Doubtless future generations of VW adherents will replay the game
of swings and roundabouts that emerges every time one contrasts the
two symphonic cycles left by Adrian Boult. The first was in mono for
Decca beginning in the early 1950s, and the second for EMI in stereo,
starting in 1968. If one has Belart’s quite vivid 1996 transfers
of that first cycle [461 442-2] one has a box of enduring worth with
performances of taut drama. The later cycle, here repackaged in the
context of Boult’s complete EMI VW recordings, offers many valuable
opportunities to understand and appreciate Boult’s subtly modified
view of the canon.
Naturally the sound quality will loom large. Indeed for some people,
it will largely eclipse interpretative matters. Taking those further,
sound obsessives wouldn’t much care for 1968 recordings in any
case, nourishing only the latest test case in ultimate reproduction.
For the rest of us, it’s a hugely rewarding chance to get to
grips with these major undertakings. It’s not really a question
of tempi. It would be tedious indeed to tabulate the timings and measure
out performances by the minute and second. Boult is certainly not
always slower in his stereo cycle; not by a long chalk. It’s
rather more a question of intensity.
The
Sea Symphony is actually slightly tauter in 1968 than in
the Decca traversal. His soloists back then were the admirable Isobel
Baillie and John Cameron, whom I happen, just, to prefer to Sheila
Armstrong and John Carol Case. There’s an extra degree of communicative
drama in the Decca, fine though the EMI is. Boult first conducted
A London Symphony in 1918, and in between these two recordings
seems slightly to have rethought his approach to the first two movements.
He is more expansive in the opening movement in 1971 but significantly
faster in the
Lento second movement. Lovers of the symphony
won’t need reminding of Richard Hickox’s pioneering recording
of the original 1913 version. Seriously hardcore collectors will need
Eugene Goossens version of the 1920 edition, made in Cincinnati and
once available on Biddulph [WHL016], which is an easier listen, but
is not more important historically than Dan Godfrey’s pioneering
recording of the 1920 version, made in 1925, and available on Symposium
1377.
The
Pastoral (with the New Philharmonia, not LPO) receives
beautiful recordings, complementary in strengths. He takes a little
more time in the Decca but both finales offer gripping symphonic summations
and the playing is fine throughout in both discs. Margaret Ritchie
sings in the earlier of the two, Margaret Price in the stereo remake.
Interestingly, to show Boult’s conducting was perhaps more fluid
interpretatively than is often thought - by which I don’t mean
necessarily more intense live than in the studio, though that was
often the case too - the live 1972 performance he gave in Studio 1
Maida Vale for the BBC with its Symphony Orchestra, and with soprano
Valerie Hill, reminds me a touch more of the Decca of two decades
before than the more recent EMI [BBC Radio Classics 15656 91642].
Bernstein, Mitropoulos, and Stokowski: there’s something for
everyone when it comes to No.4. Add the composer himself in his famous
recording, the disinterred Barbirolli and then add the two Boults
and you have pretty much all you need, if you fancy ‘historic’
recordings. Boult remained pretty consistent, though his earlier recording’s
opening movement is elemental in its power, even more so than the
stereo remake. The Decca recording is a little brittle but certainly
nothing can efface Boult’s gripping command here. Again this
is with the New Philharmonia. Except for the finale, where he is tangibly
a bit terser, No. 5 is just that shade slower in 1969 but not much
less moving. The wind playing in the
Romanza is necessarily
more vivid because of the recording quality as is, too, the veiled
string tone. I wouldn’t be without his first thoughts though.
Boult recorded the Sixth on 78s in 1949-50 [Dutton CDBP9703], with
the original and revised versions of the Scherzo, following it with
his Decca LP. It’s here too, so you needn’t go to the
Dutton if you want to acquire it. Boult tightened both the
Moderato
second movement and the numbing Epilogue in his 1967 New Philharmonia
recording when compared to the Decca, but his 1949 EMI 78 had an even
faster
Epilogue. As if to show that nothing is in limbo when
it comes to VW-Boult studies, the conductor’s August 1972 live
Prom performance shaves a full two minutes off the Decca
Epilogue
alone, aligning it to Boult’s later preferred speed. Boult is
even more visceral in that Prom in the opening movement with his old
orchestra, the BBC Symphony. It can be found coupled with No.3 in
the BBC disc noted above.
