Let's Have A BaL! (where there's not many recordings)

[Beef Oven!]

In this age of more recordings of anything than you could shake a stick at ....

there must be some seriously good works which have only a few recordings, that would make a truly interesting BaL.

For example ....

..... off the top of my head, I can only recall three recordings of Havergal Brian's Symphony #1 "Gothic".

CSR Symphony et al, Ondrej Leonard - Marco Polo/Naxos
BBCSO et al, Adrian Boult - Testament
BBC National Orchestra Of Wales et al, Martyn Brabbins - Hyperion

Around an hour on this BaL would be a very interesting programme, in my very humble opinion.

Do forumites have other ideas for recordings-challenged masterworks?

P.S. Ondrej Leonard's recording on Marco Polo/Naxos is still my favourite.

[Parry1912]

I'd be happy with a BAL on Brian's music generally.

[BBMmk2]

I couldn't possibly comment!

[Richard Tarleton]

In this age of more recordings of anything than you could shake a stick at ....

there must be some seriously good works which have only a few recordings, that would make a truly interesting BaL.

We've had a few outstanding BALs like this, but they tend to be of music composed 4-500 years ago - I'm thinking Victoria's Masses, Hildegard, Mateo Flecha.....

[ardcarp]

Time for one on Joubert. IIRC he wrote two symphonies, four concertos and seven operas amongst his prolific output. Symphony No 1 would be a start. He is, BTW, still going strong in his early 90s.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I can only concur with the OP.

[Alison]

Malcolm Arnold's Ninth would be a good candidate for this.

[teamsaint]

Malcolm Arnold's Ninth would be a good candidate for this.

they could do all the recordings of all the symphonies, and still have fewer than most weeks list

Good choice though Alison.

[Petrushka]

Malcolm Arnold's Ninth would be a good candidate for this.

Excellent choice, Alison, and agree with ts that an Arnold BaL would be good. Having said that, Vernon Handley's set seems so perfectly 'right' to me that I can't imagine needing any more. Good to hear alternative takes on this music, though. The 9th, in particular, is a masterpiece just waiting to be discovered by the general concert-going public.

[EdgeleyRob]

Arnold 9 is a great choice.
I would argue that Andrew Penny on Naxos is good competition for Vernon Handley in the 9th and some of the others.

I'd love to hear a BaL on Myaskovsky 6.
There are a handful of good recordings (Kondrashin,Svetlanov,Jarvi even one by the Urals Philharmonic).
Svetlanov is superb but would prob be ruled out as he omits the optional chorus in the finale - Gothenburg,Jarvi for me.

Myaskovsky's Cello Concerto is nowadays fairly well served on disc,be good to hear the experts discussing it - Rostropovich with Sargent or Svetlanov would be my choice

[Barbirollians]

Farrenc's Third Symphony - only two recordings as far as I know .

[Beef Oven!]

Malcolm Arnold's Ninth would be a good candidate for this.

Perfect!

[pastoralguy]

The Tippett symphonies?

[Beef Oven!]

The Tippett symphonies?

Yeayy!!

That would be an EXCELLENT BaL

[Richard Tarleton]

All these suggestions are (never 'eard of some of them, but they appear to be) for orchestral music in general, and symphonies in particular. Is this all people want to hear BALs about, or indeed listen to?

Just saying