Articles about Brian and his music on the website

This page lists the articles on this website about Havergal Brian and his music. Where appropriate, a link appears under more than heading.

These articles are 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.

Shortcuts: • Specific • General • Brian • Performances • Recordings • Publications • Society

Icons: Currently available recordings   Deleted recordings   Unauthorised recordings   Books by or about Brian   Performances of Brian’s music   Chronology event

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Articles on specific compositions

Symphonies

Symphonies – in general

• Brian’s Use of Beams – Alan Marshall
• Introduction to the symphonies – Graham Saxby
• Comparing Brian’s symphonies – Philip Legge (2004)

Symphony 1

• The Gothic Review – Mike Le Voi, 4MBS Concert Recording Team member
  a personal review of the work based on what this layman hears
• Brian as Faust – Larry Alexander
  follows up Brian as Faust article by Malcolm MacDonald
• Symphony 1 »The Gothic« – Malcolm MacDonald (1978)
  excellent piece relating the Gothic to its time of composition in the first world war
• Symphony 1 »The Gothic« – Colin G Davis (1978)
• Brian as Faust – Malcolm MacDonald (1980)
  excellent wide-ranging article addressing the psychology of Brian particularly at the time of The Gothic
• Havergal Brian’s last testament? – Lionel Pike (1981)
  The tonal structure of the Gothic
• Flawed masterpiece? – Jonathan Rutherford (1990)
  Is The Gothic a masterpiece? What does this mean?
• Havergal Brian – the Gothic voice (Part 1) – Pauline Slevin (1997)
• Havergal Brian – the Gothic voice – Pauline Slevin (1997)
• Creating the vocal score of the Gothic – 1 – Jeremy Marchant (2005)
  How the vocal score has been computer-set (1)
• Creating the vocal score of the Gothic – 2 – Philip Legge (2005)
  How the vocal score has been computer-set (2)
• Creating the vocal score of the Gothic – 3 – Jeremy Marchant (2005)
  How the vocal score has been computer-set (3)
• The Logistics of the Gothic symphony – 1 – Philip Legge (2006)
  How to perform the Gothic with reduced forces (1)
• The Logistics of the Gothic symphony – 2 – Philip Legge (2006)
  How to perform the Gothic with reduced forces (2)
• Beethoven, Berlioz, Brian (or Three Bs and more) – Jürgen Schaarwächter (2007)
• Choral Demands of the ‘Gothic’ – Jeremy Marchant (2008)
  Defining how difficult it is to stage the chorus for the Gothic
• Brian’s Choral Challenges in the ‘Gothic’ – 1 – Jeremy Marchant (2009)
  Detailed analysis of the choral challenges

Symphony 2

• Symphony 2 Analysis (1) – Graham Saxby
• Symphony 2 Analysis (2) – Graham Saxby
• Symphony 2 Analysis (3) – Graham Saxby
• Symphony 2 Analysis (4) – Graham Saxby
• Symphony 2 Analysis (5) – 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
• Götz von Berlichingen and Brian’s second symphony – Graham Saxby (1981)
• Second quality? – Paul Kettle (1991)

Symphony 3

• A listener’s impressions – Martyn Becker (1985)
• Second thoughts – Christopher Kettle (1988)
• New vistas – Martyn Becker (1989)
• Early English atonality in the first movement – Martin O’Leary (1995)

Symphony 4

• Music at war – David J Brown (1995)
• Das Siegeslied and bad genes – Alan Dean Foster (2000)

Symphony 5

• Words for music, perhaps – Chris Kettle (1992)

Symphony 6

• Observations on Havergal Brian’s 6th symphony – Josef Schreier
• Brian’s Sinfonia tragica (1) – Martin O’Leary (1989)
• Brian’s Sinfonia tragica (2) – Martin O’Leary (1989)
• Brian’s Sinfonia tragica (3) – Martin O’Leary (1989)
• Notes on Havergal Brian’s 6th symphony – Anno Schreier (2003)

