I started to discover online forums like this one, with the added attraction of links to free downloads. Stranegly this only increased my CD and download purchases.....

[cilgwyn]

Not wishing to be a hypocrite even if there was a good independent 'record' store,'like there used to be',would I go there knowing I will be paying twice or three times as much for my cds? Hm?! It's a bit like supermarkets. I definitely preferred the old style grocery store,often with a nice old lady behind the counter (etc!);but,even I could find one,they are so expensive now! Not all their fault,of course. They haven't got the buying power. Anyway,back to my main point. I have to admit,I haven't even visited the secondhand record/cd/tape stall in the market since I started buying cds on the internet. Having said that,there is a new market hall now and when I did walk past the stall it was allot smaller (tiny!) and unless she has a trapdoor in the floor and a big room underneath I can't see that she can possibly have much there anymore! Still,my main post was the way you could 'accidentally' find something unusual in one of those 'old fashioned' record stores not the pros and cons and why have they disappeared debate? Allot of happy memories though!

Going back to the subject of libraries. Of course,they didn't just introduce me to rare composers. I was also ploughed through Karajan Bruckner cycles,Solti Brahms symphonies and the Decca D'oyly Carte Gilbert and Sullivan recordings,Elgar symphonies (Boult,Barbirolli,Solti) Khatchaturian,Weber's Der Freischutz,Copland,Vaughan Williams,etc. They seemed to favour certain conductors. I got the feeling they liked Karajan allot and Solti was highly rated at the time. I hardly think I'd choose Elgar for Solti now. Maybe Brahms? And whoever was in charge of choosing the records obviously loved Richard Wagner!! Hardly any Richard Strauss operas!

I must admit,each to his own,but I seem to be with John on Bruckner. I do quite like his Seventh,but whatever you say about Brian,ramshackle,eccentric (the cheek!) at least his output is varied. I tried to listen to Bruckner again recently. A stretch of serene,dignified music,followed by a huge granitic solemn outburst,then another stretch (and it feels like one!) of serene music,followed by another solemn granitic outburst.......and the next symphony going through the same routine! Phew!!!

[John Whitmore]

Going back to the subject of libraries. Of course,they didn't just introduce me to rare composers. I was also ploughed through Karajan Bruckner cycles,Solti Brahms symphonies and the Decca D'oyly Carte Gilbert and Sullivan recordings,Elgar symphonies (Boult,Barbirolli,Solti) Khatchaturian,Weber's Der Freischutz,Copland,Vaughan Williams,etc. They seemed to favour certain conductors. I got the feeling they liked Karajan allot and Solti was highly rated at the time. I hardly think I'd choose Elgar for Solti now. Maybe Brahms? And whoever was in charge of choosing the records obviously loved Richard Wagner!! Hardly any Richard Strauss operas!

I must admit,each to his own,but I seem to be with John on Bruckner. I do quite like his Seventh,but whatever you say about Brian,ramshackle,eccentric (the cheek!) at least his output is varied. I tried to listen to Bruckner again recently. A stretch of serene,dignified music,followed by a huge granitic solemn outburst,then another stretch (and it feels like one!) of serene music,followed by another solemn granitic outburst.......and the next symphony going through the same routine! Phew!!!

I'm amazed you are still alive.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thank God for Bruckner.  0:)

[Sergeant Rock]

I tried to listen to Bruckner again recently. A stretch of serene,dignified music,followed by a huge granitic solemn outburst,then another stretch (and it feels like one!) of serene music,followed by another solemn granitic outburst.......and the next symphony going through the same routine!

Exactly! What's not to love? 

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

.

[cilgwyn]

"I tried to listen to Bruckner again recently. A stretch of serene,dignified music,followed by a huge granitic solemn outburst,then another stretch (and it feels like one!) of serene music,followed by another solemn granitic outburst.......and the next symphony going through the same routine!"


I did put my foot in it there!

[cilgwyn]

Thank God for Bruckner.  0:)

Thank God for Brian!
Incidentally,regarding that life changing visit to the library,Johan! You came looking for Bruckner,but you found Brian? Is it possible the almighty was trying to tell you something?!!

[springrite]

Bruckner or Brian, I don't think we can put the blame on God.

[Sergeant Rock]

Bruckner or Brian, I don't think we can put the blame on God.

Brutal... 

Sarge

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Bruckner or Brian, I don't think we can put the blame on God.

He still feels responsible.