Vaughan Williams's greatest champion

[Stanfordian]

Following a discussion I was involved in last night at a concert I was wondering which conductor and orchestra has over the years been the greatest champion of the music of Vaughan Williams. Surely Sir Adrian Boult and maybe the Hallé Orchestra?

[Biffo]

More or less agree with that conclusion. Shortly after the premiere of the 5th Symphony Barbirolli and the Halle performed then recorded the work. This led to a period of intense collaboration with VW. Barbirolli gave the premiere of No 7 and No 8 was dedicated to him. VW consulted Barbirolli over revising all the symphonies and the Halle performed them all (except the unwritten No 9!) in one season; the composer himself conducted the Sea Symphony.

Sir Adrian Boult recorded all the Symphonies twice (the first set minus No 9) and throughout his career championed VW with performances of a wide range of works. VW dedicated 'Job' to him, considered by some to be his finest work.

Vaughan Williams has been lucky to have a succession of outstanding interpreters. This includes Previn, Andrew Davis and the sadly missed Richard Hickox and Vernon Handley.

[salymap]

And may I mention Malcolm Sargent, who premiered and recorded 'Hugh the Drover' in the 30s and later took the symphonies and other works to Europe and beyond. He also frequently conducted the choral works with the RCS and the premiere of symphony no 9 for the Royal Philharmonic Society in 1958.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Sir Adrian Boult recorded all the Symphonies twice (the first set minus No 9) and throughout his career championed VW with performances of a wide range of works.

Boult did record no. 9 the first time round - on the day of the composer's death. This was recorded by Westminster, whereas 1 - 8 were recorded by Decca. However, Decca eventually licensed this odd-one-out and issued it in a box set.

[EdgeleyRob]

Following a discussion I was involved in last night at a concert I was wondering which conductor and orchestra has over the years been the greatest champion of the music of Vaughan Williams. Surely Sir Adrian Boult and maybe the Hallé Orchestra?

The only other person to come close to Sir Adrian is maybe Richard Hickox IMHO.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The only other person to come close to Sir Adrian is maybe Richard Hickox IMHO.

Across the whole oeuvre, certainly. The Symphonies have been luckier than the other works: we could add Handley, Previn and Andrew Davis to the list if they were the only considerations. I can't remember the last time I saw, say, Toward the Unknown Region programmed, or the Piano Concerto.

"Conductor and orchestra" aked S'sLeg, which makes it a touch trickier: the BBCSO and LPO are I think the most frequent names to appear on recordings???

[Barbirollians]

Boult and Barbirolli I should say in equal measure though Previn surely deserves a mention for his 1960s recordings . I still love his no 5

[Chris Newman]

As well as Sir Adrian and Sir John I heard Norman del Mar conduct quite a bit of RVW. Nowadays I would say his greatest champions are Paul Daniel and Vassily Sinaisky.

[BBMmk2]

Vernon Handley anyone? A pupil of Sir Adrian.

[Ferretfancy]

Boult's performances speak over many years to me. In 1954 I was standing in a tent in the Suez Canal Zone listening to Music Magazine, and a review of his first Decca set of the symphonies, and a feeling of intense homesickness as they played part of the Pastoral. I love many of the more recent interpretations of these marvellous pieces, but Boult and Barbirolli seemed to have its character in the blood in a way that has not quite been matched since.

[Pabmusic]

Yes, I'd go for Sir Adrian, not only based on his recorded work, either. But Sir Dan Godfrey conducted the London Symphony at least 15 times - that would have been mainly between 1915 and 1933, so an average of almost once a year - and before the age of widely available recordings. Godfrey recorded it (almost complete) acoustically with the LSO.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Previn surely deserves a mention for his 1960s recordings . I still love his no 5

He surely does, Barbi: which is why I mentioned him in #6. (I love his Pastoral, too.)

BBM:

Vernon Handley, anyone?

Yes: me (in same #6)!

(Posting on these Boards is sometimes like talking to Roger Wright!

Best Wishes.

[salymap]

You are all concentrating on recordings. I am thinking of live RVW performances in my concert going years.

Boult, Sargent and Barbirolli carried the weight of them naturally and allgave equal numbers of performances
imo. And they worked with the composer on new works and performances as well as the recordings.

[Pabmusic]

You are all concentrating on recordings.

Do you really mean this? [See post 11]

[EdgeleyRob]

Boult and Barbirolli seemed to have its character in the blood in a way that has not quite been matched since.

I agree. RVW is my favourite composer and I have many recordings of his symphonies in my collection (Handley,Thomson,Slatkin,Haitink to name but a few). Although there have been a lot of excellent versions since, Boult and Barbirolli knew this music inside out.