Havergal Brian.

[cilgwyn]

Just saw the review of The Tigers Testament release on Musicweb. I've been offline for about three days,so I have an excuse for not having seen it....if everyone else has!

[Augustus]

Thanks, Cilgwyn.  That's a review that takes nearly as long to read as it does to listen to the opera!

[cilgwyn]

A link,if anyone hasn't read it!

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2015/Mar/Brian_tigers_SBT31496.htm

Hope that works,says the man who still uses a shortwave radio (it's on now,actually,complete with assorted atmospherics!

[Sergeant Rock]

A link,if anyone hasn't read it!

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2015/Mar/Brian_tigers_SBT31496.htm

Hope that works,says the man who still uses a shortwave radio (it's on now,actually,complete with assorted atmospherics!

You may be a Luddite but the link works. Congratulations 

Sarge

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thanks, cilgwyn! I didn't have the time yet to read the review.  Quite a thorough affair! I learnt nothing new, but it was interesting to read about one listener's reaction to that amazing score.

[cilgwyn]

Yes,Musicweb seem to competing with IRR Magazine to see who can provide the longest review. Musicweb have also awarded it the title of Recording of the Month. I expected that,mind. It would be a bit strange if they didn't!! Incidentally,after the physical release of the new Naxos cd,I wonder if there are any other Havergal Brian recordings in the metaphorical pipeline? Someone 'out there' knows?!!! I do also have a certain sympathy for people who would like to see some other neglected British composers getting some attention. I see a recording of Ethel Smyth's The Boatswain's Mate is in the offing,thanks to funding. I may buy that one. It sounds more interesting than The Wreckers! An active society seems to be of help. The Rutland Boughton Trust managed to get a recording of The Queen of Cornwall off the ground. Holbrooke's got no one. Although,I know Gareth Vaughan has done allot. A cult following obviously helps! Are the Havergal Brian Society a cult?!! Sounds scary! Help!!! I was disappointed to see that a new initiative in Wales seems to be releasing music as downloads only! I don't want A download of Daniel Jones (I can get them at the AMF!) I want a cd!!!

As to being a luddite,Sarge! When I listen to Radio Australia,I want it to sound like it is coming from Australia! And what could kind of idiot listens to the BBC World Service online,in crystal clear sound (albeit,with the odd buffering!) when they can listen to it on a shortwave radio via a relay,thousands of miles away,on the rocky,volcanic island of Ascension,off the coast of Africa?!!!

A pity about Deutsche Welle,though!!

[Augustus]

I was looking this morning to see if there were any reviews yet of the new Naxos disc and so Googled "havergal brian walker new russia naxos 6 28 28 31 review" and to my surprise this came up:
http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_cd_review.php?id=12729

It must be one of the most enthusiastic reviews for a new Brian disc ever!  If, as he says, the new recording of No.6 beats the Lyrita recording, the almost impossible must have been achieved.  Only a few more days to wait and we can hear for ourselves, but this really makes me want the days to pass until it arrives from Amazon.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Robert Matthew-Walker is a Brian enthusiast of long standing.  He has written a fascinating memoir about his encounters with the great man. I bought a signed copy from him personally at a concert in Piccadilly in 1995 (where I met fellow-Dutchman and GMG member Christo for the first time, too). If Matthew-Walker is that positive, we're in for a treat!

[Hattoff]

My copy of the new Brian has arrived.
How does Alexander Walker do it? What seemed dense and muddy now seems crisp and sharp and it makes a lot of difference.
The 6th is staggeringly beautiful notwithstanding the Russian brass which changes the sound world but feels good to me.
I only know No. 28 from hissy tapes and don't know it well but it comes over much, much better than I ever realised before.

Arrgh, my CD player is being fractious, I'll have to report on 29 and 31 later.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Sounds good!

[Christo]

Robert Matthew-Walker is a Brian enthusiast of long standing.  He has written a fascinating memoir about his encounters with the great man. I bought a signed copy from him personally at a concert in Piccadilly in 1995 (where I met fellow-Dutchman and GMG member Christo for the first time, too). If Matthew-Walker is that positive, we're in for a treat!

