Vaughan Williams's Veranda

[Dundonnell]

My understanding is that the score of VW's 3rd Norfolk Rhapsody is lost. It was first performed in Cardiff in 1907 with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer and was performed in London in 1912 at the Quuen's Hall conducted by Balfour Gardiner. There is further information in Michael Kennedy's "Catalogue of the Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams".

One never knows; the manuscript might turn up again one day. Clearly it was not published.

[vandermolen]

If you like the Tallis Fantasia, you have to listen to the Elegy on the CD below.  The Symphony is magnificent too, a powerful, craggy monolithic masterpiece (I don't use this word lightly) which eschews all sentimentality, with echoes of Havergal Brian (a friend of Truscott's), Nielsen and Bruckner.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Truscott-Orchestral-Works-Harold/dp/B00000462S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1202046033&sr=1-1

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

If you like the Tallis Fantasia, you have to listen to the Elegy on the CD below.  The Symphony is magnificent too, a powerful, craggy monolithic masterpiece (I don't use this word lightly) which eschews all sentimentality, with echoes of Havergal Brian (a friend of Truscott's), Nielsen and Bruckner.

The Elegy is wonderful indeed. I have both the Marco Polo CD with the orchestral works and the one with Truscott's chamber music - it's been a while since I listened to them, but I remember them being models of clarity, concision and power.

Btw - has anybody heard Truscott's piano sonatas?

[Thom]

Indeed it was by a recommendation on this forum that I bought the Truscott cd. Never regretted it one moment. The elegy is on my playlist often, wonderful music.

[vandermolen]

Jezetha and Thom

Glad you liked the Elegy and the magnificent Symphony.

I have the Marco Polo chamber disc also, which is very enjoyable.

How sad that his music was almost completely neglected in his lifetime.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Slightly OT: the subject of RVW's use of the saxophone was raised earlier in the thread. I just listened to Eric Coates' Saxo-Rhapsody (Groves, Brymer, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic), a wonderful piece. Anyone know this?

[vandermolen]

Slightly OT: the subject of RVW's use of the saxophone was raised earlier in the thread. I just listened to Eric Coates' Saxo-Rhapsody (Groves, Brymer, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic), a wonderful piece. Anyone know this?

No, but I will look out for it.  Thanks

[Guido]

Just listened to the Serenade to Music in it's orchestral setting. It just doesn't get any better than that!

[Benji]

Just listened to the Serenade to Music in it's orchestral setting. It just doesn't get any better than that!

Sure it does, with the voices as in the usual setting.   

Without the voices it's like a trifle without the sherry, tasty but just not as intoxicating as it can be.  0:)

[Lethevich]

Sure it does, with the voices as in the usual setting.   

Without the voices it's like a trifle without the sherry, tasty but just not as intoxicating as it can be.  0:)

Indeedie, the choral version is one of the few pieces that I find to be out of this world

[Ephemerid]

All this talk of RVW here and on the RVW symphony thread has gotten my appetite worked up-- I am familiar with only a few of his works (shame on me, I know-- the works I have heard I have loved and I adore his setting of "Silent Noon")-- so I downloaded Hickox's recording of the third symphony and oboe concerto for starters. 

I'm very excited about listening to it closely when I get home tonight! 

CORRECTION: Not Hickox, but Bryden Thompson (on Chandos)

[knight66]

Silent Noon.........yes an especially beautiful song. Whose recording do you have?

Mike

[Ephemerid]

Silent Noon.........yes an especially beautiful song. Whose recording do you have?

Mike

Ian Bostridge in a crystal clear tenor.    Back when I was a music student in the early 90s I sang this song & was happy when I found out he had done a recording of it.  This and Schubert's "Nacht und Traume" are two of the most beautiful art songs ever written IMO.

[knight66]

I also have sung the piece. I am mostly allergic to Bostridge. Terfel speeds through it and Janet Baker, who is recorded from a concert had a catch in her throat during it.

Another wonderful WV song is The Infinite Shining Heavens. Terfel gives that one the best performance I have ever heard of the song.

Nacht und Traume is a stunner.

Mike

[Ephemerid]

I also have sung the piece. I am mostly allergic to Bostridge. Terfel speeds through it and Janet Baker, who is recorded from a concert had a catch in her throat during it.

Another wonderful WV song is The Infinite Shining Heavens. Terfel gives that one the best performance I have ever heard of the song.

Nacht und Traume is a stunner.

Mike

Oooh!  I'll check that out then!

[Dana]

Just listened to the Serenade to Music in it's orchestral setting. It just doesn't get any better than that!

      Which recording is it? I got the 16-soloist version with Boult on a bargain EMI disc at Best Buy, and it was a pile of schlock (it bears noting that nearly everything else on the disc was no better).

[sound67]

      Which recording is it? I got the 16-soloist version with Boult on a bargain EMI disc at Best Buy, and it was a pile of schlock (it bears noting that nearly everything else on the disc was no better).

Get a life.

[knight66]

Oooh!  I'll check that out then!

I recommend this disc. Included upon it is RVWs song cycle Songs of Travel. The disc as a whole is about the best collection of English songs that I know of. Terfel is full of insight and subtlety. It is a glorious voice and he really communicates. That song, The Infinite Shining Heavens was a revelation, I knew it well, he sings it with utter freshness.

Mike

[Ephemerid]

I recommend this disc. Included upon it is RVWs song cycle Songs of Travel. The disc as a whole is about the best collection of English songs that I know of. Terfel is full of insight and subtlety. It is a glorious voice and he really communicates. That song, The Infinite Shining Heavens was a revelation, I knew it well, he sings it with utter freshness.

Mike

Downloading it now.  I did download Benjamin Luxon's recording of Songs of Travel (and Silent Noon) but found something missing in it.  Just listening to the samples, this recording sounds more compelling!  Thank you, Mike! 

[Dana]

Get a life.

I have one - it's Vaughan-Williams (just not bad recordings of him)!