Vaughan Williams's Veranda

[Papy Oli]

For those who can access BBC I-player, a documentary that would be of interest about RvW and Holst :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bshhss/holst-and-vaughan-williams-making-music-english

[vandermolen]

For those who can access BBC I-player, a documentary that would be of interest about RvW and Holst :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bshhss/holst-and-vaughan-williams-making-music-english

I watched it last night. It was really good tracing their friendship. It was a good example, I thought, of 'less is more' because in limiting its focus it went rather deeper than some of the earlier TV documentaries on both Holst and Vaughan Williams, which were not, in my view, entirely satisfactory ('O Transcendent's' totally inappropriate juxtaposition in of Vaughan Williams's 9th Symphonywith images of child victims of famine for example). The Holst/Vaughan Williams documentary just shown only focused on a comparatively small number of works such as 'A Pastoral Symphony', 'The Planets', 'Tallis Fantasia' and 'Egdon Heath' plus some other works, but I felt that it went deeper and there was some great shots of locations associated with their friendship, such as the Malvern Hills, where they went walking together, St Paul's Girl's School, where Holst composed most of the Planets, Leith Hill Place where VW grew up and the French location where VW was inspired during his work as an ambulance driver in the First World War on the Western Front. The programme convincingly, I felt, suggested that his  war time experiences on the Somme was transmuted into A Pastoral Symphony as his 'War Requiem'. It makes me want to listen to the work again. Do watch it if you are able to.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Thanks, Jens. I have heard the Daniel performance of the A Sea Symphony is disappointing. If you've heard this performance, what do you make of it? Bakels is a very good conductor. I own a set of his Rimsky-Korsakov on BIS that is quite impressive. Decisions, decisions....

It's been a couple years, but I remembered, when I recently listened to the Daniel Sea Symphony, that there was something in this thread. Yes, that's not good. But that must be the only dud in that cycle.

Speaking of RVW-Symphony cycles, how many are there?

I can find these:

Boult x 2
Previn
Slatkin
Haitink
Handley
Davis
Thomson
Davis
Manze (ongoing)
Brabbins (ongoing)
Elder (finished by now?)
Hickox (incomplete, lacking 7 & 9)
Rozhdestvensky
Bakels/Daniel

We could also continue playing this game:

Votes collected:

Sy/Interpreter Boult I Boult II Haitink Handley Hickox Previn Slatkin A.Davis Thomson Other No.1 A Sea Symphony I 0 III 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 No.2 London............ 0 I 0 0 III '13 I '36 0 0 1 Goosens '20, Barbi, HandleyLPO No.3 Pastoral........... I 0 I I 0 III 0 0 0 0 No.4........................ I 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 Berglund x2, Bernie No.5........................ 0 0 0 0 0 I 0 0 0 Barbi x2, Menuhin, Previn-Tel No.6........................ II 0 I 0 0 0 0 1/2 0 Berglund x1.5 No.7 Antarctica........ I 0 II 0 0 1/2 0 0 0 0 No.8........................ 0 0 1/2 I 1/2 0 I 0 0 0 Barbi No.9........................ 0 0 I I 0 0 0 0 I 1/2 Stokes, Bakels

[Irons]

I watched it last night. It was really good tracing their friendship. It was a good example, I thought, of 'less is more' because in limiting its focus it went rather deeper than some of the earlier TV documentaries on both Holst and Vaughan Williams, which were not, in my view, entirely satisfactory ('O Transcendent's' totally inappropriate juxtaposition in of Vaughan Williams's 9th Symphonywith images of child victims of famine for example). The Holst/Vaughan Williams documentary just shown only focused on a comparatively small number of works such as 'A Pastoral Symphony', 'The Planets', 'Tallis Fantasia' and 'Egdon Heath' plus some other works, but I felt that it went deeper and there was some great shots of locations associated with their friendship, such as the Malvern Hills, where they went walking together, St Paul's Girl's School, where Holst composed most of the Planets, Leith Hill Place where VW grew up and the French location where VW was inspired during his work as an ambulance driver in the First World War on the Western Front. The programme convincingly, I felt, suggested that his  war time experiences on the Somme was transmuted into A Pastoral Symphony as his 'War Requiem'. It makes me want to listen to the work again. Do watch it if you are able to.

