Vaughan Williams: Lark Ascending; Job

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
I think we all know the story. God makes a bet with the Devil to test Job's faith, and it isn't at all clear who wins. What is perfectly clear is that Job loses--he gets thoroughly clobbered, though there's a happy ending when his prosperity and serenity are restored. Vaughan Williams turned this rather depressing story into one of his very greatest works, a magnificent ballet that perfectly captures the personalities of the various protagonists. The music representing God and his foe, Satan, is especially well crafted, and the whole work has long been regarded as the composer's orchestral masterpiece. This excellent performance makes it available to you at budget price, and in fine sound to boot. Can't beat that! --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Fant On 'Greensleeves' - LSO/Sir Adrian Boult
The Lark Ascending - David Nolan
English Folk Song Ste: I. March (Seventeen Come Sunday)/II. Intermezzo (My Bonny Boy)/III. March... - LSO/Sir Adran Boult
Fant On A Theme By Thomas Tallis - Jonathan Small
The Wasps - Aristophanic Ste: Ballet And Final Tableau - LPO/Vernon Handley
Sinf Antartica, Landscape: III. Lento - Alison Hargan/Ian Tracey/Royal Liverpool Phil Choir
Job - A Masque For Dancing: Satan's Dance Of Triumph - The London Phil/Vernon Handley
Ser To Music (Shakespeare) - Royal Liverpool Phil Choir/Ian Tracey

Average customer rating:

Perfect !

Vaughan Williams: Lark Ascending; Job

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Vaughn Williams: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 9
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 2; The Wasps
Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 7 "Sinfonia antartica" & 8
Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 3 "Pastoral" & No. 6

ASIN: B0000014FQ
Release Date: 1997-06-10

Tracks:

Job - A Masque For Dancing: Scene I: Introduction - Pastoral Dance - Satan's Appeal To God - Saraband Of The Sons Of God
Job - A Masque For Dancing: Scene II: Satan's Dance Of Triumph
Job - A Masque For Dancing: Scene III: Minuet Of The Sons Of Job And Their Wives
Job - A Masque For Dancing: Scene IV: Job's Dream. Dance Of Plague, Pestilence, Famine And Battle
Job - A Masque For Dancing: Scene V: Dance Of The Messengers
Job - A Masque For Dancing: Scene VI: Dance Of Job's Comforters. Job's Curse. A Vision Of Satan
Job - A Masque For Dancing: Scene VII: Elihu's Dance Of Youth And Beauty. Pavane Of The Sons Of The Morning
Job - A Masque For Dancing: Scene VIII: Galliard Of The Sons Of Morning. Altar Dance And Heavenly Pavane
Job - A Masque For Dancing: Scene IX: Epilogue
The Lark Ascending

Amazon.com

I think we all know the story. God makes a bet with the Devil to test Job's faith, and it isn't at all clear who wins. What is perfectly clear is that Job loses--he gets thoroughly clobbered, though there's a happy ending when his prosperity and serenity are restored. Vaughan Williams turned this rather depressing story into one of his very greatest works, a magnificent ballet that perfectly captures the personalities of the various protagonists. The music representing God and his foe, Satan, is especially well crafted, and the whole work has long been regarded as the composer's orchestral masterpiece. This excellent performance makes it available to you at budget price, and in fine sound to boot. Can't beat that! --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Perfect !.......2001-11-13

I`d just like to say that I think " The Lark Ascending " is for me probably the most perfect piece of music I`ve ever heard . That violin sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it . Sublime !

