The original Marco Polo recording of The Gothic
was the label's best selling album by a significant margin. This
recording is now available on the budget
Naxos label. For an insight into the trials and tribulations
of recording Havergal Brian symphonies, click here.
For more information about any of the works
listed below, use the index.
All releases are CD only, unless otherwise
stated
Recorded in association with * the Havergal Brian Society, ** members of the Havergal
Brian Society
^recorded in association with the Rex Foundation
Currently available
recordings
As at
November 2012. If you have
difficulty buying or ordering a Havergal Brian CD in your country, please
try internet retailers such as Amazon.com, although since their re-issue on Naxos, all Marco Polo recordings except the Gothic have been
deleted. Contact the
Brian Society if you still have
problems. Apologies if we have listed as available recordings which
have been deleted by the record label.
Symphony 1 The Gothic (1919-1927)
Susan Gritton (sop),
Christine Rice (m-sop), Peter Auty (ten), Alastair Miles (bass), David Goode
(organ), Eltham College Boys' Choir, CBSO Youth Chorus, Southend Boys' and
Girls' Choirs, Brighton Festival Chorus, Huddersfield Choral Society, London
Symphony Chorus, BBC National Chorus of Wales, Bach Choir, Cor Caerdydd, BBC
National Orchestra of Wales & BBC Concert Orchestra, conductor Martyn
Brabbins
Royal Albert
Hall, London, 17 July 2011 as part of the 2011 Proms season
Hyperion CDA67971/2 (2 CDs)
Symphony 1 The Gothic (1919-1927)
Honor Sheppard (sop), Shirley Minty (alto), Ronald Dowd (ten), Roger Stalman
(bass); BBC Chorus, BBC Choral Society, City of London Choir, Hampstead
Choral Society, Emanual School Choir, Orpington Junior Singers; BBC Symphony
Orchestra, conductor Sir Adrian Boult
Royal Albert Hall, London, 30 October 1966 (first professional
performance, transmitted live on BBC Radio; stereo transfer; previously
unreleased - includes BBC interview with Brian, January 1966)
Testament SBT2 1454 (2CD)
Symphony 1 The Gothic (1919-1927)
Eva Jenisová (sop), Dagmar Pecková (alto), Vladimir Dolezal (ten), Peter Mikulás
(bass); Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Slovak National Opera Chorus, Slovak Folk Ensemble
Chorus, Bratislava City Choir, Lucnica Choir, Bratislava Childrens Choir, Youth 'Echo'
Choir; CSR Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava), Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor
Ondrej Lenard
Producer Guenter Appenheimer . Concert Hall of Slovak Radio (Bratislava) . 29-31
March 1989, 16-22 October 1989
Naxos
8.557418-19 (2CD)
Naxos webpage
Review - Helmut Mauro
Recording The Gothic in Bratislava - David J
Brown
sound excerpts on Amazon.com
Symphony 2 (1930-31) .
Festival fanfare
(1967)
Moscow Symphony Orchestra, conductor Anthony Rowe
Producer Betta Inc, engineers Edvard Shakhnazarian, Vitaly Ivanov . Mosfilm Studio, Moscow
. May 1996
*^ Marco Polo 8.223790 - deleted
Released as
BUDGET PRICE
Naxos
8.570506
Marco Polo webpage
review by Paul Rapoport on Music Boulevard
Symphony 3 (1931-32)
BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor Lionel Friend
Producer John H West, engineer Tony Faulkner . Studio 1, BBC Maida Vale, London .
27-28 October 1988
Released as
BUDGET PRICE *^
Hyperion
Helios CDH 55029
[previously on
Hyperion CD/MC CDA/KA 66334 - both deleted]
Hyperion
webpage
sound
excerpt on
Hyperion site - click Symphony 3 link
Symphony 4 Das Siegeslied (1932-33) .
Symphony 12 (1957)
Jana Valásková (sop); Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Slovak National Opera Chorus, Brno
Philharmonic Choir, Youth 'Echo' Choir, Mixed 'Cantus' Choir; CSR Symphony Orchestra
(Bratislava) [augmented], conductor Adrian Leaper
Producer Murray Khouri . Concert Hall of Slovak Radio (Bratislava) . 3-8 February 1992
(Sym 4), 10-11 February 1992 (Sym 12)
* Marco Polo 8.223447 - deleted
Released as BUDGET PRICE
Naxos
8.570308
in December
2006.
