Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9; Flouris for Glorious John

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Vaughan Williams's Eight and Ninth Symphonies carry on the composer's enchantment with unusual instruments that first appeared in the Seventh Symphony, the famous Sinfonia Antartica. In the Eighth, there's a terrific "bell" finale with its three tuned gongs and "all the phones and spiels known to the composer," as well as inner movements written exclusively for winds and strings. The Ninth has its share of exotic percussion too, but also a flugelhorn and a trio of saxophones. It's all great listening, and it has never been better performed and recorded than in these two outstanding performances. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Sinfonia Antartica (Symphony No. 7): Prelude: Andante maestoso - Lento - Poco animato - Piu mosso - Tranquillo - Andante moderato con moto - Largamente
Sinfonia Antartica (Symphony No. 7): Scherzo: Moderato
Sinfonia Antartica (Symphony No. 7): Landscape: Lento -
Sinfonia Antartica (Symphony No. 7): Intermezzo: Andante sostenuto - Allegretto - Pesante - Tempo primo tranquillo
Sinfonia Antartica (Symphony No. 7): Epilogue: Alla marcia, moderato (non troppo allegro) - Andante maestoso
Symphony No. 8 In D Minor: Fantasia (Variazioni senza Tema): Moderato - Presto - Andante sostenuto - Allegretto - Andante non troppo - Allegro vivace - Andante sostenuto - Largamente - Tempo primo ma tranquillo
Symphony No. 8 In D Minor: Scherzo alla Marcia (per stromenti a fiato): Allegro alla marcia - Andante - Tempo primo
Symphony No. 8 In D Minor: Cavatina (per stromenti ad arco): Lento espressivo
Symphony No. 8 In D Minor: Toccata: Moderato maestoso
Movement Superscriptions For Sinfonia antartica: Prometheus Unbound: Prelude: 'To Suffer Woes Which Hope Thinks Infinite' (Percy Bysshe Shelley)
Movement Superscriptions For Sinfonia antartica: Book Of Common Prayer, Psalm 104: Schezro: 'There Go The Ships'
Movement Superscriptions For Sinfonia antartica: Hymn Before Sunrise, In The Vale Of Chamouni: Landscape: 'Ye Ice Falls!' (Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
Movement Superscriptions For Sinfonia antartica: The Sun Rising: Intermezzo: 'Love, All Alike,' (John Donne)
Movement Superscriptions For Sinfonia antartica: Message To The Public: Epilogue: 'I Do Not Regret This Journey;' (Captain Robert Falcon Scott)

Customer Reviews:

Excellent performances of one of our greatest symphonists........2004-04-28

The posthumous fate of Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) has not always been a kind one. After his death, his music passed through a prolonged period of being deeply unfashionable. Stodgy, tweedy Vaughan Williams--who could get into that?! But, like Elgar, whose music is also cast in a stuffy, stereotypically "British" light, there is much more to Vaughan Williams than one might think.

First, the man was a superb melodist. He was not a mere tunesmith, to be sure, but crafted works that are primarily conceived in terms of melodic development, and this makes his work immediately appealing. Second, he was a highly original thinker who used his colossal technique (he had a doctorate in composition and studied with Ravel) for surprisingly modern ends. His music can at times sound like a mixture of Bach and Debussy, but it is always unmistakably Vaughan Williams. He had a penchant for modal counterpoint, and his streams of parallel chords place his work squarely in the 20th century.

Vaughan Williams' unique talent for scoring is evident throughout this excellent recording of his 7th and 8th symphonies. The "Sinfonia antartica" is based upon a film score he supplied for a film about the explorer Robert Scott. It is by turns brooding and wistful--an ideal introduction to this magnificent composer. Symphony No. 8 is a more eclectic affair, brighter in temperament overall, but a rewarding example of the surprises that lurk around every corner of RVW's work.

Was he the greatest symphonist of the 20th century? The jury's still out. He certainly created a body of symphonic work that is second to none in its richness, diversity, and consistency. Mahler, Sibelius, and Shostakovich are usually considered the most important symphonists of the last century, but for those who seek other fare, you can't do better than Vaughan Williams.

Unbelievable Sound Quality.......2002-03-17

The "Antarctica Symphony" portion of this disk has been called "the best digital recording ever made", and is often recommended for use as a demonstration disk on high-end audio equipment. One listen and you'll understand why...this is truly a sonic marvel.

Not a bad accomplishment for budget-price label Naxos!

A Tale of Two Eighths.......2001-07-30

I think many listeners (and reviewers) will focus more on the seventh symphony; so I leave the seventh to them, although I greatly enjoy this recording of the seventh, and am even modestly grateful that the recited superscriptions are included at the end, where they do not interrupt the sequence of the symphony itself.

