Customer Reviews

Vaughan Williams: The Nine Symphonies [Box Set]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This collection is an incredible bargain! Many of the recordings in the box are unmatched by any of the competition (Antarctica, Tuba Concerto, Symphony #6 especially). And not a single recording disappoints. The recorded sound is outstanding by any standards.
I could not get any interest in Vaughan Williams for years. I remember exploring the EMI Boult recordings in the late 1970s. I was bored, to say the least. Then when RCA reissued these recordings individually in the late 1980s, I bought the Antarctica and gave it a try. I got hooked from there, and bought all of the rest one at a time. I couldn't believe how vibrant, exciting, and enjoyable the performancs were.
And for the price, this box is a must for anyone even remotely interested in Vaughan Williams.
You get all the symphonies and more, for less than the cost of 2 full price CDs.
The booklet is decent also.

If you've ever thought of getting all of the RVW symphonies but haven't, because of cost or what not, there are no more excuses. This is the best set ever. Previn and the LSO had a magical relationship 30 years ago, and no one has ever done these symphonies better. If you find some of them tough nuts to crack, don't worry; RVW isn't easy music, but it is well worth it. It's not supposed to be simple. The only caveat: analog sound. Now RCA was capable of great sound in the 1970's, and the sound is frankly better than the newer RCA series with Slatkin. But if superb digital sound is paramount, you won't go wrong with Handley's set with Liverpool. It's another top notch cycle. Still, I rate Previn tops in this music. RCA is to be commended for releasing this set, as well as the others in the series...check them out!

Listen to the bold beginning of Ralph Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony, and you've captured the essence of VW at his best. This is the first of 9 symphonies by a composer who is surely England's greatest Symphonist. His essays in the form span the first half of the twentieth century, but include few of its radical elements. Vaughan Williams was a traditionalist throughout, and surely it was that conservative outlook that drew him to the symphonic form in the first place.

Listening to his second symphony, A London Symphony, one hears typical Vaughan Williams-almost entirely melodic in its conception, with lots of diatonic, modal or pentatonic writing, and a touch of chromatic harmony to flavour the melody. It's beautiful, and the music spans a wide emotional gamut from intense introspection to joyous celebration. Only in the 4th Symphony does VW really open himself to a more contrapuntal and dissonant style, and the consequence is that the composition becomes quite reminiscent of Prokofiev or Schostakovich, the two other great Symphonists of the time. Following the 5th Symphony, however, I feel that VW's artistic output suffers. The later pieces, with the exception of the 7th Symphony, Sinfonia Antarctica-based on music he'd composed for the film Scott of the Antarctic--lack the vigor and excitement of the earlier works. They're more introspective, perhaps as befits an older composer, but they don't speak to me as strongly as, say, the later symphonies of Mahler or Schostakovich. Perhaps it is that VW was resistant to change in his basic musical outlook, but by the 1950's, the diatonic/pentatonic ideas he frequented had become increasingly irrelevant. That VW was brilliant and a master craftsman is unquestionable, but he seemed to need new fuel for his compositional fires and was unwilling to consider the atonality of Schoenberg and his followers, the rhythmic vitality of Stravinsky and Bartok, or even the orchestral colours and dramatic juxtapositions of Gustav Mahler. There are still many moments of brilliance, but as a whole the later works move me less.

All of the performances by Andre Previn and the London symphony Orchestra are superb-no one plays this music better. With 9 Symphonies and four other orchestral works-the Concerto Accademico, the Tuba Concerto, the Wasps Overture, and Three Portraits from The England of Elisabeth-this collection is packed with value, and I can scarcely do it justice in the limited room I have. While the Concerto Accademico seems aptly titled and not terribly engaging, the Three Portraits are a gem of VW's work for television. Its worth the price for the first two symphonies and the Sinfonia Antarctica alone, everything else is just gravy--or perhaps I should say, baked beans on toast! All in all, a terrific deal.

Ralph Vaughan Williams was in my opinion one of the very greatest composers of music. Never content with what he had just written, but nevertheless staunch in his principles, over his lifetime he created a series of amazingly vital and original pieces. I could write many pages about these works, so will just say a little about my favorite of all, the incredible Symphony No 8 in D minor. Written at the extraordinary age of 86, the sheer musical inventiveness of this truly unbelievable piece is without equal and I include here all the "great" classical composers such as Beethoven, Brahms and the like. The first movement "Variations in search of a theme" is serious, thought-provoking and modern, yet unmistakably RVW. Its one of the most original first movements ever written ( owing nothing whatsoever to the classical tradition) and though asking more questions than it answers, is a movement even if you have never listened to any of RVWs music before demands attention and absolutely requires you to listen more. The second movement "Cavatina" is one of the most ghostly-beautiful slow movements ever written. The only thing I can really compare it with is RVWs own "The Lark Ascending" though for me this is a far more complex and challenging piece. I have listened to Barber's famous " Adagio for Strings", written at about the same time as this,and for me, this is an even greater and more moving piece - well Barber hadn't written the so-called "Pastoral" Symphony for practice had he ? The third movement is a typically gruff RVW scherzo. I can just see the old geezer galumphing round his garden complaining about his musicians, modern taxation, life in general... It's really funny and whenever can you say that of Mozart, Beethoven , Brahms and company...?The fourth movement is is ...how on earth do you describe this absolutely extraordinary finale. Part village band, part religious apotheosis, this is music truly not of the everyday earth which we inhabit, but something much more glorious, more astonishing... In this movement RVW uses just about every musical instrument known to man - he must have had enormous fun composing it... but the first entry of the celeste is the moment you all need to listen for.