Marco Polo webpage
Review -
Malcolm MacDonald
review
by Martin Anderson on Classical Net
Symphony 6 Sinfonia Tragica (1948) .
Symphony 16 (1960)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Myer Fredman. Coupled with
Arnold Cooke Symphony 3, conductor Nicholas Braithwaite
Recorded
Wandsworth Town Hall, London; 10 April 1973 (Sym 6), 10 May 1973 (Sym 16)
Lyrita SRCD 295 (formerly
Lyrita LP SRCS 67)
Lyrita webpage
Brian's
Sinfonia Tragica - Martin O'Leary
Notes
on Brian's 6th symphony
Observations on Brian's 6th symphony
Performing Brian's music (symphony 16) -
James Kelleher
Symphonies 16-19; Style and Manner - Martin O'Leary
Symphony 7 (1948) . Symphony 31 (1968) .
The tinker's wedding
(1948)
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Sir Charles Mackerras
Producer Andrew Keener, engineer Mike Clements . Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool . 2
May 1987 (Tinker's wedding) 3-4 May 1987 (rest)
Symphony 8 (1949) .
Symphony 9 (1951)
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Sir Charles Groves
Producer John Willan, engineer John Kurlander . Abbey Road, London . 25-26 July
1977
Released as
BUDGET PRICE EMI
5 75782 2 (2CD)
[
*^ 7, 31 etc: previously on CD CDM 7 64717 2, LP/MC EL7 49558 1/4 -
all deleted
8, 9: previously on CD
CDM 7 69890 2, LP/MC ASD/TCASD 3486 – all deleted]
Review
(8, 9) - Ted
Heaton
Symphony 9 (1951) .
Symphony 11 (1954) .
Doctor Merryheart (1911-12) .
London Symphony Orchestra, conductors Harry
Newstone (Sym 11, Dr Merryheart), Normal Del Mar (Sym 9)
Hammersmith
Town Hall .
8 April 1959 (Newstone), 5 February 1959 (Del Mar)
BUDGET PRICE
*Dutton
CDBP 9798, August 2010
Symphony 10 (1953-54) .
Symphony 30 (1967) .
Concerto for orchestra (1964) .
English Suite no. 3
(1919-21)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conductor
Martyn Brabbins
MID PRICE
*Dutton
CDLX 7267, 2011
Symphony 11 (1954) . Symphony 15 (1960) .
Doctor Merryheart (1911-12)
.
For valour (1902,rev. 06)
National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, conductor Adrian Leaper (Sym 11, Dr
Merryheart), Anthony Rowe (Sym 15, For valour)
Producer Chris Craker, engineers Chris Craker
(Rowe), Dave Harries (Leaper) . National Concert Hall, Dublin .
6 September 1993 (Leaper), 27 May 1997 (Rowe)
*^ Marco Polo 8.223588
- deleted
Released as
BUDGET PRICE
Naxos
8.572014, July 2010
Introduction - Malcolm MacDonald
Review - John Grimshaw
Symphony 13 (1959) . Violin
concerto (1935) . English Suite
no. 4 'Kindergarten' (?1924) .
The Tinker's Wedding (1948)
Lorraine McAslan, violin, Royal Scottish National
Orchestra, conductor Martyn Brabbins
Producer
Michael Ponder, Engineer Dexter Newman . RSNO Centre, Henry Wood Hall,
Glasgow, 31 May/1 June 2012
MID PRICE
Dutton CDLX 7296, November 2012
Symphony 17 (1960-61) .
Symphony 32 (1968) . In memoriam (1910) .
Festal
dance (1908)
National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, conductor Adrian Leaper
Producer Garry Carpenter . National Concert Hall, Dublin . 15-16 June 1992
* Marco Polo 8.223481 - deleted
Released as
BUDGET PRICE
Naxos
8.572020
Marco Polo webpage
Review -
Malcolm MacDonald
sound excerpts on Amazon.com
Symphony 18 (1961) .
Violin concerto
(1934-5) .
