The recordings of these two
symphonies date back to the mid-seventies. The Heritage website suggests that
these are the “First Commercial Release” of these works. This is slightly
misleading. In my understanding these “off-air” recordings were issued as
“bootleg” albums back in the day. According
to the Havergal Brian website, these were pirate recordings…that would be
illegal in the UK.” The Symphony No.3 appeared on Aries LP 1617, the
band credited was the “Lisbon Conservatory Orchestra”, conductor “Peter Michaels.”
The reality was that this was taken from a BBC Radio 3 concert broadcast on 18
October 1974, with the artists noted in the heading above. The same applies to
Brian’s Symphony No.17. This was originally credited to the fictitious, but
convincingly named, “Hamburg
Philharmonic Orchestra” conducted by “Horst Werner.” It was issued in
1976, on a triple album, coupled with the Symphonies 13, 15, 20, 24 and 26. (Aries
LP 3601). The other outfit on this “pirated” album were the equally imaginary “Edinburgh Youth Symphony,” conducted by “John
Freedman.” The first broadcast of Brian’s Symphony No.17 was on BBC Radio 3 on 14
May 1978.
So, what we are hearing on this CD is a transfer of the BBC broadcast performances of two of Brian symphonies. As the liner notes state, “they lack the frisson of a public performance or the polish of a commercial studio recording (rehearsal time of these broadcasts invariably being restricted and separate takes almost non-existent.” This is a case of damning themselves with faint praise. These are both excellent performances and recordings.
Havergal Brian’s symphonic achievement is amazing, whatever way you look at it. The short Symphony No.17 was written during 1960/61. The composer was a mere 84 years old. Looking at the catalogue of his music shows that Brian had completed Symphonies 14 to 16 in the previous year. Despite his age, there would be another 15 examples to go before he put down his pen: Symphonies No.31 and the final essay, No. 32 were completed as late as 1968.
Overall, Brian’s Symphony No.3 is a clever balance between the composer’s ubiquitous march music and a keen sense of lyricism. Here and there a pastoral idiom is evoked, and in the final movement there is much Elgarian “nobility.” Musical material seems to overflow, with innovative ideas taken up, used, and then discarded. The Symphony is conceived in four standard movements, including sonata form in the first, a long and involved slow movement, an eccentric (but effective) scherzo, and a huge in impact, but short in duration, tentative, finale.
This long work, only beaten in duration by Brian’s Gothic
Symphony, makes use of a large orchestra. It was originally meant to be a
piano concerto - or a two-piano concerto. Brian has retained these instruments in
the score. It has been said that “the music seems to be struggling for unity
and cohesion against counterforces trying to blow it apart.” Whether the
composer succeeds in creating accord, is up to the listener to decide.
Symphony No. 17 is written in a single movement, although it comes as no surprise that it is cast in three parts. The listener will note the imbalance between the length of each “section.” For example the elusive and enigmatic “finale,” Allegro con brio, is barely two minutes long. The opening section, Adagio-Allegro moderato is about eight minutes, and the “slow movement” Lento poco just over three. None of this bothers me. This is a successful Symphony that is full of interest and conflicting emotion. It is characterised by contrast between aggression, struggle and pensive interludes. The writing for the brass section is particularly effective.
Malcolm MacDonald gave an excellent précis of this work which
is worth quoting in full: - “[This] is one of Brian’s most abstract and
elliptical utterances: there are fleeting hints of Romantic imagery and mysterious
hymnody, but in general it might be considered as a species of polyphonic
fantasia in several clearly-defined sections, a kind of orchestral
equivalent...to the big keyboard toccatas of Bach...”
I have not had the opportunity to hear the original “unauthorised” LPs of these two Symphonies, so I can only imagine what the sound quality and packaging may have been like. Likewise, I do not recall hearing the original broadcasts either. The transfers have been made from the original BBC tapes. For me, they are superb and bring these two important recordings to life.
The booklet explains that the present conductor, Stanley Pope (1916-95), had a long-standing association with Havergal Brian’s music. This relationship dated from 1958, when he conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra in the world premiere of the Symphony No.10 on the BBC Third Programme.
The liner notes by John Pickard are excellent. It is essay length and provides massive amounts of commentary and non-technical analysis. They have been specially written for this new release, the old sleeve notes from the Aries LPs having been wisely abandoned. Included is a short biography of Stanley Pope.
Finally, I would not like to judge Stanley Pope’s take on these two symphonies against Lionel Friend and the BBC Symphony Orchestra on the Hyperion label (CDH55029) (No.3) and the RTE National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Adrian Leaper (Naxos 8.572020) (No.17). All seem to me to be valid, dramatic and satisfying performances of two essential works. Havergal Brian enthusiasts will insist on owning all these recordings.
Looking at the list of “bootlegs” or “unauthorised
recordings” listed on the Havergal Brian Website, there are plenty of other
Brian compositions to reissue in conjunction with the BBC and other media.
Havergal BRIAN (1876-1972)
Symphony No.3 in C sharp minor (1931-32)
Symphony No.17 (1960-61)
Ronald Stevenson (piano), David Wilde (piano), New Philharmonia Orchestra/Stanley Pope (Symphony No.3), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra /Stanley Pope (Symphony No.17)
rec. 12 January 1974 BBC Maida Vale, London (Symphony No.3); 23 June 1976, BBC Maida Vale, London (Symphony No.17)
HERITAGE HTGCD 153
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