Vaughan Williams - Symphony No. 5 (1989)

André Previn conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded in Walthamstow Town Hall, London on July 6-7, 1988. Previn was principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic from 1985–1992.

I inherited this CD from my father and I'm hoping he purchased it for track 5, Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis and not for the headlining symphony. As I mentioned in a previous post:

Aaron Copland is reported to have commented, "Listening to the Fifth Symphony of Ralph Vaughan Williams is like staring at a cow for forty-five minutes" That may be a little extreme, but this work softly meanders about for the first 3 movements, very rarely utilizing any instruments other than strings. Things get better in the final movement, but only slightly... This piece's quiet serenity makes it perfect for relaxing, but as Copland suggests, it doesn't hold up to active listening.

But as for that Tallis Fantasia, chef's kiss. It's a wonderful, flowing piece that utilizes the simple theme below as its basis and is expertly scored for scored for double string orchestra plus a string quartet. There's much interplay between the three string groups, and if the groups are properly separated in the stereo mix - as they are here - headphones are a plus.

Phrygian mode, if you're into that sort of thing.

It's all very well performed and recorded, as was the norm for Telarc at the dawn of the compact disc age.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
The 9 Symphonies (2003)
Eastman Wind Ensemble - Works by Husa, Copland, Vaughan Williams, & Hindemith (1989)
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1981)