Articles
on the website
|
|
2013
This page lists the articles on this website about Havergal
Brian and his music.
Where appropriate, a link appears under more than heading.
Articles and other pages new, or significantly amended, in this issue are
listed here.
Every one of these articles is also referenced elsewhere on
the site: e.g., articles about a symphony are referenced on that symphony's title
page, book reviews are referenced on the bibliography pages, and so on.
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| More essays originally published in the Havergal Brian Society Newsletter
on Brian and his music can be found in HB:
Aspects of Havergal Brian, edited by Jürgen Schaarwächter, Ashgate Publishing
Ltd, 1998 - see bibliography |
Brian's music
Works appear in the same order as in the
indexes: extant works, all
works |
| Symphony
1 The Gothic |
Music and meaning - Malcolm MacDonald
excellent piece relating the Gothic to its
time of composition in the first world war
Brian as Faust -
Malcolm MacDonald
excellent wide-ranging article
addressing the psychology of Brian particularly at the time of The Gothic
Brian as Faust - Larry
Alexander follows up
Havergal Brian - The
Gothic voice - Pauline Slevin
Havergal Brian's last testament? - Lionel Pike
The tonal structure of the Gothic
The conception of Part 2 - Colin G Davis
Flawed masterpiece? - Jonathan Rutherford
Is The Gothic a masterpiece? What does this mean?
At Victoria Hall,
Hanley, 21 May 1978 - David J Brown
review of the vast amateur
performance
Mounting the Gothic - David J
Brown
Choirworks and Musical encounters
contains an interview with Ole Schmidt on the 1980 performance
Brev fra London / Letter from London - Peter
Wivel review
Skøn kæmpe-musik uden flip / Lofty musical colossus no freak - Jørgen Falck review
Review of Opus est - David J Brown
contains observations about The Gothic
Recording The Gothic in Bratislava - David J
Brown
David's detailed report on the Marco
Polo sessions recording part 2
The 'Planets for pleasure' orchestra playthrough
(1984) - Ted Heaton
Creating the vocal score of the Gothic
- 1: Jeremy Marchant
Creating the vocal score of the Gothic
- 2: Philip Legge
Creating the vocal score of the Gothic
- 3: Jeremy Marchant
Very good digest of how the vocal score has been computer-set
The Logistics of
the Gothic symphony - 1: Philip Legge
The Logistics
of the Gothic symphony - 2: Philip Legge
Two articles on how to perform the Gothic with
reduced forces
Beethoven, Berlioz, Brian (or Three Bs and
more) - Jurgen Schaarwaechter
Choral demands of the
Gothic - Jeremy Marchant
Defining how difficult it is to stage the
chorus for the Gothic
Brian's choral
challenges in the Gothic - Jeremy Marchant: 1
Detailed analysis of the choral challenges |
| Symphony
2 |
Götz von Berlichingen and Brian's second
symphony - Graham Saxby
A review of the literary inspirations of the music
Introduction - Graham Saxby
Analysis : First movement -
Graham Saxby
Analysis : Second movement -
Graham Saxby
Analysis : Third movement - Graham Saxby
Analysis : Fourth movement and
Conclusion - Graham Saxby
The influence of Goethe's 'Götz von Berlingen' (1) - Damian Rees
The influence of Goethe's 'Götz von Berlingen'
(2) - Damian Rees
The influence of Goethe's 'Götz von Berlingen'
(3) - Damian Rees
Second quality? - Paul Kettle
An existential view of the work
A view from the back
desks - David Hackbridge Johnson
A view from the audience - Roger Moseley
Reviews of 1973 performances |
| Symphony
3 |
A listener's impressions - Martyn Becker
An introdution to the symphony
Second thoughts -
Christopher Kettle
A personal approach to the work, with
many entertaining digressions
Early English atonality
in the first movement - Martin O'Leary
New vistas - Martyn Becker
Comparisons of the Pope and Friend
performances
Review of Composers' Platform WM SO performance -
David J Brown |
| Symphony
4 |
Music at war
transcript of BBC R3 programme about pre second world war British symphonies
Das
Siegeslied and bad genes - Alan Dean Foster
MarcoPolo CD of symphonies 4 & 12 |
| Symphony
5 Wine of summer |
Havergal Brian and Leslie Head - Lewis Foreman
includes material on Symphony 5, including 1969 correspondence from HB relating to the
premiere
Words for music, perhaps
- Chris Kettle
excellent article on the choice of texts for vocal compositions, touching on
Tippett's Byzantium as well as Wine of summer |
| Symphony 6 |
Brian's Sinfonia
tragica (1) - Martin O'Leary
Brian's Sinfonia tragica (2) - Martin O'Leary
Brian's Sinfonia tragica (3) - Martin
O'Leary
Detailed analysis of this approachable symphony
The Sinfonia tragica in Hamilton - Paul Rapoport
An account of the trials and tribulations of mounting the first Brian symphony
performance in Canada
Review of Royal
Holloway/Matthew Taylor 1997 performance - Lewis Foreman
Notes on
Havergal Brian's 6th symphony
Observations
on Havergal Brian's 6th symphony
|
| Symphony
7 |
Newstone and Mackerras interpretations compared - David
Jenkins
Once upon a time - David Jenkins
First thoughts on the seventh symphony's last movement
Play it backwards - Larry Alexander
Larry tries listening to the symphony with the movements in reverse order...
