The greatest conductor of Vaughan Williams' works

[Barbirollians]

Although there are no recordings of 1,3& 9 surely it has to be Barbirolli for all Boult, Handley, Haitink and Previn's strengths.

The magnificent 1957 Pye London , the chilling 1950 radio recording of the Fourth, the superb wartime Fifth and the moving Philharmonia remake , a Bavarian RSO Sixth to make your hair stand on end , the unmatched premieres of Sinfonia Antarctica and the charm of the Eighth .

Let alone that Tallis Fantasia recording.

[rauschwerk]

Maybe, but what about the operas, the choral works, the smaller scale orchestral things such as Flos Campi? There's a lot more to RVW than the symphonies!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Maybe, but what about the operas, the choral works, the smaller scale orchestral things such as Flos Campi? There's a lot more to RVW than the symphonies!

My immediate thought, too - whilst agreeing that Barbirolli's recordings are second to none, there's too much magnificent Music that's missing.

I would also squeeze in the suggestion that, if limited recordings can lead us to nominating a "greatest ever conductor of RVW", then I how about Ralph Vaughan Williams.

[Observation Postr]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Musical appreciation is in the ear of the listener.

Why don't we just get rid of this obsession with superlatives on this forum?

O p

[Pabmusic]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Musical appreciation is in the ear of the listener.

Why don't we just get rid of this obsession with superlatives on this forum?

O p

Not sure I entirely agree. The logic of your position is that all performances are equal: it is just personal preference that separates them. That simply is not so.

I think Barbirolli was a wonderful conductor and I wish I could have heard him in more RVW. But he didn't record all that much (I don't know if he performed much more) so I'm not inclined to compare different conductors in this instance.

[cloughie]

Not sure I entirely agree. The logic of your position is that all performances are equal: it is just personal preference that separates them. That simply is not so.

I think Barbirolli was a wonderful conductor and I wish I could have heard him in more RVW. But he didn't record all that much (I don't know if he performed much more) so I'm not inclined to compare different conductors in this instance.

I don't know if he was the best - what's that mean anyway - his EMI 60s recordings of 2 5 and Tallis are an exceedingly good listen!

[Bryn]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Musical appreciation is in the ear of the listener.

Why don't we just get rid of this obsession with superlatives on this forum?

O p

That's quitr the best, indeed totally outstanding point of view I have ever seen expressed on this forum.

[Barbirollians]

It is odd that he recorded so little VW but I suppose that was because once back at EMI Boult was being given another go at the full symphonic set and much of the other orchestral music was not seen as bankable . The VW he did record however is outstanding IMO .

As for Observation Post we might as well ask FF to shut the forum down if we do not compare recordings and performances .

[Beef Oven!]

As for Observation Post we might as well ask FF to shut the forum down if we do not compare recordings and performances .

The forum does more than look backwards at old recordings of old music. And this thread is not comparing 'performances', it is comparing recordings. Performances happen at concerts, which lovers of this type of thread don't seem to go to.

Anyone for Holmboe?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

With the "Most Memorable Concerts" thread in mind, I'd like to nominate a concert for which I would need a Tardis, in order to hear it again - Barbirolli conducting VW5 with the Hallé in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester . This was the first time I had ever heard the work, and, true to Hallé policy at that time, there was a detailed analysis in the programme, complete with musical examples. Post Barbirolli, the Hallé programmes resorted to the the usual publications and were less informative.

But this was an amazing experience, and for me, JB was the VW interpreter.

[Dave2002]

I got to know VW5 from an EMi tape with Barbirolli. Lovely, though perhaps some of the Hallé versions (which I haven't heard) might be as good.

[Roehre]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Musical appreciation is in the ear of the listener.

Why don't we just get rid of this obsession with superlatives on this forum?

O p

[Ferretfancy]

Perhaps there's something to be said for the composer himself, especially where the 4th Symphony is concerned. I was lucky enough to hear quite a few Vaughan Williams performances from both Barbirolli and Boult, and I can still see Sir John's face after the first London performance of the 8th Symphony with RVW sharing in the applause.
There was also a superb evening of 5th symphonies at the Fairfield Halls, namely Vaughan Williams, Schubert and Sibelius !
I don't think that anybody really surpassed Boult in the London Symphony, and his performances of No. 6 were much more dramatic than either of his recordings of the piece.

I'd like to put in a word for Rhosdestvensky, his BBC recording from the Festival Hall of Sancta Civitas is superb.

[Barbirollians]

Perhaps there's something to be said for the composer himself, especially where the 4th Symphony is concerned. I was lucky enough to hear quite a few Vaughan Williams performances from both Barbirolli and Boult, and I can still see Sir John's face after the first London performance of the 8th Symphony with RVW sharing in the applause.
There was also a superb evening of 5th symphonies at the Fairfield Halls, namely Vaughan Williams, Schubert and Sibelius !
I don't think that anybody really surpassed Boult in the London Symphony, and his performances of No. 6 were much more dramatic than either of his recordings of the piece.



I'd like to put in a word for Rhosdestvensky, his BBC recording from the Festival Hall of Sancta Civitas is superb.

I agree about RVW's recording of the Fourth - extraordinarily powerful stuff.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I agree about RVW's recording of the Fourth - extraordinarily powerful stuff.

But equally fine are his recordings of the Fifth Symphony, Dona Nobis Pacem and Old King Cole ... it is a crying shame that RVW wasn't allowed the recording opportunities that (quite rightly of course) were afforded Elgar.

(A remarkably successful St Matthew Passion, too!)