The Vaughan Williams eighth symphony exhibits a few interesting parallels with the eighth symphony of the composer whose oeuvre established the "rule of nine" in the writing of symphonies: Beethoven.

Beethoven's Opus 93 strikes some listeners as both "a step backwards" from the rambunctious and expansive seventh (with its electrifying "double scherzo" and achingly intense theme-and-variations slow movement), and a mystification before the grandiose Opus 125. It is something of a look back towards Haydn; it is charming, and elegant, and seems to do entirely without the dramatic musical rhetoric of which Beethoven's third, fifth and seventh symphonies provide ample and potent illustration. It is the sort of thing which "musical progressivists" say we composers cannot do; you can almost hear the phrase spoken, "you can never go back."

Yet, in his eighth symphony, Beethoven succeeds, marvelously and musically; he does, and does not, "go back." Vaughan Williams does something of the same, in his eighth. Even though Vaughan Williams' seventh was composed originally as film music, and then adapted as a symphony in his `cycle' (or perhaps because of this), the eighth seems like a deliberate step away from musical dramtization, and into the realm of abstract, `pure' music, a music which functions on its own, not driven by any extra-musical `program.'

Now, the `point' to which Beethoven does and does not go back, is Haydn; the generation before, and a composer with whom Beethoven had taken lessons. The `point' to which Vaughan Williams does and does not go back, is musical Impressionism, and specifically Ravel. Vaughan Williams had taken some lessons with Ravel; and the `return to pure music' in the eighth is doubly apt here, as part of Ravel's Impressionism is a sort of `romantic neo-classicism' exemplified in "Le Tombeau de Couperin" and the piano concertos.

That Vaughan Williams made his eighth with the Beethoven-parallel in mind, seems to me confirmed in the opening of the second movement. Vaughan Williams' all-winds scherzo begins with too much of a `metronomic' gesture for this to be coincidental. This parallel does not become burdensome, because the `metronomic piece' functions differently in the two eighth symphonies: it is the slow movement in the Beethoven Op. 93, followed by the lovely Menuet and Trio (good heavens! didn't Beethoven realize how passé this was?), while in Vaughan Williams' eighth it serves as a scherzo followed by a richly beautiful slow movement for strings alone (in timbral balance of the string-less scherzo).

Where Vaughan Williams `does not go back' is, about two-thirds into the first movement, where, after some moments of trumpet-&-string doublings which seemed to evoke the sound-world of Prokofiev, the relatively smooth calm of most of the movement yields to the sort of orchestral menace normally associated with Shostakovich. This fury lasts but a moment, and gives way again to the idyllic calm of the opening material, but here is a musical point at which you wonder if it is really possible to `go back' ....

The last movement of the Vaughan Williams' eighth is bright and resplendent. It is almost mis-labeled; `toccata' traditionally means a `touched' piece, a keyboard work with figurations more characteristic of two hands at a keyboard, rather than a large ensemble of single-line instruments. But Vaughan Williams has a history of adapting the idea of the Toccata, as in his Toccata Marziale for band; and my musicological quibble does not get in the way of the piece, which reminds me more of a jubilant carillon.

--Karl

Best "Sinfonia Antartica" Currently Available.......2000-10-24

The classic recorded performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Sinfonia Antartica" (completed 1952) is Sir Adrian Boult's on EMI from the mid-1960s; a slightly later performance on RCA led by André Previn boasted superior sound but misjudged by prefacing each movement with spoken versions of RVW's epigraphs. (Thus interrupting the musical continuity in a score that depends heavily on a seamless transition from one mood to another.) Bernard Haitink (also on EMI) issued an "Antartica" about fifteen years ago, very close to Boult's in merit, but - in this day of classical-music démorale - "no longer available." Haitink's countryman, Kees Bakels, has "burned" a CD cycle of the RVW symphonies for Naxos, with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and one entry therein couples the Eighth with the "Antartica" (ordinally the Seventh). As James Day notes in his book on RVW, the "Antartica" calls on the largest orchestra that the composer ever stipulated, with parts for organ, wind-machine, an enormous percussion battery, and wordless soprano-solo with female choral vocalise. The "Antartica" shares with the "Pastoral" and the Sixth the evocation of inhuman nature and of human courage pitted (heroically but vainly) against such nature. Boult grasped this aspect of the work, but the limited capacity of mid-60s analogue recording took its toll on the realization of his understanding. (The vinyl pressings also posed an obstacle. I owned the American Angel pressing as well as an EMI import; neither struck me as adequate.) Bakels, like Boult, sees that this is a grim account, a genuine sequel to the tragic E-Minor Symphony of 1947. Notice how he takes the crescendi in the Prelude, with the great climax at 1.50: It's truly "majestic," as the score says it should be; the ensuing Lento, with prominent xylophone and wordless voices, sounds very icy and haunted indeed. The Scherzo presents the danger of sounding too comical; Bakels avoids this pitfall. Of the symphony's core, the "Landscape" (Third Movement), Bakels makes just the inhuman, implacable, frigid monster that RVW must have had in mind, although the organist (beginning at 8.30) does not achieve quite the hard-edged quality that I recall from Boult. The Eighth Symphony is a less monumental score, but possesses a playful seriousness all its own. The Finale can become a welter of sound, as it did unfortunately in the Boult/EMI; but here it sounds forth in all its polyphonic glory, with the tuned percussion caught with great definition by the engineers.