Review of RLPO/Mackerras premiere - John Pickard
Review of RLPO/Mackerras premiere - Richard Whitehouse
Review of RLPO/Mackerras premiere and recording - David
J Brown |
| Symphonies
11 |
Thoughts
on Brian's eleventh symphony - Robert Matthew-Walker |
| Symphonies
11, 15 |
Introduction
to the Marco Polo CD - Malcolm MacDonald |
| Symphonies
16, 17, 18, 19 |
Symphonies 16 to 19: Style
and manner - Martin O'Leary |
|
Symphony 12 |
MarcoPolo CD of symphonies 4 & 12 |
| Symphony
16 |
Performing Brian's music - James
Kelleher
some practical problems experienced preparing for the 1995
performance |
| Symphony
22 |
Symphonia
brevis at the Royal Festival Hall - Malcolm MacDonald
Review of the
Groves 1983 performance, general performance issues and comparisons with
Schoenberg |
| Symphonies
28, 29, 30 |
'In
the mountains, there you feel free' - David Hackbridge Johnson
Some Alpine perspectives on symphonies 28, 29 and 30 |
| Symphony
30 |
Some thoughts on the thirtieth - Rodney Stephen Newton
|
| The
symphonies in general |
Brian - the Gothic voice - Paulin
Slevin
Brian and the use of small- and large-scale symphonic form
Introduction to the symphonies - Graham Saxby
Symphonies 16 to 19: Style and manner -
Martin O'Leary
'In the
mountains, there you feel free' - David Hackbridge Johnson
Some Alpine perspectives on symphonies 28, 29 and 30
Brian and the urban
pastorale - PJ Taylor
Brian's style, as exemplified particularly in
symphonies 11 and 15
Comparing Brian's symphonies - Philip
Legge
The difficulties of putting
Brian's symphonies before the musical public
Brian's Use of Beams
- Alan Marshall
Interpretation of beaming in Brian
Attacca? - Alan Marshall
How did Brian want to move from one movement
to another?
|
| The
battle song |
The battle song and 15 transcriptions
- Malcolm MacDonald
A description of the issues arising from an examination of the sketch |
| Burlesque
variations |
Brian and variation form (1) - Malcolm MacDonald |
| Concerto
for orchestra |
Review of premiere - Malcolm MacDonald - includes a brief description of the work |
| Dr
Merryheart |
Introduction - David J Brown
Introduction
to the Marco Polo CD - Malcolm MacDonald |
| Elegy |
The importance of Elegy - Malcolm MacDonald - an introduction |
| English
suite 1 |
Introduction - David J Brown
Performing
Brian's music - James Kelleher
some practical problems experienced preparing
for the 1995 performance of Pantalon and Columbine
The case of the two Havergals - Lewis Foreman
A Harrow performance in the 1940s |
| English
suite 4 |
Introduction - Malcolm MacDonald |
| Fantastic
variations |
Introduction - David J Brown
Introduction:
Brian and variation form (2) - Malcolm MacDonald
Analysis:
Brian and variation form (3) - Malcolm MacDonald |
| Festal
dance |
Introduction - Gerard Cunliffe |
| For
valour |
Introduction - Gerard Cunliffe
Introduction
to the Marco Polo CD - Malcolm MacDonald |
| Hero
and Leander |
Introduction - Malcolm Macdonald |
| In
memoriam |
Introduction - Gerard Cunliffe |
| Overture
(Buster Keaton) |
Comment - Malcolm MacDonald
|
| The
vision of Cleopatra |
Contemporary review of premiere |
| Psalm
23 |
Review
of Litchfield performance - David J Brown
Preparing
Psalm 23 for performance - Marlene Becker and Elizabeth Hanmore
Recording Brian in Liverpool - Lewis
Foreman (about the Classico recording)
Elgar &
The English Choral Tradition
Psalm 23
on CD
|
| The
choral works in general |
A pilgrimage to Odd Rode - Reginald Nettel
includes reflections on Brian's early choral works
|
| Piano music |
The fugues for piano - Peter Hill
|
| John
Dowland's fancy |
Review of
premiere - Norman V Dagg
|
| Legend |
Introduction
- David Hackbridge Johnson
written for the Janet Packer tour of Legend 1999/2000
Review
of Reid/Barrow recording - Martin Anderson
|
| Agamemnon |
Agamemnon (1) - Textual analysis - Kate Baxter
Agamemnon (2) -
Musical analysis and conclusion - Kate Baxter |