The jolly miller (1962)
Marat Bisengaliev (violin); BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor Lionel
Friend
Producer Martin Dalby, engineer Tony Kime . Studio 1, BBC Broadcasting House,
Glasgow . 12-15 January 1993
*^ Marco Polo 8.223479 - deleted
Released as
BUDGET PRICE
Naxos
8.557775
Marco Polo webpage
review by Paul Rapoport on Music Boulevard
review by Martin Anderson on Classical Net
sound
excerpts on Tower Records
Symphony 20 (1962) .
Symphony 25 (1966) .
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme (1907)
Ukraine State Symphony Orchestra, conductor Andrew Penny
Producers George Orobynsky, Alexander Hornostai, engineer Andrew Mokrytsky .
Concert Hall of Ukrainian Radio . 28-30 October 1994
*^ Marco Polo 8.223731 - deleted
Released as
BUDGET PRICE
Naxos
8.572641
Marco Polo webpage
Review -
Larry Alexander
review by Paul Rapoport on
Music Boulevard
sound excerpts on Amazon.com
Orchestral music Volume 1: Burlesque
variations on an original Theme (1903)
. English Suite no. 5 'Rustic Scenes' (1953)
. Elegy
(1954) .
Legend - Ave atque Vale (1968)
BBC
Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor Garry Walker
*Toccata TOCC0110, 2011
Orchestral music Volume 2: Orchestral
music from the operas: The Tigers, The Cenci, Faust, Turandot
BBC
Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor Garry Walker
*Toccata TOCC0113, 2011
English suite 1 (1902-04) .
Doctor
Merryheart (1912) .
Fantastic variations on an old rhyme (1907) .
Festal dance (1907) . In memoriam
(1912) .
For valour (1902, rev 1906) . Two Herrick songs: Requiem for the rose, The hag (1911) .
Burlesque variations on
an original theme
(1903)
Saint Nicholas Singers; City of Hull Youth Symphony Orchestra, conductor Geoffrey
Heald-Smith
Producer David Kent-Watson . City Hall, Hull UK . 14-15 July 1979 [first three works], 15
September 1979 [For valour], 26-27 July 1980 [Burlesque variations]
* Cameo Classics CC9014CD-2 (2CDs)
[previously on Cameo Classics LPs GOCLP 9010,9012,9014]
Review -
David J Brown
Review
- Lewis Foreman Burlesque variations, Herrick songs
Cello concerto (1964)
- with pieces for cello and orchestra by Alan Bush and York Bowen
Raphael Wallfisch (cello); BBC Concert
Orchestra, conductor Martin Yates
MID PRICE
*Dutton
CDLX 7263, 2011
The Tigers (1917-1929): The symphonic movements
(1922):
Symphonic variations,
Shadow dance, Gargoyles, Lacryma,
Green pastures, Wild horsemen
Luxembourg Radio Symphony Orchestra, conductor Leopold Hager
Producers Bernard Benoliel, Felix Margue, engineer Jeannot Mersch . Concert Hall,
Villa Louvigny, Luxembourg . July, September 1981
Forlane UCD 16724/25 (2CD) (+ works by Parry and Foulds)
[previously on
3LP UM 3529/31 - deleted]
The
battle song realised
John Pickard
The Buy as you View Cory Band, conductor Robert Childs
MID
PRICE
Doyen DOYCD 142
(+ works by Elgar, Gilson, Parry, Bohme)
Cwmbran
Council Chambers, Gwent . 2-3 February 2002
Festival fanfare
(1967)
Locke Brass Consort, conductor James Stobart
St Peter's Church, Morden . 20-21 February
1977
Chandos CHAN 6573 (+ works by Bliss et al)
[previously on RCA LP/MC GL/GK
25308, RCA LP RL25081 - all deleted]
The Cenci (1952):
Fanfare
from the Banqueting scene
Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, conductor Howard Snell
MID
PRICE
Decca 473 714 2 (+ works by Bliss et al)
[previously on London CD 430 369 2, Argo LP ZRG 870 -
all deleted]
Psalm 23 (1901)
Kevin Matthews (ten), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Chorus,
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Douglas Bostock
Classico CLASSCD 456
(+
works by Elgar, Bridge, Howells, Dyson, Purcell)
Producer
Martin Cotton, engineer Tony Wass . Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool . 14 July
2002
Complete piano music:
Prelude, 'John Dowland's fancy' . Four miniatures . Three illuminations . Prelude and
fugue in C minor, Prelude and fugue in D minor/major . Double fugue in E flat
Three songs:
The land of dreams, The birds, The defiled sanctuary
Raymond Clarke (pno), Esther King (mez), Tessa Spong (spkr)
Producer Joanna Leach, engineer Mike
Beville . Potton Hall, Dunwich . 19-20 June 1998
**
Athene ATH CD12 (includes excerpt)
Complete piano
music: Prelude, 'John Dowland's fancy' . Four miniatures . Three illuminations
. Prelude and fugue in C minor, Prelude and fugue in D minor/major . Double fugue in E
flat . Turandot - March (arr MacDonald and Stevenson)
Peter Hill (pno) (Douglas
Young (2nd pno)), Christopher Kay (spkr)
(16) February 1981,
reissued on CD, 2011
*Cameo Classics CC9016CD (formerly LP GOCLP9016D,
deleted)
Songs: When
icicles hang by the wall, Take O take those lips away, Sorrow song, The message, Farewell,
Care-charmer sleep, Since love is dead, The soul of steel, Why dost thou wound and break
my heart?, On parting, Lady Ellayne, Renunciation, Love is a merry game, Piping down the
valleys wild, The chimney sweep, The land of dreams, The defiled sanctuary
Brian Rayner Cook (bar), Roger Vignoles (pno)
Wigmore Hall, London . 14 April 1982 (first 8), 13 May 1982 (rest)
Legend (1919?)
Steven Levine (vln), Peter Lawson (pno), recorded
1982
Toccata Classics CD TOCC0005
Review - Godfrey Berry
The Complete Havergal Brian
Songbook, vol. 1: Three songs, op. 6, Little Sleeper, John
Dowland's Fancy*, Three Contemporary Songs, Legend for violin and piano**,
Three Elizabethan Songs, Three Unison Songs, Three Illuminations*, Soliloquy
for a dead child, Three Songs for tenor
Mark Stone (ten), Sholto Kynoch* (pno), Jonathan
Stone, (vln)**
Potton Hall, Suffolk . 25-26 August 2011
Stone Records 5060192780154, 2012
Deleted recordings
Symphony 10 (1954) .
Symphony 21
(1963)
Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra, conductors James Loughran (Sym 10) and Eric
Pinkett (Sym 21)
Producer Robert Simpson, engineer Angus McKenzie . De Montfort Hall, Leicester .
18-19 July 1972
Unicorn UKCD 2027 - deleted, no longer available
[previously on LP UNS 265, LP
RHS 313 – both deleted]
In its original incarnation on LP RHS 313 this was the first ever commercial
recording of Havergal Brian's music. It was recorded four months before the
composer's death aged 96.
Symphony 22
Symphonia
brevis (1964-65) .
Psalm 23
(1901) .
English suite 5
Rustic scenes (1953)
Paul Taylor (ten), Brighton Festival Chorus; Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra,
conductors Laszlo Heltay (Sym 22, Psalm 23), Eric Pinkett (English Suite 5)
Producers Robert Simpson (Sym 22, Psalm 23), William Robson (English Suite 5),
engineer Angus McKenzie . 10 April 1974 (Sym 22)
CBS 61612 (LP) - deleted
English Suite 4
Kindergarten
(1921?)
George Heriot's First School Orchestra, conductor Martin Rutherford
George Heriot's School, Edinburgh . 5
July 1977 [at the first performance]
TD7222 (LP) - deleted
Legend (1919?)
Edmund Reid (vln), Gretta Barrow (pno)
1984
Classical Elegance LSC 124 (LP) (+works by Beethoven et al) -
deleted
Partsongs:
Stars of a
summer night, Tell me thou soul of her love, Come o'er the sea, Lullaby of an infant
chief, In a fairy boat, Fairies' song, Daybreak, Grace for a child, Fair pledges of a
fruitful tree, Fear no more the heat of the sun, Tell me where is fancy bred?, Full fathom
five, Introit Amen
Stoke-on-Trent Bedford Singers, conductor May Walley
* British Music Society Environs BMS ENV 016 (MC) - deleted
[previously on Altarus LP AIR2 9007 - deleted]
Partsongs: Shall
I compare thee to a summer's day?, Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Stoke-on-Trent Bedford Singers, conductor May Walley
1982
Sain TRF 239 (LP) (+ works by Nielsen et al) - deleted
Partsong: Shall I
compare thee to a summer's day?