Pure music.......1999-07-26

As with Beethoven each of Vaughan Williams' nine symphonies has a distinct character of its own. the eighth is the most lighthearted one, ranging in mood form energetic to festive to downright comical, with a measure of gentle melancholy thrown in for contrast.The 2nd and 3rd movements- a funny march for winds and a beautifull cavatina for strings- show VW at his best.So what if he does not grab fate by the throat in this symphony? This is music in its best and purest form. The other work on the CD-Symphonia Antarctica- has its moments but it remains essentially what it is: a glorified movie-score.Director Kees Bakels proves again that he is one of the best Vaughan Williams interpreters of this time.

Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 8; Nocturne [Hybrid SACD]

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Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 8; Nocturne [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000B1A2V
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Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9; Flouris for Glorious John

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Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9; Flouris for Glorious John

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6
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ASIN: B000003F9R
Release Date: 1993-06-08

Tracks:

Flourish For Glorious John
Sym No.8 in d: Fant (Vari Senza Tema): Moderato/Presto/Andante Sostenuto/Allegretto...
Sym No.8 in d: Scherzo Alla Marcia (Per Stromenti A Fiato): Allegro Alla Marcia/Andante/Tempo I...
Sym No.8 in d: Cavatina (Per Stomenti Ad Arco): Lento Espressivo - Hugh Bean/David K. Jones
Sym No.8 in d: Toccata: Moderato Maestoso/Animato/Largamente
Sym No.9 in e: Moderato Maestoso: Tranquillo
Sym No.9 in e: Andante Sostenuto - David Mason
Sym No.9 in e: Scherzo: Allegro Pesante
Sym No.9 in e: Adante Tranquillo

Amazon.com

Vaughan Williams's Eight and Ninth Symphonies carry on the composer's enchantment with unusual instruments that first appeared in the Seventh Symphony, the famous Sinfonia Antartica. In the Eighth, there's a terrific "bell" finale with its three tuned gongs and "all the phones and spiels known to the composer," as well as inner movements written exclusively for winds and strings. The Ninth has its share of exotic percussion too, but also a flugelhorn and a trio of saxophones. It's all great listening, and it has never been better performed and recorded than in these two outstanding performances. --David Hurwitz

Average customer rating:

For real VW enthusiasts, this is rather lacking
Undistinguished
Splendid Interpretations Of Vaughn Williams' Last Symphonies
Best 8th and 9th (for now)
Earnest performance very good sonics

Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 8 & 9
Ralph Vaughan Williams , Bernard Haitink , and London Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Tracks:

Symphony No. 8 in D minor: Fantasia
Symphony No. 8 in D minor: Scherzo alla marcia: Allegro alla marcia
Symphony No. 8 in D minor: Cavatina: Lento espressivo
Symphony No. 8 in D minor: Toccata: Moderato maestoso
Symphony No. 9 In E minor: Moderato maestoso
Symphony No. 9 In E minor: Andante sostenuto
Symphony No. 9 In E minor: Scherzo
Symphony No. 9 In E minor: Andante tranquillo

Customer Reviews:

For real VW enthusiasts, this is rather lacking.......2005-10-04

Vaughan Williams's nine symphonies haven't traveled well. Except for the occasional Biritsh guest conductor--or Andre Previn--who program one of the popular ones, such as #2, the Londong Sym. or #5, the appearance of any other VW symphony is rare. I admire Haitink's attempt to take these works more into the ntrenational realm, but he is up against a British tradition that is fiercely loyal to this composer, which has yielded many competitors (far more than the musical quality warrants).

If this CD had been bolder in its interpretations, one could champion Hiatink over such stalwarts as Boult and Vernon Handley, but these performances don't excite me. The Eighth is rather soft and lagging, not a match for Stokowski's blazing live performance on BBC. The Ninth sounds like an old man's maunderings here. It's a tough nut to crack, and Haitink's gentle, uneventful way with the piece created more than a few lapses in my attention. Altogether, I can see VW specialists sticking with the old British crew, or they might add this CD to the shelf because of the beautiful orchestral playing and warm, natural sound.

