Brian: Symphony No. 1 "The Gothic.".

Brian: Symphony No. 1 "The Gothic." Eva Jenisova, Dagmar Peckova, Vladimir Dolezal, Peter Mikulas, soloists; Ondrej Lenard, Slovak Opera Chorus, Slovak Folk Ensemble Chorus, Lucnica Chorus, Bratislava City Choir, Bratislava Children's Choir, Youth Echo Choir, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra. Naxos 8.557418-19 (2-disc set).

Havergal Brian was one of those early twentieth-century English composers who refused to believe that the Romantic Age had ended and continued producing music in the Romantic manner until his death in 1972 at the age of 96. His First Symphony was not completed until 1927, when the man was already in his late fifties, and he was to write more than 30 more of them before he died. You might say he was dedicated; or compulsive.

His Symphony No. 1 is named "The Gothic" because it was partly inspired by the Gothic Age (1150-1560), the beginning of Enlightenment, and the massive and imposing structure of Gothic cathedrals in general. It was also inspired by Goethe's Faust, written in the early nineteenth century, so it owes a lot to previous generations. It also owes a lot to Bruckner and Mahler and probably a dozen other composers, as it borrows from everyone.

The Symphony has the distinction of being listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's "largest symphony," which is probably the only reason it's remembered today. Certainly, only a handful of Brian's other works are remembered. The First was written to be performed by two complete orchestras, augmented by a battalion of choruses and soloists. At almost two hours long and utilizing hundreds of players, it is enormous, indeed.

The present recording was made in 1989 and previously issued on Naxos's full-price label, Marco Polo. I recall trying to get through it when it first appeared and giving up about twenty or thirty minutes in. This time I stayed the course, but I must admit it was a chore. The symphony is divided into two parts, the first purely orchestral, the second a new setting of the choral Te Deum. In its defense, the piece has a wonderfully propulsive style, always moving forward with great momentum and, obviously, great weight. Unfortunately, it has nowhere to go in its two hours. It rather meanders from one tiresome crescendo to the next, punctuated only intermittently in the choral sections by moments of serenity and repose. The "moments" are too far and few between. I daresay one could play back any of the set's 46 tracking points and have no idea in the work where it belonged or how it differed from every other point.

The sound is remarkably good, given the sheer size of the forces involved. Percussion, which is understandably prodigious, comes through clearly, with a strong presence; the choirs are often startlingly transparent and real; and the sense of depth is quite natural. Oddly, however, I never got a feeling for the immense numbers involved. Oh, well.