Ray Stamford asks:

>I am writing this having just listened to the 5th Symphony (RPO - Handley)
>and can't make up my mind about this dramatic, almost sub-Mahlerian 'film'
>music which would have done something along the lines of 'War and Peace'
>or 'Ivan the Terrible' proud.  It's either brilliant or IMHO, as a lot of
>music in this genre, a bit of a curate's egg.

What's a curate's egg?  A curiosity?

>I would also be interested in how the style compares to that of Havergal
>Brian who, I think, dedicated one on his later symphonies to Simpson.  I
>bet there are some experts out there who could give a considered opinion.

I'm hardly an expert, but I *have* heard a lot of Simpson and Brian -
at least what's recorded.  It depends on what Brian you're talking about.
Certainly the later Brian is more concise than Simpson.  On the other
hand, Simpson has a longer reach with fewer basic ideas.  I would also
say that Simpson is more self-conscious than Brian and more derivative (in
a non-perjorative, purely descriptive sense).  I always get the feeling
that Simpson is looking at or commenting upon a symphonic tradition, while
Brian (although certainly aware of his predecessors) aims at more direct
expression.

For what it's worth, I come down on the side of "brilliant," even beyond
brilliant, to profound.

Steve Schwartz