Undistinguished.......2005-02-16

Two Gramophone magazine critics presented this CD as their best classical music CD of 2002, heaping praise on an issue that had already been given much in that category. This led me to consider this recording a few years later when I sought this combination of symphonies.

Given all that, it is difficult to describe the dissatisfaction and alienation I feel after hearing this recording. I wonder what these critics hear in this music I don't? Compared to the outstanding recordings of this (and all other symphonies by Vaughan Williams) by Boult, Previn and especially Handley, Haitink's work is hardly more than routine.

There is no single quality on display in this CD that equals the recordings by Vernon Handley, which continue to set the standard in this repertoire. First, Handley's interpretations are better, more suited to the emotional world of Ralph Vaughan Williams, and a better presentation of the scores. And while Handley's orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, does not have the swagger or big name of Haitink's Royal Philharmonic, it outplays the more well-known English group.

And the recording quality of Handley's symphonies is a mile ahead of the milky, diffuse and homogenized sound of the Haitink issue. For me, that's three strikes and out on this one.

When Bernard Haitink was making his name during the 1960s and 1970s with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, I thought he had potential to become a top name in this industry. His name is still big but, in my opinion, his work has declined with age. After issuing forgettable collections of the Beethoven and Tchaikovsky symphonies in Holland, Haitink went on to make equally forgettable Brahms symphonies in Boston. His Shostakovich cycle from the 1980s, while lithe, muscular and exceptionally well-recorded, lacks the emotional involvement necessary to bring luster to the music.

Among Haitink's Vaughan Williams cycle, I have now heard the Symphonies 3, 4, 8 and 9. I would not count any of those among the better versions I own or have encountered. I cannot join the legion that has jumped on the Haitink Vaughan Williams bandwagon and would argue quite the opposite. For me, this is a recording that does not compete with the best in its arena and does nothing to change the overall Vaughan Williams landscape.

Splendid Interpretations Of Vaughn Williams' Last Symphonies.......2002-01-07

It's truly a shame Bernard Haitink no longer records for Philips. This exquisite EMI recording demonstrates he is still in excellent form as one of our foremost conductors, leading his former orchestra, the London Philharmonic, in a pair of excellent performances. Haitink's interpretation of Vaughan Williams' 8th Symphony is a bit darker than I expected; this is a brooding, very dramatic performance of this symphony. The 9th Symphony is another fine interpretation too, though it sounds a bit more conventional than Haitink's 8th. Needless to say, the London Philharmonic plays brilliantly for its former music director. These performances are replete with the excellent sound quality EMI has been noted for. I don't know whether Haitink intends to record again the entire Vaughan Williams symphony cycle, but if so, then this CD is a splendid way to start. It's one of my favorite new releases in orchestral classical music from 2001; it's one I strongly recommend acquiring.

Best 8th and 9th (for now).......2001-07-09

There are some similarities between Vaughan Williams's 8th symphony and Beethoven's--their short length (relative to the composers' other symphonies), their unusual structures, and their playfulness in instrumentation and melodic content. While these are perhaps valid observations, Haitink's performance points up the more "modern" aspects of this twentieth-century symphony. With excellent playing from the London Philharmonic, Haitink's performance is a shade "darker" than usual--in particular, the final Toccata (led by the largest percussion section in any of RVW's works), is here far more menacing than in any other performance I've heard.

Haitink's Ninth is somewhat more conventional than the Eighth--the brooding and foreboding which permeates the earlier work is somewhat missing here. However, the performance is brilliantly captured by EMI--you can here far more orchestral detail than in just about any other recording of this piece.

Unfortunately--or fortunately, depending on your viewpoint--VW's Ninth symphony is one of those works that is meant to challenge and provoke listeners and performers alike. As a result, no single conception can ever adequately capture everything he set forth to accomplish in this work. If you do not have a recording of these symphonies--and anyone with an interest in twentieth-century symphonic music should--these are an outstanding place to start (at least until Richard Hickox records them for his RVW cycle on Chandos).

Earnest performance very good sonics.......2001-06-26

After the premier of his 8th symphony RVW said he had enough ideas left to occupy him for another ten years. Then he died. He survive World War One at the front, the blitz of World War Two and the second Viennese school of music, only to succumb to the ninth symphony curse. Haitink and the London Philharmonic present a digital era 8th which can stand shoulder to shoulder with Slatkins on RCA or maybe Davis on Teldec, but the chestnut on this disk is the 9th. In the ninth Vaughn Williams used the addition of three saxophones and a flugelhorn which were not allowed to "indulge in the bad habit of vibrato and were obliged to sit up and play straight. Haitink seems to have found the core of this work. Add in the fine quality of the recording and this is a solid pick.