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