Live in Concert 5.02.14: CBSO Vaughan WIlliams

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

CBSO - Vaughan Williams

Live from the Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Andrew Manze conducts the CBSO in a programme of Vaughan Williams, including the overture "The Wasps", "The Lark Ascending" with violinist Lawrence Jackson, and his masque "Job".

Vaughan Williams: Overture ? "The Wasps"
Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
Vaughan Williams: Job, A Masque for dancing

Lawrence Jackson (violin)
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Andrew Manze

"He rises and begins to round / he drops the silver chain of sound..." When The Lark Ascending takes wing, so do our spirits. But that's just one side of the genius of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Andrew Manze has a special connection with this most English of composers; tonight he shares the rollicking fun of The Wasps, the timeless passion of the Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis and, to top it all, Job: a blockbuster of a ballet score that may well change the way you think about English music.

[mercia]

orchestras seem to programme the same popular works that we complain of Radio 3 overplaying ............... if anything can be deduced from that ......

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

orchestras seem to programme the same popular works that we complain of Radio 3 overplaying ............... if anything can be deduced from that ......

Well, the main work is Job, which I don't think is programmed that often - and this is part of Manze's (magnificent, so far) RVW cycle; perhaps he wishes to entice audiences to the major work by first offering them more familiar fare?

[Petrushka]

Well, the main work is Job, which I don't think is programmed that often - and this is part of Manze's (magnificent, so far) RVW cycle; perhaps he wishes to entice audiences to the major work by first offering them more familiar fare?

Indeed. I've never heard Job live and can't recall even ever seeing it on a concert programme since the days of Adrian Boult. Mind, I see that there been have three performances at the Proms since Boult in 1977, two of them from Andrew Davis which I would certainly have caught. A rarity in the concert hall.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/archive/search/work/job/2139

[mercia]

"enticing audiences by first offering familiar fare" might be from the R3 instruction manual

[Petrushka]

"enticing audiences by first offering familiar fare" might be from the R3 instruction manual

It is but orchestra programme builders have been doing this for many, many years. It's all about bums on seats, I'm afraid.

[EdgeleyRob]

Now that's what I call a concert.

Time for my pome again,sorry folks!

My beautiful ascending lark.
Your critics are wide of the mark.
It's not your fault it seems to me
Overworked by Radio three.
When you rise and begin to round
I love that silver chain of sound.
Over the course of many years
You've brought sheer delight to my ears.
And so much pleasure still to give.
I'll love you as long as I live.

Job,what can I say,this awe inspiring masterpiece affects me so deeply I can't explain.
I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
How does music do this?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

"enticing audiences by first offering familiar fare" might be from the R3 instruction manual

No. The R3 Instruction Manual states very clearly on P15, paragraph 2, that audiences should ONLY be offered familiar fare.

[mercia]

I expect you've seen this clip of Boult and Job

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwJqhXbS2xE

[EdgeleyRob]

I expect you've seen this clip of Boult and Job
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwJqhXbS2xE

.


Wonderful

[jayne lee wilson]

Certainly try to plug in for Job, yes! Not a bad acoustic either...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Certainly try to plug in for Job, yes! Not a bad acoustic either...

I really must visit Symphony Hall soon.

[Colonel Danby]

I hadn't seen this clip before and 'Job' is one of my favourite works of RVW, so thankyou muchly for that mercia, especially when it was conducted by Adrian Boult (of whom Tommy Beecham claimed "reeked of horlicks" but I digress). I've got the Boult on EMI of course, and that of his pupil Tod Handley, but it's rarely played which is a bit of a shame. BTW it was the LPO under Sir Adrian on the youtube thing, wasn't it, as I thought that I saw Rodney Friend leading the band.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

"Job" - odd spelling, in view of its general pronunciation.
Going out. Must record it.

[Simon B]

The main all-RVW concert at Symphony Hall has just been preceded by a pretty impressive performance of Arnold's 5th symphony by the Birmingham conservatoire orchestra conducted by the CBSO's Michael Seal.

After a slightly low-voltage start (which is the piece as much as the performance) from the 2nd movement onward it packed quite a punch. Almost too much so as a prelude to the 1st half of the RVW programme, though it would be absurdly churlish to be genuinely put out. Even as a fairly prolific concert-goer I've never had chance to hear the Arnold live before.

I can't help but wonder if one of the top pro orchestras will ever programme any of his symphonies again? It was, after all, the CBSO that recorded the 5th with the composer many years ago. Saying that, the Conservatoire orchestra of today sounded at least as good as the CBSO as it was then! Perhaps Arnold will experience a revival eventually to some degree like RVW - looks like a full house tonight.

Back to the RVW - hopefully the crystal clear acoustics of Symphony Hall won't compromise the broadcast of more British music of the first rank as the Barbican apparently did for the LSO's Walton 1 last week...