Topic: Vaughan Williams's Veranda

[Christo]

To me, this is the quintessential RVW symphony cycle that best embodies his spirit musically.  What say you?

Symphony No. 1   LPO/Haitink
Symphony No. 2   LSO/Hickox (1913 version)
Symphony No. 3   LSO/Previn
Symphony No. 4   LPO/Boult
Symphony No. 5   LSO/Previn
Symphony No. 6   RLPO/Handley
Symphony No. 7   First and Last movement from LSO/Previn, Landscapes from LPO/Boult, rest of movements from BSO/Bakels
Symphony No. 8   LSO/Previn
Symphony No. 9   LSO/Previn
 
To me, RVW is more than the music or the notes, there is an individual soul his music transcends.

To me too, and great choices - hope to find time to listen to all of them again. I grew up with the second Boult cycle and Boult remains quintessential, but the two cycles that left the biggest impression are Previn's and Thomson's. For now, my first choices would be like:
Symphony No. 1   LPO/Haitink (not sure, never really came to terms with A Sea Symphony)
Symphony No. 2   LSO/Brabbins (1920 version)
Symphony No. 3   LSO/Previn
Symphony No. 4   NYPh/Bernstein
Symphony No. 5   RPhO/Previn
Symphony No. 6   LSO/Thomson
Symphony No. 7   BSO/Bakels (perhaps Haitink)
Symphony No. 8   LSO/Thomson
Symphony No. 9   LSO/Thomson

[Sergeant Rock]

1 - Boult (EMI)

2 -  Barbirolli (Dutton)
      Hickox (1913)
     
3 - Haitink
     
4 - Bernstein
     
5 - Menuhin
     
6 - Boult (Decca)

7 - Haitink

8 - Boult (EMI)
     
9 - Thomson
     

[Mirror Image]

To me too, and great choices - hope to find time to listen to all of them again. I grew up with the second Boult cycle and Boult remains quintessential, but the two cycles that left the biggest impression are Previn's and Thomson's.

You and I are quite simpatico in this regard. These two cycles are my favorites and both have unique perspectives on all of the symphonies. Like you, I cut my teeth with this music with Boult’s cycle, but the EMI one.

[aukhawk]

Which Boult do you mean?

The EMI, I kinda grew up with those and saw Boult conduct the London symphony at a Prom in the early '70s - rather memorable because (with the symphony coming straight after the interval) the first few minutes were somewhat marred by glass-stacking noises off from the direction of the bar.  (Haitink would have pulled the plug and stormed off.)  All adds to the sense of occasion I suppose. 
I'd like to nominate 'Boult for all' but it has to be said the competition in this repertoire always has been extremely strong and the likes of Davis, Kalmar and Brabbins with excellent modern recordings just seem to keep raising the bar.

I'm not familiar with the Decca Boult recordings although as a schoolboy my best friend's father had the Decca set in a display cabinet in his hallway, an awe-inspiring spectacle for any young visitor back in 1963 !!

[vandermolen]

The EMI, I kinda grew up with those and saw Boult conduct the London symphony at a Prom in the early '70s - rather memorable because (with the symphony coming straight after the interval) the first few minutes were somewhat marred by glass-stacking noises off from the direction of the bar.  (Haitink would have pulled the plug and stormed off.)  All adds to the sense of occasion I suppose. 
I'd like to nominate 'Boult for all' but it has to be said the competition in this repertoire always has been extremely strong and the likes of Davis, Kalmar and Brabbins with excellent modern recordings just seem to keep raising the bar.

I'm not familiar with the Decca Boult recordings although as a schoolboy my best friend's father had the Decca set in a display cabinet in his hallway, an awe-inspiring spectacle for any young visitor back in 1963 !!

Interesting. Thanks. Reminds me of when a performance of Shostakovich's 8th Symphony in Liverpool (conducted by Ashkenazy) which I attended whilst at university in the north of England, was interrupted by a cat miaowing throughout the performance and the Leader of the orchestra shredding his bow so that it turned into a large ball of cotton wool during his crucial solo at the end of the work. He held it up to great cheers at the end of the performance. Come to think of it, although my first VW LP was of Boult's LPO Decca Eclipse version (still the greatest IMO) of Symphony 6 I also grew up with the EMI cycle as I bought the boxed set on LP with the great portrait sculpture of VW on the cover:
I remember that my university friends had symphonies 3 and 5 together on Decca Eclipse and Boult's Sinfonia Antartica on EMI. My brother asked our mother to get him Symphony 4 for Christmas one year but she accidentally got Barbirolli's fine EMI LP of Symphony 5 but he was very happy with that.

