Vaughan Williams's Veranda

Started by karlhenning, April 12, 2007, 06:03:44 AM

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SurprisedByBeauty

#6240
Quote from: ultralinear on January 20, 2023, 09:45:16 AMPresto are listing this box of Elder's VW symphonies as available now:





Bingbingbing. Jackpot! Thanks much.  ;D

Oh, just found one of the Elder-reviews; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrrABqNJBYE :-)

JBS

#6241
You don't need Pristine because you've got Decca Eloquence's Boult Legacy set!
ASIN is B0BCX3R1R7


Which includes Job, Old King Cole, etc, as well as Arnold, Holst, etc.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

SurprisedByBeauty

#6242
Quote from: JBS on January 20, 2023, 01:02:42 PMYou don't need Pristine because you've got Decca Eloquence's Boult Legacy set!
ASIN is B0BCX3R1R7


Which includes Job, Old King Cole, etc, as well as Arnold, Holst, etc.

Bit of a mix, but good to know. Will include that option in the survey.

Are they remastered, though? I can't find any info on that. (Not until now, anyway.)

JBS

Quote from: SurprisedByBeauty on January 20, 2023, 01:07:50 PMBit of a mix, but good to know. Will include that option in the survey.

Are they remastered, though? I can't find any info on that. (Not until now, anyway.)

Apparently not, except for four tracks of Holst that were never released until they were included in this set. The track listings, copyright dates, recording data, and brochure credits refer only to the original LPs. But the sound is fairly good, so I'm surprised it's not a remastering.

Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

SurprisedByBeauty

Quote from: JBS on January 20, 2023, 01:47:49 PMApparently not, except for four tracks of Holst that were never released until they were included in this set. The track listings, copyright dates, recording data, and brochure credits refer only to the original LPs. But the sound is fairly good, so I'm surprised it's not a remastering.

That's what I figured, after reading the Eloquence website's info. But it's good just to have it readily available again... although the old Decca set, which also includes the Everest 9th, is still readily enough available.

vandermolen

I like the sound quality of the VW works that I have sampled (symphs 2,3,5, Job, Old King Cole) in the new Eloquence box. I bought the CDs of symphonies 6/9 and A Sea Symphony on Pristine but I found the sound rather shrill. I prefer that of the Eloquence set.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Brian

I think sometimes Eloquence remasters things without advertising it. I have seen the booklets credit "remaster engineers" without specifying which discs or tracks were included in the work.

vandermolen

On my return from work yesterday I tuned into a very interesting programme about the Viola on BBC Radio 3. It featured an especially interesting and rather moving discussion about Vaughan Williams's 'Flos Campi' which made me consider the work in a new light:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000sycs
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Karl Henning

Quote from: vandermolen on February 03, 2023, 11:23:52 PMOn my return from work yesterday I tuned into a very interesting programme about the Viola on BBC Radio 3. It featured an especially interesting and rather moving discussion about Vaughan Williams's 'Flos Campi' which made me consider the work in a new light:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000sycs

Thanks, Jeffrey. I greatly enjoyed this. It contrasts so sharply, too, with the anodyne vapidity of Boston's CRB
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

vandermolen

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on February 04, 2023, 08:36:56 AMThanks, Jeffrey. I greatly enjoyed this. It contrasts so sharply, too, with the anodyne vapidity of Boston's CRB
I thought that you might be interested Karl. I shall listen to 'Flos Campi'with more insight now. I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Irons

A stunning performance of 8th Symphony by Charles Munch and Boston Symphony. Poor show that RCA didn't have the wherewithal to make a recording.

https://youtu.be/26Two4qjxmw
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

Roasted Swan

Quote from: Irons on February 14, 2023, 12:18:21 AMA stunning performance of 8th Symphony by Charles Munch and Boston Symphony. Poor show that RCA didn't have the wherewithal to make a recording.

https://youtu.be/26Two4qjxmw

Thanks for sharing that - No.8 is usually one of my least favourite of the RVW cycle but this is a tremendous performance and the actual sound is very good too.  What a discovery!

