Havergal Brian (1876–1972)

The Potteries born composer Havergal Brian wrote music of both length and dimension, which has its own cult following. He died in 1972 at the age of 96, and three of his 32 symphonies were promoted by the RLPO either in concert or on HMV disc. But his 1st symphony (The Gothic), written between 1919 and 1927 has proved an economic millstone to concert promoters, requiring a huge orchestra and vast choirs, and soloists. Another symphony of a thousand, and it lasts nearly two hours. Hats off then to the Slovak Philharmonic and Ondrej Leonard who recorded it in 1989, and it was reissued on two CDs by Naxos. Brian was certainly a man full of ideas, although he is always impatient to move on to the next one. Robert Simpson once said that Brian was the finest composer for the Tuba.… (altro)