A Survey of Vaughan Williams Symphony Cycles
An Index of ionarts Discographies
Continuing my discographies, this is a survey of – hopefully – every extant recorded cycle of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Symphonies. As opposed to the nine symphonies of Beethoven’s, where the survey (so far only the alphabetical index) covers nearly 200 cycles, there are 'only' about 15 such cycles of Vaughan Williams’ Symphonies out – and that’s counting four projects still ongoing. Still, that isn’t so bad, given the rather limited appeal RVW enjoys outside the Anglo realm of the classical music scene.
I have myself struggled with Vaughan Williams, always wanting to like him more than I end up doing… except for the grand opening of the First Symphony, of course, where the grand “Behold –––– THE SEA” etches itself into the memory of every listener on first exposure. (By and large I find the symphonies of Malcolm Arnold rather more memorable, actually.) Naturally, I have been reluctant to accept blame myself and have instead sought refuge in more, new recordings. By way of thus coping with my RVW-deficiency (eventually sniggling a decent amount of Vaughan Williams appreciation (Tony Palmer’s moving – if slow-moving – film Oh Though Transcendent helped a lot), I’ve gathered many more Vaughan Williams cycles on my shelves than, say, Tchaikovsky, to mention someone presumably more popular with a comparable output (disc-spread wise). Favorites are denoted with the ionarts symbol and links to reviews on ClassicsToday and MusicWeb Intl. are included where available.
I am sitting on the data for several new discographic entries under work. Ring cycles, Mahler-, Nielsen-, Martinů- and Schubert-symphony-cycles, as well as Bartók string quartet-cycles. They just take an awful lot of time to research and then put into html-presentable shape and even then they are rarely complete or mistake free. This one won’t be, either, and as such every one of these posts is also a plea to generously inclined readers with more information and knowledge of the subject than I have to lend a helping hand correcting my mistakes or filling data-lacunae. I am explicitly grateful for any such pointers, hinters, and corrections and apologize for any bloomers. Either in the comment section below or, better still, via Twitter. Unlike some earlier discographies, this one does intend to be comprehensive. So I am especially grateful if sets that I have missed are pointed out to me. With several hundred links in this document, there are, despite my best efforts, bound to be some that are broken or misplaced; I am glad about every correction that comes my way about those, too.
There are currently several cycles underway. Next to be finished, presumably, will be Mark Elder/Hallé Orchestra on their own label, who is only missing symphonies 7 & 9. Also ongoing are Andrew Manze/Royal Liverpool PO/Onyx, and Michael Brabbins/BBC SO/hyperion. I will add them as soon as they are sufficiently near completion. Andrew Davis and his Bergen Philharmonic, meanwhile, have added the missing Seventh and Ninth Symphonies to the incomplete Hickox cycle.
The musical participants, where known, are listed in the following order: Soprano, baritone, chorus for the Sea Symphony. Soprano for the Pastoral Symphony. Soprano, speaker, chorus (only where differing from No.1) for the Sinfonia antartica [sic] (where applicable). Graphic depictions for the ClassicsToday, Surprised-by-Beauty, and ionarts recordings of choice.
