Vaughan Williams's Veranda

[Mirror Image]

I've fallen under the spell of No. 3.  What a deeply moving work.  It's so gorgeous and unique.  Makes me want to do a deep dive in to why it compels my attention.  I've heard it multiple times but for some reason, right now it really resonated with me.  All the recordings I've heard have been excellent.  They are Boult, Previn, Hickox.  They all seem to penetrate this work at a deeper level.  Those performances seem to transcend the notes.  That is what makes RVW one of my top five favorite composers.  The subtext.  On the surface, the music is very enjoyable, but there is always a deeper meaning to the music.  Each new recording or performance seems to reveal some nuance I've never caught before.  No. 3 is such a gem and really connected with me now more than any other time I've heard it.

I can only nod my head along with your own, relm1. One of the composer's masterpieces for sure. The Previn is out-of-this-world good, but I've come to admire many other performances through the years like Thomson, Elder and, of course, Boult.

[vandermolen]

I can only nod my head along with your own, relm1. One of the composer's masterpieces for sure. The Previn is out-of-this-world good, but I've come to admire many other performances through the years like Thomson, Elder and, of course, Boult.

I agree about Thomson as well.

[vandermolen]

Looking forward to receiving this:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2022/May/VW-sys-ICAC5164.htm

[relm1]

Looking forward to receiving this:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2022/May/VW-sys-ICAC5164.htm

Wow, that's a fast No. 5!  Curious to know what you think.

[vandermolen]

Wow, that's a fast No. 5!  Curious to know what you think.

Delivery is late but I hope to receive it soon.

[vandermolen]

Forthcoming set:
https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%205303

[Roasted Swan]

I picked up for £4.00 the remastered box set of the Decca/Boult cycle.  I had been thinking about the recent Pristine remastering but even allowing for the 'improved' remastering I'm not such a fan of old mono recordings that I want to collect that cycle as it develops so this seemed like a good option;



What I had never realised before was that John Culshaw was the producer for the bulk of the cycle with Kenneth Wilkinson as engineer.  Also, December 1953 saw the Sea Symphony & Antarctica AND Symphonies 4,5 & 6 all put in the can.  That was a pretty intensive RVW month!

[relm1]

I picked up for £4.00 the remastered box set of the Decca/Boult cycle.  I had been thinking about the recent Pristine remastering but even allowing for the 'improved' remastering I'm not such a fan of old mono recordings that I want to collect that cycle as it develops so this seemed like a good option;



What I had never realised before was that John Culshaw was the producer for the bulk of the cycle with Kenneth Wilkinson as engineer.  Also, December 1953 saw the Sea Symphony & Antarctica AND Symphonies 4,5 & 6 all put in the can.  That was a pretty intensive RVW month!

Interestingly, by December 1953, RVW had yet to write two more symphonies.  Maybe since he had turned 81, people thought he was done.

[Roasted Swan]

Interestingly, by December 1953, RVW had yet to write two more symphonies.  Maybe since he had turned 81, people thought he was done.

very good point - No.8 was recorded in September 1956 and No.9 (in/famously) the day after RVW died.  Nos 2 & 3 were recorded in Jan. & Dec. 1952 respectively.....

[vandermolen]

The new boxed set of the Chandos Hickox/Davis symphony cycle also, interestingly, includes interviews with Barbirolli (recorded on the day of the composer's death), Boult, Ursula VW as well as radio talks by the composer himself.

[Spotted Horses]

What I had never realised before was that John Culshaw was the producer for the bulk of the cycle with Kenneth Wilkinson as engineer.  Also, December 1953 saw the Sea Symphony & Antarctica AND Symphonies 4,5 & 6 all put in the can.  That was a pretty intensive RVW month!

Yes, a productive month. Dorati recorded 104 Haydn symphonies from 1969 to 1972. That's 26 symphonies per year, more than 2 a month. In contrast, the latest Haydn cycle, I've read, isn't expected to be complete within my life expectancy.

