Vaughan Williams's Veranda

[madaboutmahler]

Thanks for the feedback on RVW 5ths. The Previn disc looks veeerrrryy tempting.

Just finished listening to the 6th symphony. Absolutely incredible piece, especially the last movement which is so hauntingly magical. So clever harmonically at the end as well, tricking you into thinking the work will end in B Major when that only works as a perfect (or I like to think of inverted plagal) cadence into the dark home key of the work, E Minor. It's like the fierce energy has been taking away and despite trying to cling onto the light, the aftermath (home key) is still the most evident..

Masterpiece.

[madaboutmahler]

And oh my, the last song of 'On Wenlock Edge' is absolutely stunning and gorgeous! Listening to this over and over again!  0:)

[Christo]

Thanks for the feedback on RVW 5ths. The Previn disc looks veeerrrryy tempting.

Just finished listening to the 6th symphony. Absolutely incredible piece, especially the last movement which is so hauntingly magical. So clever harmonically at the end as well, tricking you into thinking the work will end in B Major when that only works as a perfect (or I like to think of inverted plagal) cadence into the dark home key of the work, E Minor. It's like the fierce energy has been taking away and despite trying to cling onto the light, the aftermath (home key) is still the most evident..

Masterpiece.

Very happy to read this. Oh, how vividly I remember that afernoon, almost 40 years ago now, when I first heard it on the radio ... 

[relm1]

Really is suuuuuuuuch a beautiful piece.

Is Handley generally appreciated as one of the better cycles around here? And could I ask for favourite recordings of VW 5?

My favorite is LSO/Previn.  I think its better than the Teldec in its atmosphere and dignity.  I also enjoy Boult's LPO recording.  Hickox LSO not bad but just missing a little sensitivity that Boult and Previn had.

[vandermolen]

Very happy to read this. Oh, how vividly I remember that afernoon, almost 40 years ago now, when I first heard it on the radio ... 

And I remember picking up that Decca Eclipse LP (LPO, Boult + speech by the composer) on my way home from school, at WH Smiths in Earl's Court Road 41 years ago. I never looked back. I was lucky as this was just before the Vaughan Williams centenary in 1972, when there was a big revival of interest in the composer. Stephen Johnson says that the nihilistic repeating chords at the end are an unresolved 'amen' - I rather like that analysis.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

And oh my, the last song of 'On Wenlock Edge' is absolutely stunning and gorgeous! Listening to this over and over again!  0:)

Any recommendations for this song cycle?

[vandermolen]

Any recommendations for this song cycle?

The first CD is my recommendation for the original chamber version and below is the version for orchestra, recommended also for Butterworth's charming song cycle 'Love blows as the wind blows' featuring the lovely song 'Coming up from Richmond'.
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[amw]

Menuhin/RPO

That's the version I have. It's good.

I'd always been wondering how much the Fifth was affected by the ongoing WWII. The Romanza in particular always felt much more like an Elegy to me. Obviously subjective, but it's interesting to read now that RVW's original inscription for the movement was "He hath given me rest by his sorrow and life by his death" (which to my mind resonates strongly with the ongoing sacrifice of millions of young soldiers), and a later passage is derived from part of The Pilgrim's Progress which has the lyrics "Save me! Save me, Lord! My burden is greater than I can bear." The themes themselves he'd come up with years ago, obviously, but the impassioned, anguished working-out was entirely new.

Similarly the way the "triumphant" finale slowly undercuts itself with the tonic minor until the first movement's main theme interrupts with an epic Freunde, nicht diese Töne moment suggests barely contained grief, kept under strict restraint in the knowledge that if it's let out it'll take over the whole symphony. It never emerges into the open save for a few moments in the Romanza, yet I feel it's an undercurrent throughout the whole piece, and eventually leads to its collapse and that endless epilogue which seems to come from an extremely great distance.

Maybe I'm talking nonsense here.

[vandermolen]

That's the version I have. It's good.

I'd always been wondering how much the Fifth was affected by the ongoing WWII. The Romanza in particular always felt much more like an Elegy to me. Obviously subjective, but it's interesting to read now that RVW's original inscription for the movement was "He hath given me rest by his sorrow and life by his death" (which to my mind resonates strongly with the ongoing sacrifice of millions of young soldiers), and a later passage is derived from part of The Pilgrim's Progress which has the lyrics "Save me! Save me, Lord! My burden is greater than I can bear." The themes themselves he'd come up with years ago, obviously, but the impassioned, anguished working-out was entirely new.

Similarly the way the "triumphant" finale slowly undercuts itself with the tonic minor until the first movement's main theme interrupts with an epic Freunde, nicht diese Töne moment suggests barely contained grief, kept under strict restraint in the knowledge that if it's let out it'll take over the whole symphony. It never emerges into the open save for a few moments in the Romanza, yet I feel it's an undercurrent throughout the whole piece, and eventually leads to its collapse and that endless epilogue which seems to come from an extremely great distance.

