Transcriptions


 

Brian is known to have made seventeen transcriptions.  Fifteen of these (the ones not marked * below) turned up in Lot 312 of an Sotheby's auction in May 1996.  Some of Brian's comments are given here, and Malcolm MacDonald has annotated the entries.

Arne

Overture to oratorio Judith.

JC Bach

Overture to tragic opera in 3 acts, Amadis de Gaule
‘First opera scored by JC Bach for the "Beethoven" orchestra’

Overture to opera La clemenza di Scipione
‘transcribed from the score by Havergal Brian’

JS Bach

Friede uber Israel from Cantata 34 O ewiges Feuer
‘drawn from hill score by Havergal Brian’ [In this transcription Brian adds side drum and bass drum parts!]

Berlioz

March to the Scaffold Execution
‘drawn from score by Havergal Brian. Drum markings are Berlioz’s own, and should be followed rigidly’.

Elgar

* Piano transcription of unidentified work, now lost

Glinka

Ruslan and Ludmila overture
‘drawn from the score by Havergal Brian’

Gluck

Overture Alceste
‘transcribed from the full score by Havergal Brian’

Overture to the opera Iphigenie in Aulis
‘drawn from the score by Havergal Brian’ ‘edited by Wagner who also wrote the last 31 bars’. [HB includes several comments by ‘RW’ on the nature of the themes.]

[Mr] Handel

Overture to the opera Aelius (Ezio)
‘transcribed from full score by Havergal Brian’

Overture to the opera ‘Rodelinda’
‘transcribed by Havergal Brian’

Basil Maine

* Arrangement of Te Deum of   for chorus and orchestra - now lost

Spontini

Overture to the Lyric Tragedy of Olympia (Olimpie)
‘transcribed from the full score by Havergal Brian’ ‘For an account of this extraordinary work see article on Spontini in Grove re Olimpie in Berlin’

Pas de Cinq I and Pas de Cinq 2 from Olimpie

Marche Triomphale from Olimpie
‘transcribed from the full score by Havergal Brian’

Wagner

Huldigungsmarsch
‘drawn from the full score by Havergal Brian’ ‘Dedicated to HM King Ludwig III of Bavaria’ [This includes written-out percussion parts but no indication whether these are original Wagner or HB’s own embellishments.]

Kaisermarsch
‘drawn from the full score by Havergal Brian’
[This also includes written-out percussion parts and similarly no indication whether they are HB's or Wagner's.]


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