Customer Reviews

Vaughan Williams: A Pastoral Symphony (No. 3)/Symphony No. 4 in F Minor

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A national glory in the UK, Vaughan-Williams (RVW) is not so well known outside the Anglo-America cultural area. That's a pity, because he's one of the most accomplished symphonists of this century. His works have an amazing range of moods and variety of expression rarely found elsewhere, from the RVW-signature radiant string melodies of the Third and Fifth to the furious, more enigmatic gestures of the powerful Sixth , not to mention the monumental First and Seventh and the enigmatic Ninth. RVW technique ( structure, orchestration) is masterful, but this never overwhelms the sheer listening pleasure. This issue (like most of the other Haitink/LPO releases) is surely a milestone performance : the beautifully flowing but strangely haunting harmonies of the Third really bring you in a different world, while the rage and fury of the Fourth blows you away. This , alongside the indispensable Fifth, can be a good introduction to this marvellous artist, but I highly recommend it to the good-music lovers willing to listen to something new and rewarding.

In the words of Vaughan Williams, his Third or "Pastoral" Symphony is "almost entirely quiet and contemplative". By this measure, Bernard Haitink deserves credit for providing a most faithful interpretation. He pays homage to the work's plaintive and tranquil elements, and his spiritual/emotional range has greater breadth than that of Sir Adrian Boult, who generally takes more of an extroverted approach in both his Decca and EMI conceptions. Recurrently, Haitink also exhibits a mood that seems more in keeping with some of the composer's explicit World War One reflections. Further, his reading more clearly reveals both foreground and background melodies. Although often attractive in its way, Boult's more outward looking perspective tends to gloss over some of the music's subtle details. Moreover, Haitink's instrumental tonalities are more clearly and fully resolved. Orchestral execution is superb, and frequently paints an enchanting portrait. Currents of solemnness are sensitively captured. Quieter moments reflect a convincing atmospheric presence. Repeated listening pays new dividends and increases my appreciation for Haitink, whose thoughtful, absorbing approach I prefer to the offerings of Boult, Handley and Thomson. The only other version of this haunting piece I particularly favor is Andre Previn's with the London Symphony. It is quite musically appealing, but Haitink's interpretation seems to get the measure of this piece somewhat better.

Haitink does not achieve as high a level of success in the very different Fourth Symphony, but neither do Boult on EMI nor Previn in my estimation. As I commented in my previous review of the Dutton disc, the composer's almost manic intensity carries the day. In the opening movement, Haitink launches an impressive forward thrust, but quickly shifts to a somewhat broad, almost cinematic tack, thereby bypassing the serious agitation depicted by the composer in his BBC performance. However, in the sober second movement, he is emotionally powerful, and evinces a fairly strong flavor of Shostakovich during some of his grayer moments. But in the scherzo and final movement that follow, he cannot match the composer's interpretive highjinks. I do like Haitink's presentation of the more reflective moments, and his more expansively characterized symphonic view surely has its appeal ; nonetheless, in summation and once again, the composer takes the prize with his unique reading.

I like to consider Vaughan-Williams' Symphonies almost as if they were one big work; (as I do also with Mahler) with each symphony progressing very naturally on to the next, each with its own individual tone and sense of placement within the set. I love them all but my favourite is the Third, the 'Pastoral' Symphony. VW's began work on this symphony in France in 1916 during his wartime service. While the title of the work makes clear a connection to among other things, landscape and the natural world, the work is really a meditation on war; a prayer for peace and reflection.
The symphony is in four movements, "all slow" according to the composer. Much like the Fifth, the first movement of the Third is preluding in character, with soft undulating chords and themes that don't really contrast, seeming to all come from the same source. An important feature is the subtle use of bitonality that will pervade the whole symphony. The second movement is a nocturne, featuring ghostly evocations of 'The Last Post' played on natural trumpet. The stately, dance-like music of the third movement was conceived as a setting of the scene of Falstaff and the fairies in The Merry wives of Windsor. Providing a contrast to the other movements, this movement swaggers to a fortissimo climax and then quietly subsides. The last movement begins with an off-stage soprano quietly singing a lovely pentatonic melody over a soft timpani roll. This melody becomes the focus of the movement and the mood slowly becomes more dramatic. Strings and winds begin to 'tear' at the melody. The climax of the work comes as the melody is presented emphatically in the highest register of the violins and flutes, against bitter clashing harmonies in the brass. The soprano's wordless song returns to lead this great work into silence.
Haitink and the LPO make the most glorious sounds in this recording. There is always plenty of space for the beauties of the scoring to come through, the many solos are superbly done and the brass, esp in the third movement are wonderfully full and round. But most importantly, Haitink always lets the music 'sing'. An expansive, lyrical and insightful reading.
The Fourth Symphony is, of course, a total contrast, perhaps even a shock if you're not ready for it! Responsive to the wide range of moods in this work, Haitink delivers an urgent, incisive performance.

