Prom 22: A London Symphony – 31.07.18

[Pabmusic]

The original 1914 version is the one recorded by LSO/Hickox.
The 1920 revision has been recorded at least three times.
The one performed nowadays is the 1933 final revision.

The present version is actually the 1936 2nd published version.

The 1920 has been recorded four times: Godfrey 1925; Goossens 1941; Yates 2015; Brabbins 2017.

[Pabmusic]

Original version finished 1913 first performed 1914
Reconstructed version first performed 1915 (original full score lost)
Revised in 1918, 1920 and 1933
'Revised Edition' published mid-1930s.

Not quite. The original version was written in 1912-13, and performed on March 27th 1914.

At some point the score was lost and was probably not available for the 2nd performance in Harrogate on August 12th. The conductor (Julius Harrison) presumably used the short score made by Butterworth & friends.

The score was reconstituted from the orchestral parts and first used on November 30th in Edinburgh, with RVW conducting. It was also used for Dan Godfrey's Bournemouth performance on February 15th 1915, and Boult's in January 1918. But RVW made some temporary cuts (pending a rewrite) before Boult's second performance in February 1918.

RVW returned from France in 1919 and rewrote much of the symphony, restructuring it in the process. This version was performed in March 1920, conducted by Albert Coates, and was published as 'revised version' the same year.

Between 1933 and 1936 RVW made more cuts, but no restructuring, resulting in the 1936 final version, also called 'revised version'.

The 1920 publication has 199 pages of music, the 1936 193 pages.

Hope that helps.

[LMcD]

I've just caught up with the Vaughan Williams via the iPlayer.
All that I can say, in brief, is that listening to it was a genuinely beautiful experience. Andrew Manze and the BBC SSO obviously believe in the work, and this was reflected in this wonderful performance.

[BBMmk2]

I caught up with this yesterday, as a friend of ours who has the habit of turning up in a rather unannounced way, came whilst the Haydn was on! However, when I listened to it yesterday, I was saying to MrsBBM, how this reminded me of Howard Shore's score to those J R R Tolkien films. Don't know what other people thin? Or could there still be some Baxian influences left?

[Pabmusic]

I caught up with this yesterday, as a friend of ours who has the habit of turning up in a rather unannounced way, came whilst the Haydn was on! However, when I listened to it yesterday, I was saying to MrsBBM, how this reminded me of Howard Shore's score to those J R R Tolkien films. Don't know what other people thin? Or could there still be some Baxian influences left?

As regards Bax, LatLiteral has already called attention to the similarity between a principal motive in Tintagel and one in the first mvt of the RVW. But the Bax is later, so that influence (if there is any) must go from RVW to Bax. However, the harmonic undercurrent is similar to the last chords of Butterworth's Requiescat (1911), and in turn those are like the opening chords of the Tallis (1910), which in turn are lifted from the opening chords of Elgar's The Apostles (1903). And so on...

[LMcD]

I thought it would be nice to email the BBC SSO to express my appreciation of the Vaughan Williams. They not only replied quickly, but informed me that the content of my message would be pinned on the players' noticeboard and also forwarded to Andrew Manze. I've never written to an orchestra before, but felt that this particular performance merited my personal congratulations.

[BBMmk2]

I thought it would be nice to email the BBC SSO to express my appreciation of the Vaughan Williams. They not only replied quickly, but informed me that the content of my message would be pinned on the players' noticeboard and also forwarded to Andrew Manze. I've never written to an orchestra before, but felt that this particular performance merited my personal congratulations.

Not a bad idea to give orchestras feedback then! What's their email address?

[cloughie]

I thought it would be nice to email the BBC SSO to express my appreciation of the Vaughan Williams. They not only replied quickly, but informed me that the content of my message would be pinned on the players' noticeboard and also forwarded to Andrew Manze. I've never written to an orchestra before, but felt that this particular performance merited my personal congratulations.

Well done LMcD, I guess that orchestral players who go about their graft week in week out appreciate positive feedback from their audiences, whether in the hall or over the airwaves.

[LMcD]

Not a bad idea to give orchestras feedback then! What's their email address?

The reply came from SSO3@bbc.co.uk, but I sent my message to bbcsso@bbc.co.uk.
Either should be fine.

[Nevilevelis]

I caught up with this yesterday, as a friend of ours who has the habit of turning up in a rather unannounced way, came whilst the Haydn was on! However, when I listened to it yesterday, I was saying to MrsBBM, how this reminded me of Howard Shore's score to those J R R Tolkien films. Don't know what other people thin? Or could there still be some Baxian influences left?

My sister, whose appreciation and knowledge of classical concert is non-existent, attended this Prom with me. We were both profoundly moved by RVW's A London Symphony - pretty much a blubbering mess in most of the 2nd mvt. She is an avid fan of The Lord of the Rings films and was reticent to mention to me how much this work reminded her of the soundtracks. When I happened to mentioned it myself she was delighted and will buy Manze's rec. with the Liverpool Phil. We have a convert!

[Serial_Apologist]

My sister, whose appreciation and knowledge of classical concert is non-existent, attended this Prom with me. We were both profoundly moved by RVW's A London Symphony - pretty much a blubbering mess in most of the 2nd mvt. She is an avid fan of The Lord of the Rings films and was reticent to mention to me how much this work reminded her of the soundtracks. When I happened to mentioned it myself she was delighted and will buy Manze's rec. with the Liverpool Phil. We have a convert!

The glorious, broad melody that surges forth in the Wasps overture has been said to have influenced American movie music, especially Westerns, when it came to musically counterparting the natural scenery of Arizona, Nevada and those desert regions of the southwest where filming was done.

[Nevilevelis]

The glorious, broad melody that surges forth in the Wasps overture has been said to have influenced American movie music, especially Westerns, when it came to musically counterparting the natural scenery of Arizona, Nevada and those desert regions of the southwest where filming was done.

[Pabmusic]

The glorious, broad melody that surges forth in the Wasps overture has been said to have influenced American movie music, especially Westerns, when it came to musically counterparting the natural scenery of Arizona, Nevada and those desert regions of the southwest where filming was done.

Yes, I con see that. And RVW was known enough in America in the 30s , 40s & 50s for that to be plausible. But surely that clear-cut style of folkish pentatonic Hollywood melody comes as much from Dvorak's New World. Liisten to the trio of the third mvt for a start.

[Alain Maréchal]

Yes, I con see that. And RVW was known enough in America in the 30s , 40s & 50s for that to be plausible. But surely that clear-cut style of folkish pentatonic Hollywood melody comes as much from Dvorak's New World. Liisten to the trio of the third mvt for a start.

That set my mind running. I can now hear that Herrmann's score for "North by Northwest" is very much influenced by RVW (no surprise really). The moment when hero and heroine realise they are "on top of the monument" sounds lifted from Sinfonia Antartica. Also, the trio of the third mvt. of "From the New World" could slot straight into Thomson's "Acadian Songs and Dances".

[secondfiddle]

Just for the record, the conductor at Harrogate of the 2nd performance of VW's A London Symphony was Julian Clifford (1877-1921), conductor of the Harrogate Municipal Orchestra, and not Julius Harrison.