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Brian: Symphony No. 1, 'The Gothic'

11/1/2004, 46 Tracks, 1:51:32

Featuring

  • Ondrej Lenárd
  • Vladimír Doležal
  • Eva Jenisová
  • Peter Mikuláš
  • Dagmar Pecková
  • Pavol Procházka
  • Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
  • Bratislava Children's Choir
  • The Bratislava City Choir
  • Lúčnica Chorus
  • Singing Group of the Slovak State Traditional Dance Company
  • Slovak National Opera Chorus
  • Slovak Philharmonic Chorus
  • Youth Choir Echo
  • Havergal Brian

Did you know?

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Compositional Technique

The overall tonal plan of 'The Gothic' Symphony moves from an initial D minor to a final E major, unifying a vast array of melodies and figures.

Source: Booklet

Compositional Technique

Brian's 'The Gothic' Symphony holds an entry in the Guinness Book of Records under 'Largest Symphony' due to its length and the gigantic forces employed.

Source: Booklet

Compositional Technique

Part II of 'The Gothic' Symphony, a setting of the Te Deum, requires nearly 200 players, including 32 woodwind, 24 brass, 17 percussionists, and four extra brass bands.

Source: Booklet

Composition History

Havergal Brian's Symphony No. 1 'The Gothic' was composed over seven or eight years, with Brian being over fifty when he completed it.

Source: Booklet

Composer's Artistic Vision

Brian's 'The Gothic' Symphony unites two long-contemplated ideas: a work based on Goethe's Faust and a setting of the Te Deum, envisioning the Gothic Age as a period of vast expansion of human knowledge.

Source: Booklet

Composer Biography

Havergal Brian, a contemporary of Vaughan Williams and Holst, was born to working-class parents in 1876 and died in 1972 at the age of 96, having composed for roughly eighty years.

Source: Booklet

Composer's Artistic Vision

The symphony is a tribute to all the music and people Brian loved, with the fifth movement serving as a personal memorial to conductor Hans Richter, who inspired Brian in his youth.

Source: Booklet

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