Orchestral, Brian (composer)

Havergal Brian's Sixth and Sixteenth Symphonies were recorded in April 1973. The Sixth (1948), incorporating material from an abandoned opera on Synge's Deirdre of the Sorrows, is highly illustrative... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Their gusto in tackling Brian’s complex, often cryptic but rewarding scores is very winning. All the music here shows the old maverick forging ahead from epic breadth to extreme compression,... — BBC Music Magazine, August 2019, 3 out of 5 stars (Performance) / 4 out of 5 stars (Recording) More…

These performances, all half a century old or more, still sound extraordinarily vivid and convincing. — Gramophone Magazine, June 2023 More…

Brabbins and his Scottish forces pounce on every glinting detail and quirk…Roderick Williams squeezes every lyrical drop from the sometimes arid vocal line, though it's the orchestral details... — BBC Music Magazine, June 2015, 4 out of 5 stars More…

To be able to get along with Havergal Brian's exasperating talent, you need above-average reserves of patience...Ceaselessly up-for-it RSNO playing and Brabbins's firm direction together make... — BBC Music Magazine, May 2013, 4 out of 5 stars More…