Havergal Brian "Gothic" symphony

[Lion-of-Vienna]

Even the Havergal Brian Society are asking £22 for this one.

[Chris Newman]

Please tell me that's not the real cover!

Well if they had used a photo of the forces involved there would only have been a pixel each to fit everyone in. It will be easy to see in displays.

[BBMmk2]

I hope not either! Looks quite tempting!

Surely Hyperion would have taken their own pictures of the event, if this was the case?

[Ferretfancy]

Why not in surround sound? Well, you can't just stick up a few microphones and hope for good results, especially in the RAH, and in any case the contractors who now do the BBC balances would have been responsible, not Hyperion.

I was in the centre of the Arena for the event, with the two groups of extra brass and tymps at 180 degrees from where I stood, plus of course the two extra choruses. It was certainly an interesting experience, probably the loudest noise I have heard at a Prom so far, but its musical value lies far below its volume capability. Full marks to the stamina of all the performers, but I couldn't say that I would ever bother to listen to it again.

[Bryn]

Anyone here ordered the Hyperion discs yet? Amazon still seem to be offering the best deal.

[Lion-of-Vienna]

Anyone here ordered the Hyperion discs yet?

Bryn,

I'm waiting to hear your verdict on the dynamic range of the recording before ordering. Please let us know what it is.

[Bryn]

Bryn,

I'm waiting to hear your verdict on the dynamic range of the recording before ordering. Please let us know what it is.

Back in message #5 in this thread I posted links to 'fingerprints' of a brief sample from the BBC's HD Sound version and the same section from Hyperion's online sample. It clearly showed that even in the lossy sample Hyperion made available, the dynamic range was considerably greater. The discs are officially due for release on Monday. I will probably take the plunge and order from amazon.co.uk later today. The only review I have seen, (by Rob Barnett), does not mention the dynamic range of the CD issue as such, only referring to quiet passages and great climaxes in the music. Given the discussion on the issue of dynamic compression in the broadcast version, both here and on BBC blogs, I find that omission somewhat careless.

[Dave2002]

Why not in surround sound? Well, you can't just stick up a few microphones and hope for good results, especially in the RAH, and in any case the contractors who now do the BBC balances would have been responsible, not Hyperion.

I was in the centre of the Arena for the event, with the two groups of extra brass and tymps at 180 degrees from where I stood, plus of course the two extra choruses. It was certainly an interesting experience, probably the loudest noise I have heard at a Prom so far, but its musical value lies far below its volume capability. Full marks to the stamina of all the performers, but I couldn't say that I would ever bother to listen to it again.

I had similar misgivings about the performance of Foulds' "A World Requiem".

[Mahlerei]

Ferret

I must say I agree with you. Try as I might, i simply cannot engage with The Gothic. :(

[Bryn]

Bryn,

I'm waiting to hear your verdict on the dynamic range of the recording before ordering. Please let us know what it is.

In a gratifyingly swift response to an email I sent Hyperion this morning, a certain Mr. Perry writes:

"You'll be glad to hear that Hyperion spent quite some time in the post-production studio [and a small fortune] on finessing the BBC sound from that prom.

"We hope that you'll be pleased with the results."

Order about to be placed.

Order now placed (with 3-5 day free delivery option selected). Not only is the price of £19.14 the most competitive I have found, but I also got a £2.00 voucher (for spending over £10) to be redeemed when purchasing my next amazon.co.uk download. Now to find something under-priced I like the look of to download.

[french frank]

a certain Mr. Perry writes:

Name dropper! I understand it arrived with a certain Mr Wright yesterday and he declared the cover to resemble an advert for a Hammer horror film ...

[Dimitry]

I've now heard the new CDs and I can confirm that they've worked wonders with the BBC recording. Those glitches such as the dropped brass mute, the door slam, a few orchestral errors and much of the choral drift in the a cappella sections have been magicked away by the Hyperion wizards, presumably using some of the rehearsal takes. The overall sound quality is as fine as one could imagine from a live recording and even listening intently on headphones the background noises make no significant intrusion. In short, this now definitively replaces the earlier Naxos and Testament issues, even despite the price difference with the former, and is a must-have item. You need have no hesitation. This recording is the nearest thing to the excitement of being there there could possibly be. I wondered initially about the merit of including the 8'39" of applause but this is so rapturous, even for a Proms audience, that it adds to the memory of the event and helps one recapture the fantastic experience. I noticed a curious effect, when the arena audience starts rhythmically stamping their feet it's hard not to imagine one can hear in the noise the thunderous climactic cross-rhythms of the multiple tympani heard earlier.

[bluestateprommer]

I've now heard the new CDs and I can confirm that they've worked wonders with the BBC recording. Those glitches such as the dropped brass mute, the door slam, a few orchestral errors and much of the choral drift in the a cappella sections have been magicked away by the Hyperion wizards, presumably using some of the rehearsal takes. The overall sound quality is as fine as one could imagine from a live recording and even listening intently on headphones the background noises make no significant intrusion. In short, this now definitively replaces the earlier Naxos and Testament issues, even despite the price difference with the former, and is a must-have item. You need have no hesitation. This recording is the nearest thing to the excitement of being there there could possibly be. I wondered initially about the merit of including the 8'39" of applause but this is so rapturous, even for a Proms audience, that it adds to the memory of the event and helps one recapture the fantastic experience. I noticed a curious effect, when the arena audience starts rhythmically stamping their feet it's hard not to imagine one can hear in the noise the thunderous climactic cross-rhythms of the multiple tympani heard earlier.

Just saw the first on-line review that I could find (granted, I haven't searched that much) for the new CD set:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/nov/27/havergal-brian-gothic-symphony-1-review

Having attended this Prom (with the program with Susan Gritton's signature to prove it), I'm initially hesitant about investing in this set. Dimitry's write-up may lean me towards changing my mind. I suppose that with most "live" commerical releases in classical these days, some amount of touching-up is to be expected. I actually don't remember the dropped mute and door slam episodes.

Plus, if nothing else, whatever one may think of the music or the performance, I certainly hope that this set sells well so that Hyperion can at least reduce the losses on the expenses involved in producing this recording. From looking at Amazon.co.uk just now, the sales ranking is 1459 (!) at this second. The US release is scheduled for about 2 weeks later.

PS: Irrelevant (to Havergal Brian) follow-up about name dropping and a certain Mr. Perry at Hyperion, namely that I once received a kind e-mail from Hyperion that also advised me of the correct pronunciation of the name of Jean Francaix, namely that it is not "Francais", but with the second syllable sounding like "Aix" in "Aix-en-Provence". The Mr. Perry in question was the senior Mr. Perry.

[Bryn]

My CDs arrived his morning. What a truly fine job Mr. Perry's team have done with what the BBC's hired engineers offered them. Contrary to the old saw, it appears that a silk purse can indeed be fashioned from a sow's ear.

[johnb]

My CDs arrived his morning. What a truly fine job Mr. Perry's team have done with what the BBC's hired engineers offered them. Contrary to the old saw, it appears that a silk purse can indeed be fashioned from a sow's ear.

I take your point but it is always possible, indeed likely, that the recordings made by the BBC weren't subject to the same limiting that afflicted the broadcast transmission.