Havergal Brian: The Tigers
John Foulds: Pasquinade Symphonique No. 1
£12.00
Luxembourg Radio Symphony Orchestra
HTGCD270 – 5060332660667
Havergal Brian’s first opera, The Tigers, was begun in the middle of World War I – he called it ‘a distraction from war horrors’ – and is essentially a satire on the shambolic unpreparedness of the British army in training on the home front. This CD features the only complete recording of the Symphonic Dances which Brian adapted from the operatic score and the only available recording of Fould’s Pasquinade Symphonique No. 1.
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‘These extracts from Brian’s comic-satirical opera offer subtle intervention besides his compulsive prolixity… clear classy performances.’
Malcolm Hayes, BBC Music Magazine, December 2014
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‘The Luxembourg forces render this music with real expressive acuity and Hager directs with unassuming authority’
‘The very real qualities of these readings should ensure they retain their place on the shelves of Brain and Foulds advocates’
Richard Whitehouse, International Record Review, November 2014
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‘It’s not before time that these sparkling performances……….have been restored to the catalogue. Brian’s scintillating orchestral textures still show up brightly in these sympathetic and virtuoso accounts. The sound is…crystal clear…’
Guy Rickards, Gramophone Awards Issue, September 2014
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‘The Brian is good but the Foulds is magnificent. This is a fine disc with clean, immediate sound. It is a little studio bound but there is excellent clarity. The choice of orchestra and conductor may appear to be unusual for the repertoire but they do a fine job.’
MusicWeb International, June 2014