Customer Reviews

Vaughan Williams: Lark Ascending; Job

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Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was a close friend of Ralph Vaughan Williams, and he considered "Job" to be RVW's masterpiece.

Any music student or aspiring composer would profit by studying the score of Job. Not only is it a fine piece of music, but it contains every possible orchestral effect. (Just don't go nuts with the tuba part like Ralph did.) Unfortunately it's an extremely difficult piece requiring a huge ensemble, and thus it's seldom performed.

I own 4 different recordings of Job, and this one is as good as any of them. I also own a copy of the score (can you tell that I admire the piece?), and if you purchase this CD, drop me a line and I'll send you a PDF copy of the stage directions from the score with the corresponding timings of the CD, so you can see what the music is supposed to represent.

The deep bass of the organ pedals called for in one of the scenes also make this an ideal test record if you're shopping for audio equipment. And if the world does come to an end soon, this'd be the ideal music to play.

"Job: A Masque for Dancing" is one of the greatest pieces that Vaughan Williams has ever composed. It's a forty-minute ballet piece that tells of Job being tested by both God & Satan. The music itself is made for a large Wagnerian orchestra that includes an organ, xylophones, a saxophone, and an alto flute. There are lots of complex orchestrations here; not very Stravinsky-like, but more in the likes of Liszt and Wagner. "The Lark Ascending" is a favorite for many RVW fans, and it sounds beautiful. It has a pure English feel to it, and the solo violin should not be ignored.

This CD by Naxos has surprisingly great audio. The bass and treble are perfect, though "Lark" does have a bit of a low volume when compared to the volume of "Job". David Lloyd-Jones and the English Northern Philharmonia (which is part of Opera North) do an incredible job with both pieces. This is one flawless CD that I'll keep unti lthe last years of my life.

A+

I`d just like to say that I think " The Lark Ascending " is for me probably the most perfect piece of music I`ve ever heard . That violin sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it . Sublime !

I just thought I`d let you know .