Vaughan Williams's Veranda

[Rinaldo]

A very cool connection between RVW's 7th and 2001: A Space Odyssey was revealed by Keir Dullea, who played the astronaut David Bowman.

The visual effects of my journey through time and space were created well after I had finished the film. Stanley filmed me mostly in close-up reacting to something that I actually wasn't seeing. He created an old silent movie trick: he played some extraordinary music to put me in the mood. Specifically, a movement from Vaughan Williams' Sinfonia Antartica. If you're interested, look it up and wait for a very mysterioso section of the piece. That's what helped me react to something I wasn't seeing.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2nh4ru/im_keir_dullea_dave_from_2001_a_space_odyssey_ask/cmdj69e

[vandermolen]

A very cool connection between RVW's 7th and 2001: A Space Odyssey was revealed by Keir Dullea, who played the astronaut David Bowman.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2nh4ru/im_keir_dullea_dave_from_2001_a_space_odyssey_ask/cmdj69e

How extraordinary. A fascinating link between my favourite British composer and my favourite film (at least it was when it first came out, in 1968, when I was 13 - I saw it eight times in the space of about two weeks at the Odeon Cinema Leicester Square in London - dragging all of my family along, many of whom didn't like it at all) 

[Karl Henning]

A very cool connection between RVW's 7th and 2001: A Space Odyssey was revealed by Keir Dullea, who played the astronaut David Bowman.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2nh4ru/im_keir_dullea_dave_from_2001_a_space_odyssey_ask/cmdj69e

Great story!

[Moonfish]

Vaughan Williams:
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Pastoral Symphony
Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus
Overture: The Wasps

Hallé Orchestra/Elder

Marvelous! Elder and his Hallé forces really bring an eloquent sweetness to the Pastoral Symphony. I have become more fond of Elder's recordings the more I listen to them. This disc is overall stunning in both compilation and execution seemingly encompassing numerous aspects of the warmth and serenity RVW encompassed in his compositions. If any friends of mine showed interest in RVW I suspect that this is the recording I would recommend to them. Personally it was the Theme of Thomas Tallis as well as The Lark Ascending that introduced me to RVW decades ago and I will never forget the experience. This recording reminds me of those moments in my life. Serene beauty indeed!

[asin] B00OU4J42W[/asin]

[Christo]

Vaughan Williams:
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Pastoral Symphony
Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus
Overture: The Wasps

Hallé Orchestra/Elder

Marvelous! Elder and his Hallé forces really bring an eloquent sweetness to the Pastoral Symphony. I have become more fond of Elder's recordings the more I listen to them. This disc is overall stunning in both compilation and execution seemingly encompassing numerous aspects of the warmth and serenity RVW encompassed in his compositions. If any friends of mine showed interest in RVW I suspect that this is the recording I would recommend to them. Personally it was the Theme of Thomas Tallis as well as The Lark Ascending that introduced me to RVW decades ago and I will never forget the experience. This recording reminds me of those moments in my life. Serene beauty indeed!

[asin] B00OU4J42W[/asin]

This is the type of recommendation that somehow always costs me money. 

[Moonfish]

This is the type of recommendation that somehow always costs me money. 

I'm always happy to oblige! 

[vandermolen]

Dutton have released a CD featuring the 1920 version of 'A London Symphony' which incorporates several minutes of beautiful, poetic music (especially just before the epilogue at the end) which, as far as I am concerned Vaughan Williams was mistaken to excise in 1936. He actually cut out the most moving part of the symphony. Boult, Bernard Herrmann and Arnold Bax shared the same view but could not change the composer's mind. So did Richard Hickox when I spoke to him briefly when I asked him to sign my programme after he gave the first performance of the 1913 version for about 80 years. The 1920 version was recorded once before by Eugene Goossens with the Cincinnati SO during World War Two. The new recording is linked with the two piano version of the craggy Piano Concerto. Together with Rootham's Second Symphony this has to be one of my CDs of the year and I can't wait to receive it:

http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=CDLX7322

[Karl Henning]

Fascinating, Jeffrey.

[vandermolen]

Fascinating, Jeffrey.

Thanks Karl,
If you don't know the 1920 version you must hear it - this looks such a great disc and great coupling too.

