Havergal Brian symphonies
Sat, May 14 2011, 2:09AM
#2
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
I just remembered another Brian LP that I had but couldn't locate immediately because it was filed under "Parry." It's a 3 LP set, later issued on CD (lowest price currently is $49.99 on Amazon - maybe Amazon.UK has it for less) and is called "Masters of the English Musical Renaissance". One LP is for Parry, another for Foulds, and the other for Brian. The Brian is the 54 minute "Symphonic Movements from The Tigers." If anything needs to be made available again it is this work and I'm hoping Toccata has this in mind for its Volume 2 of Brian orchestral music. In the meantime, I think either YouTube or Yahoo or both have it available for listening. The well recorded performance is by the Luxembourg Radio Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Hager.
Sat, May 14 2011, 11:43AM
#3
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
Yes, Bliss, that disc with music from The Tigers is very good! The second Brian release from Toccata this year, though, will contain mostly music never before recorded from Brian's later operas. To be more precise: Symphonic Variations (The Tigers), Preludio Tragico (The Cenci), Nine movements (a suite from Turandot); Night Ride of Faust and Mephistopheles (Faust).
Sat, May 14 2011, 8:05PM
#4
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
Thanks for the good news and the bad news. While 12 minutes of The Tigers is better than nothing I hope that some enterprising CD label (Dutton, for example) continues to record the music of Brian, keeping the Symphonic Movements in mind. Too bad Lyrita has stopped making new recordings (or have they?).
Mon, May 16 2011, 12:41AM
#5
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
Hi folks!
Bliss - I wasn't even aware of the CBS vinyl recording of the Brian Symphonia Brevis no.22 by the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra under Loughran. To the best of my knowledge there were only 3 LP's in those distant days before CD, which were the ones we've already mentioned:
Symphonies 10/21 Unicorn/LSSO/Loughran
Symphonies 6 Symphonia Tragica/16 Lyrita - I can't quite remember folks - was it the LSO under David Atherton?
Symphonies 8/9 EMI Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Charles Groves
Astonished to find that Brian's shortest symphony was also recorded by the LSSO and the same conductor on vinyl.
I have attempted here a discography - Johan you are in charge of making the amendments and additions etc...! Here are the recordings on vinyl/CD that we know about. This is not intended to be definitive - merely a starting point:
Havergal Brian Symphonies
1 Gothic Naxos CD/Slovak Philharmonic/Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Lenard
also newly recorded on Dutton CD/ Brabbins (orchestra)
also previously recorded on Testament/Boult (cd? orchestra?)
2 Naxos CD/Moscow Symphony Orchestra/Tony Rowe (previously available on Marco Polo CD)
4/12 Naxos CD/Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra/Leaper (previously available on Marco Polo CD)
6 Symphonia Tragica/16 were recorded on vinyl Lyrita - was this released on CD also?
7/8 were recorded on vinyl EMI/Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Groves
7/8/9/31 EMI 2 CD set/RLPO/Groves/Mackerras comprising 7/8 as above of course
10/21 were recorded on vinyl Unicorn/Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra/James Loughran - later released on Unicorn-Kanchana CD
11/15 Naxos CD/RTE/Rowe/Leaper (previously available on Marco Polo CD)
17/32 Naxos CD/RTE/Leaper (previously available on Marco Polo CD)
18 Naxos/BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Lionel Friend
20/25 Marco Polo CD = deleted by Naxos = artists
Have we ever had the following symphonies recorded?
3/5/13/14/19/23/24/26/27/28/29/30
The recorded oeuvre Johan looks particularly thin on the last third of Brian's symphonies.
Regards
Mon, May 16 2011, 9:52PM
#6
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
For a complete discography of both deleted and available recordings go to www.havergalbrian.org and hit "Programming Brian" in the box on the right. At the bottom of that page hit "Discography" and there you are.,
Wed, May 18 2011, 2:37AM
#7
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
Thanks Bliss. I have had a look at that discography on the HBS site. Interesting stuff. Some of his symphonies it looks like have never been recorded - or not as yet anyway.
Regards
Wed, May 18 2011, 7:37PM
#8
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
Partsong, just to add a few bits to your list of recordings:
No. 3 has been done and is still available, I believe, on Hyperion (probably Helios now) - BBC Symphony under Lionel Friend. (I'd be interested to hear what others on the forum think of no.3, since it hasn't had much mention so far.)
The Lyrita 6/16 coupling has been recently released on CD.
It was actually 8 & 9 that were coupled on the RLPO/Groves LP - 7 & 31 were Mackerras.
And no.30 was released commercially for the first time a month or so back, coupled with a new no.10 - BBC Scottish/Martyn Brabbins.
So apart from 3 & 30, your "unrecorded" list is right - very heavily weighted towards the later ones, isn't it? Although I do believe that a coupling of 22/23/24 is to be recorded later this year.
(Should mention, of course, that all the symphonies are available in off-air recordings from the Havergal Brian Society.)
