Arnold Cooke; Havergal Brian - Symphonies (Myer Fredman; Nicholas Braithwaite)

Information

Composer: Havergal Brian; Arnold Cooke

1. Brian - Symphony No. 6 "Sinfonia tragica"
2. Brian - Symphony No. 16
3. Cooke - Symphony No. 3 in D major: I. Allegro Energico
4. Cooke - Symphony No. 3 in D major: II. Lento
5. Cooke - Symphony No. 3 in D major: III. Allegro

London Philharmonic Orchestra
Myer Fredman, conductor (1, 2)
Nicholas Braithwaite, conductor (3-5)

Date: 1973 (1, 2), 1974 (3-5)
Label: Lyrita
http://www.wyastone.co.uk/brian-symphonies-nos-6-16-cooke-symphony-no-3.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review

I have been waiting a long time for these two symphonies by Havergal Brian to reappear; they are among his finest. Neither turned up in the marco polo/Naxos Brian series of the 1990s, which seems to have been terminated incomplete. 

Both symphonies are single-movement works. Formally, they resemble symphonic poems, especially the Sixth, a 25-minute piece using music from the composer’s aborted operatic treatment of J. M. Synge’s Dierdre of the Sorrows . The opening is Sibelian, even Busonian, in that it evokes the nocturnal scurrying moments of Doktor Faust . This is quickly succeeded by a mournful cor anglais solo, building to a string-drenched episode that is unusually heart-on-sleeve for this composer. Regular Brian fingerprints soon emerge: the pulsing statements dominated by side drums and xylophone, and the unexpected ff cymbal crashes that can seem almost arbitrary. The harp features strongly in the texture throughout, possibly because of the Irish text that inspired the work. 

In Symphony No. 16, composed in 1960, we get a taste of the composer’s pastoral side. The atmosphere might be described as troubled Delius, the mood established right at the start by lonely woodwind figures over brooding harmonies in the bass sections of the orchestra. Brian’s symphonies moved from the sprawling forms and large forces of the early works to become more concise and finally quite terse. The 16th literally sits at the halfway point in that process. As the musical argument gets underway (in typically episodic fashion), there is a tangible sense of forward movement. Despite his habitual sudden shifts of mood, Brian creates a dramatic cohesion to unify the work—a “building block” approach of contrast and relief, also employed by Michael Tippett in his contemporary symphonies and sonatas. Brian’s orchestration is once again notable for its overlay of glittering percussion, perfectly caught in this recording. 

In fact, this could well be the best recording ever made of Brian’s music (notwithstanding the importance of the marco polo “Gothic” Symphony). The London PO is a first-rate orchestra, taped during one of their eras of excellence; the under-celebrated Fredman shows complete mastery and understanding of the scores, and the Lyrita sound quality remains superbly clear and present. 

After these two bracingly individual masterpieces, the Third Symphony of Arnold Cooke (1906–2005) sounds conventional in comparison. The two composers had little in common (apart from their obscurity and longevity). Cooke was a dyed-in-the-wool Hindemithian, and his music shares the contrapuntal clarity and precise balance of his great German teacher. Added to that is an attractive patina of melancholy in the slow movement, which builds impressively to its uneasy climax. On its own terms, Cooke’s Third is a strong, satisfying contribution to the 20th-century symphonic canon. The performance is confident, and the recording well balanced. 

A local retailer pointed out to me that these welcome reissues of the old Lyrita catalog harbor a technical quirk: if you look closely at the underside of the discs, you will see they have been individually burned rather than pressed. Possibly, this is to allow them to continue to be available on special order once the original batch has been sold—a situation not far off, I suspect, due to the considerable interest of the repertoire and consistently high standard of performance. Certainly, there is no compromise in terms of sound. Urgently recommended. 

-- Phillip Scott, FANFARE

More reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Mar08/Brian_Cooke_SRCD295.htm
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Oct08/Brian_Cooke_SRCD295.htm
http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/l/lta00295a.php
http://audaud.com/2012/02/havergal-brian-symphonies-6-16-london-philharmonic-fredman-arnold-cooke-sym-no-3-london-philharmonic-braithwaite-lyrita/
http://www.allmusic.com/album/havergal-brian-symphonies-nos-6-16-arnold-cooke-symphony-no-3-mw0001877193
http://www.amazon.com/Havergal-Brian-Symphonies-Arnold-Symphony/dp/B0014FLGRQ

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Havergal Brian (29 January 1876 – 28 November 1972) was a British classical composer. Brian was extremely prolific, his body of work including thirty two symphonies, many of them extremely long and ambitious works for massive orchestral forces. Brian enjoyed a period of significant popularity earlier in his career and rediscovery in the 1950s, though his music fell out of favour and since the 1970s he is vary rarely studied and performed. Today, he is often remembered for his First Symphony which calls for the largest orchestral force demanded by any conventionally structured concert work.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havergal_Brian

***

Arnold Cooke (4 November 1906 – 13 August 2005) was a British composer. As a composer Cooke was highly productive but tended to work in traditional genres. He composed six symphonies, several concertos, copious chamber music including a clarinet quintet and five string quartets, many instrumental sonatas, and some important vocal music. Throughout his career, his music seems to show the influence of Hindemith, leavened with a more English sense of lyricism. Two of his symphonies and other orchestral works were recorded by Lyrita, whilst the Clarinet Quintet and Concerto were recorded by Hyperion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Cooke

***

Myer Fredman (29 January 1932 – 4 July 2014) was a British-Australian conductor. He studied with Peter Gellhorn, Vilém Tauský, Adrian Boult, and was assistant conductor to Otto Klemperer, Vittorio Gui, John Pritchard and Charles Mackerras. Fredman was conductor at the Glyndebourne Festival (1963–74) and the Glyndebourne Touring Opera (1968-74). He was also musical director of the State Opera of South Australia (1974–80), and artistic associate with Opera Australia (1983–98). His world-premiere recordings include Arnold Bax's 1st & 2nd symphonies and Havergal Brian's 6th & 16th symphony.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myer_Fredman

***

Nicholas Braithwaite (born 26 August 1939, London) is an English conductor. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music, at the Festival masterclasses in Bayreuth, and with Hans Swarowsky in Vienna. Braithwaite is probably best known to audiences for leading performances of more than 70 operas at various world venues. Although only held the post in minor orchestras, he has made recordings with world-renowned such as the London Philharmonic, London Symphony and the Philharmonia. Braithwaite has also served as the Dean of Music at the Victorian College of the Arts from 1988 to 1991.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Braithwaite

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/nicholas-braithwaite-mn0000180292/biography

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

FLAC, tracks

Links in comment

Enjoy!