Symphony 7

• Once upon a time – David Jenkins

Symphony 11

• Thoughts on Brian’s eleventh symphony – Robert Matthew-Walker

Symphony 16

• Performing Brian’s music – James Kelleher
• Symphonies 16 to 19: Style and manner – Martin O’Leary

Symphony 17

• Symphonies 16 to 19: Style and manner – Martin O’Leary

Symphony 18

• Symphonies 16 to 19: Style and manner – Martin O’Leary

Symphony 19

• Symphonies 16 to 19: Style and manner – Martin O’Leary

Symphony 28

• In the mountains, there you feel free’ – David Hackbridge Johnson

Symphony 29

• In the mountains, there you feel free’ – David Hackbridge Johnson

Symphony 30

• In the mountains, there you feel free’ – David Hackbridge Johnson
• Some thoughts on the thirtieth – Rodney Stephen Newton (1978)

Symphony 32

• Attacca? – Alan Marshall (2006)

Other Orchestral Music

The battle song

• The battle song and 15 transcriptions – Malcolm MacDonald (1996)

Burlesque variations on an original theme

• Brian and variation form (1) – Malcolm MacDonald (1978)

Doctor Merryheart

• Introduction – David J Brown

Elegy

• The importance of Elegy – Malcolm MacDonald

English suite 1

• Introduction – David J Brown

English suite 4

• Introduction – Malcolm MacDonald

Fantastic variations on an old rhyme

• Introduction – David J Brown
• Introduction: Brian and variation form (2) – Malcolm MacDonald (1979)
• Analysis: Brian and variation form (3) – Malcolm MacDonald (1979)

Festal dance

• Introduction – Gerard Cunliffe

For valour

• Introduction – Gerard Cunliffe

In memoriam

• Introduction – Gerard Cunliffe

Overture

• Comment – Malcolm MacDonald (1981)

Soloists and orchestra

Symphony 5

• Words for music, perhaps – Chris Kettle (1992)

Soloists, chorus and orchestra

Soloists, chorus and orchestra – in general

• A pilgrimage to Odd Rode – Reginald Nettel

Psalm 23

• Psalm 23 - Early Brian or late? Some subjective observations – Malcolm MacDonald (1985)
  A discussion on the dating of Psalm 23

Symphony 1

• The Gothic Review – Mike Le Voi, 4MBS Concert Recording Team member
  a personal review of the work based on what this layman hears
• Brian as Faust – Larry Alexander
  follows up Brian as Faust article by Malcolm MacDonald
• Symphony 1 »The Gothic« – Malcolm MacDonald (1978)
  excellent piece relating the Gothic to its time of composition in the first world war
• Symphony 1 »The Gothic« – Colin G Davis (1978)
• Brian as Faust – Malcolm MacDonald (1980)
  excellent wide-ranging article addressing the psychology of Brian particularly at the time of The Gothic
• Havergal Brian’s last testament? – Lionel Pike (1981)
  The tonal structure of the Gothic
• Flawed masterpiece? – Jonathan Rutherford (1990)
  Is The Gothic a masterpiece? What does this mean?
• Havergal Brian – the Gothic voice (Part 1) – Pauline Slevin (1997)
• Havergal Brian – the Gothic voice – Pauline Slevin (1997)
• Creating the vocal score of the Gothic – 1 – Jeremy Marchant (2005)
  How the vocal score has been computer-set (1)
• Creating the vocal score of the Gothic – 2 – Philip Legge (2005)
  How the vocal score has been computer-set (2)
• Creating the vocal score of the Gothic – 3 – Jeremy Marchant (2005)
  How the vocal score has been computer-set (3)
• The Logistics of the Gothic symphony – 1 – Philip Legge (2006)
  How to perform the Gothic with reduced forces (1)
• The Logistics of the Gothic symphony – 2 – Philip Legge (2006)
  How to perform the Gothic with reduced forces (2)
• Beethoven, Berlioz, Brian (or Three Bs and more) – Jürgen Schaarwächter (2007)
• Choral Demands of the ‘Gothic’ – Jeremy Marchant (2008)
  Defining how difficult it is to stage the chorus for the Gothic
• Brian’s Choral Challenges in the ‘Gothic’ – 1 – Jeremy Marchant (2009)
  Detailed analysis of the choral challenges