DF
Wed, May 18 2011, 9:40PM
#9
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
Many thanks again Dave F. Yes, you are right, it was 8/9 on the Groves EMI vinyl LP. That must have been a typo!
Anyway, it wasn't bad for a discography! Though I have to admit I did not know about the HBS authentic discography, which I have now seen.
I look forward to exploring these recordings that have been new to me in this thread! And the new ones that are imminent.
As always, best wishes.
Partsong
Thu, May 19 2011, 12:08AM
#10
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
Apologies for my absence. But I see Bliss and DaveF stepped into the breach! Yes, symphonies 22-24 will be recorded soon for Naxos, James Judt conducting the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. That leaves 5, 13, 14, 19, 26, 27, 28 and 29. The ones most urgently in need of a recording, in my opinion, are 5, 27 and 28. 'Wine of Summer' (No. 5), a symphony for baritone and orchestra, is beautiful and refined. Nos. 27 and 28 are among the strongest of his final symphonies, two very distinct sound-worlds.
I suggest you take a look here... http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,856.0.html
Sat, May 21 2011, 12:37AM
#11
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
Wow!
! That unsung composers folder 4 - I take it that they are concert performances yes? There's a heck of a lot in there! Will explore more.
I have also had a look at the Brian documentary on youtube!
Regards
are concert performances yes?
I have also had a look at the Brian documentary on Youtube.
Thu, May 26 2011, 8:07AM
#12
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
Yes, they have been digitized from tapes of BBC broadcasts. Sound quality is variable, but the hard-core Brianite has long learned to listen through any hiss...
As for the recording of Symphonies 22-24 and the English Suite No. 1 under James Judt I am sorry to say it has been delayed until Naxos can find another orchestra. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic lost its grant.
Sat, May 21 2011, 4:58PM
#13
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
There's also a version of no.14 on YouTube attributed to something like the "Backwoods Pine-Cone Tree-Huggers Symphony Orchestra", but in fact it's the good old LSO under Ted Downes again - same performance as in the MediaFire folder, but in much better sound.
DF
Sat, May 21 2011, 8:30PM
#14
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
Hi Brianites!
Well I have just gone back to beginnings today and started with Brian's 7th and 8th on the double EMI CD. Those are the earliest two that I have in Brian's output - but I have also ordered the 11 and 15 coupling today online!
7 was very intriguing and impressive - I gather it was the last of the 'conventional' if that is the right word early symphonies by Brian - 'conventional; in terms of time-scale (about 40 minutes) and easily recognizable four-part structure. Very impressive work! If the first two movements don't grab you (and they probably will) the last two DEFINITELY will!
The VERY impressive (15 minutes) third movement - we have a horn solo, a truncated scherzo, a haunting flute theme and then a really wonderful section on strings developing the flute theme. The movement ends after some tension with a beautiful violin solo. In the finale, a sombre horn march is followed by various changes of mood and texture and we end up with a march and the coda on church bells!
The EIGHTH is a milestone in my opinion - it really marks the start of Brian's later and 'modern' symphonic style to me. From a few brief fragments at the start - a grim march with the 'military' rhythm - an ascending horn motto, and a simple descending scale in the piano - the whole symphony then gives a really rigorous treatment to the argument between these basics.
We have a wonderful variety of moods from these ideas - before the two profound passacaglias. All the elements come together at the coda with the horn motto underpinned by a brass discord. It really is an amazingly inventive and 'modern' symphony in my opinion.
It reminded me a little of Oli Knussens' Third Symphony, strangely enough, which rotates various moods and textures.
I shall continue with 9 and the BBC recording of the tenth - Calum McDonald says in the liner notes to the EMI double that Brian himself thought of 8 9 and 10 as 'brothers'.
Regards
Partsong
Wed, May 25 2011, 7:54PM
#15
RE: Havergal Brian symphonies
Last night I played both LPs by the LSSO. I was amazed at the fine sound and surface on the CBS Classics LP, and then disappointed by the sound and surface on the Unicorn. Both LPs were recorded a year or two apart and both had the same engineer.
The recording of Symphony 21 is particularly muddy, and scratchy on my disc. Whether aural obscurities in Brian recordings are a function of recording shortcomings, conducting, or Brian's scoring is a question unlikely to be resolved until we've had chance to hear alternative recordings of his works.
For the Brian-curious or those afficianados yet to explore them, I cannot recommend too highly Malcolm MacDonalds superb 3-volume study of the composer.
No, there has never been a CD version of that CBS LP, more's the pity. John Whitmore, former member of the LSSO, has put the whole LP on YouTube, for those interested.
The English Suite No. 5 starts here: http://youtu.be/V9R3fwpapHo
Psalm 23: http://youtu.be/6HovWHyocUA
Symphony No. 22: http://youtu.be/JT48IpcK21E
He has also put a Brian documentary online: http://youtu.be/9f7_wiFeDIU