I too bought a copy with his signature at that memorable occasion. If he's sure that even this new recording of the Tragica 'has the edge' over the standard set by Myer Fredman and the LPO for Lyrita in the 1970s - a recording that was my first acquaintance with Brian'I've always cherished it - how could I resist?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I just bought the album for download from ClassicsOnline. Will listen tomorrow...

[cilgwyn]

I just put my pc on and there's an email from Amazon telling me that my Brian cd has been despatched. Delivery estimate: Tuesday! Much as I loved the Lyrita recordings,I could have done without the Cooke! The reason why I never bought the actual physical cd release. I would have preferred just Brian 6 & 16,even if it meant a shorter playing time. It will be great to finally have a really first class performance of the Sixth on an all Brian cd.

[Christo]

Much as I loved the Lyrita recordings,I could have done without the Cooke!

Cooke's short Third Symphony (1967) is actually quite good, as many already observed before, with an impressive and beautiful central lento. I already loved the old Lyrita LP with it and was very happy to see it revived on this CD. I regard Cooke's symphonies one of the 'greatest' (whatever that means) of all forgotten cycles. The 1947 First, on another al all-Cooke Lyrita CD, is very fine, too.l

[cilgwyn]

I wasn't knocking Cooke,Christo;I just like Brian with Brian! I know that some people enjoyed the combination,or,at least,it didn't put them off. Anyway,the problem is easily solved,these days,with a download and a cd-r;which was certainly my solution. That said,I can't deny that I am looking forward to being able to listen to the Sixth on a good 'old fashioned' all-Brian cd!

[calyptorhynchus]

Those intending to download the new album form Classicsonline had better do it soon. As I understand the speil at the site come 1 April the site will be replaced with a new site where you will only be able to buy FLACs starting at $10.99, rather than MP3s starting at $6.99.

This is a bit annoying as I am one of those luddites who can't tell the difference between MP3s and FLACs on MP3 players, and I can see my days of happy splurging on Classicsonline are over.

(Even if I did buy FLACs I'd have to convert them to MP3s to load on to my iPod, otherwise it'll get full too quickly (already have three on the go).

Oh, and with our wretched internet I'd have to wait hours for the downloads.

Sigh.

[cilgwyn]

Interesting post! Maybe I'll skip the expensive FLACS from now on?!
Incidentally,here's another luddite,who likes listening to Radio Australia...still on shortwave,on 12065khz! I'm hoping BST will let me listen till nearly 10pm,from tonight. I'll get the whole of Pacific Beat in the week (instead of just the first 54 mins) before they change frequency!

[cilgwyn]

Actually I won't.....but I'll be able to listen later (get it right man! ) which will be very nice!
Now,with a bit of luck the Brian cd will be here on Tuesday! Monday,if I'm very lucky! I've also got Honegger,Roussel,Raff and Spohr cds in the post! Really into Honegger and Roussel at the moment!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I have listened to the CD... I don't have the time to write a detailed review. So I'll be brief. It's terrific. The two standouts, for me, are symphonies 28 and 29. The performances are nothing short of revelatory. I have come to the conclusion that symphonies 27-32 are as impressive in their own way as 6-12. No. 28 almost sounds like a completely new work, after Stokowski's distortion. The final few minutes are incredible - like an apocalyptic Chinese New Year, with all those pentatonic explosions. No 29 is taken much more slowly than the Mackerras, and the work gains in stature. At first I found the ponderousness in the opening allegro a bit disconcerting, until I found it made sense and that an enormous amount of detail could now be heard for the first time. And the slowness also works miracles in the final movement, with its out-of-this-world coda. Very impressive. What about 6 and 31? I think they're equal to the performances we already have. Walker's tempi are fascinating. He really understands this music. With the other Walker (Gary) and Martyn Brabbins we Brianites now enjoy  the unprecedented luxury of having three excellent Brian conductors. Happy days!

[Albion]

My copy arrived this morning but I've only had time to listen to No.6: the playing and pacing is superb and with Naxos's worldwide distribution should win many new friends for what IMHO is one of Brian's finest scores. The other symphonies will have to wait until this evening, unfortunately!