Vaughan Williams's Veranda

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This is the perfect night to listen to 'Hodie' John - especially in the Willcocks recording. Hope you enjoy it!
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Thanks, Jeffrey!

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I hate to bring a negative report but I did not enjoy Hodie at all. For me, the musical ideas didn't add up to a satisfying whole. No fault of the performers, of course, who were all excellent (Janet Baker, Willcocks, etc.). It just wasn't 'my thing'.

[SymphonicAddict]

I hate to bring a negative report but I did not enjoy Hodie at all. For me, the musical ideas didn't add up to a satisfying whole. No fault of the performers, of course, who were all excellent (Janet Baker, Willcocks, etc.). It just wasn't 'my thing'.

The same happens on me. Just yesterday I played Hodie, and I wasn't particularly impressed. Despite there are some interesting moments, I think the work lacks something for being completely succesful.

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The same happens on me. Just yesterday I played Hodie, and I wasn't particularly impressed. Despite there are some interesting moments, I think the work lacks something for being completely succesful.

I think it lacks that certain magic you hear in works like Flos Campi or Symphony No. 6. You can tell who the composer is right out of the gate, but this doesn't always mean the music is going to be to your liking. This is pretty much my experience with Hodie.

[SymphonicAddict]

I think it lacks that certain magic you hear in works like Flos Campi or Symphony No. 6. You can tell who the composer is right out of the gate, but this doesn't always mean the music is going to be to your liking. This is pretty much my experience with Hodie.

I prefer Dona nobis pacem or Sancta Civitas the most to Hodie. Of course, there are much more good works than regular ones in the Vaughan Williams's oeuvre.

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I prefer Dona nobis pacem or Sancta Civitas the most to Hodie. Of course, there are much more good works than regular ones in the Vaughan Williams's oeuvre.

Absolutely. Same with me, too. Love both of those works you mentioned. I'll throw in Five Mystical Songs for good measure.

[kyjo]

I just made a GREAT discovery tonight - VW's early (1903) Piano Quintet in C minor, which is written for the same instrumentation as Schubert's Trout Quintet. I was expecting sort of a Brahms knock-off, but this work is one of considerable inspiration and originality and is quite predictive of the composer's mature style. The whole piece is filled with beauty and passion, especially the touching, hymn-like slow movement. It's been recorded by Hyperion and Naxos (I listened to the Naxos recording, which is excellent). Highly recommended!!

https://youtu.be/3na3sPQXmHA

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[Baron Scarpia]

I've been listening to a few Vaughan Williams pieces that were previously unknown to me, the Concerto for String Orchestra, The Concerto for Oboe and the Piano Concerto (and the Lark Ascending, which is not unfamiliar). All satisfying, especially the Concerto for String Orchestra and the Piano Concerto, which has a unique structure. The third movement is particularly attractive to me.

[vandermolen]

'Hodie' saw the beginning of the reaction against Vaughan Williams. Yes, it is not as strong a work as Sancta Civitas or Dona Nobis Pacem. Having said that I still like it and find the setting of Milton at the end to be wonderfully inspiriting. I like the 'Three Kings' episode to words by Ursula and the setting of Hardy's 'Oxen' but it certainly is not the work to win converts to VW. By 'Concerto for String Orchestra' I think you mean 'Concerto Grosso' which is indeed a fine work.

[vandermolen]

I just made a GREAT discovery tonight - VW's early (1903) Piano Quintet in C minor, which is written for the same instrumentation as Schubert's Trout Quintet. I was expecting sort of a Brahms knock-off, but this work is one of considerable inspiration and originality and is quite predictive of the composer's mature style. The whole piece is filled with beauty and passion, especially the touching, hymn-like slow movement. It's been recorded by Hyperion and Naxos (I listened to the Naxos recording, which is excellent). Highly recommended!!

https://youtu.be/3na3sPQXmHA

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That is a very good CD. A great discovery for me as well Kyle.

[Biffo]

I hate to bring a negative report but I did not enjoy Hodie at all. For me, the musical ideas didn't add up to a satisfying whole. No fault of the performers, of course, who were all excellent (Janet Baker, Willcocks, etc.). It just wasn't 'my thing'.

Sadly, I have to agree. I only have the work on LP (Willcocks) and while I must have listened to it once it seemed like the first time when I listened to it yesterday. Some of the solo numbers are very beautiful but the Narration outstayed its welcome; the choruses sounded like RVW on auto-pilot. The 8th and 9th Symphonies were still to come so I don't think RVW was exhausted; perhaps it is just me.

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Sadly, I have to agree. I only have the work on LP (Willcocks) and while I must have listened to it once it seemed like the first time when I listened to it yesterday. Some of the solo numbers are very beautiful but the Narration outstayed its welcome; the choruses sounded like RVW on auto-pilot. The 8th and 9th Symphonies were still to come so I don't think RVW was exhausted; perhaps it is just me.

"RWV on auto-pilot". This is very much how I felt about the whole work. Every great composer has works that don't appeal to us and this was one of them for me.

[Baron Scarpia]

By 'Concerto for String Orchestra' I think you mean 'Concerto Grosso' which is indeed a fine work.

Right, Concerto Grossso for String Orchestra, as it is called in my recording (Thomson/Chandos). The writing for strings brings to mind the Tallis Fantasia, which  has been a favorite of mine since hearing the Barbirolli recording. The writing for oboe in the oboe concerto did not really captivate me but I enjoyed the underlying music for string orchestra. The Piano concerto is a work that I think I want to hear in another recording, not because Thomson/Shelley is anything but fine, but because it is a work that has captured my interest.

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Speaking of the Concerto Grosso for String Orchestra, I also like the Partita for Double String Orchestra. RVW certainly knew how to write beautifully for stringed instruments.

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I just made a GREAT discovery tonight - VW's early (1903) Piano Quintet in C minor, which is written for the same instrumentation as Schubert's Trout Quintet. I was expecting sort of a Brahms knock-off, but this work is one of considerable inspiration and originality and is quite predictive of the composer's mature style. The whole piece is filled with beauty and passion, especially the touching, hymn-like slow movement. It's been recorded by Hyperion and Naxos (I listened to the Naxos recording, which is excellent). Highly recommended!!

https://youtu.be/3na3sPQXmHA

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I'm not sure why you were expected a Brahms 'knock-off'? That's a strange thing to expect from RVW. Anyway, the Piano Quintet is a pretty good work. I don't own that recording you posted, but I do have it in this set, which is quite good:

[kyjo]

I'm not sure why you were expected a Brahms 'knock-off'? That's a strange thing to expect from RVW. Anyway, the Piano Quintet is a pretty good work. I don't own that recording you posted, but I do have it in this set, which is quite good:

Well, a review I had read of the Piano Quintet compared it to Brahms, but his influence seemed less prevalent to me than to that reviewer.

[kyjo]

That is a very good CD. A great discovery for me as well Kyle.

I'm thoroughly looking forward to listening to the rest of it!

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Well, a review I had read of the Piano Quintet compared it to Brahms, but his influence seemed less prevalent to me than to that reviewer.

The reviewer must have been hitting some heavy drugs then, because it's not influenced by Brahms.

[kyjo]

The reviewer must have been hitting some heavy drugs then, because it's not influenced by Brahms.

[SymphonicAddict]

'Hodie' saw the beginning of the reaction against Vaughan Williams. Yes, it is not as strong a work as Sancta Civitas or Dona Nobis Pacem. Having said that I still like it and find the setting of Milton at the end to be wonderfully inspiriting. I like the 'Three Kings' episode to words by Ursula and the setting of Hardy's 'Oxen' but it certainly is not the work to win converts to VW. By 'Concerto for String Orchestra' I think you mean 'Concerto Grosso' which is indeed a fine work.

I agree with you about the Three Kings episode and the inspiriting ending of Hodie. The highlights of this work IMHO. And yes, the Concerto grosso ranks very high for me too. As MI said, Vaughan Williams had an incredible talent to compose music for strings.