I suspect one performance that some will prefer over another is that
of the Decca
Sinfonia Antartica. The Decca has superscriptions
spoken by John Gielgud and the performance is masterly from beginning
to end; conducting of a calibre not often encountered in this work.
Boult is only marginally less atmospheric in 1968 and he has Norma
Burrowes where earlier he had Margaret Ritchie once again. This is
a matter of tempi and tempo relationships, because he is significantly
tighter in the remake to an extent that is quite unusual in his discography.
Some, therefore, may prefer this ‘symphonic tautness’
to the more filmic latitude of the Decca. I love both, but in this
case I tend toward the wide-open spaces of the Decca. Symphony No.8
may also divide loyalties. The Decca is in 1956 stereo - the only
one of the cycle to be thus recorded, given that he didn’t record
No.9 for Decca, only for Everest. The Decca No.8 is also beautifully
performed with a good tonal response from the LPO fiddles. The 1969
version is very similar in outline, but perhaps fractionally less
compelling expressively. This leaves the field to the EMI Ninth, recorded
in December 1969, which should certainly be heard in conjunction with
the equally excellent Everest traversal [EVC 9001] which was recorded
about seven months after the composer’s death.
The symphonies are the spine of this 13-CD boxed set. The smaller
items are all present. Hugh Bean’s lovely 1967
Lark Ascending
is here but so is the earlier 1952 recording with Jean Pougnet with
his faster vibrato. I rather prefer Iona Brown’s first recording,
with Neville Marriner, to both, but it’s a delight to have the
two coupled in this way. There are two recordings of the
Serenade
to Music. The first was made in 1951 in the Royal Festival Hall
in the choral version - an interesting occasion, as it was the hall’s
opening; this has never been released on CD before - whilst the 1969
remake is heard with the 16 solo singers. The
Tallis Fantasia
can also be admired in both the 1940 and 1975 versions, whilst
Job
is also subject to two recordings, namely the famous 1946 78 set and
Boult’s 1970 stereo. Vronsky and Babin join the LPO and Boult
for a splendid traversal of the problematic (is it problematic?) Concerto
in C, for two pianos. The
Partita for double string orchestra
and
Concerto Grosso both derive from 1975 sessions.
Flos
campi (my computer just wrote the name of that well-known seaside
baud, Flo Scampi) is heard with violist William Primrose in superb
form in 1946.
One of VW’s choral masterpieces is
Dona Nobis Pacem where
the soloists are Armstrong and Carol Case (April 1973). VW’s
own live 1936 performance is even faster and can be heard on SOMM
CD071, coupled with part of a Prom concert in 1952 where the composer
conducted his Fifth Symphony.
The Song of Thanksgiving, which
had earlier been known as
Thanksgiving for Victory was sung
by Betty Dolemore with narrator Robert Speaight in 1951. There’s
an earlier viscerally exciting Boult performance, with that lovely
soprano Elsie Suddaby and narrator Valentine ‘The Man in Black’
Dyall, once available on Intaglio INCD7571. Pianist Peter Katin and
the LPO Choir join to produce a stirring
Fantasia (quasi variazione)
on the Old 104th. Menuhin’s 1952 mono
performance of the
Concerto accademico - or Violin Concerto
in D minor as it really should always be called, if for no other reason
than to stop people shying away from it - is here, though it was shelved
when recorded and not released for very many years. Several smaller
pieces will afford great pleasure, not least
The Wasps suite,
Toward the Unknown Region and the
Norfolk Rhapsody No.1.