Maybe I'm talking nonsense here.

On the contrary, what you say makes a lot of sense. I think that there are three possible influences on Symphony 5. Undoubtedly his as yet unfinished 'Pilgrim's Progress' opera/morality was one. VW was unsure that he would ever finish it and used some of the thematic material in the symphony. He was no 'ivory tower' composer and cannot, I think have failed to be influenced by the War. The symphony seems to offer a heartfelt beatific vision of peace to a war torn country. Thirdly the peace and love he found in his relationship with Ursula Wood ( who became his second wife after the death of Adeline Vaughan Williams) has also been suggested as an influence on the Fifth Symphony.

[vandermolen]

Yesterday BBC Radio 3 reviewed the different versions of Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 9. Their preferred choice was Vernon Handley and the Liverpool PO on Classics for Pleasure at budget price (or part of a very inexpensive boxed set). This was narrowly preferred to Sir Adrian Boult's wonderfully reflective later recording on EMI ( although the earlier Decca version has more urgency). They also liked the versions by Haitink ( good news for Daniel on this forum  ) and the saxophones in Slatkin's version were unrivalled for their sense of 'fun' (not sure that this is what Vaughan Williams intended!) Stokowski's historic version also gained considerable praise. The programme is available on the BBC iPlayer but not sure this is available outside the UK. I also like Bryden Thomson's version on Chandos.
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[Sergeant Rock]

Yesterday BBC Radio 3 reviewed the different versions of Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 9. Their preferred choice was Vernon Handley....Boult....Haitink ( good news for Daniel on this forum  )

And good news for me. My top 3: Haitink, Bakels, Thomson.

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

I was reading the sample of the Cambridge Companion to Shostakovich on my Kindle, and was so pleased with the content, perspicacity and tone, that (a) I forged ahead and bought the entire e-book, and (b) went ahead on spec and bought the Cambridge Companion to Vaughan Williams.  Looking forward to digging into it! (Thought really, I suppose, I should fear it . . . I may wind up feeling I need to buy up the Big Box of Vaughan Williams . . . .

[vandermolen]

And good news for me. My top 3: Haitink, Bakels, Thomson.

Sarge

All fine performances.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Yesterday BBC Radio 3 reviewed the different versions of Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 9. Their preferred choice was Vernon Handley and the Liverpool PO on Classics for Pleasure at budget price (or part of a very inexpensive boxed set).

Lucky me, I've got that one. It also comes with the best version of the 6th that I've yet heard.

[relm1]

Yesterday BBC Radio 3 reviewed the different versions of Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 9. Their preferred choice was Vernon Handley and the Liverpool PO on Classics for Pleasure at budget price (or part of a very inexpensive boxed set). This was narrowly preferred to Sir Adrian Boult's wonderfully reflective later recording on EMI ( although the earlier Decca version has more urgency). They also liked the versions by Haitink ( good news for Daniel on this forum  ) and the saxophones in Slatkin's version were unrivalled for their sense of 'fun' (not sure that this is what Vaughan Williams intended!) Stokowski's historic version also gained considerable praise. The programme is available on the BBC iPlayer but not sure this is available outside the UK. I also like Bryden Thomson's version on Chandos.
[asin]B0000647HR[/asin]

Can you post the link please?  I can't find it on the bbc 3 website.

EDIT: Never mind, I found it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01rzqyx

[calyptorhynchus]

Hey everyone

I just bought a second-hand copy of Sir John in Love (Hickocks version) from Amazon. When it arrived I saw it didn't have a libretto booklet, then I looked at the invoice and saw this was noted in the small print.

D'oh.

Does anyhone have this libretto they could scan for me?

[NLK1971]

You can download it from this webpage:
http://www.chandos.net/details06.asp?CNumber=CHAN%209928

Hey everyone

I just bought a second-hand copy of Sir John in Love (Hickocks version) from Amazon. When it arrived I saw it didn't have a libretto booklet, then I looked at the invoice and saw this was noted in the small print.

D'oh.

Does anyhone have this libretto they could scan for me?

[calyptorhynchus]

Thanks, who'd a thunk it, a free download?

[Mirror Image]

Thanks, who'd a thunk it, a free download?

You can download almost all of Chandos' booklets via the recording's page on their site. Many sites are offering this now, but Chandos have been doing this as long as I've known about the label.

[calyptorhynchus]

I've just finished listening to the Hickox version of Sir John in Love and was very impressed. VW did a great job in turning the Merry Wives of Windsor into an opera libretto, and the added Elizabethan texts are delightful. This is one of the few operas that actually has momentum, I didn't find myself thinking, as I often do with opera, "get on with it!'

What is interesting though is that whilst most of the music is lyrical and pastoral, where there are moments of anger or despair or violence suddenly the language of the 4th Symphony appears!