Search - Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sir Andrew Davis, BBC Symphony Orchestra :: Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6; The Lark Ascending; Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Talles

Dark but radiant

P. SIMPSON | North Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 04/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I dont know how many performances of the Tallis Fantasia and the Lark Ascending are around at the moment, but these two are among the very best. The Tallis is possibly the finest since Barbirolli (but maybe not quite so overwhelming) and Tasmin Little's Lark probably the loveliest since Hugh Bean's. So even if you have other versions, don't hesitate. Both are warmly recorded. The sixth is also a very fine performance. Its a dark, angry work for three of its four movements (with only the one "big tune") but a more mystical, visionary, questioning epilogue. Davis, the BBC SO and the Teldec engineers rightly give the symphony a taut and urgent performance and recording, which works particularly well in the epilogue though you may find it too analytical in the earlier movements. All three works are distinctively performed and recorded and their juxtaposition makes this a disc which is even more than the sum of its very good parts."

One of the finest readings.

jean couture | Quebec city - Canada | 11/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For a number of reasons, this is a white-hot Teldec disc. It has made history with a near-definitive account of the Sixth Symphony (in E minor). The two other works are wholly valuable as well. The original album was eventually reissued in Europe by Warner/Teldec in their "Apex" series---probably still available at mid-price as in time of this review. While not markedly superior to Boult's distinguished versions of the late 1940's and early fifties (respectively with LSO and LPO), the Davis/BBC/Teldec disc still offers one of the finest readings in the discography. I couldn't agree more with Neil Horner (MusicWeb) who stressed the "quintessential combination of Boult and Vaughan Williams" and wrote about it that "the Symphony was recorded (eminent first reading by Boult with LSO) five years before the rightly championed Decca version with which it has much in common in terms of full-blooded delivery, with extra urgency added by generally faster tempi. [...] In (Boult's recordings), I found the mysterious final movement the most memorable." I must say that the one version I think is best of all is Boult/LPO (Decca, currently reissued) at the end of which the composer makes some brief appreciative comments. Nonetheless, Davis's is still a high-rank recording. Music reviewer Richard Whitehouse got straight to the point when he said that "Davis gets playing of real intensity from the BBC SO, with a detailed yet spacious recording to match." From the rambunctious opening Allegro to the moderato Epilogue, there is some robust playing---notably from the brass---and in the end the music seems to recap on a relentless query initially sparked at the very opening of the first movement. At times the music is gorgeously dark and seems almost ruthless ("Dark but radiant," like a reviewer, P. Simpson `nucaleena', cleverly wrote) yet it is obstinately atmospheric and full of tranquil exaltation during its course. From St.Augustine's Church, Kilburn, London, the recorded sound is equally very fine and is a tribute to both producer Christopher Palmer and engineer Tony Faulkner. And that goes for the two other works, equally finely played and recorded : Tasmin Little makes the case for the `Lark Ascending', in which her solo violin truly sings and the BBC SO's playing is commendable. The `Fantasia on Tallis' gets one of its best performances and recordings since the Barbirolli era---and that says all. /jc"

A Great RVW Series

J. Rich | 10/05/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sir Andrew Davis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra perform these RVW works with passion and excitement. This particular recording is actually apart of a cyle that Davis recorded for Teldec, which now can be purchased as a box set through Amazon.co.uk on the Warner Classics label:



[...]



I would strongly recommend fans of RVW's music to get this box set instead of the single releases. All of the recordings here in the States are out-of-print. The box set is 6-CDs and here are the contents of that set:



A Sea Symphony (Symphony No.1)

Symphony No.2 'A London Symphony'

Symphony No.8 in D minor

Symphony No.4 in F minor

Symphony No.5 in D major

Symphony No.6 in E minor

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

The Lark Ascending

Fantasia on Greensleeves

The Wasps Overture

Sinfonia Antartica (Symphony No.7)

A Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No.3)

Symphony No.9 in E minor

Job - A Masque for Dancing



Truly a great set as it contains a great and rare performance of "Job: A Masque for Dancing," which was the only ballet RVW wrote and to my knowledge it's only been recorded four times: Boult/EMI, Handley/EMI, Lloyd-Jones/Naxos, and Davis/Warner Classics.



If you are new to RVW or are collecting all the symphony cycles, then be sure to pickup Andrew Davis' cycle."