Search - Ralph Vaughan Williams, James Judd, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra :: Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Greensleeves; Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis [Hybrid SACD]

Humdrum performances, mediocre super audio sound

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 12/22/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"On the basis of this recording, I'd say British-born James Judd is doing everything possible to separate himself from the likes of the greatest Vaughan Williams interpreters from his nation -- Boult and Baribolli. In the first pieces here -- the Tallis Fantasia and Norfolk Rhapsody -- Judd seems content to project the unspectacular beauty of the rolling English countryside and no other emotion, even though filmmakers have used this music to accompany highly emotional scenes. Judd fails to realize there is a bandwidth of depth to the music of Vaughan Williams that niceness doesn't represent. Alas, he completely fails to project those important qualities.



This is apparent from the opening bars of the Tallis Fantasia where Judd's phrasing is consistently awkward and leaden. He fails to ignite the passion Barbirolli brings to the score and, with his long-lined approach, is stodgier than even Boult's latest stereo version. Judd completely misunderstands the Norfolk Rhapsody (formerly called No. 1) that was written as the first of three the composer planned to use as a symphony. While Vaughan Williams abandoned the project, the rhapsody, in better hands such as Thomson's, retains a subtle electric charge in the hihg strings that brings an intensity to the music nowhere to be found on this recording.



It's the same story with In the Fen Country and the Greensleeves fantasy, although the failure to project any emotion other than soothing niceness is more appropriate in these pastoral scores. Judd begins to expand his emotional response in the Concerto Grosso's opening Intrada but keeps the voltage low throughout and misses a chance to rattle your speakers at the conclusion of the movement. He settles for more shapeless quietude as he proceeds throughout the piece, bringing to conclusion a mild and tepid exercise.



These are among the least characterized readings of Vaughan Williams' beloved music I've heard. In addition, Naxos' 5.1 super audio sound is not special in any way. There is no greater definition than in the standard stereo of Thomson's Chandos disk. While Thomson's disk is good, this recording lists for almost $15 at the high end of the Naxos product line. There is nothing special about this recording and first time listeners should not accept this as outstanding Vaughan Williams musicmaking. Try Barbirolli, Boult, Thomson and even Previn to get a better idea of the soundworld of this magnificent composer."

Fine Performances of RVW Favorites on a Hybrid SACD

J Scott Morrison | Middlebury VT, USA | 02/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"[The following review was previously posted almost two years ago for the plain vanilla CD of these performances. This, of course, is the hybrid SACD version. I compared the two versions and can say that the current issue on SACD is in much more brilliant and lifelike sound, as seems to be the case generally for SACD issues. Being a hybrid SACD, this issue can be played on either a regular CD player or a newer SACD player. Many classical music lovers who haven't yet bought an SACD player are nonetheless acquiring discs like this one in order to have them when they DO buy a newer machine. In my case, I do not own an SACD player and made my comparisons of the two versions of the disc using a friend's equipment. And I'm inching toward buying an SACD player for myself.]



There have certainly been many wonderful recordings of the popular short orchestral pieces of Ralph Vaughan Williams, among them those of Sir Adrian Boult and André Previn, favorites of many RVW fanciers. For someone coming to these pastoral classics for the first time, though, this issue deserves real consideration. Here we have the familiar and deservedly popular 'Fantasia on the Theme of Thomas Tallis,' and the 'Fantasia on Greensleeves,' the latter drawn from his sinfully neglected and utterly delightful opera, 'Sir John in Love.' There is also the somewhat less familiar 'Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1.' A good deal less well known to casual RVW listeners are the tone poem, 'In the Fen Country,' and the 'Concerto Grosso' for string orchestra. All of them are played here by one of the top orchestras Down Under, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra led by British conductor James Judd, whose recordings with this orchestra and the Florida Philharmonic have made his name familiar to discerning record collectors. I would particularly recommend his recording of the symphonies by New Zealand's pre-eminent composer, Douglas Lilburn, with the NZSO. If you like Sibelius, you'll like Lilburn.



But I digress. This issue deserves real praise. Even though this is a budget CD the performances are comparable to the top echelon of similar full-price releases, and are better than many of them. You can't go wrong here. The playing is nuanced, the sound is crystal clear. The wide dynamic range makes it possible to hear the utterly soft playing called for in, say, the Tallis Fantasia as well as the full climaxes in that and the other pieces. Recommended.



TT=60:26



Scott Morrison



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