[DavidW]

Forthcoming set:
https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%205303

Is there any particular symphony in the set that you would rec for me to dip my toes in Hickox' RVW?

[Spotted Horses]

Is there any particular symphony in the set that you would rec for me to dip my toes in Hickox' RVW?

You didn't ask me, but the 2nd is an obvious choice, since it is the only recording ever made of the original version of the symphony.

[foxandpeng]

Is there any particular symphony in the set that you would rec for me to dip my toes in Hickox' RVW?

Whatever Jeffrey recommends will be worth hearing, but for me, the original 1913 version of #2 from this cycle, is unmatched.

[DavidW]

Okay I'll try to listen to #2 tonight or tomorrow from the set!

[vandermolen]

Is there any particular symphony in the set that you would rec for me to dip my toes in Hickox' RVW?

Danny and Arthur have given you good advice!
No.2 is a must as it is the only recording of the original 1913 version. No other recording is allowed, although there are a few of the 1920 version (Arthur 'Spotted Horses' explained why more recordings were allowed as, unlike the 1913 version, it had been published - I couldn't understand this before). I think that Hickox's No.5 is good (it originally came with interesting fill-ups like 'The Pilgrim's Pavement' - hopefully a separate set may come out including them some day). I'm re-evaluating Hickox's performances, which I was initially a bit snooty about. I recall enjoying Symphony No.4 (originally with the Mass) so, am happy to recommend those ones. I don't have a problem with the Andrew Davis performances (7 and 9) although relm1 of this forum is quite critical of them I think.

[vandermolen]

Somm are going to issue a CD of Malcolm Sargent conducting symphonies 6 and 9. I would guess that No.9 is the controversial world premiere performance (both are BBC recordings). I'm looking forward to hearing what Sargent makes of No.6.

This morning I received this CD from Portugal and have greatly enjoyed this powerful and urgent performance (Portuguese premiere from 1958 recorded shortly after Boult's Everest disc and a few months after the composer's death:
https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-5159/

[Biffo]

The Ninth is the RVW Symphony I have probably listened to least. To make up for that I have just listened to Slatkin/Philharmonia - from the cycle I have listened to least. Fine performance but I find the Ninth interesting rather than lovable,

[vandermolen]

The Ninth is the RVW Symphony I have probably listened to least. To make up for that I have just listened to Slatkin/Philharmonia - from the cycle I have listened to least. Fine performance but I find the Ninth interesting rather than lovable,

Slatkin's is one of the best recordings IMO. I find the ending of the Ninth Symphony to be very moving.

[Spotted Horses]

Danny and Arthur have given you good advice!
No.2 is a must as it is the only recording of the original 1913 version. No other recording is allowed, although there are a few of the 1920 version (Arthur 'Spotted Horses' explained why more recordings were allowed as, unlike the 1913 version, it had been published - I couldn't understand this before). I think that Hickox's No.5 is good (it originally came with interesting fill-ups like 'The Pilgrim's Pavement' - hopefully a separate set may come out including them some day). I'm re-evaluating Hickox's performances, which I was initially a bit snooty about. I recall enjoying Symphony No.4 (originally with the Mass) so, am happy to recommend those ones. I don't have a problem with the Andrew Davis performances (7 and 9) although relm1 of this forum is quite critical of them I think.

I'm by no means an expert copyright law, but it is a peculiarity that the U.S. extended copyright for works not already in the public domain in 1998 (when the law was passed). The previous rule was that copyright is valid for 75 years from publication, meaning works published before 1923 were already in public domain and not covered by the extension. If you could find a copy in a library, bookshop, you could use it as you wished. This applies in the U.S., I think it is not public domain in the European Union.

I think the copyright status of the original versions is complicated. I assume Ursula Vaughan Williams could control performances because the 1914 version was simply unavailable, and it could only be obtained directly from her, with whatever conditions she would impose. Perhaps if someone were to find the original score in some attic in Germany where Fritz Busch stashed it and forgot about it, it would be considered public domain (under U.S. law) and performed.