BaL 23.01.21 - Vaughan Williams: Songs of Travel

[cloughie]

I've been listening to R Williams with I Burnside this week. Really excellent … but still my money is on Shirley-Quirk with Tunnard.

I think JSQ sticks to the original better, but Bryn’s interpretations tell the stories reallistically!

[underthecountertenor]

I think JSQ sticks to the original better, but Bryn’s interpretations tell the stories reallistically!

I agree with you, and so did Lowther, I’m pleased to hear.

[Pulcinella]

I very much enjoyed this BaL.
I thought the comments about attention to detail in the score very pertinent to the extracts played, as was the comment about the difficulties in recording the human voice in general, and personal likes and dislikes.
I've got a copy of Terfel's The Vagabond, so am happy with the result, though I liked many aspects of several of the other recordings too.

[verismissimo]

It was a pity that he had nothing to say about Shirley-Quirk other than that the piano was oddly placed in the stereo image. Rather patronising.

[Bryn]

It was a pity that he had nothing to say about Shirley-Quirk other than that the piano was oddly placed in the stereo image. Rather patronising.

Agreed. When I got the Saga LP, back in 1963, all I hav to play it on was an Apba record player (mono), so the placing of the piano did not present a problem.

[visualnickmos]

I enjoyed this BaL; format notwithstanding(!) I was very impressed by the orchestral version with Thomas Allen, Rattle and the CBSO. Rattle did produce some fabulous recordings in his 'early' days with the CBSO.

[underthecountertenor]

It was a pity that he had nothing to say about Shirley-Quirk other than that the piano was oddly placed in the stereo image. Rather patronising.

I’d have included JS-Q in the shortlist of three, at the expense of Williams. He gets inside the music, with real character, whereas I find Williams (as so often) perfectly nice but bland. I’d still give the palm to Terfel, but paradoxically I think I listen to JS-Q more often.

[Bryn]

I enjoyed this BaL; format notwithstanding(!) I was very impressed by the orchestral version with Thomas Allen, Rattle and the CBSO. Rattle did produce some fabulous recordings in his 'early' days with the CBSO.

It's in the Warner "The Collector's (only the one collector catered for).Edition.

[ardcarp]

I've been listening to R Williams with I Burnside this week. Really excellent … but still my money is on Shirley-Quirk with Tunnard.

Oh well, we were both wrong! I have the Shirley Quirk on LP and love it. I think two factors come into play.
1. In the 60s. it was the accepted view that the piano was 'accompanying' and therefore should be less forward than the soloist in a recording. Hence Lowther's comments about the Quirk/Tunnard version.
2. Top professional singers 'colour' their voices to a greater or lesser extent. Example: the late Gerald English (who as far as I know did not record The Songs of Travel) coloured his voice very little, producing a very natural tenor voice. OTOH Jonathan Lemalu (who as far as I know also did not record The Songs of Travel) colours his voice to a huge extent, making words difficult to hear. Thus I was a bit worried when Bryn Terfel became a hot favourite. But, based on what we heard on BAL, he stamped a heartfelt personal mark on these Songs, and I'm tempted to buy his version. I also liked, from what I heard, the Maltman/Vignoles recording, Vignoles being IMHO the sans pareil of accompanists.

Such a shame Mark Lowther, who incidentally I thought gave us an excellent BAL, didn't have time to play us more of Quirk and Williams. Both of them, decades apart, are spot on with diction, IMVHO.

[Bryn]

It's in the Warner "The Collector's (only the one collector catered Edition.

I'm having trouble editing on this mobile phone., so the quote above does not quite match the original.

The box has no Bartone and piano option.

[crb11]

I'm having trouble editing on this mobile phone., so the quote above does not quite match the original.

The box has no Bartone and piano option.

It does have the Anthony Rolfe Johnson tenor recording, although I'd agree with the reviewer that it doesn't really "work" and I'd rate the Allen much higher, as well as Terfel's recording. I wasn't particularly impressed by either of the runners-up - neither inspired me very much - which is a shame as it's a work I like sufficiently to consider investing in another recording. I ought to try the Shirley-Quirk.

[Wolfram]

I’d have included JS-Q in the shortlist of three, at the expense of Williams. He gets inside the music, with real character, whereas I find Williams (as so often) perfectly nice but bland. I’d still give the palm to Terfel, but paradoxically I think I listen to JS-Q more often.

There are so many good things on the JS-Q disc in addition to the Vaughan Williams. It's worth the cost of the disc alone just to hear his renditions of Trade Winds and Captain Stratton's Fancy.

[underthecountertenor]

There are so many good things on the JS-Q disc in addition to the Vaughan Williams. It's worth the cost of the disc alone just to hear his renditions of Trade Winds and Captain Stratton's Fancy.

Absolutely. I could never tire of it.

[Nick Armstrong]

Very good survey, I thought, and a great reminder of the qualities of these songs

I’ve had the Terfel version on CD since it came out (it was a gift I think, otherwise I’m not sure it would still be on the shelf) - haven’t listened much to it. He seems to add a layer of over-emoting which I prefer to do without. In the first extract in BaL, I fully take the point about his scrupulous observance of the score (the crescendo, the portamento etc), but for example there’s a kind of lurid melodrama on the words “the road below me” that I find off-putting, exemplifying my issue with this version.

I prefer an approach which allows the music and words to speak more for themselves. There were two that struck me, from the examples played. First, the JSQ performance - I share others’ regret that this wasn’t given more time beyond the initial reference. The disc is cued up on Qobuz for a proper listen.

I also liked, from what I heard, the Maltman/Vignoles recording, Vignoles being IMHO the sans pareil of accompanists.

Yes - me too, this was the other one to catch my ear. I didn’t hear the vocal issue Mark Lowther pointed out - it seemed remarkably pure and expressive and straightforward to me, the sort of approach I value - with, as you say, exceptional piano-playing. Hyperion, so not on Qobuz - might have to acquire my first CD for years!

[gradus]

Very good survey, I thought, and a great reminder of the qualities of these songs

I’ve had the Terfel version on CD since it came out (it was a gift I think, otherwise I’m not sure it would still be on the shelf) - haven’t listened much to it. He seems to add a layer of over-emoting which I prefer to do without. In the first extract in BaL, I fully take the point about his scrupulous observance of the score (the crescendo, the portamento etc), but for example there’s a kind of lurid melodrama on the words “the road below me” that I find off-putting, exemplifying my issue with this version.

I prefer an approach which allows the music and words to speak more for themselves. There were two that struck me, from the examples played. First, the JSQ performance - I share others’ regret that this wasn’t given more time beyond the initial reference. The disc is cued up on Qobuz for a proper listen.



Yes - me too, this was the other one to catch my ear. I didn’t hear the vocal issue Mark Lowther pointed out - it seemed remarkably pure and expressive and straightforward to me, the sort of approach I value - with, as you say, exceptional piano-playing. Hyperion, so not on Qobuz - might have to acquire my first CD for years!

Though my taste differs and I admire his vivid use of the text - the opening phrase of Youth and Love is extraordinarily beautiful - I find the recording has difficulty in coping with the dynamic range of the performance and to my ears needs a little more space around the voice; pretty tough call to confine such an instrument in a small recording studio although the piano is recorded (and played) very well indeed.