Prom 46 (16.8.12): Vaughan Williams – Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6

[parkepr]

I remember as a lad listening to my Dad's then recent xmas present of a CD of RVW 4th with the New York Phil and Dmitri Mitropoulous ... my first RVW symphony experience!!! I remember listening over and over and over to this thinking what wonderful, angry stuff (I was in my angry teenage years!!)... Last night brought back happy memories of this as I felt really immersed , head and shoulders, in RVW... by the end of the concert I was dripping the in stuff!!!!! Fantastic programming and brilliant execution!! Now wouldn't it wonderful if next year we could Sinfonia Antartica with same forces and that beast of an organ!!

[teamsaint]

Although I enjoyed what I heard of the concert (I missed VW6) I can't be as enthusiastic as many here (perhaps I wasn't in the right mood). They were good performances but ones that somehow didn't move me as I had hoped they would. Perhaps I have been spoilt by growing up with the Barbirolli and Previn recordings of numbers 5 and 4 respectively. (Has anyone ever captured the almost mystical 'time standing still' effect of the end of the Romanza in No 4 the way that Barbirolli did? Pure magic.)

I was listening to the iPlayer stream (fed to my audio system via Squeezebox) at fairly realistic levels and felt there was something not quite right about the balance, etc. Often the woodwind solos seemed inordinately prominent and I never got a sense of real pianissimo - as I said, somehow something didn't seem quite right. (I actually wondered whether some automatic dynamic range management was in play. Not Optimod of course but something more subtle.)

It might be my imagination, of course.

the woodwind certainly didn't come over that way in the front of the arena....but then there were banks of violas and cellos between the woodwind and my ears !!

As to the Mahler comparison.....RVW's symphonies are a body of work that very few have bettered...to paraphrase Dylan talking about Randy Newman...."Not many in his class !!"
And a a gentle aside, and in a non jingoistic way, this country should treasure its contribution to C20 classical music(perhaps far more than it does).....and RVW stands at the very pinnacle of it.
Beef Ovens thread on this is now legendary !!

Incidentally, my daughter, who loves music but doesn't know all that much RVW , went last night. She was absolutely bowled over by the whole thing.

[amateur51]

Incidentally, my daughter, who loves music but doesn't know all that much RVW , went last night. She was absolutely bowled over by the whole thing.

That's great to hear, teamsaint - how old is she?

[salymap]

the woodwind certainly didn't come over that way in the front of the arena....but then there were banks of violas and cellos between the woodwind and my ears !!

As to the Mahler comparison.....RVW's symphonies are a body of work that very few have bettered...to paraphrase Dylan talking about Randy Newman...."Not many in his class !!"
And a a gentle aside, and in a non jingoistic way, this country should treasure its contribution to C20 classical music(perhaps far more than it does).....and RVW stands at the very pinnacle of it.
Beef Ovens thread on this is now legendary !!

Incidentally, my daughter, who loves music but doesn't know all that much RVW , went last night. She was absolutely bowled over by the whole thing.

He takes his place with Elgar [and perhaps a few others ??] as the leading British composer of symphonies IMVHO It is difficult for people who saw him around the music scene to equate him with the greats but after 50 years without him he seems to be properly appreciated at last. Bless.

[amateur51]

Martin Kettle in the Guardian gives it *****s

[Hmmm - not an impolite abbreviation: I meant ]

[teamsaint]

That's great to hear, teamsaint - how old is she?

not as old as she thinks !!
actually 19, and a music student......so much to learn......like me !
Might have to send her to Caliban's finishing school, as she loves DSCH !!
We were able to share a really special night....still buzzing !!

[amateur51]

not as old as she thinks !!
actually 19, and a music student......so much to learn......like me !
Might have to send her to Caliban's finishing school, as she loves DSCH !!
We were able to share a really special night....still buzzing !!

Yay!! Great to have that shared experience I'm sure

[Rolmill]

I was listening to the iPlayer stream (fed to my audio system via Squeezebox) at fairly realistic levels and felt there was something not quite right about the balance, etc. Often the woodwind solos seemed inordinately prominent and I never got a sense of real pianissimo - as I said, somehow something didn't seem quite right. (I actually wondered whether some automatic dynamic range management was in play. Not Optimod of course but something more subtle.)

From the Choir the balance was generally very good IMO - occasionally the strings were swamped by the brass at climaxes, but that is quite common from there anyway (too many timps, percussion and horns between me and the violins!). I certainly didn't feel the woodwind were over-prominent, but rather that they blended well with each other and with the rest of the orchestra, without losing definition or character.

Maybe you had to be there - it's definitely increased my appetite for live performance of RVW symphonies, and I shall be lobbying our local band accordingly.

[FoxyTheCat]

One of the greatest Proms ever!

If Andrew Manze can step into the shoes of Richard Hickox he will be a worthy successor.

RVW symphonies need a champion or two, John Wilson is another young contender and Martyn Brabbins
is also excellent.

Of the older be-knighted generation only Sir Andrew Davis keeps faith, he seems to be conducting No. 2 all over
the place in 2013.

Rattle , very overrated IMHO clearly has no interest in the VW cannon

Colin Davis occasionally does no.6 but has been dismissive of RVW throughout his career.

If you glance at the RVW Society website there are more performances of RVW Symphonies abroad than here

http://www.rvwsociety.com/

Good Luck to Andrew Manze for the rest of the cycle.

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

Were you in the RAH last night, Foxy? I thought of you when I saw the photo of the Foxy in the programme!

[EdgeleyRob]

WOW....well what to say,now you know why RVW is the ONLY composer to take to that desert island.
Yes TS if only I could have been there,god knows what a state I would have been in,I have been in a daze all day at work after simply watching on TV,people asking me if I am ok ........how can music have this effect on me ?.
And yet it is music I know so well,like a drug I need a fix of RVW at least every other day.
Someone earlier mentioned thy were in bits during the slow movement of the 5th...I was in bits right from the opening salvo to the end of no 6.....someone also mentioned the big tune at the end of the 1st movement of no 6,it has rarely sounded so right....I never want that tune to end because I know the end of the world is coming.........think I'm starting to ramble and talk ******** now.
Surely you regular prommers agree it must be one of the greatest proms ever.
Well done to all concerned last night and thanks to all forumites who were there and have posted their thoughts.

Thank you RVW for the wonderful gift of this incredible music.

[EdgeleyRob]

not as old as she thinks !!
actually 19, and a music student......so much to learn......like me !
Might have to send her to Caliban's finishing school, as she loves DSCH !!
We were able to share a really special night....still buzzing !!

Well as a contrast to that TS my son who is 20 walked into the room and said what's this **** you are watching

[Boilk]

...RVW's symphonies are a body of work that very few have bettered...

...but several may have equalled?

As good and individual as VW's are, I wouldn't say that musically they tower over, say, the symphonies of Tippett and Rubbra. VW's symphonic popularity - like Shostakovich's - comes from a directness of statement, and VW's evocative (filmscore-like) textures.

[salymap]

I'll never forget the first time I heard RVW 6 in the new RFH after first hearing it in the AlbertHall. The two works that I rediscovered in the very hard clear acoustic that was soon altered were that work and the Britten Spring Symphony. They sounded marvellous to me.

[Roehre]

....VW's symphonic popularity - like Shostakovich's - comes from a directness of statement, and VW's evocative (filmscore-like) textures.

But: VW's symphonic popularity -unlike Shostakovich's- is mainly restricted to these Isles, I'm afraid.