Symphony 4

• Music at war – David J Brown (1995)
• Das Siegeslied and bad genes – Alan Dean Foster (2000)

The vision of Cleopatra

• Cleopatra's Librettist – Reginald Nettel (1978)
• Havergal Brian's large-scale choral works: The Vision of Cleopatra (part 1) – Neil Starling (1985)
• Havergal Brian's large-scale choral works: The Vision of Cleopatra (part 2) – Neil Starling (1985)
• Havergal Brian's large-scale choral works: The Vision of Cleopatra (part 3) – Neil Starling (1985)

Chamber music

Legend

• Introduction – David Hackbridge Johnson

Piano music

Piano music – in general

• The fugues for piano – Peter Hill

Voice and piano

The birds

• A note on the dating of The birds and The land of dreams – Malcolm MacDonald

The defiled sanctuary

• A note on the dating of The birds and The land of dreams – Malcolm MacDonald

The land of dreams

• A note on the dating of The birds and The land of dreams – Malcolm MacDonald

Operas

Operas – in general

• Opera in England, and the British opera composer – Kate Baxter (1996)
• Havergal Brian’s operas – Kate Baxter (1996)

Agamemnon

• Agamemnon (1) – Textual analysis – Kate Baxter (1997)
• Agamemnon (2) – Musical analysis and conclusion – Kate Baxter (1997)

The Cenci

• My experiences of conducting The Cenci – James Kelleher
• The Cenci from within – Martin Anderson
• The fanfares – Malcolm MacDonald
• Two interpretations of The Cenci (1) – William Newman (1999)
• Two interpretations of The Cenci (2) – William Newman (1999)
• Two interpretations of The Cenci (3) – William Newman (1999)
• Two interpretations of The Cenci (4) – William Newman (1999)
• Two interpretations of The Cenci (5) – William Newman (1999)

Faust

• Dramatic structure and innovation in Brian’s Faust – Professor William E Grim (1997)
• Brian’s use of the German language in Faust – Jürgen Schaarwächter (1999)

The Tigers

• Opera with attitude – Kevin Mandry
• Reward for rediscovery of Brian’s lost scores – press coverage
• Let the roar of the Tigers be heard in the land – Malcolm MacDonald
• 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
• Fanfare from The grotesques - Malcolm MacDonald (1977)
• The rediscovery of The Tigers – David J Brown (1977)
• Breaking the mirror… – Larry Alexander (1983)
• New maps for The Tigers – Penny Scantlebury (1986)
• Investigating The Tigers (5) Masks : Prologue, scene 2 – Adrian Ure (1986)
• Investigating The Tigers (6) The seeds of chaos : Act 1, scene 1 – Adrian Ure (1987)
• Investigating The Tigers (7) The dogs of war : Act 1, scene 2 – Adrian Ure (1987)
• Investigating The Tigers (10) Garden party : Act 2, scene 3 (1) – Adrian Ure (1999)
• Investigating The Tigers (11) Haymaking : Act 2, scenes 3 (2) and 4 (1) – Adrian Ure (1999)
• Investigating The Tigers (12) Called to account : Act 2, scenes 4 (2) and 5 – Adrian Ure (1999)
• Investigating The Tigers (13) Gothic echoes : Act 3, Gargoyles and Lacryma – Adrian Ure (1999)
• Investigating The Tigers (14) Chinese whispers : Act 3, scenes 1 and 2 (1) – Adrian Ure (1999)
• Investigating The Tigers (2) Costers : Prologue, scene 1 (1) – Adrian Ure (1999)
• Investigating The Tigers (3) Coppers : Prologue, scene 1 (2) – Adrian Ure (1999)
• Investigating The Tigers (4) Gentry : Prologue, scene 1 (3) – Adrian Ure (1999)
• Investigating The Tigers (8) Uneasy slumbers : Act 2, scene 1 – Adrian Ure (1999)
• Investigating The Tigers (9) On parade : Act 2, scene 2 – Adrian Ure (1999)

