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Offer,Brian: Symphony No. 1 'Gothic'

Susan Gritton (soprano), Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano), Peter Auty (tenor), Alastair Miles (bass) & David Goode (organ)

BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Concert Orchestra, The Bach Choir, BBC National Chorus of Wales, Brighton Festival Chorus, CBSO Youth Chorus, Côr Caerdydd, Eltham...

the best [recording] yet. There's an ongoing buzz of Proms atmosphere that grips from start to finish; and the recorded sound succeeds phenomenally at somehow fitting Brian's hugest climaxes... — BBC Music Magazine, March 2012, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 28th Nov 2011
Catalogue No: CDA67971-2
Label: Hyperion
Length: 1 hour 54 minutes

Presto Recording of the Week

28th November 2011
Gramophone Magazine

February 2012

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Brian: Symphony No. 1 'Gothic'

Work length1:46:05

$6.60

$9.00

Susan Gritton (soprano), Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano), Peter Auty (tenor), Alastair Miles (bass)
BBC National Orchestra of Wales ; BBC Concert Orchestra, The Bach Choir ; Brighton Festival Chorus ; Côr Caerdydd ; CBSO Youth Chorus ; Eltham College Boys' Choir ; Huddersfield Choral Society ; London Symphony Chorus ; Southend Boys' and Girls' Choirs, The Bach Choir ; Brighton Festival Chorus ; Côr Caerdydd ; Huddersfield Choral Society ; London Symphony Chorus, The Bach Choir ; Côr Caerdydd ; CBSO Youth Chorus ; Eltham College Boys' Choir ; Huddersfield Choral Society ; London Symphony Chorus ; Southend Boys' and Girls' Choirs, BBC National Chorus of Wales
Martyn Brabbins

Part 1 No 1. Allegro assai

Track length12:09

$1.10

$1.50

Part 1 No 2. Lento espressivo e solenne

Track length11:54

$1.10

$1.50

Part 1 No 3. Vivace

Track length12:15

$1.10

$1.50

Part 2 No 1. Te Deum laudamus. Allegro moderato

Track length17:47

$1.10

$1.50

Part 2 No 2. Iudex crederis esse venturus. Adagio molto solenne e religioso

Track length16:13

$1.10

$1.50

Part 2 No 3. Te ergo, quaesumus. Moderato e molto sostenuto

Track length35:47

$1.10

$1.50

Applause

Work length8:40

$1.10

$1.50

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Recording of the Week, Havergal Brian’s Gothic Symphony

28th November 2011

Hyperion release a live recording of the British composer’s gargantuan first symphony, captured at a rare performance at the BBC Proms this summer and featuring an orchestra of over 200 and a choir of 600!

On 17 July 2011 over 800 performers gathered in London’s Royal Albert Hall to give a rare performance of Havergal Brian’s Symphony No 1 in D minor—‘The Gothic’. Tickets for this Prom sold out within 24 hours, and so it gives us great pleasure to make this live recording available to all.

It’s a pretty phenomenal work. Responding to the challenge set by Sir Henry Wood, the composer has thrown just about every known orchestral instrument into the mix, then adding a double chorus of over 500, plus children’s choirs, for an hour-long Te Deum—the church’s blazing Hymn of Thanksgiving—which makes up the symphony’s finale.

Whether or not you were lucky enough to be there on the night, this is a recording not to be missed.

Artists

Susan Gritton (soprano), Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano), Peter Auty (tenor), Alastair Miles (bass) & David Goode (organ)

BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Concert Orchestra, The Bach Choir, BBC National Chorus of Wales, Brighton Festival Chorus, CBSO Youth Chorus, Côr Caerdydd, Eltham College Boys’ Choir, Huddersfield Choral Society & London Symphony Chorus, Martyn Brabbins

Reviews

March 2012

the best [recording] yet. There's an ongoing buzz of Proms atmosphere that grips from start to finish; and the recorded sound succeeds phenomenally at somehow fitting Brian's hugest climaxes alongside the delicate scoring of other passages into a convincing perspective. Under Brabbins's forthright direction, even the work's poorer passages (and whatever Brian's fanatical supporters say, there are plenty) don't sprawl.

February 2012

Hyperion's release is a perfect one, of a great event, a magisterial work and an encapsulation of the enormous difficulties of the project as a whole...[Brabbins emphasises] the kaleidoscopic variety of speeds, textures and invention in the score. Aided by Hyperion's sensational sound, details which barely registered before become crystal clear...I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

January 2012

credit to Martyn Brabbins for overseeing a performance which emphatically does not play it safe: enabling the piece to be appreciated for a formal evolution as oblique and purposeful as is its emotional progression...the discreet but intent control exerted over the vast numbers leaves no doubt as to his conviction. That the capacity audience betrays so few sign of its presence says much in itself.

28th November 2011

This seems likely to become the top recommendation of this huge but strange symphony for many years to come...The BBC Proms is one of the few organisations which is capable of putting on a performance of this epic work, and I was thrilled to learn that Hyperion would be releasing it. It is well worth hearing.

2nd December 2011

As ideas tumble forth in Havergal Brian’s epic scheme, you cannot help admiring his fervour in getting it all down on paper. It remains one of the oddities of the English symphonic repertoire, but Martyn Brabbins and his legions of players and singers do it proud.

11th February 2012

Where to begin? This is a hugely impressive record of a great performance, but I’m not convinced that this is great music. But you can’t help feeling thankful that once in a generation we’re given the chance to hear something of this magnitude and judge the results for ourselves

Offer,Brian: Symphony No. 1 'Gothic'

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Recording of the Week, Havergal Brian’s Gothic Symphony

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