[Christo]

Great to see the great BBC Proms performance of Sancta Civitas with the Hallé forces under Mark Elder of early this Month on Youtube already. BTW, here's the Guardian review too: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/31/halle-elder-review-impressive-revival-of-vaughan-williams-neglected-oratorio

https://www.youtube.com/v/BUk4UY7yVmc

[Peter Power Pop]

Vaughan Williams:
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Pastoral Symphony
Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus
Overture: The Wasps

Hallé Orchestra/Elder

Marvelous! Elder and his Hallé forces really bring an eloquent sweetness to the Pastoral Symphony. I have become more fond of Elder's recordings the more I listen to them. This disc is overall stunning in both compilation and execution seemingly encompassing numerous aspects of the warmth and serenity RVW encompassed in his compositions. If any friends of mine showed interest in RVW I suspect that this is the recording I would recommend to them. Personally it was the Theme of Thomas Tallis as well as The Lark Ascending that introduced me to RVW decades ago and I will never forget the experience. This recording reminds me of those moments in my life. Serene beauty indeed!

[asin] B00OU4J42W[/asin]

The album is on Spotify if anyone wants to hear it:

Vaughan Williams: Pastoral Symphony (Hallé / Mark Elder)

[vandermolen]

Great to see the great BBC Proms performance of Sancta Civitas with the Hallé forces under Mark Elder of early this Month on Youtube already. BTW, here's the Guardian review too: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/31/halle-elder-review-impressive-revival-of-vaughan-williams-neglected-oratorio

https://www.youtube.com/v/BUk4UY7yVmc

Thank you for posting this. What a wonderful performance of Vaughan Williams's greatest choral work (certainly his own favourite) and one of his greatest works. I'm sorry that I missed this Prom. I have heard it live before, a few years ago, in the church in Hove, East Sussex where Vaughan Williams married his first wife Adeline. It was a wonderful experience to hear it life. It certainly does provide a glimpse through the 'magic casements'. 

[cilgwyn]

I'm going to have to listen to that again. It's included in my emi box set. So far,I have to admit that it's not one of my favourite works by VW! Tut..tut,I fear?!! I must admit,Flos Campi,Five Tudor Portraits and his Mass are more my cup of tea. I think the Mass is absolutely sublime and one of the most beautiful choral works I have ever heard. Five Tudor Portraits is one of those works you listen to and think,why isn't it performed more? At least,I do! I saw a review that compared the first part to Orff's Carmina Burana! It certainly is a piece of music to listen to if you think English choral works are all very serious and filled with cherubic,wide eyed choir boys! Indeed,I acquired a s/h cassette recording of Orff's Carmina Burana a couple of months ago. I hadn't heard it for years. I must say,I wasn't very excited by it! Give me Five Tudor Portraits over Carmina,any day!

Choral works aside. I have just been listening to Henry Wood's performance of the London Symphony. I enjoyed this performance very much indeed,and,unless you are particularly averse to ancient old mono recordings,I honestly think this is one of the finest recordings I have heard. It is a lively recording,full of poetry and atmosphere,and Wood's grasp of the structure of the work really gripped me and kept me listening. I also liked his performance of the Fantasia on Greensleeves. I have seen this performance derided for being taken at too fast a lick. It certainly is the fastest one I have ever heard;but for my money it works. One reviewer describing it as dance like. I wouldn't want to hear this approach every time;but it works here,and is a refreshing change (albeit of 30's vintage) from the usual dreamy,pastoral approach. I love it. On the cd-r I made yesterday,I actually placed this work first. I feel it makes a more suitable curtain raiser to the main work than the Serenade to Music. I placed that as a follow up;not because I don't like it........indeed,I love it;but because of the way the music steals in so beautifully after the closing bars of the symphony. The performance of the Serenade is truly ravishing. Glorious music making!

[vandermolen]

I'm going to have to listen to that again. It's included in my emi box set. So far,I have to admit that it's not one of my favourite works by VW! Tut..tut,I fear?!! I must admit,Flos Campi,Five Tudor Portraits and his Mass are more my cup of tea. I think the Mass is absolutely sublime and one of the most beautiful choral works I have ever heard. Five Tudor Portraits is one of those works you listen to and think,why isn't it performed more? At least,I do! I saw a review that compared the first part to Orff's Carmina Burana! It certainly is a piece of music to listen to if you think English choral works are all very serious and filled with cherubic,wide eyed choir boys! Indeed,I acquired a s/h cassette recording of Orff's Carmina Burana a couple of months ago. I hadn't heard it for years. I must say,I wasn't very excited by it! Give me Five Tudor Portraits over Carmina,any day!