| Ihe
Cenci |
The Cenci from within - Martin Anderson
Fearful
and monstrous - Martin Anderson
My experiences
of conducting The Cenci - James Kelleher
The fanfares - Malcolm MacDonald
details MM's arrangement of the two Fanfares
Two interpretations of The Cenci (1)
- William Newman
Two interpretations of The Cenci (2)
- William Newman
Two interpretations of The Cenci
(3) - William Newman
Two interpretations of The Cenci
(4) - William Newman
Two interpretations of The Cenci
(5) - William Newman
5 part series contrasting and comparing the settings of
Shelley's poem by Brian and by Bertold Goldschmidt (Beatrice Cenci) |
| Faust |
Dramatic structure and innovation in Brian's Faust -
Professor William E Grim
Brian's
use of the German language in Faust - Jürgen Schaarwächter |
| The
Tigers |
Opera with attitude -
Kevin Mandry - 'first thoughts'
Investigating The Tigers (2) Costers : Prologue, scene
1 (1) - Adrian Ure
Investigating
The Tigers (3) Coppers : Prologue, scene 1 (2) - Adrian Ure
Investigating
The Tigers (4) Gentry : Prologue, scene 1 (3) - Adrian Ure
Investigating
The Tigers (5) Masks : Prologue, scene 2 - Adrian Ure
Investigating The
Tigers (6) The seeds of chaos : Act 1, scene 1 - Adrian Ure
Investigating The Tigers
(7)
The dogs of war : Act 1, scene 2 - Adrian Ure
Investigating The Tigers (8) Uneasy slumbers :
Act 2, scene 1 - Adrian Ure
Investigating The Tigers (9) On parade
: Act 2, scene 2 - Adrian Ure
Investigating The Tigers (10) Garden
party : Act 2, scene 3 (1) - Adrian Ure
Investigating The Tigers (11)
Haymaking : Act 2, scenes 3 (2) and 4 (1) - Adrian Ure
Investigating The
Tigers (12) Called to account : Act 2, scenes 4 (2) and 5 - Adrian Ure
Investigating
The Tigers
(13) Gothic echoes : Act 3, Gargoyles and Lacryma -
Adrian Ure
Investigating The Tigers
(14) Chinese whispers : Act 3, scenes 1 and 2 (1) - Adrian Ure
Investigating
The Tigers (15)
Trysting : Act 3, scene 2 (2) - Adrian Ure
Investigating The Tigers
(16) Chimes at midnight : Act 3, scene 3 and Finale - Adrian Ure
Major musical and dramatic analysis in 18 parts, revised for this website,
and being completed in the HBS Newsletter
Let the roar of the Tigers be heard in the land - Malcolm MacDonald
Breaking the mirror... - Larry
Alexander
Larry considers The Tigers' structure, or lack thereof
New maps for The Tigers - Penny Scantlebury
opens up a fascinating avenue considering the ccontemporary relevance of The Tigers
The rediscovery of The Tigers - David J Brown
Reward for rediscovery of Brian's lost scores - press
coverage
Fanfare
from The grotesques - Malcolm MacDonald
MM's realisation for brass and percussion |
| Turandot |
Tour d'horizon autour de Turandot - Malcolm MacDonald
Fascinating introductory article
A view from the rostrum - James Kelleher
on the Millennium Sinfonia's 1995 concert of orchestral excerpts
A note on the Minuet and Funeral march
- Graham Hatton |
| The
operas in general |
Opera in England, and the British opera composer
- Kate Baxter
sets the scene for Brian's operas
Havergal Brian's
operas - Kate Baxter an introduction |
| The
songs |
A
note on the dating of The birds and The land of dreams -
Malcolm MacDonald |
General articles on Brian's music |
|
Introduction
The Brian revival - Robert Simpson
Brian's productive
discontinuity - John Pickard
HB's use of abrupt and often incomprehensible
changes is tackled
Brianus ellipsus
- Martyn Becker
On difficulties and unevenness in Brian's
style
Preconceptions
and the anti-symphony - Owen Toller
More on the difficulties Brian creates for his listeners
Havergal Brian and the bare fifth - Rodney Stephen Newton
one specific compositional fingerprint inspected
Brian
and Holbrooke - Kevin Mandry
Some stylistic comparisons
Brian and the alternative
English musical renaissance - Keith Warsop
A sense of
discrimination - PJ Taylor
Is enthusiasm for Brian's music blind
to his weaknesses?
...takes your breath away - Larry Alexander
develops PJ Taylor's ideas and considers the effect of neglect
Brian and the psychologists - Malcolm
MacDonald
Freudian and Jungian insights
Havergal Brian and the percussion section - Rodney Stephen Newton
How many masterpieces make a master? - John Aldridge
Considers which of Brian's works are most likely to gain audience approval
An inter-wars' reference - Peter Coussee
Brian crops up in Holbrooke's book Contemporary British composers
The case of the two Havergals - Lewis Foreman
A Harrow performance in the 1940s
Melodic
originality - David Perrins ...or otherwise
A homage from Germany - Dr Josef Schreier
Excellent wide ranging philosophical article
A personal odyssey - Martyn Becker
A personal view - Donald Macauley
Two introductions for those new to HB's music
Brian and the urban
pastorale - PJ Taylor
Brian's style, as exemplified particularly in
symphonies 11 and 15
Programme Havergal Brian's
music
Gothic grandeur: the triumph of Havergal Brian
On the impact of the Gothic
symphony
Salons of steel
On Brian's songs
HB and why I believe
in his music -Damian Rees
Reflections over 45
years - Martin Grossel |
General articles on Brian, the man |
|
Introduction
Brian's working
class origins - Brown, Goodsell, Stevenson
The influence of Brian's social enviroment on his musical
style - Godfrey Berry
Solitude and creation - Kevin Mandry
Kevin's article tackles the difficult issue of the composer's own sense of his isolation
Brian's dark journey - Kevin Mandry
Important article addressing why and how Brian came to be the composer he was
A case of hyper-intelligence? - Godfrey Berry
Finds an explanation for many of Brian's personality characteristics
Brian and the psychologists - Malcolm
MacDonald
Freudian and Jungian insights
The psychology of Brian - Robert Timlin
More Jungian insight
Havergal Brian as I knew him (1) - Harold Truscott
Havergal Brian as I knew him (2) - Harold Truscott
Havergal Brian as I knew him (3) - Harold Truscott
Havergal Brian and Elgar - Philip Scowcroft
The significance of Brian the journalist - Malcolm MacDonald
an introduction to HB's journalism and to MM's collection HB on music
A pilgrimage to Odd Rode -
Reginald Nettel
(Brian played the organ at All Saints', Odd Rode from 1896 to 1906)
Ordeal by music and after - Reginald Nettel
Nettel's pioneering biography appeared in 1945
The making of a composer - Malcolm MacDonald
this lengthy book review contains much about Brian's life
A late harvest - Ronald Stevenson
A review of three books on Brian full of detail about Brian's life
Residences
the many places in which Havergal Brian lived
A failed composer - Gary Jobsey
|
Performances and books |
|
Contemporary
thirties performance criticism - Norman V Dagg
Recording Brian with the Philharmonia - Rodney Stephen Newton
The Marco Polo cycle - David J Brown
A German view - review of the Lenard/Marco Polo recording of The Gothic
New vistas - Martyn Becker
Comparisons of the Pope and Friend
performances
Review of Adrian Leaper/Marco Polo CDs - Malcolm MacDonald
Symphonies 4 & 12; symphonies 17 & 32, In memoriam, Festal dance
Introduction to the Marco Polo CD - Malcolm
MacDonald
Review - John Grimshaw
both on symphonies 11 & 15, For valour, Doctor Merryheart
Thoughts on ASD3486 - Ted Heaton
Symphonies 8 and 9
Review of City of Hull Youth SO CDs - David J Brown
Review
of Hull Youth SO recording - Lewis Foreman Burlesque
variations, Herrick songs
Choirworks and Musical
encounters - the 1995 BBC Radio3 Brianfest
Review
of Reid/Barrow recording of Legend - Martin Anderson
Review
of Brian Rayner Cook/Roger Vignoles recording - Godfrey Berry
Review of Eastaugh: The making of a composer - Malcolm
MacDonald
Review of Nettel: The man and his music - David J
Brown
A late harvest - Ronald Stevenson
Reviews of the books by Eastaugh, Nettel and Foreman
Ordeal by music and after - Reginald Nettel
the author reflects on his book Ordeal by music
Review of Havergal Brian on music, volume 1 - Steven
Schwarz
All seeing eye: review of HB on
music, volume 1 -
Lewis Foreman
Review of The
symphonies of Havergal Brian, volume 2 - David J Brown
Review of The
symphonies of Havergal Brian, volume 3 - Martin Anderson
Review of Opus est - David J Brown
Recording The Gothic in Bratislava - David J
Brown
David's detailed report on the Marco
Polo sessions recording part 2
Brian's music and copyright
|
Havergal Brian's writings
Brian's writings on this website are listed here |
Havergal Brian Society |
|
General
Havergal Brian Song Edition
Reward for rediscovery of Brian's lost scores - press
coverage
The Tigers and Prometheus unbound
Previous HB Societies
The HBS Archive
review of work in progress by the Archivist, David Jenkins |
290113 Havergal Brian - the official website
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