Havergal Brian.

[Sergeant Rock]

Ha! Nope.

My choice for the six best would be 8, 10, 16, 22, 27, 30.

The Gothic would be in my Top 6 of course but following MM's lead, my choices w/o Gothic would be 5, 8, 9, 13 (or 14), 16, 28.

Sarge

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I think the Mackerras 2 will be hard to beat... I am eagerly awaiting no. 14, too, a work for which I have a very soft spot.

[Sergeant Rock]

I think the Mackerras 2 will be hard to beat...

Oh, yes...wonderful performance. My Klassic Haus CD-R gets played a lot around here.

Sarge

[cilgwyn]

We're talking about a surprising choice here though,aren't we? And I suppose one should differentiate between favourite and best?
No 3 is my favourite;but I'm not sure if it's really one of the best? Fertility of invention,sheer originality,yes. But technically,I suppose it's all over the shop? Which is why I like it so much,of course. I'd also include No 7. But even I'll admit it rambles a bit too much for it's own good. It's also is,really,such a halfway house between his early and late styles. No 8 is where everything all comes together. No 10 is even more cogently argued. But I still like No 3 & 7,better!

As to the forthcoming Dutton. I'm actually looking forward to both of them! . A few years ago it would have been No2;but I'm a convert to later Brian,now! No 14 is a now a firm favourite. I like it even better than No 2,now. But No 2 is very important to me. The nights I spent with that score blazing,brooding,stalking through my brain!

[Sergeant Rock]

We're talking about a surprising choice here though,aren't we? And I suppose one should differentiate between favourite and best?
No 3 is my favourite;but I'm not sure if it's really one of the best? Fertility of invention,sheer originality,yes. But technically,I suppose it's all over the shop? Which is why I like it so much,of course. I'd also include No 7. But even I'll admit it rambles a bit too much for it's own good. It's also is,really,such a halfway house between his early and late styles. No 8 is where everything all comes together. No 10 is even more cogently argued. But I still like No 3 & 7,better!

As to the forthcoming Dutton. I'm actually looking forward to both of them! . A few years ago it would have been No2;but I'm a convert to later Brian,now! No 14 is a now a firm favourite. I like it even better than No 2,now. But No 2 is very important to me. The nights I spent with that score blazing,brooding,stalking through my brain!

So, do you want to know MM's choices? Or are you going to wait for the book 

Sarge

[cilgwyn]

Will you tell me,Sarge? Without my having to go down on my hands and knees?!!

[cilgwyn]

Okay,maybe just knees!!

[Sergeant Rock]

Okay,maybe just knees!!

MM's Top 5

3, 4, 7, 16, 30

You'll be happy to see 3 there. And I keep thinking 4 must be a typo 

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

About 4, I should mention I actually like it...sometimes, in the right mood, I love it.

Sarge

[cilgwyn]

Can't believe he chose No 4!
And No 7! I'm glad, It's one of my favourites. But I just didn't think he'd pick it;for the reasons I stated.

[cilgwyn]

And no 8 or 10?!!!!

[Sergeant Rock]

And no 8 or 10?!!!!

They both make his second tier, masterpieces "though at a slightly lesser level of vision" than his top five.

Sarge

[cilgwyn]

Vision as opposed to boring things like formal construction! Very interesting,when you consider that,going by various posts,I've read over the years, and received opinion;that No 8 and 10 are the ones that get rated more highly. For sheer fecundity of invention,imagination and breadth of vision,I certainly agree with MM's choice of No's 3 & 7,over the former. In some ways,the formal (near) perfection of No's 8 & 9 is possibly their failing?!

[Sergeant Rock]

Vision as opposed to boring things like formal construction! Very interesting,when you consider that,going by various posts,I've read over the years, and received opinion;that No 8 and 10 are the ones that get rated more highly. For sheer fecundity of invention,imagination and breadth of vision,I certainly agree with MM's choice of No's 3 & 7,over the former. In some ways,the formal (near) perfection of No's 8 & 9 is possibly their failing?!

Although he doesn't give many reasons for his choices (I imagine one has to read the individual chapters on each of those symphonies to fully understand why he ranks them as he does), he does say he chose those five as being "evidence of supreme mastery of both technique and inspiration". So I assume he thinks they are as perfect in form as 8 & 10. He also says his selection is "a personal, individual and prejudiced affair". In other words, I suppose he just likes some more than others (like we all do) 

Sarge

[cilgwyn]

No's 3 & 7 certainly get played here more often than No's 8 & 10;so they must have something going for them! As does No 2,I might add. I'm still surprised at his choices,though! I've always felt that it's No 3 & 7's uncoventional-ity that makes them so great. The imagination and invention is so irrepressible,it's almost as if they're ready to burst at the seams,at times. And there is nothing else,to my mind,in the entire literature of the British symphony that remotely approaches the third in terms of blatant disregard for symphonic form. In fact, can't think of a British symphony that is anything like it. A colossal symphony and Concertante work (or parts of one) all going on in one huge symphony!!! Yet,somehow he manages to weld it all together?
His choices of No's 16 and 30,are,however,less surprising to me. And I might add,much as I like them,not in my top 5! But then,as you say;we all have our favourites. As you say,some folk like No 4! Yourself included.

And so do I,when I'm in the right mood.......just don't tell anyone!!

[vandermolen]

3,6,7 and 16 and Sinfonia Brevis are excellent but 8,9 and 10 are my favourites. No.1 is in a special category on its own. The greatest? No.8 for me.

[cilgwyn]

There we are,No 8 in the top 5,Sarge! Although,not for me!!

[vandermolen]

There we are,No 8 in the top 5,Sarge! Although,not for me!!

Love the poetic, searching ending of the work.

[cilgwyn]

I'll have another listen to No 8 & some of the others mentioned here, I haven't listened to Havergal Brian for a while,I'm afraid. I've had such a pile of new ones to listen to. The emi Lp of 8 & 9 was a favourite when I was young. It only moved down the 'list' later on;particularly when I 'cracked' the later ones.

[Karl Henning]

I do need to go back to that two-fer with the Seventh through Ninth.