Havergal Brian from Dutton

[albion]

according to a post on another forum by a member of the Havergal Brian Society, the first entirely new recording of this composer's music on Naxos (as opposed to re-issues of Marco Polo originals) has been completed for release later in the year - Symphonies 22, 23 and 24 coupled with the early English Suite No.1. It should be a cracker of a disc with James Judd conducting the RLPO.

Unfortunately, we may be in for a longer wait regarding this proposed Naxos recording: contrary to the information posted above, I have received the following corrective from another forum member -

the sessions with the RLPO were first delayed then cancelled after the RLPO had its grant cut, and they couldn't afford to make the disc. Currently Naxos is searching for another UK orchestra to do it - possibly the Ulster Orchestra - but it could all take months

If this is the case, it's a great pity as this disc promised to be another milestone in the Brian discography. 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I am that other forum member. When the HBS Newsletter editor informed us this weekend another Brian recording was 'under our belt' I mistakenly thought he meant the Naxos recording. But that would have been recorded in June. I now realise he meant the recording for the second Toccata CD with orchestral music from Brian's operas.

Yes, it would be a pity if this lacuna in the Brian discography wasn't to be filled. No. 24, especially, is marvellous.

[Paul Barasi]

I've always thought Dutton is a genius (mainly because I can't stand background noise on recordings) but, remind me, why does everyone have a down on the Gothic Marco Polo?

[albion]

If we are fortunate enough to get (at some point) another all-Brian disc from Dutton under the baton of Martyn Brabbins, I wonder which commercially-unrecorded works other members would like to see on it ...



... with a playing-time pushed to the limit, I'd especially welcome the following action-packed (and very varied) programme -

Symphony No.5, Wine of Summer (1937) - c.20 minutes
Symphony No.13 (1959) - c.18 minutes
Symphony No.24 (1965) - c.17 minutes
Symphony No.27 (1966) - c.22 minutes

All of these scores (especially No.27) have become firm favourites with me and it would be a treat to have modern digital recordings (especially if Roderick Williams was willing to take on the baritone solo in No.5).

[Jimfin]

An excellent selection, Albion: 'Wine of Summer' would plug the gap in the first twelve, Thirteen is a lovely work too, and the other two would add to the very small number available in the twenties. Until my dream of a complete box set of all 32 comes true...

[Dundonnell]

I thought that the Naxos plan was still to record Nos. 22, 23 and 24 together

If that project goes ahead then surely you should be looking for a different symphony to fit onto your (hypothetical) Dutton disc

Symphony No.19 is 18 minutes long so it would fit onto the cd......just

.....or we could get No.28 right this time. It is 15 minutes long so it would definitely fit.

At 20 minutes in length No.29 wouldn't fit.

As you know the symphonies which have not been commercially recorded are Nos. 5; 13; 14; 19; 23; 24; 26; 27; 28; and 29.

I know that Malcolm regards Nos. 14 and 26 as the least impressive of the canon. I disagree with him-and always have done-about No.14, a symphony I really enjoy

[eschiss1]

have only heard 14 once, but have rather enjoyed 26. will have to give 14 another go soon.

[Jimfin]

It would be nice to hear 21 given a professional hearing too, especially since it was considered good enough to be one of the first two to be recorded commercially. I didn't realise Naxos/Marco Polo still had plans to continue the series: I assumed they had given up some years ago

[eschiss1]

I still assume so- and see nothing listed in their 2011-2012 catalog- but hope the news I haven't heard about is good?

[albion]

I thought that the Naxos plan was still to record Nos. 22, 23 and 24 together

If that project goes ahead then surely you should be looking for a different symphony to fit onto your (hypothetical) Dutton disc

If this Naxos project is still definitely 'in the pipeline' (members of the HB Society would probably be the first to know) then I would propose 5, 13, 19 and 27 as my Dutton 'want' instead, but Brabbins would have to keep one eye on the clock!



It would be fascinating to know exactly how David Brown's original scheme for the Marco Polo edition was structured -

[After recording The Gothic] Mr Heymann agreed, and in collaboration with Malcolm MacDonald and Committee colleagues I devised couplings over 19 discs that took in the remaining 31 Symphonies, the two solo Concertos, the Concerto for Orchestra, the suites, the overtures, the other orchestral miscellanea, the choral works for which we have full scores, and orchestral extracts from the operas.

Putting the Cycle notionally together on paper was a privilege, and an absolutely fascinating exercise - and one in which personal views on the effect of works both individually and juxtaposed inevitably played a big part.  Rightly or wrongly I went for maximum contrast - early with late, symphonic with non-symphonic, expansive with terse, 'cheerful' with 'gloomy' - rather than a thematic or chronological approach.  Also, whether a work had been played before - and how frequently, and how long since the last (usually only!) performance - were factors, as were the forces involved:  asking, for example , for a third pair of horns, a fourth trumpet, or a second harp for one piece only out of several was to be avoided if possible.  Total duration of each disc was another consideration.  Knowing how difficult and unfamiliar much of the music was, and the constraints of session time, I made no attempt to push the notional playing time of each CD beyond the 70-minute mark, and generally was happy with sets of pieces that added up to around 60 (in the event some of the couplings still proved over-ambitious).  Finally, as works were 'used up', it got increasingly difficult to round off the final instalments as satisfactorily in 'programme' terms as the earliest had fallen into place.

In the end the couplings were prepared and presented.

[Jimfin]

Thanks for that, Albion. I'm afraid I let my HBS membership lapse some years ago. The internet spoils us all too much: those societies used to be the only way to find out about new releases, and as a teenager I belonged to about ten of them, though the HBS and the Sir Arthur Sullivan Society were the ones I cared about most

[Dundonnell]

Yes, David Brown's original plan would indeed be fascinating

Perhaps we might get some idea from the HBS about the current state of play regarding the projected Nos.22-24 set We do know that the RLPO/James Judd recording was aborted but there was talk of the Ulster Orchestra being used.

I understand from those who have heard the cd transfers of the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra recordings of Nos. 10 and 21 and of No.22 that their sound quality has been much improved...and they are available for download as well

http://klassichaus.us/Havergal-Brian.php

Why not put your selection together, John, burn the symphonies onto disc and send a copy to Michael Dutton, Lewis Foreman and, most of all, Martyn Brabbins himself

As we have heard before record companies get sackfuls of mail requesting new recordings but what they really need is to hear the works being requested. I am sure that Foreman has heard these symphonies but Brabbins may not have. Actually hearing them might peak his interest enough

[albion]

Why not put your selection together, John, burn the symphonies onto disc and send a copy to Michael Dutton, Lewis Foreman and, most of all, Martyn Brabbins himself

Why not, indeed!



I've just burnt a disc to see how it might work as a (hypothetical) programme ...



... and there is a whole minute spare ...

[Jimfin]

As you say, Brabbins will have to keep a strict eye on the clock! He must have ambitions to be the first conductor to do a Brian cycle, mustn't he?

[albion]

Why not put your selection together, John, burn the symphonies onto disc and send a copy to Michael Dutton, Lewis Foreman and, most of all, Martyn Brabbins himself

I've just burnt a disc to see how it might work as a (hypothetical) programme ...

I think it works as a programme, although better possibly not in strict chronological order - it contains some of Brian's most intense, directly emotionally-charged writing (No.5, slow movement of No.27) with plenty of brightness elsewhere.

Quicker than putting a disc in the post - I've emailed them a mediafire mini-folder (for their own private study and research).