The Pilgrim’s Progress has been revived on stage recently,
to mixed reviews. For those who wish to listen, Boult’s 1972
recording occupies the last two CDs in this 13-CD box. It has a vast
cast-list of some of the best-known singers in Britain at the time.
It’s salutary to be reminded that this was Boult’s only
opera recording. The rehearsal segments that are included last around
27 minutes and have been issued previously but they are valuable for
illustrating the conductor’s patient, jovial but very occasionally
irascible industry.
There’s a modestly sized booklet with an essay and full discographical
details. The transfers are not new. They date from 1986 to 1992, with
the exception of the 1951
Serenade to Music and the 1940
Tallis
Fantasia which were made in 2013; the latter is a bit muddy for
my own tastes.
It seems superfluous to recommend this box. It contains around 17
hours of Boult’s VW. Many of these recordings are amongst the
very best you will hear. Above it, the box offers a concentrated focus
on one of the composer’s most devoted exponents, a man who premiered
three of the symphonies, and who remained an artistic partner
par
excellence.
Jonathan Woolf
Vaughan Williams review index
Track-listing
CD 1
A Sea Symphony (Symphony No. 1)
[1]-[ 5] I: A Song for All Seas, All Ships (Moderato maestoso) 19.10
[6]-[7] II: On the Beach at Night, Alone (Largo sostenuto) 10.19
[8] III: Scherzo: The Waves (Allegro brillante) 7.25
[9]-[15] IV: The Explorers
(Grave e molto adagio - Andante con moto) 28.12
Sheila Armstrong, soprano; John Carol Case, baritone 65.30
London Philharmonic Choir & London Philharmonic Orchestra
CD 2
[1]-[4] A London Symphony (Symphony No. 2) 43.01
London Philharmonic Orchestra
[5]-[8] A Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No. 3) 33.23
Margaret Price, soprano 76.30
New Philharmonia Orchestra
CD 3
[1]-[4] Symphony No. 4 in F minor 32.17
New Philharmonia Orchestra
[5]-[8] Symphony No. 6 in E minor 36.08
New Philharmonia Orchestra 68.44
CD 4
[1]-[4] Symphony No. 5 in D 37.19
London Philharmonic Orchestra
[5]-[8] Symphony No. 9 in E minor 34.44
London Philharmonic Orchestra 72.30
CD 5
[1]-[5] Sinfonia antartica (Symphony No. 7) 41.48
Norma Burrowes, soprano
London Philharmonic Choir & London Philharmonic Orchestra
[5]-[8] Symphony No. 8 in D minor 28.23
London Philharmonic Orchestra 70.30
CD 6
[1] Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1 10.14
[2] In the Fen Country 13.51
[3] The Lark Ascending (with Hugh Bean, violin) 14.42
New Philharmonia Orchestra
[4]-[8] Aristophanic Suite “The Wasps” 25.41
London Philharmonic Orchestra
[9] Fantasia on “Greensleeves” (arr. Ralph Greaves) 4.34
London Symphony Orchestra
[10]-[12] English Folk Song Suite (arr. Gordon Jacob) 8.45
London Symphony Orchestra 78.20
CD 7
[1] Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis 16.30
London Philharmonic Orchestra
[2] Serenade to Music (original version) 13.14
Norma Burrowes, Sheila Armstrong, Susan Longfield, Marie Hayward,
soprano
Alfreda Hodgson, Gloria Jennings, Shirley Minty, Meriel Dickinson,
contralto
Ian Partridge, Bernard Dickerson, Wynford Evans, Kenneth Bowen, tenor
Richard Angas, John Carol Case, John Noble, Christopher Keyte, bass
London Philharmonic Orchestra
[3] Toward the Unknown Region 12.09