Vaughan Williams's third symphony was the work that gave rise to the "cow-pat" phrase, in one sense at least a misguided epithet for this symphony which was really intended as a bleak lament for World War I than a pastoral depiction of the English countryside. But anyway, there is nothing in Haitink's approach that would warrant the depreciatory intent of the comment, for in his hands there is no possible mistaking the dark somberness and serenity for rural pastoralness - it is still filled with wistfulness and nostalgia, but of a more ominous, less innocent kind than in many alternative performances. The version at hand is one of the broadest on disc, but with Haitink's level of concentration it never seems to lag. It doesn't detract that the orchestral playing is absolutely excellent, either.

The dark undercurrents beneath the shimmering beauty of the first movement are unerringly realized, and the solemn nobility of the second leaves a strong impression. The last two movements are stronger still; the many half-lights and haunted moods of the third movement - fey lights and will-o-wisps haunting the quiet desolate hills of summer left after the war - are perfectly realized, and the total impact is simply harrowing. The finale with its quiet, haunting transfigurational movement towards the inevitable (one of the most atmospheric musical creations ever) crowns one of the most haunting and probably the best version of this symphony I've heard, and the disc would doubtlessly be worth acquiring if only for the third symphony.

But the account of the fourth is almost as good. This symphony shares the tragedy of its predecessor, but its tragedy expressed through violence rather than resignation. This time Haitink opts for a more middle-of-the-road approach in terms of tempo, but he is sufficiently restrained to let us here the details and the full expressive range of the work; for instance the hauntingly poignant secondary idea in the first movement. Throughout the remaining movements, Haitink's firm grasp of the structure, the taut rhythms and his ability to build up thrusting climaxes are consistently impressive. Maybe the performance whips up less raw energy than some other accounts, but in Haitink's hands the work ends up sounding more cogently symphonic than I've heard anywhere else - in addition to his ability to keep textures clear enough for the listener to fully appreciate the emotional range of the music. Sound quality is full and rich, and the whole disc is, in short, urgently recommended.

Ralph Vaughan Williams Symphony No 3 bears the name "Pastoral Symphony" but the composer insisted it was a war symphony. Vaughan Williams has a reputation for producing bucolic music, such as The Lark Ascending, but the elegiac mood of this music goes back to France in 1916 when the first sketches were produced. The symphony was written from 1919 to 1921. The music is poignant and haunting throughout, close to being a requiem. The symphony begins with a mournful horn solo that sets the mood for the next movement as well. The scherzo contains a lively passage that reminds one of a scene from Falstaff, but the reflective tone of the symphony is never far off. The final movement begins and ends with a wordless soprano part, singing offstage.

Symphony No. 4 is a huge contrast to the Third offering a "modern" symphony with jagged melodies. The music reminds me of the Sixth Symphony some years in the future when the Fourth was composed (between 1921 and 1933). The music begins violently with a turbulent melody. The unrest settles into a mysterious passage for horns and strings, closing the movement in gloom. The second movement begins with a dirge-like melody, picking up on the bleakness of the close of the prior movement. The scherzo begins with an energetic melody that brings a good-natured feeling to the symphony. The finale begins without pause working off the humor of the scherzo, then returning to the solemn atmosphere of the second movement. The movement continues with the agitated melody of the opening movement, and concludes with an abrupt bump-note chord.

Bernard Haitink directs two magnificent performances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The superb playing and well-judged tempi make this disc among the top choices for these works. The recorded sound is superb.

A national glory in the UK, Vaughan-Williams (RVW) is not so well known outside the Anglo-America cultural area. That's a pity, because he's one of the most accomplished symphonists of this century. His works have an amazing range of moods and variety of expression rarely found elsewhere, from the RVW-signature radiant string melodies of the Third and Fifth to the furious, more enigmatic gestures of the powerful Sixth , not to mention the monumental First and Seventh and the enigmatic Ninth. RVW technique ( structure, orchestration) is masterful, but this never overwhelms the sheer listening pleasure. This issue (like most of the other Haitink/LPO releases) is surely a milestone performance : the beautifully flowing but strangely haunting harmonies of the Third really bring you in a different world, while the rage and fury of the Fourth blows you away. This , alongside the indispensable Fifth, can be a good introduction to this marvellous artist, but I highly recommend it to the good-music lovers willing to listen to something new and rewarding.