Irons

Quote from: Roasted Swan on February 14, 2023, 02:16:42 AMThanks for sharing that - No.8 is usually one of my least favourite of the RVW cycle but this is a tremendous performance and the actual sound is very good too.  What a discovery!

Pleased you enjoyed it. Previn is my benchmark in the 8th but I thought Munch surpassed that. A second movement to die for!
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

Roasted Swan

Quote from: Irons on February 14, 2023, 07:23:08 AMPleased you enjoyed it. Previn is my benchmark in the 8th but I thought Munch surpassed that. A second movement to die for!

The latest installment in the excellent SOMM/RVW live includes a Barbirolli 'live' No.8 with the Halle from 1964.  Even given all the "authority" that Barbirolli brings to this particular score the Halle are simply 2nd tier compared to the Boston players.  Given this is the score where (arguably) RVW 'plays' with instrumental textures more than any other symphony the quality of the playing is key so hard not to give the laurels to Munch/BSO......

vandermolen

#6254
Quote from: Roasted Swan on February 14, 2023, 08:58:59 AMThe latest installment in the excellent SOMM/RVW live includes a Barbirolli 'live' No.8 with the Halle from 1964.  Even given all the "authority" that Barbirolli brings to this particular score the Halle are simply 2nd tier compared to the Boston players.  Given this is the score where (arguably) RVW 'plays' with instrumental textures more than any other symphony the quality of the playing is key so hard not to give the laurels to Munch/BSO......
Previn remains my favourite recording.
I have this (CD) if it's the same one that you mean:
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Brian

Thanks so much for posting that Munch performance, I also immensely enjoyed it. Not a conductor I associate with Vaughan Williams, but he shows an extraordinary affinity. Might have to find the CD (especially if the restored sound helps to make some of the finale's percussion clearer).

In other RVW listening this week, this is truly excellent:


Karl Henning

Quote from: Brian on February 15, 2023, 01:28:44 PMThanks so much for posting that Munch performance, I also immensely enjoyed it. Not a conductor I associate with Vaughan Williams, but he shows an extraordinary affinity. Might have to find the CD (especially if the restored sound helps to make some of the finale's percussion clearer).

In other RVW listening this week, this is truly excellent:


Nice! How's the Howells?
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Brian

Quote from: Karl Tirebiter Henning on February 15, 2023, 02:35:22 PMNice! How's the Howells?

This was my first experience with the Howells work and it was a complete delight! More abstract, more modern in its harmonies, with a strong dancelike character in the outer movements, it's actually a lot like an English version of Bartok's Divertimento. If you can imagine the idea that Bartok and Walton had a Frankensteinian brain-swapping procedure, or somesuch, that will create the right impression. I was thoroughly impressed with the craft and I also loved the performance, which is very vigorous, physical, and visceral. This whole album gives you a strong feeling of the muscular work of string playing. Plus: prominent bass lines throughout.

I will now eagerly seek out the recordings on Chandos (complete Howells string orchestra music) and Helios (paired with Piano Concerto No. 2 and Three Dances, neither of which I know).

Skogwald

Hey all, I'm only just getting into Vaughan Williams' music. I have been listening to the complete symphonies by Boult and have been especially drawn to symphonies 6 and 9.

I'm sure you have already discussed this several times over the previous 300+ pages but what do you consider amazing RVW recordings that I should get?

Christo

#6259
Quote from: Skogwald on February 19, 2023, 09:24:15 AMHey all, I'm only just getting into Vaughan Williams' music. I have been listening to the complete symphonies by Boult and have been especially drawn to symphonies 6 and 9.

I'm sure you have already discussed this several times over the previous 300+ pages but what do you consider amazing RVW recordings that I should get?
Hi, great to learn that you like the Ninth, which is often mentioned less than the others but one of RVW's finest. As for the recordings: you can't go wrong with any of the Bryden Thomson conducting, helped by a great Chandos sound as well. As for the other conductors: there are many really fine ones, I think the Previn cycle is most often mentioned.

And: great to see you here! :-)
... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948