# Havergal Brian: Symphony 1



## Zeus (Jan 6, 2018)

Just yesterday I discovered this monster of a work, and I only listened to some short fragments of it, but it absolutely sounded spectacular.

Thoughts?


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I've listened to it a couple of times, and also to many of his later symphonies. The first is interesting, the rest are a bit less, and do not urge me to listen to them often.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

For years there has been a vocal subset of Gramophone readers who periodically flood the letters column extolling the virtues of his symphonies. It hasn't spread to the generl listener yet.


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## Biffo (Mar 7, 2016)

Brian's Symphonies were occasionally discussed in the Amazon.co.uk forum. I found myself in a minority in not liking the 'Gothic' Symphony - I dislike his choral writing. I have tried Nos 3, 7-9 & 31 and enjoyed them all but not to the extent that I listen to them very often or have been tempted to try others.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Brian's symphonies are well worth listening to, but I don't revisit them often. In terms of "niche" British composers, I find the symphonies of George Lloyd, Granville Bantock and Arnold Bax more rewarding.


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

The choral writing is one of the best things about The Gothic, and Das Siegeslied, his 4th Symphony.

If you want something less daunting, try Nos. 6 and/or 10. Both less than 20 minutes, and they show what a magnificent orchestral tone painter Brian is.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Brian is the sort of composer I ought to like, and I have invested in a decent number of the Naxos symphony releases, mostly done by obscure Russian orchestras. Sorry, but nothing has really grabbed my attention so far, it all feels a bit too amorphous for my liking, including the big Gothic.
I have the same feelings with Rued Langgaard!


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I have pretty much every Brian recording available. I've always enjoyed his style and I enjoy the Gothic Symphony immensely. I probably go through all of the recordings I have a couple times a year.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

realdealblues said:


> I probably go through all of the recordings I have a couple times a year.


One of the best things about less well-known composers like Brian is that the comparative paucity of recordings lends itself to the occasional bout of binge listening. I know I've indulged myself a few times in the past, Havergal Brian included


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Personally, I like it. The piece does tend to sag in the middle, but when it's all put together, it makes quite a statement.


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## kyjo (Jan 1, 2018)

Brian's _Gothic_ seems like the type of piece I ought to love, but I was only able to listen to about half of the Naxos recording before reaching for the off button. I just couldn't grasp the direction of the music at all. Maybe I'll revisit it at some point. I also know Brian's far more compact Symphony no. 6 _Sinfonia tragica_, which I liked quite a bit more.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

I remember being furious when the 2011 BBC Proms performance of the 'Gothic' was not televised; such a missed opportunity. As well as being fascinating to watch and hear, I felt that it would have gone a long way towards promoting Brian's music to a wider audience.
I still find Brian's music difficult to get into; all apart from the 6th symphony which I consider to be something of a 20th Century English music masterpiece. 
It's strange how post-Vaughan Williams English symphonic music gets such a raw deal; Arnold seems to be almost actively ignored, Bax barely played, Brian has seen something of a resurgence at least in terms of available recordings but still very rarely played in the concert hall, and George Lloyd barely gets a mention.


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## Biffo (Mar 7, 2016)

techniquest said:


> It's strange how post-Vaughan Williams English symphonic music gets such a raw deal; Arnold seems to be almost actively ignored, Bax barely played, Brian has seen something of a resurgence at least in terms of available recordings but still very rarely played in the concert hall, and George Lloyd barely gets a mention.


The reputation of Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Britten seems secure and growing internationally but for everyone else it looks pretty bleak to me. Arnold and Lloyd have reasonable discographies but the conductors who have championed them and other British composers in the past are now dead. Mackerras and Handley couldn't go on forever but Hickox was a particularly grievous loss. The Halle, mainly under Elder, keep up a steady stream of releases but mainly of Elgar and RVW, at least in major works.


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

You need to abandon a lot of your preconceived expectations of how music "should" go when it comes to Brian's music. Just accept it as part of what makes Brian's music unique. Don't expect development in the traditional sense. It's all in your perception. Abandon all of that, and just enjoy the ride!

One of my favourite hallmarks of Brian's music is his use of percussion. For example, a few of his symphonies end with the cymbals and/or tam-tam left to resound after the rest of the orchestra stops playing. You don't hear that in many other composers' music. The only other examples I knew of before were Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances and Elgar/Payne 3rd Symphony.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

kyjo said:


> Brian's _Gothic_ seems like the type of piece I ought to love, but I was only able to listen to about half of the Naxos recording before reaching for the off button.


The Brabbins recording on Hyperion is the one to get, IMHO, although whether that will do anything to solve the issue of the directionless music is another matter


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Biffo said:


> The reputation of Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Britten seems secure and growing internationally but for everyone else it looks pretty bleak to me. Arnold and Lloyd have reasonable discographies but the conductors who have championed them and other British composers in the past are now dead.


...and Michael Tippett. It is a pity that Simon Rattle has shown very little interest in many of these composers.


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## kyjo (Jan 1, 2018)

techniquest said:


> It's strange how post-Vaughan Williams English symphonic music gets such a raw deal; Arnold seems to be almost actively ignored, Bax barely played, Brian has seen something of a resurgence at least in terms of available recordings but still very rarely played in the concert hall, and George Lloyd barely gets a mention.


I totally agree! Even Vaughan Williams isn't that often played in the US, not to mention Bax, Arnold, Brian, Lloyd, Rubbra, Moeran, etc...


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> The Brabbins recording on Hyperion is the one to get, IMHO, although whether that will do anything to solve the issue of the directionless music is another matter


I endorse this wholeheartedly - the version on Hyperion is much better for this symphony

there was also a fantastic documentary on the staging of this symphony called 'The Curse of the Gothic' which might still be available at 



 - well worth watching as part of the exploration of this work


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## Biffo (Mar 7, 2016)

Just listened to Symphony No 3, Lionel Friend conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra, for the first time in many years. Much of it is very striking but it does seem rather diffuse and I began to lose interest towards the end. I will possibly try one of the shorter ones.


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## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Biffo said:


> Just listened to Symphony No 3, Lionel Friend conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra, for the first time in many years. Much of it is very striking but it does seem rather diffuse and I began to lose interest towards the end. I will possibly try one of the shorter ones.


I have a similar feeling, I find it too diffuse and with no much cohesion. The No. 3 is not as good as others.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

I'll admit that Havergal Brian's music remains an acquired taste. He fails to push away Vaughn Williams, Bax, Lloyd, Walton and several other British symphonists in my higher affections, but I note that I have nearly a foot of space on my CD shelf occupied by Brian discs, including the Naxos release of Symphonies 8, 21 and 26 which, the sleeve blurb states "finally completes the commercial recording of all thirty-two of Brian's symphonies." Indeed, I started collecting Brian when all that was available were the spurious vinyl recordings from Aries Records. I picked up several of those before CDs came to be. What I've always found with Brian's music is that it moves with optimism. Hey, thirty-one of the thirty-two symphonies were composed after Brian turned 50, and quite a few after the age of 80! If that doesn't give one hope, what will?

I'm pleased that Havergal Brian is finally receiving notice. And much better performances and recordings than he was privy to in the past. Folks can listen and judge for themselves. One needn't like everything, after all, but appreciation of a composer's life's work has little to do with another's personal likes and dislikes. He did well with his life, and I'm glad to be a beneficiary of his art. Bravo! Brian!


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## Capeditiea (Feb 23, 2018)

i have listened to it once. (only a few weeks ago...) i was probably in the incorrect state of mind... i usually listen to music with the mind of the composer... but for some reason i couldn't get into it... i mean there are a few parts i enjoyed... but other than that... i would have to revisit it, thanks to reading these comments about it... i might also have to fetch more of his works. 

i mean that day i was kinda stressed because of various situations... so that could be the cause... lol After this Bach Marathon i shall stay up another 2 hours and listen to Brian's Symphony No. 1 Gothic again. (it probably would be more enthralling at night.)


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## Capeditiea (Feb 23, 2018)

okay after revisiting it... i think it covers it's title "Gothic" quite well... 
i will explore more of his works later on... *nods, yet another to add to my list... i think i was also confusing "Gothic" with Braxton's Symphony for Four Orchestras... 
on a side note... i should probably revisit a lot of the composers i put into the reference folder...


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