Vaughan Williams's Veranda

Started by karlhenning, April 12, 2007, 06:03:44 AM

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Christo

#2780
June 29, 2017, 12:07:00 AM
Quote from: relm1 on June 28, 2017, 04:21:45 PMI think in some ways, this symphony captures a longing for a place and time that are gone forever. 
Well said. Something similar holds true for the Pastoral and even the Lark Ascending - which on completion after WWI he made even more into a monument of a lost world before. The big difference is, that the Pastoral and Fifth not only bring in nostalgia and innocence, but also awareness of the present tragedy and life wisdom.
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

vandermolen

#2781
June 29, 2017, 02:39:04 AM
Quote from: relm1 on June 28, 2017, 04:21:45 PM
I will re-listen to that but to me, there are just so many breathtakingly poignant moments in Previn's LSO No. 5.  I don't think he captured quite the same magic with the Royal Phil though the sound is better.  The phrasing, breathing, sense of nostalgia is just so palpable.  I think in some ways, this symphony captures a longing for a place and time that are gone forever.  Sort of like a Rachmaninoff piece written during his self imposed exile and longing for a Russia of his youth that will never again exist.
+1 or actually +2
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Archaic Torso of Apollo

#2782
July 04, 2017, 09:30:36 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on July 29, 2012, 11:40:05 PM
For me the Violin Sonata with the SQ No 2 is VW's finest chamber works. It's one of those late craggy works which greatly appeal to me

Repeated praise for this work caused me to pick up this disc:



The Violin Sonata is indeed late and craggy, but more importantly, a couple of listens have convinced me it really is a first-rate piece of chamber music. I don't normally associate VW with chamber music, but this strikes me as being on the same quality level as those late Shostakovich sonatas (violin and viola).

The rest of the disc is good, but the late craggy Violin Sonata is the highlight.
formerly VELIMIR (before that, Spitvalve)

"Who knows not strict counterpoint, lives and dies an ignoramus" - CPE Bach

vandermolen

#2783
July 04, 2017, 12:17:57 PM
Quote from: Archaic Torso of Apollo on July 04, 2017, 09:30:36 AM
Repeated praise for this work caused me to pick up this disc:



The Violin Sonata is indeed late and craggy, but more importantly, a couple of listens have convinced me it really is a first-rate piece of chamber music. I don't normally associate VW with chamber music, but this strikes me as being on the same quality level as those late Shostakovich sonatas (violin and viola).

The rest of the disc is good, but the late craggy Violin Sonata is the highlight.
Delighted that you enjoyed and it does indeed rate highly in the 'late craggy' chamber music genre ( 8)).
I don't think that the Shostakovich comparison is misplaced either and agree with you. We don't hear much about Vaughan Williams's chamber works as he didn't write that much, preferring orchestral and vocal/choral works instead. There is not that much piano music either although I like 'The Lake in the Mountains' piano adaptation of one of VW's film scores, which also features on your new CD. I recall a good late photo of VW in the booklet too - looking especially craggy in his tweed jacket if I remember correctly. The SQ No.2 'For Jean on her Birthday' is VG as well.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#2784
July 07, 2017, 09:55:23 PM Last Edit: July 07, 2017, 10:09:42 PM by vandermolen
Interesting looking new collection. Always interesting to hear a non-British orchestra playing VW.
[asin]B072MPK7MM[/asin]
As a resident of Sussex I obviously have to have this CD.  8)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Christo

#2785
July 08, 2017, 12:30:24 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on July 07, 2017, 09:55:23 PMAlways interesting to hear a non-British orchestra playing VW.
Really? "Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz" sounds very English to my ears.  :D
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

vandermolen

#2786
July 08, 2017, 06:02:52 AM
Quote from: Christo on July 08, 2017, 12:30:24 AM
Really? "Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz" sounds very English to my ears.  :D
You're absolutely right - they're based in Basingstoke.  8)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#2787
August 05, 2017, 02:17:35 PM
New release:
[asin]B073LP591V[/asin]
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Christo

#2788
August 05, 2017, 10:40:15 PM
Quote from: vandermolen on August 05, 2017, 02:17:35 PM
New release:
[asin]B073LP591V[/asin]
In April, Sir Mark Elder did the Fourth in Rotterdam, but not without first adressing the audience. He's the foremost RVW conductor of our times. He's the first to reverse the order: the Fourth after the Sixth. As I prefer the Sixth, it might help.  :)
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

vandermolen

#2789
August 06, 2017, 01:26:43 AM
Quote from: Christo on August 05, 2017, 10:40:15 PM
In April, Sir Mark Elder did the Fourth in Rotterdam, but not without first adressing the audience. He's the foremost RVW conductor of our times. He's the first to reverse the order: the Fourth after the Sixth. As I prefer the Sixth, it might help.  :)
Me too. They tend to link 4 and 6 as the stormiest but I wish they would work chronologically like 5 and 6 together (Slatkin and Marriner).
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Sergeant Rock

#2790
August 06, 2017, 04:20:30 PM
Quote from: vandermolen on July 07, 2017, 09:55:23 PM
Interesting looking new collection. Always interesting to hear a non-British orchestra playing VW.
[asin]B072MPK7MM[/asin]
As a resident of Sussex I obviously have to have this CD.  8)

And as a resident of Rheinland-Pfalz (the Staatsphilharmonie is my local band) I obviously have to have this CD too.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

cilgwyn

#2791
August 06, 2017, 04:26:41 PM
What can you do,Sarge?! ::) ;D It does sound intriguing,though! A good orchestra too;from what I've heard of them.

