Vaughan-Williams: Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Wow, lots of tempting goodies here! THANKS for the recommendations. For now, I have placed the Barbirolli English String Music on my wish list, but will certainly look into the others as well. The boxed sets look very tempting too, but I already have many large boxed sets of which I've only heard a fraction--I'm easing up on buying them for now a bit. (Yes, I know I originally asked for suggestions for boxed sets--I'll get to them eventually!)

[vandermolen]

Wow, lots of tempting goodies here! THANKS for the recommendations. For now, I have placed the Barbirolli English String Music on my wish list, but will certainly look into the others as well. The boxed sets look very tempting too, but I already have many large boxed sets of which I've only heard a fraction--I'm easing up on buying them for now a bit. (Yes, I know I originally asked for suggestions for boxed sets--I'll get to them eventually!)

The Barbirolli is a great choice - a classic recording.

[Christo]

I 'discovered' the piece in 1978 thanks to the Boult/ LPO performance - which served as my standard ever since. I love the Barbarolli equally, and learn here that I should invest the Mark Elder series as well. Will oblige. 

[Mirror Image]

I 'discovered' the piece in 1978 thanks to the Boult/ LPO performance - which served as my standard ever since. I love the Barbarolli equally, and learn here that I should invest the Mark Elder series as well. Will oblige. 

Elder's RVW is rather uneven, but the recording with A Pastoral Symphony, Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus, and, of course, Tallis Fantasia is the best one of the lot (so far) IMHO.

[vandermolen]

Elder's RVW is rather uneven, but the recording with A Pastoral Symphony, Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus, and, of course, Tallis Fantasia is the best one of the lot (so far) IMHO.

+1

[DaveF]

But the Tallis Fantasia is the splendid Silvestri & Bournemouth. Hickox conducts the Fantasy on Christmas Carols.

Yes, my mistake.  Trusting my memory rather than checking.

[Parsifal]

You won't go wrong with Barbirolli or Boult (several recordings), however I really like the Slatkin recording and the Silvestri, especially for the Winchester Cathedral acoustic which works very well in this work.

Just realized the Tallis Fantasia is in the Silvestri ICON box I have. I will have to dig it out for a listen.

[vandermolen]

Just realized the Tallis Fantasia is in the Silvestri ICON box I have. I will have to dig it out for a listen.

Let us know what you think of it.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Just realized the Tallis Fantasia is in the Silvestri ICON box I have. I will have to dig it out for a listen.

If I remember correctly everything in that box is quite excellent. Silvestri is just a very spontaneous conductor. Everything he touches feels just right.

[vandermolen]

Here's another good way of picking up the Barbirolli performance as you also get his legendary performances of A London Symphony (his first recording from 1957) and Symphony 5 (his second and best recording from 1962). The version of No.5 is my favourite:
[asin]B0183CCWS4[/asin]

[geralmar]

Hard to find and a definite outlier, but I'm partial to the 1958  Mitropoulos/New York Philharmonic recording.