Vaughan Williams's Veranda

[Irons]

Found on Twitter.

Great photo. RVW wrote his Tuba Concerto for a Philip Catelinet apparently. He is likely to be the chap in the photo.

[aukhawk]

That is a great photo.

[Leppard]

Can the narrated parts be skipped in this recording? If yes, I may consider it.

Pretty much**.  That is they are clear of music so can be edited out.  I've done that.  They aren't tracked though.  There is one narration over a sustained orchestral pedal point - which does actually occur in one or two other recordings - but cutting that is not really damaging musically, it just makes for a slightly duff music edit that is gone in an instant.
Other than that it's a fine version - but then, of the several recordings of the Antartica that I have, I really like them all.  The other point of interest for me when comparing is whether the organ is 'live' or (as I suspect is nearly always the case) overdubbed.

** edit to add to the above - I've just checked it and it's perhaps a little more problematic than I remembered.  In the all-important middle movement there are two narrator interventions within the movement (ie, not simply before the start) - and it is the 2nd of these which overlays the (extended) orchestral pedal-point crescendo immediately before the final huge climax.  So it does make a nasty cut at a most important musical moment - but still, in tne end it is just an instantaneous gltch.  If you were listening on vinyl and had a click at that moment you'd think nothing of it - it's no worse than that really.  The other intervention is clear of music, as is a similar intervention in the 4th movement.

The texts (diary extracts) are quite interesting - especially the very extended (over 2 minutes) narration before the 2nd (penguins) movement, and delivered in a light, non-portentous manner.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Found on Twitter.

Cool!  Is that Philip Catelinet?

PD

Great photo. RVW wrote his Tuba Concerto for a Philip Catelinet apparently. He is likely to be the chap in the photo.

Great photo!

I did some digging and yes that is P.C. there.  Whilst doing that, I found this neat website with a wonderful story of how he came to premiere the work, etc.  Had a good laugh re the story of Crispin too.

http://philipcatelinet.com/biography/the-truth-about-the-vaughan-williams-tuba-concerto-by-philip-catelinet-itea-journal-volume-14-number-2-november-1986/

Lovely recounting by him. 

PD

[vandermolen]

Cool!  Is that Philip Catelinet?

PD
I did some digging and yes that is P.C. there.  Whilst doing that, I found this neat website with a wonderful story of how he came to premiere the work, etc.  Had a good laugh re the story of Crispin too.

http://philipcatelinet.com/biography/the-truth-about-the-vaughan-williams-tuba-concerto-by-philip-catelinet-itea-journal-volume-14-number-2-november-1986/

Lovely recounting by him. 

PD

A most interesting and charming article PD - thanks for posting it.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

A most interesting and charming article PD - thanks for posting it.

Glad that you enjoyed it Jeffrey!  I found it to be quite interesting how he initially got the job playing the tuba and also his amount of rehearsal/preparedness with the orchestra beforehand and how the various performances went, etc., and his comments about how he found Vaughan Williams to be as a person (from what interactions that he had with him over the years and notes that he had received from him)...lovely!

Wish that I could have seen Crispin "with" tuba and Vaughan Williams reaction....priceless I bet! 

PD

[vandermolen]

Glad that you enjoyed it Jeffrey!  I found it to be quite interesting how he initially got the job playing the tuba and also his amount of rehearsal/preparedness with the orchestra beforehand and how the various performances went, etc., and his comments about how he found Vaughan Williams to be as a person (from what interactions that he had with him over the years and notes that he had received from him)...lovely!

Wish that I could have seen Crispin "with" tuba and Vaughan Williams reaction....priceless I bet! 

PD

I hope that Crispin found his way out and was not 'expelled' during the concert!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I hope that Crispin found his way out and was not 'expelled' during the concert!

I'm sure that he did otherwise we would have heard a very different story regarding the destruction of a trombone trying to get him out or an even worse ending [God forbid!]!     Have you heard/read anything otherwise?  Apparently, Ursula has written about it:  "Mrs. Vaughan Williams quotes this story in her volume R.W.V., Oxford University Press, 1964."  Do you have this book Jeffrey?  I'd be very curious as to what she wrote.

PD

[vandermolen]

I'm sure that he did otherwise we would have heard a very different story regarding the destruction of a trombone trying to get him out or an even worse ending [God forbid!]!     Have you heard/read anything otherwise?  Apparently, Ursula has written about it:  "Mrs. Vaughan Williams quotes this story in her volume R.W.V., Oxford University Press, 1964."  Do you have this book Jeffrey?  I'd be very curious as to what she wrote.

PD

Yes, I have the book PD. I know that the pictorial biography features a photo of Crispin and Friskin.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Yes, I have the book PD. I know that the pictorial biography features a photo of Crispin and Friskin.

Oh, so it's the pictorial bio that he's referring to.  Any comments therein?

Is Friskin a sibling?  And I trust that no kittens were harmed during the performance rehearsals?

PD

[vandermolen]

Oh, so it's the pictorial bio that he's referring to.  Any comments therein?

Is Friskin a sibling?  And I trust that no kittens were harmed during the performance rehearsals?

PD

I'm sure that the kittens were fine PD! Yes, Friskin was a sibling - they look identical. I'll try to find a photo.

[Karl Henning]

Glad that you enjoyed it Jeffrey!  I found it to be quite interesting how he initially got the job playing the tuba and also his amount of rehearsal/preparedness with the orchestra beforehand and how the various performances went, etc., and his comments about how he found Vaughan Williams to be as a person (from what interactions that he had with him over the years and notes that he had received from him)...lovely!

Wish that I could have seen Crispin "with" tuba and Vaughan Williams reaction....priceless I bet! 

PD

Check PM, PD

[vandermolen]

Oh, so it's the pictorial bio that he's referring to.  Any comments therein?

Is Friskin a sibling?  And I trust that no kittens were harmed during the performance rehearsals?

PD

Here you go PD

[vandermolen]

VW's 149th Birthday today (12th October). Next year there will no doubt be many commemorative events. I just received the RVW Society Journal and was sad to note the death of James Day (aged 93) who wrote a famous biography of Vaughan Williams in the Master Musicians series:

[Mirror Image]

Thanks for the reminder, Jeffrey. I'll have to have a Vaughan Williams-a-thon.

[vandermolen]

Thanks for the reminder, Jeffrey. I'll have to have a Vaughan Williams-a-thon.

Definitely John! 

[vandermolen]

Happy 149th birthday RVW (born 12/10/1872)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Check PM, PD

Will do!

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Here you go PD

Thanks for the image....cute!

Happy 149th birthday RVW (born 12/10/1872)

Happy birthday RVW!   

PD

[Mirror Image]

Yes, a Happy Birthday is in order for Ralph!

[vandermolen]

Yes, a Happy Birthday is in order for Ralph!

Great photo!