Tracks:

I: A Song For All Seas, All Ships - London Philharmonic Choir
II: On The Beach At Night, Alone - London Philharmonic Choir
III: Scherzo: The Waves - London Philharmonic Choir
IV: The Explorers - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir

Tracks:

Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis - London Philharmonic Orchestra
I: Lento - Allegro Risoluto - London Philharmonic Orchestra
II: Lento - London Philharmonic Orchestra
III: Scherzo (Nocturne): Allegro Vivace - London Philharmonic Orchestra
IV: Andante Con Moto - Maestoso Alla Marcia - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

I: Molto Moderato - Margaret Price
II: Lento Moderato - Margaret Price
III: Moderato Pesante - Margaret Price
IV: Lento - Margaret Price
I: Preludio: Moderato - London Philharmonic Orchestra
II: Scherzo: Presto - London Philharmonic Orchestra
III: Romanza: Lento - London Philharmonic Orchestra
IV: Passacaglia: Moderato - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

I: Allegro - New Philharmonia Orchestra
II: Andante Moderato - New Philharmonia Orchestra
III: Scherzo: Allegro Molto - New Philharmonia Orchestra
IV: Finale Con Epilogo Fugato: Allegro Molto - New Philharmonia Orchestra
I: Allegro - New Philharmonia Orchestra
II: Moderato - New Philharmonia Orchestra
III: Scherzo: Allegro Vivace - New Philharmonia Orchestra
IV: Epilogue: Moderato - New Philharmonia Orchestra

Tracks:

I: Prelude: Andante Maestoso - London Philharmonic Choir
II: Scherzo: Moderato - London Philharmonic Choir
III: Landscape: Lento - London Philharmonic Choir
IV: Intermezzo: Andante Sostenuto - London Philharmonic Choir
V: Epilogue: Alla Marcia - London Philharmonic Choir
I: Overture - London Philharmonic Orchestra
II: Entr'acte - London Philharmonic Orchestra
III: March Past Of The Kitchen Utensils - London Philharmonic Orchestra
IV: Entr'acte - London Philharmonic Orchestra
V: Ballet And Final Tableau - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

I: Fantasia (Variazioni Senza Tema) - London Philharmonic Orchestra
II: Scherzo Alla Marcia - London Philharmonic Orchestra
III: Cavatina - London Philharmonic Orchestra
IV: Toccata - London Philharmonic Orchestra
I: Moderato Maestoso - London Philharmonic Orchestra
II: Andante Sostenuto - London Philharmonic Orchestra
III: Scherzo: Allegro Pesante - London Philharmonic Orchestra
IV: Andante Tranquillo - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

Serenade To Music - Norma Burrowes
In The Fen Country - New Philharmonia Orchestra
The Lark Ascending - Hugh Bean
Norfolk Rhapsody No.1 - New Philharmonia Orchestra
English Folk Song Suite - London Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - London Symphony Orchestra
Untitled - London Symphony Orchestra
Untitled - London Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

I: Toccata: Allegro Moderato - Victor Babin
II: Romanza: Lento - Victor Babin
III: Fuga Chromatica (Allegro) Con - Victor Babin
Finale Alla Tedesca - Victor Babin
Introduction - London Symphony Orchestra
Sarabande Of The Sons Of God - London Symphony Orchestra
Satan's Dance Of Triumph - London Symphony Orchestra
Minuet Of The Sons Of Job And Their Wives - London Symphony Orchestra
Job's Dream - London Symphony Orchestra
Dream Of The Three Messengers - London Symphony Orchestra
Dance Of Job's Comforters - London Symphony Orchestra
Elihu's Dance Of Youth And Beauty - London Symphony Orchestra
Pavane Of The Sons Of The Morning - London Symphony Orchestra
Galliard Of The Sons Of The Morning - London Symphony Orchestra
Altar Dance - London Symphony Orchestra
Epilogue - London Symphony Orchestra