Adrian Boult ILondon Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
---|---|---|---|
![]() ![]() The Symphonies Decca Release: 2002 5CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ![]() ![]() The Symphonies 1-8 Belart Release: 1999? 5CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ||
Adrian Boult IILondon Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
![]() The Symphonies + orch. works EMI Release: 2000 8CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ![]() The Symphonies + other works EMI Release: 2013 13CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ![]() The Symphonies Warner Release: 2011 5CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | |
André PrevinLondon Symphony Orchestra | |||
![]() ![]() The Symphonies + other works RCA Release: 2016 6CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ![]() ![]() The Symphonies + other works RCA Release: 2004 6CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ||
Gennady RozhdestvenskyUSSR Ministry of Culture State SO | |||
![]() The Symphonies Melodiya Release: 2014 6CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | |||
Bryden ThompsonLondon Symphony Orchestra | |||
![]() ![]() The Symphonies Chandos Release: 1992 5CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | |||
Leonard SlatkinPhilharmonia | |||
![]() ![]() ![]() The Symphonies + orch. works RCA / Sony Release: 2012 6CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ![]() ![]() ![]() The Symphonies + orch. works RCA Red Seal Release: 1993 6CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ||
Vernon HandleyRoyal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
![]() ![]() ![]() The Symphonies + orch. works CfP Release: 2002 7CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ![]() ![]() ![]() The Symphonies + orch. works EMI Release: 199? 6CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ![]() ![]() ![]() RVW Collector's Ed. whole kit & caboodle EMI Eminence Release: 2008 30CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | |
Andrew DavisBBC Symphony Orchestra | |||
![]() The Symphonies + orch. works Warner Release: 2004/8 6 individ. CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ![]() The Symphonies + orch. works Teldec Release: 1992 6CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ||
Bernard HaitinkLondon Philharmonic Orchestra | |||
![]() The Symphonies + orch. works EMI Release: 2004 7CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ![]() The Symphonies + orch. works Warner Release: 2013 7CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ||
Kees Bakels & Paul DanielsBournemouth Symphony Orchestra | |||
![]() The Symphonies + orch. works Naxos Release: 2008 6 CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ![]() The Symphonies + orch. works Naxos Release: 2008 6 CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | ![]() The Symphonies + orch. works Naxos Release: 1993 - 2004 6 individ. CDs US | UK | DE | |
Richard Hickox*London Symphony Orchestra | |||
![]() The Symphonies + other works Hickox, LSO Chandos Release: individ. 7+CDs & SACDs US | UK | DE | ![]() Symphony No.9 + Job A.Davis, Bergen PO Chandos Release: 2017 SACD ![]() US | UK | DE | ![]() Sinfonia antartica + Cto. for 2 Pianos etc. A.Davis, Bergen PO Chandos Release: 2017 SACD ![]() US | UK | DE | |
Mark ElderHallé Orchestra | |||
![]() The Symphonies + other works Hallé Orchestra Release: 2011 ff individ. CDs ![]() US | UK | DE | |||
vaughan-williams symphony cycle complete overview, complete vaughan-williams symphonies
8 comments:
A footnote to the Previn Vaughan Williams Symphony Cycle: Though the CD issues cited contain spoken inter-movement narration in the 7th Symphony
(as does Boult I), a practice that some consider a distraction, RCA did
issue that work in its Navigator series (29248) without narration.
Interesting, Jerry. Thanks for pointing that out.
HI JFL,
VW is one of my favourites, and I've heard all the cycles. I really think the Andrew Davis is undervalued, and would especially commend the 2nd and 4th as meriting a second listen! There is a kind of atmosphere and visionary aspect that I don't hear anywhere else to the same extent.
I actually LIKED the narration in Previn's performance of the 7th symphony. The spoken parts both set to introduce the movements and depict the mood and atmosphere of the work--along with the story of Robert Scott's ill-fated journey to the South Pole in 1911/1912. To me, it didn't hurt that Sir Ralph Richardson was the narrator and that his voice was very powerful.
Thanks for the comments. Interesting, David re: Davis. The sort-of 'word on the street' is that it is his Sixth that is particularly successful. Which is the one I have of that cycle. I'll keep the 2nd and 4th in mind when I start another attempt to better understand the composer... whom, despite having heard so many recordings so often, I still don't quite get, most of the time.
I see that Manze's new 7th includes the narrations (NOT separately cued, which must be a mistake...) by Timothy West, whom I admire but I think Ralph Richardson does it much better.
Strangely enough one of West's narrations sits on top of the music at one point (a bridging passage between two movements).
Slatkin sea symphony. A revelation. Truly a gem.
Responding to jfl above, last night I listened to Andrew Davis conducting the 4th symphony and was intrigued. It didn’t have the bite that most other versions have but – perhaps because of this – it seemed the most musical version I have heard i.e. I felt that Davis conveyed the form more coherently than anyone else. Also, the closing bars of the first movement have never sounded more eerie!
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