| has gloss | eng: The Symphony No. 1 in D minor (also known as "The Gothic") by Havergal Brian (1876 – 1972) was composed between 1919 and 1927, and partly owes its notoriety to being the largest symphony ever composed (described thus by the Guinness Book of Records ). Along with choral symphonies such as Beethovens Ninth Symphony, or Mahlers Symphony of a Thousand, it is one of a few works attempting to use the musically gigantic to address the spiritual concerns of humanity. With an elaborate key-scheme which begins in D minor and works round eventually to a close in E major, the work is a notable example of progressive tonality. |