Turandot, prinzessin von China

• Tour d’horizon autour de Turandot – Malcolm MacDonald (1995)

Arrangements

The battle song

• The battle song and 15 transcriptions – Malcolm MacDonald (1996)

Minuet and funeral march

• A note on the Minuet and Funeral march – Graham Hatton

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General articles on Brian’s music

• Gothic grandeur: the triumph of Havergal Brian
• HB and why I believe in his music -Damian Rees
• How many masterpieces make a master? – John Aldridge
• A personal odyssey – Martyn Becker
• A personal view – Donald Macauley
• An inter-wars’ reference – Peter Coussee
• Programming Brian – Havergal Brian Society
• Introduction
• Havergal Brian and the percussion section – Rodney Stephen Newton (1977)
• Havergal Brian and the bare fifth – Rodney Stephen Newton (1978)
• Brian and the psychologists – Malcolm MacDonald (1979)
  Freudian and Jungian insights
• Brian, Mahler and Shostakovich – Christopher Kettle, Larry Alexander (1982)
• The Brian revival – Robert Simpson (1984)
• Brian’s productive discontinuity – John Pickard (1988)
• A sense of discrimination – PJ Taylor (1988)
• …takes your breath away – Larry Alexander (1988)
• Brianus ellipsus – Martyn Becker (1989)
• Melodic originality – David Perrins (1989)
• Preconceptions and the anti-symphony – Owen Toller (1990)
• A homage from Germany – Dr Josef Schreier (1995)
• Brian and the alternative English musical renaissance – Keith Warsop (1996)
• Brian and Holbrooke – Kevin Mandry (1996)
• Salons of steel – David Hackbridge Johnson (2003)
• Reflections over 45 years – Martin Grossel (2008)

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Articles on Brian, the man

• 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
• A pilgrimage to Odd Rode – Reginald Nettel
• The psychology of Brian – Robert Timlin
  More Jungian insight
• Residences
• Solitude and creation – Kevin Mandry
  Kevin’s article tackles the difficult issue of the composer’s own sense of his isolation
• Introduction
• Brian’s working class origins – Brown, Goodsell, Stevenson
• Friendship with Havergal Brian - 1916(?)-1972 – Walter Allum (1978)
  A touching reminiscence of a long friendship with Havergal Brian
• Brian and the psychologists – Malcolm MacDonald (1979)
  Freudian and Jungian insights
• The influence of Brian’s social enviroment on his musical style – Godfrey Berry (1981)
• A case of hyper-intelligence? – Godfrey Berry (1983)
  Finds an explanation of many of Brian’s personality characteristics
• Brian’s dark journey – Kevin Mandry (1992)
  Important article addressing why and how Brian came to be the composer he was