I have just watched it and enjoyed the programme immensely. Some great shots of the English countryside and like you I will be listening at the earliest opportunity "Egdon Heath" and RVW 3rd Symphony. I knew they were pals but didn't realise they were so close. The end of the film is quite sad. "Mars" features at length and the subject of that movement and the connection with war was mentioned as it nearly always is. Imogen Holst has some interesting things to say about that -
https://youtu.be/F7i4GTmgjcE

Edit: The BBC film also made the point that "Mars" was written before the start of WW1.

[vandermolen]

I have just watched it and enjoyed the programme immensely. Some great shots of the English countryside and like you I will be listening at the earliest opportunity "Egdon Heath" and RVW 3rd Symphony. I knew they were pals but didn't realise they were so close. The end of the film is quite sad. "Mars" features at length and the subject of that movement and the connection with war was mentioned as it nearly always is. Imogen Holst has some interesting things to say about that -
https://youtu.be/F7i4GTmgjcE

Edit: The BBC film also made the point that "Mars" was written before the start of WW1.

Glad you enjoyed it and I agree that the end was sad. I think that VW felt lost without his greatest musical friend. I'm also interested in the idea (not expressed in the film) that the 6th Symphony is a final tribute to Holst. The opening movement, in a way, echoes 'Mars' and the epilogue drifts away into nothingness as does the end of 'Neptune'.

[Christo]

Glad you enjoyed it and I agree that the end was sad. I think that VW felt lost without his greatest musical friend. I'm also interested in the idea (not expressed in the film) that the 6th Symphony is a final tribute to Holst. The opening movement, in a way, echoes 'Mars' and the epilogue drifts away into nothingness as does the end of 'Neptune'.

Absolutely. The Sixth is his homage to Holst, there can be no doubt about it.

[Irons]

Absolutely. The Sixth is his homage to Holst, there can be no doubt about it.

I was intrigued by this and did some digging. The 6th is dedicated to Michael Mullinar (not heard of him) but apparently this is little known. http://vaughanwilliams.uk/letter/vwl3683

[Roasted Swan]

I was intrigued by this and did some digging. The 6th is dedicated to Michael Mullinar (not heard of him) but apparently this is little known. http://vaughanwilliams.uk/letter/vwl3683

The published score is clearly dedicated to Michael Mullinar - both the 1st version and the (quickly published) revision.  So in that sense it is well known - who Mullinar was is perhaps less well known.  He was a composer who also arr. Greensleeves for Violin & Piano and the Oboe Conc. piano reduction for RVW.  Mullinar also made an arrangement for solo piano of this Symphony and gave the first play-through of the work at RVW's home.  Alan Rowlands edited this solo piano version when it was recorded by Albion for 2 pianos.  Mullinar was also the copyist of the 5th & 6th Symphonies.  Thomas Pitfield actually described Mullinar as RVW's amanuensis at this time.

[Irons]

The published score is clearly dedicated to Michael Mullinar - both the 1st version and the (quickly published) revision.  So in that sense it is well known - who Mullinar was is perhaps less well known.  He was a composer who also arr. Greensleeves for Violin & Piano and the Oboe Conc. piano reduction for RVW.  Mullinar also made an arrangement for solo piano of this Symphony and gave the first play-through of the work at RVW's home.  Alan Rowlands edited this solo piano version when it was recorded by Albion for 2 pianos.  Mullinar was also the copyist of the 5th & 6th Symphonies.  Thomas Pitfield actually described Mullinar as RVW's amanuensis at this time.

Thanks for information. Alan Rowlands, I do know through his Lyrita set of Ireland's piano pieces.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Almost done!  (for now)


Latest #Discography / #SymphonySurvey on @ionarts:
A Survey of Vaughan-Williams Symphony Cycles

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2018/12/a-survey-of-vaughan-williams-symphony.html

[Christo]

Almost done!  (for now)


Latest #Discography / #SymphonySurvey on @ionarts:
A Survey of Vaughan-Williams Symphony Cycles

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2018/12/a-survey-of-vaughan-williams-symphony.html

Great service, very helpful - and indeed underscoring my admiration for the Thompson and also Handley. 

[vandermolen]

Great service, very helpful - and indeed underscoring my admiration for the Thompson and also Handley. 

+1 although I'm less keen on the Handley cycle, other than No.9, and prefer his earlier recording with the LPO of 'A London Symphony'.

[André]

Thanks for that labour of love (? ), Jens !

My introduction to the symphonies in LP times was through the recordings of 2 and 5 from Previn, 3 and 4 from Boult II and Haitink's 1 and 7. Then the cd era ushered in and I lost track of the events (purchases). Apart from a few singles, I have the cycles from Boult (I and II), Handley, Davis, Slatkin. I can't figure which one I like best. Slatkin maybe ?

Buying yet another cycle would be foolish, I think. And yet, if the Thomson would be repackaged with the original couplings in a space-saving box, I would give it serious consideration.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Great service, very helpful - and indeed underscoring my admiration for the Thompson and also Handley. 

Thanks much -- given your avatar, it means doubly much to me. (I may have, since your comment, updated it with the Mark Eldar cycle, since that's only two symphonies from being completed.)

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Thanks for that labour of love (? ), Jens !

My introduction to the symphonies in LP times was through the recordings of 2 and 5 from Previn, 3 and 4 from Boult II and Haitink's 1 and 7. Then the cd era ushered in and I lost track of the events (purchases). Apart from a few singles, I have the cycles from Boult (I and II), Handley, Davis, Slatkin. I can't figure which one I like best. Slatkin maybe ?

Buying yet another cycle would be foolish, I think. And yet, if the Thomson would be repackaged with the original couplings in a space-saving box, I would give it serious consideration.

Thanks for the kind words. Well, 'labor of good intent', if you will... I've not yet fallen in love with RVW, but I'm trying every time. I must say that I'm probably closer to the Arnold Symphonies. Still, he's a great composer and deserves it plenty. I have Boult I, II (long-time-no-listen; my first cycle), Bakels/Daniels, Haitink, Handley, Previn, and Thomson (with Slatkin on the way) and a bunch of individuals and you can clearly see that I am trying to patch with quantity what I haven't been able to fix with insight.

[kyjo]

In his commemoration, I'll listen to the Five Mystical Songs.

UPDATE: I'm ashamed to say that is the first time I listen to this work and turned out a truly inspired piece, one with a gentle expressiveness. Lovely piece. I can confirm VW was born to compose choral/vocal music of the most sublime nature.

This work was a fantastic recent discovery of mine as well - not sure why I never listened to it before! In particular, the first song, Easter, has a radiant ecstasy that is quite captivating. I'm constantly making great discoveries in the field of English vocal music - what a gold mine!

[SurprisedByBeauty]

This work was a fantastic recent discovery of mine as well - not sure why I never listened to it before! In particular, the first song, Easter, has a radiant ecstasy that is quite captivating. I'm constantly making great discoveries in the field of English vocal music - what a gold mine!

I'm jumping on that bandwaggon. Meanwhile my copy of the Andrew Davis Sixth has arrived (couldn't get myself to get the whole cycle) and my cycle of Slatkin's RVW, finally. So I'll immerse now!

[vandermolen]

This work was a fantastic recent discovery of mine as well - not sure why I never listened to it before! In particular, the first song, Easter, has a radiant ecstasy that is quite captivating. I'm constantly making great discoveries in the field of English vocal music - what a gold mine!

Yes, a wonderful work Kyle and one of my earliest VW discoveries thanks to my mother having a King's College sampler which featured 'Antiphon'. The Willcocks version is the best I think.

[vandermolen]

I'm jumping on that bandwaggon. Meanwhile my copy of the Andrew Davis Sixth has arrived (couldn't get myself to get the whole cycle) and my cycle of Slatkin's RVW, finally. So I'll immerse now!

If you only have one of the Andrew Davis original cycle that is the one to have. As for Skatkin I have enjoyed his VW recordings more than many others, especially nos 8 and 9.

[Roasted Swan]

Yes, a wonderful work Kyle and one of my earliest VW discoveries thanks to my mother having a King's College sampler which featured 'Antiphon'. The Willcocks version is the best I think.

Vandermolen - because of the extensive EMI catalogue of British music for me John Shirley-Quirk's voice is very much the SOUND I associate with 20th Century English Choral music.  As the 'go-to' bass/baritone he appears on so many of the great recordings.  So whether its the Previn/LSO Belshazzar or this Mystical Songs or the Meredith Davis/Village Romeo, I hear Shirley-Quirk in my inner ear.