Four miniatures

1919-20†, 9:30

The second and fourth movements are the piano parts of the two songs Brian wrote to the poems cited below.

piano

1 Allegro, G minor [32 bars], 2:00
2 headed ‘After William Blake’s poem The land of dreams’ Lento tranquillo e sempre rubato, B major [40 bars], 3:30
3 Andante e grazioso – Valse lento, E major [39 bars], 1:30
4 headed ‘After William Blake’s poem The birds’ Andantino tranquillo e sempre rubato, free tonality [42 bars], 3:00

Augener, 1921
Havergal Brian Society, 1985

Performances

27 November 1933 (No. 2, 'Land of Dreams') Small hall, Stockholm Concert Hall, Stockholm, Sweden
Evelyn Munro
18 December 1934 [first complete performance] Wigmore Hall, London
Meyer Rosenstein
1966 Mansion House, London
Eve Barsham
25 November 1967
BBC Radio 3
Ronald Stevenson
1976
Calder
30 January 1976
Ronald Stevenson
29 February 1976 Music Centre, Belmont St, Aberdeen
Iain Maxwell
12 November 1976 Mitchell Hall, Aberdeen
Iain Maxwell
14 October 1977 Mitchell Hall, Aberdeen
Iain Maxwell
9 March 1978 Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
6 May 1978 BBC Radio Manchester
Ronald Stevenson
February 1981
Peter Hill
2 December 1983 St Andrews, Scotland
Adrian Ure
31 March 1988
Raymond Clarke
27 June 1989 Firth Hall, Sheffield
Peter Hill
12 June 1992 Stephen Joseph Room, Newcastle under Lyme
Ronald Stevenson
17 June 1997
Raymond Clarke
19–20 June 1997 Potton Hall, Dunwich, Suffolk
Raymond Clarke
5–6 January 2012 Potton Hall, Suffolk, U.K.
Sholto Kynoch, piano

Recordings

Dutton Vocalion CDLX 7348 released August 2018
27 November 1933 (No. 2, 'Land of Dreams') Small hall, Stockholm Concert Hall, Stockholm, Sweden
Evelyn Munro
Cameo Classics CC9016CD released 2011
February 1981
Peter Hill
Athene Minerva 23012 released March 1998
19–20 June 1997 Potton Hall, Dunwich, Suffolk
Raymond Clarke
• The Complete Piano Music: 2 reviews – Rob Barnett, David Wright
Stone Records 5060192780277 released April 2014
5–6 January 2012 Potton Hall, Suffolk, U.K.
Sholto Kynoch, piano