Vaughan Williams's Veranda

[karlhenning]

. . . Now that Ursula Vaughan Williams is dead we may never here this version live again I guess.

Why so, Jeffrey?

[Mirror Image]

Just bought it coincidentally! Haven't listened yet.  I prefer the Walton Symphony No 1 on Telarc by Previn to the much lauded RCA recording.

It's an excellent recording. One of Previn's finest in my opinion. I'm not that big of fan of Previn's conducting, but he did a fine job with this symphony and there's a also a great version of Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.

[vandermolen]

Why so, Jeffrey?

Hi Karl

I think that Ursula VW had to give special permission for a one off performance and recording.  Having said that it was performed at least twice as there was the Barbican concert I went to and one at the Proms - so maybe there will be further performances or recordings. There must be some difficulty because the composer himself wanted the 1936 version to stand as his 'final' version of A London Symphony.

[Christo]

Arrived today. Premiere recordings of The Garden of Proserpine, a 25 minutes `very first' for soprano, chorus and orchestra from 1899! Coupled with RVW's 1955 own-handed arrangement of the 1953 Cantata `Fen and Flood' by Patrick Hadley.

Hope to read Jeffrey's enthusiast review on Amazon.co.uk soon. 
                                   

[eyeresist]

As I understand it Vaughan Williams withdrew it and his estate has forbidden all performance.  Special permission was sought to obtain a copy of the original score and make the recording.

Hickox was going to conduct the expanded 2nd in Sydney, but sadly died.

"In Sydney, I will conduct a semi staged version of The Pilgrim's Progress in that year, as well as the Australian premiere of the original London Symphony with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra."

http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/January%202007/19/781445/Diary%3A+Richard+Hickox

[vandermolen]

Arrived today. Premiere recordings of The Garden of Proserpine, a 25 minutes `very first' for soprano, chorus and orchestra from 1899! Coupled with RVW's 1955 own-handed arrangement of the 1953 Cantata `Fen and Flood' by Patrick Hadley.

Hope to read Jeffrey's enthusiast review on Amazon.co.uk soon. 
                                 

How interesting! I'd be interested to hear your view of this ( I hope that you didn't have to smuggle the CD in to the house - as you know I strongly disapprove of such subterfuge  )

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

(I hope that you didn't have to smuggle the CD in to the house - as you know I strongly disapprove of such subterfuge  )

Why do I see Allo! Allo!-like scenes before my mind's eye?

[The new erato]

Why do I see Allo! Allo!-like scenes before my mind's eye?

That's the tactic. You stoooooo-pid woman!

[vandermolen]

Arrived today. Premiere recordings of The Garden of Proserpine, a 25 minutes `very first' for soprano, chorus and orchestra from 1899! Coupled with RVW's 1955 own-handed arrangement of the 1953 Cantata `Fen and Flood' by Patrick Hadley.

Hope to read Jeffrey's enthusiast review on Amazon.co.uk soon. 
                                 

Here's a review in The Guardian.  The Hadley work sounds good - I am a great admirer of 'The Trees so High' by Patrick Hadley - one of my favourite works generally - very poignant and moving.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/may/26/vaughan-williams-garden-proserpine-review

[vandermolen]

BBC Music Magazine (July) has a fine accompanying CD featuring Andrew Davis conducting Vaughan Williams's Symphony No 9 (BBC SO) from the London Proms in 2008. If anything I think that it is finer than his Warner studio recording. Perhaps it has less urgency than with Boult's 1958 recording or Stokowski's of the same year - but it is, I think, a beautifuly reflective performance of a great work - coupled with Parry's moving 'Elegy for Brahms'.

[eyeresist]

Thanks - I will have to get that one. And I'll finally have some Parry in my collection besides Jerusalem!

[vandermolen]

Thanks - I will have to get that one. And I'll finally have some Parry in my collection besides Jerusalem!

The performance of the Parry work is the best I have heard. It is a very nice coupling for the VW Symphony No 9.

[karlhenning]

Even before I read that a number of GMGers rec the set, a (now deceased) conductor friend spoke very highly of the Bryden Thomson set of the symphonies.  Now, I've been very well content with both the Haitink and Handley sets (warm thanks again to our Harry for the former), so I wasn't beating any doors down . . . but when I chanced to see the Thomson set at the soon-to-be-shuttered Borders, resistance was futile.  Snaffled the box for about $40.  May save it for First-Listen Friday, or I may just wade right in, to-day . . . .