Choral works aside. I have just been listening to Henry Wood's performance of the London Symphony. I enjoyed this performance very much indeed,and,unless you are particularly averse to ancient old mono recordings,I honestly think this is one of the finest recordings I have heard. It is a lively recording,full of poetry and atmosphere,and Wood's grasp of the structure of the work really gripped me and kept me listening. I also liked his performance of the Fantasia on Greensleeves. I have seen this performance derided for being taken at too fast a lick. It certainly is the fastest one I have ever heard;but for my money it works. One reviewer describing it as dance like. I wouldn't want to hear this approach every time;but it works here,and is a refreshing change (albeit of 30's vintage) from the usual dreamy,pastoral approach. I love it. On the cd-r I made yesterday,I actually placed this work first. I feel it makes a more suitable curtain raiser to the main work than the Serenade to Music. I placed that as a follow up;not because I don't like it........indeed,I love it;but because of the way the music steals in so beautifully after the closing bars of the symphony. The performance of the Serenade is truly ravishing. Glorious music making!

Am listening to the Wood version of 'A London Symphony' now - I agree that it is a deeply felt and poetic performance; thank you for reminding us of its qualities. The 2001 Dutton CD is very good indeed. It is probably the only recording of the 1936 version of 'A London Symphony' (maybe together with Previn's marvellous RCA version) that I shall listen to from now on as I much prefer the 1920 version (there is a new recording of this too on Dutton) as for some mad reason Vaughan Williams excised the best and most moving bit of the symphony (at the start of the Epilogue) in 1936 and I am now acutely aware of its absence whenever I hear the 1936 revision. There is a fine Goossens Cincinatti SO version of the 1920 version, recorded in the Second World War. The 'Serenade to Music' is one of my least favourite works by Vaughan Williams but I am aware that I am in the minority here. There is something rather cloying and self-congratulatory about it which I find uncharacteristic of Vaughan Williams. Others will disagree.
Wood's 'London Symphony' is terrific however and I really liked the dance-like,  unsentimental version of the ubiquitous 'Greensleeves' too.

[cilgwyn]

  Funny,thing. I just thought,now. What was I saying? " I love it!" ??!! I don't usually care too much for the Serenade,either. I think I just enjoyed it after hearing the Henry Wood London Symphony. Either,I enjoyed his recording of the Symphony so much it put me in an especially good and receptive mood for the Serenade;or,having the Serenade placed last,means you don't have to sit through the blinking thing first?!! I do think that Greensleeves makes a better curtain raiser,though....and shorter!
Or why not just jettison the annoying Serenade from the cd-r and enjoy Greensleeves and the Symphony without it?!!
I don't usually like allot of Dutton's own label transfers of old recordings (too much intervention,for me!) but this one is very good.

[vandermolen]

Funny,thing. I just thought,now. What was I saying? " I love it!" ??!! I don't usually care too much for the Serenade,either. I think I just enjoyed it after hearing the Henry Wood London Symphony. Either,I enjoyed his recording of the Symphony so much it put me in an especially good and receptive mood for the Serenade;or,having the Serenade placed last,means you don't have to sit through the blinking thing first?!! I do think that Greensleeves makes a better curtain raiser,though....and shorter!
Or why not just jettison the annoying Serenade from the cd-r and enjoy Greensleeves and the Symphony without it?!!
I don't usually like allot of Dutton's own label transfers of old recordings (too much intervention,for me!) but this one is very good.

Most VW fans rate the Serenade very highly. There was quite a strong reaction when I suicidally expressed much the same view in the Journal of the RVW Society. 
Do you know the 1920 version of A London Symphony? I'd be interested to hear your views on it.

[Karl Henning]

Most VW fans rate the Serenade very highly. There was quite a strong reaction when I suicidally expressed much the same view in the Journal of the RVW Society. 

"Traitor!  Here's a service revolver: you know what to do.  Nice knowing you, old man."

[Sergeant Rock]

I don't usually care too much for the Serenade,either.

There was quite a strong reaction when I suicidally expressed much the same view in the Journal of the RVW Society. 

                                  cilgwyn

                                  vandermolen 

[Karl Henning]

Perhaps, Sarge, they only mean that in comparison to the Serenades of Britten or Schoenberg, RVW's is less striking   

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

I must say I try to take an even-tempered approach to others' musical tastes as I hope they would do onto mine.  But not liking VW's Serenade to Music is beyond the pale!    I regard it not so much a musical composition as I do an important internal organ situated close to my heart and functioning similarly both biologically and metaphorically.  And I would venture to say as well that the work meant so much to VW himself - both because he was inordinately proud of it and because it was his own heartfelt homage to the art form - that any VW fan who sez they do not like it is no VW fan.  Are you not moved with concord of sweet sound?  Well, then you can't be trusted.  I implore you to seek out a performance you like and allow the sounds of music creep in your ears until soft stillness and the night become the touches of sweet harmony.