André Previn has chosen some of the very finest of RVWs works to record on this set and for me this is his greatest testament as a conductor. His sheer (and somewhat amazing in itself as a jazz musician) love for RVWs music comes out tops here. A great recording and an absolutely tremendous bargain.

I have some of these recordings on RCA Red Seal LPs from the late 1960's. I think it is one the best of three symphony cycles in my possession. The other two are Colin Davis/Sibelius and Herbert Blomstedt/Nielsen. Some of my RVW LPs are Adrian Boult and some are Andre Previn. I prefer Previn. Previn really digs into this music. My three favorites: #2 (London), #3 (Pastoral) and #5. It gives me goose bumps being able to listen to them without rice krispies in the background. Kudos to RCA for re-releasing these gems.

Up until recently, I was only vaguely familiar with the music of British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. After reading the reviews and noticing the lower than usual price for this set, I thought I'd give it a listen. I'm definitely glad I did as this is some very beautiful music indeed.
All nine of Vaughan William's symphonies are included here along with four bonus pieces, the Concerto Accademico for Violin, the Bass Tuba Concerto, "Three Portraits from the England of Elizabeth" and the overture for the stage play "The Wasps".
Conductor Andre Previn definitely brings these works to life in a mighty way. The "Sea Symphony" is a real standout with its beautiful choral arrangements and orchestrations. Other standouts are the "Pastoral" third symphony and the dramatic Stravinsky-esque fourth symphony.
Indeed, all of the music here is something special and I'm very satisfied to have this set as my introduction to the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Like other reviewers have stated here, this is definitely a must-have collection and I can't think of a better way to start a Vaughan Williams library than with this.

A small footnote: After listening to the first movement of "A Sea Symphony", it may be quite possible that John Lennon sampled a small section of it for "Revolution 9" on the Beatles' White Album. The section in question occurs roughly 12 minutes into the first movement. It's very brief but it immediately stuck out once it was heard.

It's safe to say that Ralph Vaughan Williams is one of the finest British composers alongside Holst, Elgar, Britten, and Bax. His nine symphonies are pure proof of his genius: they're lovely, haunting, lyrical, intense, hot-blooded, ethereal, etc. Maestro Andre Previn leads the London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus with perfect control; no one misses a step. Sound quality is first-rate, and booklet is quite informative. This box set gets an A from me.

Okay, I'm a Vaughan Williams nut and have been since the late 50's. Sir Adrian Boult knew the composer well and that gives him an edge, but Boult was notorious as a four-square unemotional conductor. A certain relative of mine who was also a well known, no make that famous conductor, once told me that music was nothing without emotion. Previn demonstrates an accurate knowledge of the music, but allows the feeling to come through. The Antartica is "the" best performance I've ever heard. The sonics are sensational. How can you not be moved by the Sea Symphony or the Fourth, which was the composers reaction to being on the line as an ambulance driver during WWI. A recent documentary indicates he was never the same after his war experience. In my opinion, no 20th Century composer (including Prokofiev) ever wrote nine better symphonies, but then I may be a little prejudiced. You see Vaughan Williams was the subject of my Masters Thesis and I owe him something for getting my MFA.

Not for nothing has this Previn set received consistently-praising reviews. While Boult and other English interpreters preferences may come down to one's tolerance of their style, with Previn the music is allowed to flow. That's not to take down Boult or the others. Sir Adrian's EMI readings of Nos.3 and 5 are more than a match for Previn's, but with this set you get consistently wonderful performances in ALL the symphonies and extras. This may indeed be one of the most perfect sets ever.

First of all I agree with the other reviewers this set of RVW's Symphonies
is a very fine set. There are a few works I would have liked to see in it, but I can always get them on another bargin CD. The performances that really stand out here are " A Sea Symphony", The "London Symphony", and the "Sinfonia Antartica" The rest of the Symphonies all recieve impressive
perfomances by Andre Previn and the LSO and the LSC, and a fine line up of
soloists. Some reviewers complained about the narration in the "Sinfonia
Antartica" and said they prefer it just with the music, but I feel that
Sir Ralph Richardson's narration adds so much to the general mood of the
work, while the music can certainly stand on its own. I have to wonder though why this work is not better represented on disc. I would think that this Symphony cries out for a good surround sound SACD. I also feel that the Tuba Concerto deserves a little more reprsentation in the catalog. I also seem to like Previn's recording with the LSO of the Fifth
Symphony a litle better that his recording with the RPO on Telarc, which is also a great recording. It is so nice to find out that RVW is so much more that just the "Fantasia of a Theme of Thomas Tallis", and the "Fantasia on Greensleeves". Highly Recommended