Sergeant Rock

#2792
August 06, 2017, 04:52:33 PM
Quote from: cilgwyn on August 06, 2017, 04:26:41 PM
What can you do,Sarge?! ::) ;D It does sound intriguing,though! A good orchestra too;from what I've heard of them.

Yes, the program is appealing and the orchestra a good one. Pre-ordered it.

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Karl Henning

#2793
August 07, 2017, 03:31:58 AM
The Poisoned Kiss: an opera? Or instrumental music from?
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Christo

#2794
August 07, 2017, 04:02:49 AM
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on August 07, 2017, 03:31:58 AM
The Poisoned Kiss: an opera? Or instrumental music from?
Just the - rather brisk and crisp - Overture from the opera.
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

Karl Henning

#2795
August 07, 2017, 04:30:53 AM
Quote from: Christo on August 07, 2017, 04:02:49 AM
Just the - rather brisk and crisp - Overture from the opera.

Thanks. Based on Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter," or do I misremember?
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

cilgwyn

#2796
August 13, 2017, 04:56:05 AM
The Poisoned Kiss is my favourite Vaughan Williams opera. Although,he was trying to emulate Gilbert and Sullivan;it doesn't come across as an operetta. I should know? My shelves are groaning (literally?!!) with them.

I've been listening to recordings of the Sinfonia Antartica. I generally like Boult's recordings of VW;but I have to say that his stereo recording of it seemed a bit of a snooze-fest next to Previn and Haitink. I actually used to like it before I heard them! I also much prefer Boult's earlier mono recording. I actually like the ones with the talking bits. (That said,I hope they don't do one with Simon Callow!! ::) ).

vandermolen

#2797
August 13, 2017, 05:50:02 AM
Quote from: vandermolen on July 07, 2017, 09:55:23 PM
Interesting looking new collection. Always interesting to hear a non-British orchestra playing VW.
[asin]B072MPK7MM[/asin]
As a resident of Sussex I obviously have to have this CD.  8)
Don't hesitate with this - it's a very fine CD. I enjoyed it enormously. All credit to the Deutsche Staatsphilhamonie Rheinland-Pflalz and their conductor Karl-Heinz Steffens as well as Martin Rummel the cellist in the Fantasia on Sussex Folk Tunes (1924/25). The performance of 'In the Fen Country' - perhaps the first work of VW's musical maturity was, I thought, deeply moving and beautifully recorded - the highlight of the CD although I enjoyed every work from the folksy 'Poisoned Kiss Overture' to 'The England of Elizabeth' with its echoes of the contemporaneous Ninth Symphony. I listened to the CD for the first time having dropped my daughter off at Gatwick Airport for her return flight to The Ukraine so maybe my sad mood influenced my response to 'In the Fen Country' but I'm just playing through the whole disc again and find the performance to be wonderfully impassioned. Interesting to get a mid-European view of this music, including the thoughtful booklet notes. The icing on the cake is two fine photos of VW from opposite ends of his careeer - in military uniform and a characteristic warm-hearted photo of him from much later. 
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

#2798
August 13, 2017, 06:00:10 AM
Quote from: cilgwyn on August 13, 2017, 04:56:05 AM
The Poisoned Kiss is my favourite Vaughan Williams opera. Although,he was trying to emulate Gilbert and Sullivan;it doesn't come across as an operetta. I should know? My shelves are groaning (literally?!!) with them.

I've been listening to recordings of the Sinfonia Antartica. I generally like Boult's recordings of VW;but I have to say that his stereo recording of it seemed a bit of a snooze-fest next to Previn and Haitink. I actually used to like it before I heard them! I also much prefer Boult's earlier mono recording. I actually like the ones with the talking bits. (That said,I hope they don't do one with Simon Callow!! ::) ).
The early Boult/Decca Sinfonia Antartica is IMHO the best performance on record although there are many more recent recordings. VW would presumably have been in the studio for the recording. There is something about Boult's objective way with VW which really suits the symphony.
I'm also happy to have the spoken excerpts included and agree that a recording with Simon Callow (recorded live from the Hospital for Overacting) would not be recommended. The late Robert Hardy was another inmate there.
8)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

cilgwyn

#2799
August 17, 2017, 08:20:07 AM
I seem to be turning into a big fan of the Fourth Symphony,of late! I love this combination. No's 3 and 4,on the same cd. Only a few months ago I would have wanted the Fourth on a separate cd. Probably coupled with the Ninth. Now,I'm exhilarated by the prospect of those grinding chords crashing in after No 3!
Another combination I'm beginning to really enjoy is  No 6 & 9. I've got the Handley cd's at present,and they sound pretty good to me. I like his Vaughan Williams. They often seemed to be the first ones (or first,digital ones) I heard,back in the days when they actually stocked classical cd's,and musicassettes,in shops like WH Smiths and,the once ubiquitous,Woolworths!
I notice,the Previn and Haitink cd's couple 3 & 4,and Previn 6 & 9. Any thoughts?!!
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