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Ralph VAUGHAN
WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910) [17:06]
The Wasps (Overture) (1909) [9:07]
Fantasia on ‘Greensleeves’ (1928) [4:36] George BUTTERWORTH (1885-1916)
The Banks of Green Willow (1913) [5:47] Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
Variations on an Original Theme (Enigma) Op.36 (1899) [31:13]
London Symphony
Orchestra/André Previn
rec. Kingsway Hall, London, 26 January 1979 and No.1 Studio,
Abbey Road, London, 27-28 November 1978 (The Wasps, Enigma
Variations), 30 November 1971 (Greensleeves),
and 15-16 December 1976 (Green Willow).
British Composers Series EMI CLASSICS 3 82157 2 [68:25]
André Previn was principal conductor of the London Symphony
Orchestra from 1969 to 1979, becoming something of a household
name and popularising classical music with an approachable,
unpretentious, unstuffy style. His pedigree as an interpreter
of British music was well established in this period, including
a complete cycle of Vaughan Williams’ symphonies. Many collectors
will know these recordings as well as they know each tick
and crackle from the LP stylus from which the music has so
often been conjured, and so it is welcome indeed to see these
classic recordings collected under one roof.
The familiar LSO sound of the seventies: rich, expressive
and - for the most part - impeccably disciplined, is one
of the main attractions of this disc. The analogue recordings
give very little away to many modern digital ones, and there
is certainly no compromise in terms of detail.
The Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis has to compete
with the Sir John Barbirolli on an EMI GROC (see review),
a recording with a unique intensity which is hard to beat. The
edit 12
seconds in and strange cut-off at 21 seconds bodes ill with
this Previn version, but after this inauspicious start the
music takes over, and Previn’s ability to sustain long adagio lines
without losing shape takes over. The ensemble could also
be better, with one or two tremolo strings anticipating
a little here and there, but in the end all of this matters
little – the tear ducts are jerked soundly and consistently
with the gorgeously sonorous tutti sections, and a
genuinely distant piano softness caresses the ear
as the dynamics plunge and rear, and the plangently timeless
drama unfolds.
The other Vaughan Williams works come
from his compositions for the stage.
The Wasps is the overture for
Aristophanes’ play, and is an apt demonstration
piece for any orchestra. The LSO brass
and winds revel in the whole romping
celebration, and with only the slightly
leathery tone from the oboes suggesting
the antiquity of the recording this
is about as good as any version one
might care to name. The Fantasia
on ‘Greensleeves’ from Vaughan Williams'
second opera ‘Sir John in Love’ (1924-8)
appears in its rich arrangement for
strings, harp and flutes by Ralph Greaves.
Previn takes on a consciously vibrato-laden
string sound for the opening main theme,
as if responding to the ‘wobbly flutes’
so unloved by my late lamented teacher
Gareth Morris. The warmth of the sound
works well however, despite transporting
the innocent simplicity of the melody
into more Mahlerian realms.
The tragedy of George Butterworth’s loss in WWI is made even
more moving when you read that The Banks of Green Willow was
at its premiere in 1914, the last of his own works the composer
heard in public. The gentle, folksong-based music receives
sensitive handling by Previn and his players, and with beautiful
solos and accompaniments the overall effect is more chamber-music
than symphonic.
With the keys of a WWII Enigma machine appearing coyly behind
the ‘British Composers’ title panel on the booklet cover,
it is clear where the real focus for this issue lies. Previn’s
timings for almost all of the variations are strikingly similar
to Elgar’s own, recorded 50 years earlier in 1926 and now
available on an excellent Naxos remastering (8.111022).
Typical of later tradition however, Previn couldn’t resist
lingering over Nimrod, and comes in at 4:33 to Elgar’s
2:53. Sir Adrian Boult has his Nimrod at 4:37, so
there is plenty of precedent, and listening to Elgar’s swooping portamento strings
emphasises just how much of a difference there is between
the eras. The 1962 Boult recording with the London Philharmonic
on EMI Classics for Pleasure is indeed something of a classic,
but Previn, a jazz musician after all, shows how much more
fun and inner joy there is to be heard in variations such
as R.B.T. and Elgar’s own E.D.U. There are
friendly glances and smiles all over the place in Ysobel and Dorabella – the
shirt very much unstuffed and the collar de-starched. Returning
to the 1926 Elgar recording it is fascinating to hear how
comparably affectionate inflections create a similar atmosphere
to Previn – certainly without his underlying Broadway charm,
but to all appearances with the shirt-sleeves rolled up and
the collar stud loosened in the presence of all those close
and beloved friends.
This is a recording to be cherished, whether as an old friend
or a new discovery matters not. Previn’s characterisations
in the ‘Enigma’ variations populate your room with real people – fellows
eccentric and heroic, and fragrant females of charm and sophistication.
One finds oneself wishing one had friends like these.
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