[Mirror Image]

Thanks - I will have to get that one. And I'll finally have some Parry in my collection besides Jerusalem!

Have you heard heard Parry's Symphony No. 5? This is crowning achievement of his symphonic cycle I believe.

[Mirror Image]

Even before I read that a number of GMGers rec the set, a (now deceased) conductor friend spoke very highly of the Bryden Thomson set of the symphonies.  Now, I've been very well content with both the Haitink and Handley sets (warm thanks again to our Harry for the former), so I wasn't beating any doors down . . . but when I chanced to see the Thomson set at the soon-to-be-shuttered Borders, resistance was futile.  Snaffled the box for about $40.  May save it for First-Listen Friday, or I may just wade right in, to-day . . . .

I've been singing the praises of the Thomson set since I've been on this forum. It's my favorite of all the cycles. Hope you enjoy as much as I have.

[eyeresist]

Karl, I'll be interested to hear what you think of the 8th under Thomson.

[Dundonnell]

Here's a review in The Guardian.  The Hadley work sounds good - I am a great admirer of 'The Trees so High' by Patrick Hadley - one of my favourite works generally - very poignant and moving.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/may/26/vaughan-williams-garden-proserpine-review

Did you buy this disc, Jeffrey?

THE VW is very early and pretty untypical. Worth hearing and certainly not deserving of being suppressed by the composer and his widow Ursula....but no lost masterpiece.
The Hadley is certainly more interesting- a moving tribute to those who died in the East Coast Flood of 1953.

Now we just need Hadley's 'Connemara' Cantata.

[Bogey]

Extremely late to this party (I may have posted in the thread somewhere, but have forgotten if I did), but then again I just purchased my first disc of RVW.  I have a few pieces here and there in my collection, but cannot find a single disc dedicated to just this composer until my purchase yesterday afternoon.  Here it be:


Recorded 1937 and 1944

I settled into listening to the 4th this morning as conducted by RVW.  Wow.  I was immediately transported into imagery that soon became a narrative in my head.  Not sure what his intent was, but I could not help picturing the credits to an old black and white jungle adventure movie opening up before me.  I sensed themes for different characters that immediately came alive in my imagination, queues for scenic shots, and even some light humored moments that fit the bill of a youngster "trollying" along with the group of explorers....in short, this music painted a story that has never been written, but was today in my imagination.  I am sure that it helped that this was a historic recording, and at times smacked of Steiner's King Kong.

I am aware that he wrote some music for film, but did he do that at the start of his composing, middle, end, or throughout?

I will give the 5th a listen this week, but I want to take my time.  Many times I have immersed myself in composers that I have not discovered yet with the purchases of large box sets.  Though these get played, I find that a few discs here and there suit me better these days.  I will scan through the 80+ pages here for recs, but I see myself concentrating, for now, on the historical recordings of this composer.  The sound that it lends seems to have struck a positive chord for me.

PS Does anyone else have this 1937 performance of the 4th?

[Brahmsian]

Bill, there are many wonderful Vaughan Williams compositions.  I strongly recommend the Boult/EMI Classics box set of the symphonies, and other orchestral works.

Have you heard Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis?  The Lark Ascending?  Job:  A Masque for Dancing?  All great works!

My personal favorite of his symphonies is Symphony No. 6 in E minor, with Andrew Davis conducting.

Also, check out the Phantasy Quintet and String Quartets on Naxos, with Maggini Quartet.  Great stuff! 

Happy exploring!

[vandermolen]

Did you buy this disc, Jeffrey?

THE VW is very early and pretty untypical. Worth hearing and certainly not deserving of being suppressed by the composer and his widow Ursula....but no lost masterpiece.
The Hadley is certainly more interesting- a moving tribute to those who died in the East Coast Flood of 1953.

Now we just need Hadley's 'Connemara' Cantata.

Hi Colin,

Yes, but I've only listened to it once so far and, on the basis of, that I'd agree with what you say.  The Hadley sounded the more interesting work.  Of these very early Vaughan Williams works I like some of the chamber music on Hyperion and, above all, the 'Heroic Elegy and Triumphal March' on Dutton.
Jeffrey