Hannah French explores Ralph Vaughan Williams's love for Bach and early English composers, including highlights from his unique recording of Bach's St Matthew Passion, his remarkable reworks of Thomas Tallis and Orlando Gibbons, and his favourite piece by Purcell.
This programme really is a 'must', especially for those who want to hear RVW's own voice and his views on performing the Bach Passions.
Those of us who now sing Bach regularly should not sniff at his then fashionable way of doing things, eg at the Leith Hill Festival each year. The only Bach major work work I sang as a treble was The Christmas Oratorio, parts I - III, in English, with organ only accompaniment. And much of it, as I remember, wasn't that slow. However as a teenage tenor I sang in the Matthew and the John Passion, with orchestra, on alternate years (2 performances each year) and yes the tempi were slow, very similar to what we heard on EMS today*. I think we forget that the religious aspect of hearing a Passion done in church was then very much more important than it probably is now; i.e. there were more true believers around! And brisk tempi were not considered suitable for the solemnity of Passiontide.
We are talking of the 1960s, and singing it in English was then the norm, the idea being that the 'true believers' could understand the story.
The other fascinating part of the programme was discussion of RVW's own performing score of the St Matthew, and the tweaks he made to it. Time it was used again, which would result in a fascinating, if long, historical (but not HIPP!!) performance. Also fascinating to hear of RVW's many revisions of his own Tallis Fantasia. Again, informative for someone to resurrect the original.
*I remember the Passions being very long, and we used to have two interval breaks in the Matthew. I remember clearly one year which was very wintry, and the choir used the intervals to troop across the vicarage lawn, covered in deep snow, to use the only available loo. (I think the congregation used the village hall, which was further away.)
OMG that annoying bump up of future programmes happened again. It seems to be getting longer, more rambling and definitely more intrusive. Please stop it EMS producers....and read my email, please.
This programme really is a 'must', especially for those who want to hear RVW's own voice and his views on performing the Bach Passions.
Those of us who now sing Bach regularly should not sniff at his then fashionable way of doing things, eg at the Leith Hill Festival each year. The only Bach major work work I sang as a treble was The Christmas Oratorio, parts I - III, in English, with organ only accompaniment. And much of it, as I remember, wasn't that slow. However as a teenage tenor I sang in the Matthew and the John Passion, with orchestra, on alternate years (2 performances each year) and yes the tempi were slow, very similar to what we heard on EMS today*. I think we forget that the religious aspect of hearing a Passion done in church was then very much more important than it probably is now; i.e. there were more true believers around! And brisk tempi were not considered suitable for the solemnity of Passiontide.
We are talking of the 1960s, and singing it in English was then the norm, the idea being that the 'true believers' could understand the story.
The other fascinating part of the programme was discussion of RVW's own performing score of the St Matthew, and the tweaks he made to it. Time it was used again, which would result in a fascinating, if long, historical (but not HIPP!!) performance. Also fascinating to hear of RVW's many revisions of his own Tallis Fantasia. Again, informative for someone to resurrect the original.
*I remember the Passions being very long, and we used to have two interval breaks in the Matthew. I remember clearly one year which was very wintry, and the choir used the intervals to troop across the vicarage lawn, covered in deep snow, to use the only available loo. (I think the congregation used the village hall, which was further away.)
OMG that annoying bump up of future programmes happened again. It seems to be getting longer, more rambling and definitely more intrusive. Please stop it EMS producers....and read my email, please.
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