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Above: Vaughan Williams (extreme left) with Royal Army Medical
Corps working party.
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A Sea Symphony (Symphony
No 1) |
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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 |
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A Song for
All Seas |
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On the Beach
at Night, Alone |
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Scherzo: The
Waves |
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The Explorers |
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A London Symphony (Symphony
No 2) |
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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
For
more information.
Left: George Butterworth |
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Lento - Allegro
risoluto |
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Lento |
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Scherzo |
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Andante con
moto |
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A Pastoral Symphony (Symphony
No 3) |
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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
For more information
Left: VW in the Royal Medical Corps in 1915 |
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Molto moderato |
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Lento moderato |
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Moderato pesante |
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Lento |
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Symphony No. 4 in F minor |
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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 |
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Allegro |
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Andante moderato |
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Scherzo |
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Finale |
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Symphony No. 5 in D major |
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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
For more information
Left: VW conducting his
5th Symphony in 1945. |
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Preludio: Moderato |
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Scherzo: Presto
misterioso |
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Romanza: Lento |
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Passacaglia:
Moderato |
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Symphony No. 6 in E minor |
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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. |
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Allegro |
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Moderato |
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Scherzo: Alegro
vivace |
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Epilogue: Moderato |
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Symphony No. 7 'Sinfonia
Antartica' |
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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. |
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Prelude |
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Scherzo |
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Landscape |
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Intermezzo |
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Epilogue |
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Symphony No. 8 in D minor |
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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 |
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Fantasia |
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Scherzo |
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Cavatina |
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Toccata |
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Symphony No. 9 in D minor |
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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. |
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Moderato maestoso |
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Andante sostenuto |
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Scherzo |
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Andante tranquillo |
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