London Chorale, conductor Roy Wales
Westminster Cathedral . 22-24 March 1977
release unknown
Pirated recordings
The sale of pirated recordings in the UK is illegal.
Symphony 1 The Gothic (1919-27)
unattributed, except 'conductor Sir Adrian Boult'
copy of the 1966 Boult performance
Aries LP 2601 (2LP)
Symphony 2 (1930-31)
attributed to 'Dresden Symphony Orchestra, conductor Ernest Weir'
copy of BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor Sir Charles
Mackerras, 1979
Aries LP 1631 (LP)
Symphony 3 (1931-32)
attributed to 'Lisbon Conservatory Orchestra, conductor Peter Michaels'
copy of Ronald Stevenson, David Wilde (pianos), BBC
Symphony Orchestra, conductor Stanley Pope, 1974
Aries LP 1617 (LP)
Symphony 4 Das Siegeslied (1932-33)
attributed to 'Valerie MacLennan (sop), Edinburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra and
Chorus, conductor Sir Allistair MacKenzie'
copy of Felicity Palmer (sop), BBC Singers, BBC Choral
Society, Goldsmith's Choral Union, London Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor John
Poole, 1974 Alexandra Palace
Aries LP 1621 (LP)
Symphony 5 Wine of summer (1937) .
Symphony
25 (1966)
attributed to 'John Hoffman (baritone), San Paulo Symphony Orchestra, conductor
Francisco Teatro'
copies of Brian Rayner Cook, New Philharmonia
Orchestra, conductor Stanley Pope, 1976 Alexandra Palace (Symphony 5)
and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor John Canarina, 1976 (Symphony 25)
Aries LP 1629 (LP)
Symphony 8 (1949) .
Symphony
14 (1959-60)
attributed to 'Wales Symphony Orchestra, conductor Colin Wilson'
copies of Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Myer
Fredman, 1971 (Symphony 8)
and London Symphony Orchestra,
conductor Edward Downes, 1969
(Symphony 14)
Aries LP 1603 (LP)
Symphony 9 (1951) .
Symphony 12 (1957)
. Symphony 23 (1965)
attributed to 'Wales Symphony Orchestra, conductor Colin Wilson'
copies of Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Myer Fredman, 1971 (Symphony 9)
BBC Symphony Orchestra, conductor Norman del Mar, 1966 Proms (Symphony 12)
and University of
Illinois Symphony Orchestra, conductor Bernard Goodman, 1973 (Symphony 23)
Aries LP 1604 (LP)
Symphony 13 (1959) .
Symphony
15 (1960)
attributed to 'Lisbon Conservatory Orchestra, conductor Peter Michaels'
presumably copies of Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Stanley Pope
Symphony 17 (1960-61) .
Symphony
24 (1965)
attributed to 'Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Horst Werner'
presumably copies of Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Stanley Pope (Symphony 17)
and London Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor
Myer Fredman (Symphony 24)
Symphony 20 (1962) .
Symphony
26 (1966)
attributed to 'Edinburgh Youth Symphony,
conducted by John Freedman'
presumably copies of New Philharmonia
Orchestra, conductor Vernon Handley
Aries LP 3601 (3LP)
Symphony 18 (1961) .
Symphony 19 (1961) .
Symphony 22 (1964-65)
attributed to 'Wales Symphony Orchestra, conductor Colin Wilson'
copies of New
Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor Bryan Fairfax, 1974 (Symphony 18)
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor John Canarina, 1976 (Symphony 19)
and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Myer Fredman, 1971
(Symphony 22)
Aries LP 1611 (LP)
Symphony 28 (1967) .
Violin concerto (1935)
attributed to 'Emil Leibowitz (violin), Hamburg Philharmonic
Orchestra, conductor Horst Werner'
copies of Ralph Holmes,
New Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor Stanley Pope, 1969 (concerto)
and New Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor
Leopold Stokowski, 1973
(Symphony 28)
Aries LP 1607 (LP)
Over a dozen reviews of Havergal Brian
recordings may be found in Gramophone
221112 Havergal Brian - the official website
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