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  Vaughan Williams Symphonies Soundclips
Steve Schwartz gives an overview of Vaughan Williams' symphonies. Visit Classical Net
http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/v-w/v-wsymoverview.html


 
  VW and RAMC working party

Above: Vaughan Williams (extreme left) with Royal Army Medical Corps working party.

  A Sea Symphony (Symphony No 1)
Whitman Words by Whitman. The choral societies favourite. Completed in 1910 and first performed in Leeds on VW's 38th birthday, 12th October, this symphony caused great excitement when it was first heard. Seven years in gestation. 'Big stuff with impertinences' Hubert Parry called it.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Robert Spano, Christine Goerke (Soprano), Brett Polegato (Baritone), Chorus Master: Norman McKenzie.
©Telarc SACD-60588
For more information.

Left: Walt Whitman
 
A Song for All Seas
On the Beach at Night, Alone
Scherzo: The Waves
The Explorers

  A London Symphony (Symphony No 2)
Butterworth One of VW's favourite works. First performed in 1914. Packed with tunes and ideas and full of visual references. The Thames in fog, street sellers, Westminster chimes, hustle and bustle - is all in this work. Written when VW lived by the river, at Cheyne Walk, in Chelsea. Encouraged by his friend George Butterworth.
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Conductor Vernon Handley.
©HMV
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Left: George Butterworth
 
Lento - Allegro risoluto
Lento
Scherzo
Andante con moto

  A Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No 3)
First performed under Sir Adrian Boult on January 26, 1922 at Queen's Hall. A haunting work, the symphony was misunderstood at the time. The symphony was conceived while VW was on military service in Northern France and reflects his yearning for home. The spectacular sunsets over the killing fields were ironic images which inspired him.
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Conductor Vernon Handley.
©EMI
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Left: VW in the Royal Medical Corps in 1915
 
Molto moderato
Lento moderato
Moderato pesante
Lento

  Symphony No. 4 in F minor
VW VW famously remarked of this symphony, 'I dont know if I like it, but it's what I meant'. He denied that the symphony prophesised war in Europe. Nevertheless, the work is angry and menacing with a defiant ending and came as a shock after the Pastoral. First performed on 10 April, 1935, to huge acclaim.
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Conductor Vernon Handley.
©EMI
Visit this site for more information:
and this: the Philharmonia media page

Left: VW in 1926
 
Allegro
Andante moderato
Scherzo
Finale

  Symphony No. 5 in D major
Again a complete contrast from the preceding work. Parts of it contain material from the then unfinished opera 'Pilgrim's Progress'. Composed between 1938-43. A beautifully serene work but with tension at its core. First performed with VW conducting at the Royal Albert Hall in June 1943 and dedicated to Sibelius, 'without permission'.
London Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Richard Hickox.
©Chandos
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Left: VW conducting his 5th Symphony in 1945.
 
Preludio: Moderato
Scherzo: Presto misterioso
Romanza: Lento
Passacaglia: Moderato

  Symphony No. 6 in E minor
VW Composed between 1944-47 and first performed under Boult on 21 April 1948. Another menacing work, with whirling and devilish impressions. Contains a bizarre tuba solo as well as a rombustious scherzo and jazzy syncopations. The second movement recalls the Mars of Gustav Holst while the wonderful pianissimo finale gives the impression of drifting in timelessness and space.
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Conductor Bernard Haitink.
For more information visit the Philharmonia page.

Left: VW was losing his hearing almost certainly as a result of his time in the field.
 
Allegro
Moderato
Scherzo: Alegro vivace
Epilogue: Moderato

  Symphony No. 7 'Sinfonia Antartica'
Much of this symphony was taken from material used for the film, Scott of the Antarctic. First performed by the Hallé Orchestra under Barbirolli on 14 January 1953. It called for the largest orchestra ever employed by VW and uses a piano, a wind machine, gongs, organ, glockenspiel, celesta, xylophone and vibraphone as well as human voice.
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Alison Hargon (soprano), Ian Tracy (organ),
Conductor Vernon Handley.
©EMI
For more information visit the Philharmonia page.

Left: Rehearsing Antartica with Ernest Irving.
 
Prelude
Scherzo
Landscape
Intermezzo
Epilogue

  Symphony No. 8 in D minor
Dedicated to Sir John Barbirolli and first performed on 2 May 1956 in Manchester's Free Trade Hall by the Hallé Orchestra and Barbirolli conducting. Using an exotic instrument combination, this is the shortest of the symphonies. VW called the first movement, 'seven variations in search of a theme'.
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Conductor Bernard Haitink.
©EMI
For more information.

Left: With John Baribirolli
 
Fantasia
Scherzo
Cavatina
Toccata

  Symphony No. 9 in D minor
Composed in 1956-7 and revised in 1958, the year of the composer's death, the symphony was first performed under Sir Malcolm Sargent on 2 April 1958. Despite his great age and despite revisiting ideas explored much earlier, the music is innovative and predicts a new phase in VWs musical journey. Many of the ideas evoke Thomas Hardy's novel 'Tess', a work which VW held important enough to conduct a walk in the 'footsteps of' with his lifelong friend Gustav Holst. Images of the Salisbury Plains and district abound.
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Conductor Bernard Haitink.
©EMI
For more information.

Left: Gustav Holst. VW and Holst were great admirers of Hardy's work.
 
Moderato maestoso
Andante sostenuto
Scherzo
Andante tranquillo


 
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