Amazon.com

Adrian Boult's credentials in this repertoire are unassailable, and to have nearly all his stereo Vaughan Williams recordings for EMI so elegantly packaged and enticingly priced will be incentive enough for many a prospective purchaser. There's much to treasure here, not least those gently perceptive accounts of the first three symphonies, as well as the Fifth and the Ninth. All the same, the fires burned more brightly on Boult's earlier mono cycle for Decca, and there's some oddly listless orchestral playing to contend with in both the Sinfonia Antarctica and the Eighth, especially. The Fourth and Sixth, too, find the New Philharmonia in less than ideally tidy form. The disc of shorter orchestral items and the gorgeous Serenade to Music offer mostly unbridled pleasure (with Hugh Bean a memorably serene soloist in The Lark Ascending), as does Boult's fourth and final recording of Job, though here, too, tension levels are markedly lower than on either of his mono versions. No matter, for all its ups and downs, the present anthology undoubtedly offers fine value for the money. --Andrew Achenbach

Customer Reviews:

BEST COMPLETE SURVEY.......2006-07-14

The VW symphonies have done remarkably well on disc. Complete cycles by Previn, Haitink and Tod Handley all make substantial claims. Individual symphonies from Richard Hickox, Andrew Davis, Vaughan Williams himself and, of course, 'Glorious John' Barbirolli (as VW christened him) also demand attention. But, if you're looking for a complete overview of the Vaughan Williams symphonic canon (plus quite a lot of substantial extras) then this Boult set is probably still the best all-round recommendation.

Even he has a substantial rival in his earlier self on Decca, conducted under the gaze of the composer who delivers a touching speech of thanks to the players at the end of the pianissimo finale of the Sixth Symphony. This earlier Decca version probably has the edge for urgency and thrust in the quicker movements, but the sound on these later discs benefits enormously from the full warm stereo production typical of EMI in the 70's and also benefits from Sir Adrian's lifetime experience of these works.

In many ways, it is the earlier symphonies that come off best in this series. A wonderfully full-blooded Sea Symphony with a finely disciplined chorus, excellent soloists in John Carol Case and Sheila Armstrong (though she can't eclipse the magical Isobel Baillie in the older Boult set), and a rich Kingsway Hall acoustic get the set off to a fine start. The London Symphony was always special with Boult: he managed to achieve an ideal balance of symphonic thought with the touches of Edwardian period colour. The jingles of the hansom cab in the London fog and the cries of the street vendors come off particularly well here. But don't ignore Hickox's magnificent recording of the substantially longer original version. The Pastoral, too, is beautifully sustained in Boult's hands: the succession of slow, mostly quiet movements always glows with Pastoral intensity for him. Maybe his disciple, Vernon Handley, penetrates deeper into the dark echoes of the composer's experiences as an ambulance driver in the Great War.

The Fourth - "I don't know if I like it, but it's what I meant," in VW's famous quote - is full of barely restrained power, but perhaps would benefit from a bit more urgency at times. The Fifth, arguably the most symphonic of all the symphonies despite the Pilgrim's Progress origins of much of its material, gets an authentically profound performance with the LPO. Maybe we are closer to the Pilgrim origins here than to the symphonic arguments behind their transformations. There is serious competition in this symphony from Barbirolli (his 1st recording), from Haitink and from Handley. Haitink is the most 'symphonic', Barbirolli the most impassioned, Handley probably the most balanced.

The Sixth is fine, suitably violent and desolate by turns, but doesn't quite match Boult's blistering earlier recording. The Antarctica is curiously lack-lustre here - Haitink's is the revelatory performance of this symphony. The Eighth has always seemed to be the special domain of its dedicatee, Barbirolli, who had the key to unlocking its mixture of wild and wonderful orchestration (including "all the 'phones and 'spiels known to the composer") with cryptic symphonic argument. The enigmatic Ninth seems to elude most conductors, including Boult here. Handley comes closest to revealing its dark Hardyesque mysteries.

There are two additional discs of extra stuff, all beautifully played. Specially noteworthy are a Serenade to Music that comes close to matching Henry Wood's original line-up of soloists, Hugh Bean as a magically carolling Lark Ascending, a real rarity in the Double Piano Concerto and a great Job, perhaps the VW work closest to Boult's heart.

