Havergal Brian - Violin Concerto; Symphony No. 18 (Marat Bisengaliev; Lionel Friend)

Information

Composer: Havergal Brian

• The Jolly Miller (Concert Overture No. 3)
• Violin Concerto in C major
• Symphony No. 18

Marat Bisengaliev, violin

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Lionel Friend, conductor

Date: 1993

Label: Naxos

https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.557775

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Review

An excellent introduction to a much maligned and neglected master

The late Robert Simpson once referred to Havergal Brian as the ‘Original Awkward Cuss raised to the level of genius’. A highly misunderstood composer, one either loves (sadly the minority) or hates his music. Michael Oliver clearly liked it, as his review of the original release shows, where he waxed lyrical over the kind of compositional processes, games even, that Brian played in his Violin Concerto (1934-35). He described the performance of Kazakh virtuoso Marat Bisengaliev as ‘jaw-droppingly’ good; hearing it again it really does sound like one of the finest British violin concertos, worthy of comparison with Elgar’s, Walton’s, Britten’s, Stevens’s and McCabe’s. Tony Kime’s excellent recording catches all the subtle detail of the solo writing – especially when so wonderfully well played – along with the tuttis’ massive splendour.

The best is saved until last, however, with the Symphony No 18 (1961), long a personal favourite. Written in gratitude for Bryan Fairfax, conductor of The Gothic’s premiere that year, it is one of Brian’s most beguiling march-fantasies, scored for a fairly standard orchestra. All the typical late Brian fingerprints are present, the bold, craggy harmonies, expressive dislocations and haunting melody. Lionel Friend directs a crisp and crystal clear account of this quarter-hour gem. Very strongly recommended.

-- Guy Rickards, Gramophone

More reviews:

http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/m/mpl23479a.php

https://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/June05/Brian_violin_8557775.htm

https://www.allmusic.com/album/havergal-brian-violin-concerto-symphony-no-8-the-jolly-miller-overture-mw0001385875

https://www.amazon.com/Brian-Violin-Concerto-Symphony-Overture/dp/B0008JEKF4

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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

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Marat Bisengaliev (born 1962 in Almaty) is a Kazakh violinist and conductor. He studied at the Kurmangazy Alma-Ata State Conservatoire and the Moscow Conservatory, and was a prize winner at the Leipzig International Bach Competition in 1988. Bisengaliev has given concerts in over 35 countries and performed with famous orchestras from the UK, Russia, Poland and Ukraine. He founded the West Kazakhstan Philharmonic Orchestra in 2003, then became founding Artistic Director of the Symphony Orchestra of India in 2006. Most of the time he lives and works in the UK and India.

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

https://maratbisengaliev.com/

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Lionel Friend was educated at the Royal College of Music in London, where he won all the major conducting prizes. Following private study with Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt and Colin Davis, he made his début conducting at the Welsh National Opera and was also conductor and chorus-master for Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Touring Opera. Friend has conducted opera for BBC Radio, Radio France, Netherlands Opera and Opera Northern Ireland. He has also given concerts and recorded with many of Europe's principal symphony orchestras and choruses, as well as all the BBC orchestras and many others in the UK.

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/a.asp?a=A272

https://lionelfriend.com/

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