[vandermolen]

Two fine VW CDs arrived here this weekend. The overlap being the lovely 'Romance' (in chamber and orchestral versions) and the very enjoyable 'Fantasia on Sussex Folk Tunes' - a must-have for a resident of Sussex:
I enjoyed the Richard II Incidental Music (1944) very much.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Symphony No. 7   First and Last movement from LSO/Previn, Landscapes from LPO/Boult, rest of movements from BSO/Bakels

Symphony No. 7   BSO/Bakels (perhaps Haitink)

Good to see some love for BSO/Bakels, it's one of the great VW bargains. I use that disc (specifically, the long organ buildup and climax in the slow mvt.) to show off stereo equipment. It's a great-sounding CD, and the accompanying 8th Sym. is very good too.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Kalmar

is conducting the London Symphony at Grant Park this summer. If I make it, this will be the 4th VW symphony I've heard under his baton!

[Mirror Image]

Two fine VW CDs arrived here this weekend. The overlap being the lovely 'Romance' (in chamber and orchestral versions) and the very enjoyable 'Fantasia on Sussex Folk Tunes' - a must-have for a resident of Sussex:
I enjoyed the Richard II Incidental Music (1944) very much.

Romance for Viola and Piano is absolutely gorgeous, Jeffrey. I must revisit this work tonight.

[vandermolen]

Romance for Viola and Piano is absolutely gorgeous, Jeffrey. I must revisit this work tonight.

[Mirror Image]

Symphony No. 2   LSO/Brabbins (1920 version)

Certainly you mean Brabbins and the BBC Scottish SO?

I suppose I should play along, too -

No. 1 - Thomson/LSO, Brabbins/BBC Scottish SO
No. 2 - Brabbins/BBC Scottish SO (1920 version)
No. 3 - Previn/LSO, Elder/Hallé
No. 4 - Bernstein/NYPO
No. 5 - Previn/LSO
No. 6 - Thomson/LSO, Previn/LSO
No. 7 - Previn/LSO, Boult/LPO
No. 8 - Thomson/LSO
No. 9 - Previn/LSO

[vandermolen]

Certainly you mean Brabbins and the BBC Scottish SO?

I suppose I should play along, too -

No. 1 - Thomson/LSO, Brabbins/BBC Scottish SO
No. 2 - Brabbins/BBC Scottish SO (1920 version)
No. 3 - Previn/LSO, Elder/Hallé
No. 4 - Bernstein/NYPO
No. 5 - Previn/LSO
No. 6 - Thomson/LSO, Previn/LSO
No. 7 - Previn/LSO, Boult/LPO
No. 8 - Thomson/LSO
No. 9 - Previn/LSO

Great choices John. I'm less familiar with the Thomson No.8 so must give that one another listen to. The Mitropolous No.4 is another favourite but a historical recording of course.

[relm1]

Certainly you mean Brabbins and the BBC Scottish SO?

I suppose I should play along, too -

No. 1 - Thomson/LSO, Brabbins/BBC Scottish SO
No. 2 - Brabbins/BBC Scottish SO (1920 version)
No. 3 - Previn/LSO, Elder/Hallé
No. 4 - Bernstein/NYPO
No. 5 - Previn/LSO
No. 6 - Thomson/LSO, Previn/LSO
No. 7 - Previn/LSO, Boult/LPO
No. 8 - Thomson/LSO
No. 9 - Previn/LSO

Finally, I agree with one of your posts.  Except I haven't heard the Bernstein No. 4 and am intrigued.  Will check it out.  Is that the only RVW he did?

[Sergeant Rock]

Finally, I agree with one of your posts.  Except I haven't heard the Bernstein No. 4 and am intrigued.  Will check it out.  Is that the only RVW he did?

No other symphonies but he did record the Tallis and Greensleeves fantasias and the Serenade to Music.

Sarge

[Mirror Image]

Great choices John. I'm less familiar with the Thomson No.8 so must give that one another listen to. The Mitropolous No.4 is another favourite but a historical recording of course.

Thanks, Jeffrey, although I probably could have added Boult’s 6th with the LPO (EMI) to my list as well. You should definitely get to know Thomson’s performance of the 8th. I didn’t quite ‘get’ this symphony until I heard his performance.

[vandermolen]

Thanks, Jeffrey, although I probably could have added Boult’s 6th with the LPO (EMI) to my list as well. You should definitely get to know Thomson’s performance of the 8th. I didn’t quite ‘get’ this symphony until I heard his performance.

Will do. Thanks John.

[Mirror Image]

Will do. Thanks John.

You’re welcome. I’ll also add that Thomson made the 8th's slow movement (Cavatina --- written for strings only) come alive under his baton. This isn’t to say, of course, that the rest of the symphony isn’t as well performed, but I always felt this movement was the heart of the 8th.

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

Interesting review of the Thomson cycle on the Musicweb site today:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2019/Apr/VW_sys_CHAN9087.htm

Thanks, Jeffrey!

[vandermolen]

Thanks, Jeffrey!

My pleasure Karl
 

[Mirror Image]

I can’t think of another composer who wrote as gorgeous music for strings as RVW: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Partita for Double String Orchestra, Five Variants on ‘Dives and Lazarus’, Concerto Grosso, among others.