This set is excellent value for money and, for a complete collection of the symphonies, probably the best all-round recommendation - though Tod Handley runs it pretty close. Maybe the bonus items tip the balance Boult's way.

Still the Best.......2006-03-20

Done more than 30 years ago, these recordings are still the best available of Ralph Vaughan Williams' orchestral music. The sound is here and there a little dated, but usually strongly competitive with present digital recordings. And the musicianship -- the wisdom of Adrian Boult and the high level of playing and singing -- really carry the day. Teaching a Lifelong Learning Institute on 20th Century Romantic composers this winter, I not only recommended but urged the participants to buy this set.

Vaughan Williams is one of the finest symphonists ever -- a thorough-going craftsman -- whose music connects the English countryside of a hundred years ago to the agonies of war and uproar of the century just past. People will be listening to this music long after the academics have come and gone; and this recording will still be the benchmark.

As good as anyone needs--this isn't Beethoven.......2005-11-01

The British are admirable loyalists when it comes to their own composers. Symphonies by Bax, Arnold, Rubbra, Simpson, and others that are nevre played in the U.S. are daily fare to music lovers in the UK, which heated discussion about the best versions. By comparison, how much do American music lovers argue over the symphonies of William Schuman, Roy Harris, Roger Sessions, Leonard Bernstein, John Harbison, or champion of them all, with symphonies by the dozen, Alan Hovhaness?

Of the British crop, the only works that cross the Atlantic with any frequency are Elgar Sym. #1, Walton Sym. #1, and a handful of the Vaughan Williams nine. Boult's second set of the VW symphonies, in stereo for EMI as opposed to mono for Decca, is all anybody really needs. Some of the performances have been bettered individually--one thinks of Handley's VW First, Bernstein's Fourth, Barbirolli's Second, Stokowski's Fourth and Sixth--but these symphonies aren't masterpieces. Boult has a fine orchestra in the London Phil. and good analog sound from EMI; his readings are dramatic and interesting, if not always deep.

If this were a Beethoven cycle, I'd want three or four alternative sets. Here it's not necessary. You can own all of VW's symphonic output and be assured that each reading is good enough to do justice to the music. Of course, this won't stop British enthusiasts, but for Americans time might be better spent uncovering the shamefully neglected symphonic past--and present--of our native composers.

Consider Supplementing This Core Set .......2005-02-23

My first exposure to V W's symphonies happened back in the 1970's courtesy of Boult's earlier recordings (#1-8 on London and Decca LPs, and #9 on an Everest LP). Later I acquired all of Boult's stereo recordings on Angel LPs. Here we have the latter recordings in their best-ever transfers. Despite strong competition from Handley (EMI) and Previn (RCA), I feel that over-all this Boult set (Boult II) remains THE one to own in good stereo sound. However, Boult's earlier set (Boult I - now available on Decca CDs in top-notch transfers) features even better performances of Symphonies 4, 6 and 9. I own them both, along with a few individual symphony readings by other conductors. Here's a brief summary of the performances:

#1. I won't mince words here: This Sea Symphony is absolutely dazzling, the finest I have ever heard. Boult I was also pretty extraordinary, but Boult II's superb stereo sound and slightly stronger vocal line-up make it a clear first choice.

#2. Boult I is a more energetic performance than Boult II. Sonically, however, Boult II offers a far more vivid listening experience. I am also rather fond of Barbirolli's first recording (on Dutton, paired with his magnificent 8th). My favorite "live" 2nd is a superb Malcolm Sargent reading, available only in an expensive 10-disc set from the Chicago Symphony. That set is well worth owning: it also contains what I feel are the finest-ever recordings of three great Third Symphonies (Mahler's, Prokofiev's and Roussel's), in readings by (respectively) Martinon, Kondrashin and Munch.

#3. Boult II is my favorite here, just ahead of Previn (RCA).