London Philharmonic Choir & London Philharmonic Orchestra
[4]-[7] Partita for double string orchestra 19.29
[8]-[12] Concerto Grosso 17.27
London Philharmonic Orchestra 79.00
CD 8
[1]-[4] Concerto for two pianos and orchestra in C 25.46
Vitya Vronsky, Victor Babin, piano
London Philharmonic Orchestra
[5]-[16] Job: A Masque for Dancing 44.17
London Symphony Orchestra 70.22
CD 9
[1]-[6] Dona nobis pacem 36.10
Sheila Armstrong, soprano; John Carol Case, baritone
London Philharmonic Choir & London Philharmonic Orchestra
[7] Fantasia (quasi variazione) on the
Old 104th Psalm Tune 14.17
Peter Katin, piano
London Philharmonic Choir & London Philharmonic Orchestra
[8] A Song of Thanksgiving 15.03
Betty Dolemore, soprano; Robert Speaight, narrator; Harry Gabb, organ
Luton Choral Society (with a section of the Luton Girls’ Choir)
London Philharmonic Orchestra [1951]
[9] The Lark Ascending 13.20
Jean Pougnet, violin
London Philharmonic Orchestra [1952] 79.00
CD 10
[1]-[4] Symphony No. 6 in E minor 33.57
[5] III: Scherzo (original version) 6.03
London Symphony Orchestra [1949/50]
[6]-[11] Flos campi 19.47
William Primrose, viola
BBC Chorus & Philharmonia Orchestra [1946]
[12]-[14] Violin Concerto in D minor 16.34
Yehudi Menuhin, violin
London Philharmonic Orchestra [1952] 76.30
CD 11
[1] Serenade to Music (choral version) 12.00
Royal Festival Orchestra and Choir [1951]
[2] Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis 14.03
B. B. C. Symphony Orchestra [1940]
[3]-[14] Job: A Masque for Dancing 43.46
BBC Symphony Orchestra [1946] 70.30
The Pilgrim’s Progress
CD 12
[1]-[6] Prologue, Act 1, Act 2, Act 3 Scene 1 76.27
CD 13
[1]-[7] Act 3 Scene 2, Act 4 & Epilogue 48.58
[8]-[12] Sir Adrian in Rehearsal 26.38
The Pilgrim - John Noble, baritone
John Bunyan - Raimund Herincx, baritone
Evangelist - John Carol-Case, baritone
Four neighbours
Pliable - Wynford Evans, tenor
Obstinate - Christopher Keyte, bass
Mistrust - Geoffrey Shaw, baritone
Timorous - Bernard Dickerson, tenor
Three Shining Ones - Sheila Armstrong, soprano
Marie Hayward, soprano
Gloria Jennings, contralto
Interpreter - Ian Partridge, tenor
Watchful, the Porter - John Shirley-Quirk, baritone
A Herald - Terence Sharpe, baritone
Apollyon - Robert Lloyd, bass
Two Heavenly Beings
Branch Bearer - Norma Burrowes, soprano
Cup Bearer - Alfreda Hodgson, contralto
Lord Lechery - Joseph Ward, tenor
Demas - Geoffrey Shaw, baritone
Judas Iscariot - Christopher Keyte, bass
Simon Magus - Richard Angas, bass
Worldly Glory - John Elwes, tenor
Madam Wanton - Marie Hayward, soprano
Madam Bubble - Delia Wallis, mezzo-soprano
Pontius Pilate - Christopher Keyte, bass
Usher - Bernard Dickerson, tenor
Lord Hate Good - Raimund Herincx , baritone
Malice - Norma Burrowes, soprano
Pickthank - Alfreda Hodgson, contralto
Superstition - Ian Partridge, tenor
Envy - Richard Angas, bass
A Woodcutter’s Boy - Wendy Eathorne, soprano
Mister By-Ends - Gerald English, tenor
Madam By-Ends - Gloria Jennings, contralto
Three Shepherds - Terence Sharpe, baritone
Wynford Evans, tenor
Robert Lloyd, bass
The Voice of a Bird - Sheila Armstrong, soprano
Celestial Messenger -John Elwes, tenor
Voices from Heaven - Doreen Price, soprano
Jean Temperley, mezzo-soprano
Kenneth Woollam, tenor
London Philharmonic Choir & London Philharmonic Orchestra