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Articles about performances

• Recording The Gothic in Brisbane – Mike Le Voi, 4MBS Concert Recording Team member
  Trials and tribulations of recording the Gothic symphony in Brisbane
• Havergal Brian and Leslie Head – Lewis Foreman
• Recording Brian with the Philharmonia – Rodney Stephen Newton
• Symphony 2 – David Hackbridge Johnson
  Playing violin in Symphony 2
• Reviews of the 1973 Kensington SO/Leslie Head performances – John Falding, Max Loppert
• Symphony 2 – Roger Moseley
• Newstone and Mackerras interpretations compared – David Jenkins
• Review of RLPO/Mackerras premiere – John Pickard
• Review of RLPO/Mackerras premiere – Richard Whitehouse
• Review of RLPO/Mackerras premiere and recording – David J Brown
• Symphony 1 »The Gothic« – David J Brown (1978)
  review of the vast amateur performance
• Mounting the Gothic: The Schmidt performance, 1980 – David J Brown (1980)
• Skøn kæmpe-musik uden flip / Lofty musical colossus no freak: the Schmidt performance, 1980 – Jørgen Falck (27 May 1980)
  Danish view of the 1980 performance
• Brev fra London / Letter from London: the Schmidt performance, 1980 – Peter Wivel (June 1980)
  Danish view of the 1980 performance
• Symphonia brevis at the Royal Festival Hall – Malcolm MacDonald (1983)
• The ‘Planets for pleasure’ orchestra performance – Ted Heaton (1985)
• Review of Composers’ Platform WM SO/Venn performance – David J Brown (1987)
• Play it backwards – Larry Alexander (1987)
• Choirworks and Musical encounters – David J Brown (1995)
  contains an interview with Ole Schmidt on the 1980 performance
• Review of Royal Holloway/Matthew Taylor 1997 performance – Lewis Foreman (1997)
• Symphony 10 – Peter Coussee (31 May 1998)
• The Sinfonia tragica in Hamilton – Paul Rapoport (1999)
• Review of premiere – Malcolm MacDonald
  includes a brief description of the work
• Contemporary thirties criticism of Brian performances – Norman V Dagg
• A view from the rostrum – James Kelleher (1995)
• The case of the two Havergals – Lewis Foreman (1997)
• A latter day Ysaÿe – Martin Anderson interviews Marat Bisengaliev on Classical Net
• Review of Litchfield performance – David J Brown
• Preparing Psalm 23 for performance – Elizabeth Hanmore
  Preparations for the 1988 performance in Worthing
• Contemporary review of premiere (16 October 1909)
  An insightful review from 1909 by a Southport resident
• Review of premiere – Norman V Dagg
• Fearful and monstrous – Martin Anderson

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Articles about commercial recordings

• The Marco Polo cycle – David J Brown
• Introduction to the Marco Polo CD – Malcolm MacDonald
• A German view
• Review – Anthony Payne in the Daily Telegraph
• MarcoPolo CD of symphonies 4 & 12
• Newstone and Mackerras interpretations compared – David Jenkins
• Brian and theurban pastorale – PJ Taylor
• Thoughts on ASD3486 – Ted Heaton (1978)
• Recording »The Gothic« in Bratislava – David J Brown (1989)
  David’s detailed report on the Marco Polo sessions recording part 2
• Adrian Leaper’s Brian – Malcolm MacDonald (1993)
• Review of Marco Polo 8.223447 – Martin Anderson (1996)
• First impressions – Larry Alexander (1996)
• Review – John Grimshaw (1999)
• Review of City of Hull Youth SO CDs – David J Brown
• Review of Hull Youth SO recording – Lewis Foreman (1982)
• A latter day Ysaÿe – Martin Anderson interviews Marat Bisengaliev on Classical Net
• Review of Brian Rayner Cook/Roger Vignoles recording – Godfrey Berry (1983)
• Recording Brian in Liverpool – Lewis Foreman
• Elgar & The English Choral Tradition
• Psalm 23 on CD
• Review of Reid/Barrow recording of Legend – Martin Anderson
  The second recording
• The Complete Piano Music: 2 reviews – Rob Barnett, David Wright

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Articles about published books

• All seeing eye: review of HB on music, volume 1 – Lewis Foreman
• A late harvest – Ronald Stevenson
• The making of a composer – Malcolm MacDonald
• Review of Nettel: The man and his music – David J Brown
• »HB: Aspects of Havergal Brian« Contents – Dr phil Jürgen Schaarwächter
• Review of Havergal Brian on music, volume 1 – Steven Schwarz
• Paul Rapoport Opus est – David J Brown (1976)
  contains observations about The Gothic
• Ordeal by music … and after – Reginald Nettel (1976)
• Review of The symphonies of Havergal Brian, volume 2 – David J Brown (1978)
• Review of The symphonies of Havergal Brian, volume 3 – Martin Anderson (1984)
• The significance of Brian the journalist – Malcolm MacDonald (1986)

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Articles about the Havergal Brian Society

• The HBS Archive
• Previous HB Societies
• Havergal Brian Song Edition