#4. Boult II simply lacks the incredible rhythmic snap and commitment of Boult I, which is my favorite account along with the Stokowski (Cala) and the composer himself (Dutton, paired with Barbirolli's fine 5th). In V W's own reading, the influence of the composer's contemporaries (especially Honegger, Janacek and Roussel) sounds more noticeable than in any other recording.

#5. Boult I and II are both excellent. Despite II's better sound, I think I prefer I's greater exuberance (especially in the 2nd mvt.) Likewise, I am very fond of both Barbirolli readings (Dutton and EMI), but retain a slight preference for the mono Dutton (which also has V W's own hell-for-leather rendition of the 4th).

#6. Boult I is far better than the slightly soggy Boult II: the former is my favorite performance of the work, despite the mono sound. At the end is a touching little speech given by the composer, in which he thanks Boult and the orchestra for their incredible pianissimo playing in the Epilogue: Indispensable. In stereo, the inexpensive Bakels (Naxos) is excellent.

#7. It's almost a toss-up here, but Boult II ultimately wins out on the basis of sound. But Boult I is no sonic slouch, and Sir John Gielgud's stately narration is a handsome dividend.

#8. Here I feel that, while Boult II is clearly superior to Boult I, neither comes even close to matching the classic first studio recording by Barbirolli, to whom the work is dedicated. The latter is coupled on Dutton with Barbirolli's fine #2 (both in stereo). Barbirolli's studio effort is FAR better played than his live 8th on BBC Legends.

#9. Boult I, this time in clear stereo sound (licensed from Everest), is in every way superior to Boult II, which is curiously detached. Unfortunately, the excellent "Job: A Masque for Dancing" that was Everest's discmate has not been retained. That's a pity: nobody ever did it better, although the Boult II is very satisfying.

All of the smaller works included on Boult II (the Boult I set has just the 9 symphonies) receive fine performances. Especially noteworthy is the Serenade to Music: it even eclipses the classic first-ever recording by Sir Henry Wood (on Dutton). In the Tallis Variations, there are wonderful versions worth hearing from Silvestri (EMI), Stokowski (Bridge) and Barbirolli (EMI). Silvestri also recorded a superlative Wasps (EMI).

If recorded sound is your uppermost concern, then Boult II will prove the more satisfying. But if you want to hear Boult's V W interpretations at their finest, then owning both sets becomes essential.

What's the hurry to have 'em all?.......2003-09-24

This is a "bargain," sort of. But Ralph Vaughan Williams is not Beethoven; unless one is VW "completist" one doesn't really need the unifying vision of a great conductor in a recorded cycle of all nine symphonies with the same orchestra. So it's worthwhile & fun to assemble a VW cycle from a variety of sources. I recommend unreservedly the ethereal Boult #3 & #5 (the former with lovely Brit soprano Margaret Price), & his Job Masque & #9 on Everest (the latter recorded the day after VW died). Actually, any of the recordings in this set are fine. But there are others equally accomplished or even better: Hickox & Bryden Thomson on Chandos; Andre Previn on RCA (Sea Symphony with Heather Harper & John Shirley-Quirk); Kees Bakels on low-priced Naxos; Andrew Davis & the BBC Orchestra on Elektra; Bernard Haitink on Angel/Emi; Vernon Handley & the Royal Liverpool on whatever label is issuing them now; orchestra isn't great but the conductor is insightful. Plus the superb David Lloyd-Jones recording of Job for Naxos. There's a couple of stereo Barbirolli peformances out there, too. Because of his creative alliance with the composer, Boult set the base standard for these symphonies, especially in his historic mono recordings, but that doesn't mean he owns them; & in any case he was quite old by the time good stereo sound arrived. & you'll want "high fidelity," not an ancient artifact. Collect your first Mahler & Bruckner cycles the same way. What's the hurry to have 'em all? Have fun with your purchases.

Bob Rixon

Music Review: