Havergal BRIAN (1876-1972)
Symphony No. 1 The Gothic (1919-1927)
Eva Jenisová (soprano), Dagmar Pecková (alto), Vladimir Dolezal (tenor), Peter
Mikulás (bass)
Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Slovak National Opera Chorus, Slovak Folk Ensemble
Chorus, Bratislava City Choir, Lucnica Choir, Bratislava Children’s Choir,
Youth 'Echo' Choir
CSR Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava), Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra/Ondrej
Lenard
rec. Concert Hall, Czechoslovak Radio, Bratislava, 29-31 March, 16-22 Oct
1989. DDD
NAXOS 8.557418-419 [59.11 + 54.56]
Very full
details and links from the Havergal Brian Society
Previous
reviews including from John France
I recently re-read the book on Sibelius by his secretary Santeri Levas. It
presents one of the most personal and personable portraits of the composer.
Amongst the many anecdotes and observations was one relating to the long silence
from Järvenpää. Levas made the point that Sibelius was 61 by
the time he completed his last major works and that the vast majority of composers
had completed the bulk of their oeuvre by that age anyway or had died. Whether
or not there is illumination in that point there are always exceptions: take
Haydn, Hovhaness and Havergal Brian. His old age was alive with challenging
symphonic invention. The Naxos series has reminded us of that point but has
also looked at the works of his ‘younger age’. The Gothic was completed
when Brian was 51 at about the same age as Brahms when he wrote his first.
Thus while Brian was astonishing productive of symphonies well into his eighties
he started late (we’ll ignore a false start or two).
Has there ever been a First Symphony as ambitious in intention, grasp and
achievement as the Gothic. There have been remarkable firsts; I think
of those by Enescu, Prokofiev and Shostakovich yet none of these have stormed
the heavens or stared unblinkingly at eternity in the same way. Across its
almost two hours it never falters. Violence and peace stand close to each
other throughout. Try the last section of the first movement for the seraphic
voice made eloquent in the solo violin. For Violence we can cite the Mars-like
dynamic established by the rapped-out timpani attack that impels the work
forward at the start of the first movement. The layout of the Symphony some
may find disconcerting. However it does work. The first three movements
are entirely orchestral. In fact they work as a 'conventional' symphony and
have been played in that form. The second part is a massive setting of the
Te Deum for multiple soloists, choirs, full orchestra and brass ensembles.
You may well think of other composers. For example in the second movement
you will encounter a 'ticking' figure which for me links with the snowy ambience
of Bax’s later Fifth Symphony. Gloriously glowing horns call out above the
magnificent din put up by the rest of the orchestra in music that defines
heroic. The Judex (tr. 1 CD2) features yet more extraordinary writing.
The wheeling choral passage is like Holst's Hymn of Jesus. Tr. 2 CD2
has a brutal lumbering march with raw fanfares and brass bands rolling and
echoing around the great space of the Slovak Concert Hall. Once again however
Brian leaves us in awe with the Mother Goose iridescent delicacy and
joyful glitter of the women's voices and silvery tinkling percussion (tr.
10 CD2). The mood then switches in tr. 13 to a jaunty, slightly Mahlerian,
march for nine clarinets. The work finds consummation in words intoned with
deep reverence: 'Non confundar in aeternam'. The singing is rich and resonant
in bass definition. Not that Alexander Sveshnikov and the USSR choir would
not have made even more of a dream-team ending.
As a recording it is amongst Gunter Appenheimer's best and it was captured
in the exemplary grand acoustic of Bratislava's world-standard concert hall.
The more than just useful notes for this Naxos set, reduced by Keith Anderson
from the original Marco Polo issue, are by Brian and Foulds champion, Malcolm
Macdonald.
The sung Latin texts are printed in full with parallel translations. The work
is liberally tracked so that you can follow the structure, incident by incident.
The Gothic has had quite a blooming of late. It was performed in Brisbane,
Queensland, on 23 December 2010 with John Curro conducting the Queensland
Youth Orchestra and many other artists. The performance was dedicated to the
memory of the late Sir Charles Mackerras who himself conducted a number of
Brian’s symphonies. This performance was said have been filmed for an ABC
documentary The Curse of the Gothic Symphony which will debut at the
Melbourne International Film Festival in 2011. Then on Sunday 17 July 2011
it will have an extraordinary Proms premiere conducted by Martyn Brabbins
who recorded Brian’s Symphonies 10 and 30, the Concerto for Orchestra and
the English Suite No. 3 with the RSNO for the magnificent Dutton.
Brian’s Gothic is a massive asseveration of confidence by someone who
stood as an outsider to the musical establishment unblessed with private resources
or a public school education let alone a formal musical training. It is a
work of staggering scale and substance and is not let down in any way by the
present recording.
Rob Barnett
A massive asseveration of confidence, staggering scale and substance by an outsider to the musical establishment.
HAVERGAL BRIAN ON NAXOS/MARCO POLO
Symphony No. 2 - Marco Polo 8.223790 now Naxos 8.570506
Symphony No. 4, 12 – Marco Polo 8.223447 now Naxos 8.570308
Symphony No. 11, 15 - Marco Polo 8.223588 now Naxos 8.572014
Symphony No. 17, 32 - Marco Polo 8.223481 now Naxos 8.572020
Violin Concerto and Symphony 18 - Marco Polo 8.223479 now Naxos 8.557775
Symphony No. 20, 25 – Marco Polo 8.223731 now Naxos 8.572641 (just issued)