Symphony No. 1 (Brian) (original) (raw)

The Symphony No. 1 in D minor (The Gothic) is a symphony composed by Havergal Brian between 1919 and 1927. At around 105 minutes it is among the longest symphonies ever composed (others include Mahler's Symphony No. 3 at 90 to 105 minutes (the only symphony of this length to be regularly performed and recorded), Sorabji's Organ Symphony No. 2 at nine hours, and Dimitrie Cuclin's unperformed Symphony No. 12 at about six hours). Along with choral symphonies such as Beethoven's Ninth Symphony or Mahler's Eighth Symphony, it is one of a few works attempting to use the musically gigantic to address the spiritual concerns of humanity. Beginning in D minor and closing in E major, the work is an example of progressive tonality.