Ralph Vaughan Williams — Riders to the Sea, Magnificat

★★★★

   Modern era in musical theatre is probably the best time for traditional opera. For about a century historic works are preferred by audience and by artists. Directors of opera and choreographers are searching for forgotten works while forgetting contemporary masterpieces. This phenomenon has been intensified with the decades. Composers found some solutions like festivals and commissioning system giving them chance to hear and see their works, but such successes as those of romantic composers could not happen anymore. And yet, despite such experience, despite problems with production and money, 20th century musical stage occurred to give opulence of great works. One of composers active in opera genre was Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958). His six operas were not successful at once but were important at least as a part of author’s stylistic development. It is significant, the most successful opera by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Riders to the Sea duration is 35 minutes only.
   The synopsis of Riders to the Sea is as simple as short. Based on play by John Millington Synge is the story of passing by, mourn and vanishing. Maurya, Irish mother who lost four sons, father and husband in the sea, during the show is losing her last two sons. This story shows some tendency in works of Vaughan Williams who was interested in creating music full of dramatic tension. Written in 1927 opera was revised in 1932 and premiered in 1937. Years between the wars were fruitful in Vaughan Williams’ creative life. In 1932, the year he closed working on Riders to the Sea he composed also Magnificat. He was sixty years old and his personal composing style was in best shape.

Vaughan Williams — Riders to the Sea, Magnificat (1972)

   In sixties and seventies music of Ralph Vaughan Williams was well presented in United Kingdom and USA. Many EMI recordings were published by Angel label for US market. The same happened with Riders to the Sea release by EMI in 1971 and by Angel in 1972 with painting Queen Maeve walked upon this strand by Jack Butler Yeats as cover art. Both compositions presented on EMI 1971 album Riders to the Sea and Magnificat for contralto, woman’s choir and orchestra are works of middle period in Vaughan Williams creative life. This was time of balanced use of most innovative techniques for strong emotional content. Both compositions are musical pictures of mother’s pain and have similar dramatic sense. Elegant distance and clear sincere expression show noble and honest nature of Vaughan Williams’ music.
   Album was recorded in 1971 with Ambrosian Singers and Orchestra Nova of London. Featured contralto Helen Watts recorded both works. In Magnificat she performed solo, in opera she sung role of Maurya. Other parts in Riders to the Sea were sung by Margaret Price (Cathleen), Norma Burrowes (Nora), Benjamin Luxon (Bartley) and others. Both works are presenting perfect, performed with lots of space and culture of sound, these recordings are basic for Vaughan Williams discography. This is substantially the merit of conductor of these recordings Meredith Davies (1922-2005) who was known for his devotion to English modern music, he was renowned especially for his performances of works by Benjamin Britten, Frederic Delius and Ralph Vaughan Williams. He conducted also premiere recording of earlier Vaughan Williams stage works – Sir John in Love, a four-act opera based on Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. Four stars.

Sir Adrian Boult – Ralph Vaughan Williams – Symphony No. 6

★★★★

   Among many notable British composers Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was one of the greatest. He set his individual style in main current of original English school in 20th century music. He was student in Royal College of Music and Trinity College in Cambridge where he befriend with Gustav Holst, Bertrand Russell, George Edward Moore and Leopold Stokovsky. He was also a partly successor of neoromantic continental school. He studied with Max Bruch in Berlin and with Maurice Ravel, who was his teacher during half year in Paris. But as French impressionist once said, Vaughan Williams was the only student who didn’t write his music. In early compositions his style was related to some elements of folk music which he was collecting. He considered folk music predominant position writing in 1934: “the art of music above all the other arts is the expression of the soul of a nation”.
   He debuted late, when publishing first song at his thirty. And his career was developing being phenomenally prolific in late period in his seventies and eighties. One of his most famous compositions is Romance for Violin and Orchestra “The Lark Ascending” from 1914. This work closes early period of his creative work. It was written for Marie Hall, to whom composer dedicated the work. The first version of the Romance was not performed because of outbreak of the war, then in 1920 it was revised and one year later premiered with Marie Hall as a soloist. This postromantic composition is programmatic music; it was inspired by the poem The Lark Ascending by George Meredith (1828-1895). Short fragments of first and second stanzas and closing verses of the poem were inscribed by Vaughn Williams in his score as a kind of poetic program for his music.

Ralph Vaughan Williams – Symphony No. 6 (1967)

   Dramatic observations from the 1st World War had strong impact on Vaughan Williams’ style which was evolving from mystical to pessimistic moods. After 2nd World War he was experimenting with new means of expression and temper of his late works was progressively lyrical. After Symphony No. 5 which was dedicated to Jean Sibelius, public was not expecting 70 years old composer can write next symphony. But in forthcoming years he finished four more symphonies. Probably most popular is the Symphony No. 6 in E Minor composed in years 1944 to 1947. This work was founded on some ideas developed in last months of II World War. Premiered in under Sir Adrian Boult, this work was very popular and during two years after premiere it was performed by over 100 orchestras all over the world. As composer was still not satisfied with this work, in 1950 he revised the score. Among many recordings of Symphony No. 6 one is especially inviting. In 1967 it was published on one album with The Lark Ascending featuring violinist Hugh Bean who was the leader of Philharmonia Orchestra.
   Conductor of Vaughan Williams’ 6th Symphony premiere, Sir Adrian Boult (1889-1983) was one of most authoritative conductors of 20th century. His professional reliability and respect to listeners was legendary in the artistic community. As a chief conductor in City of Birmingham Orchestra, BBC Symphony and London Philharmonic Orchestra, he was famous for his dependable style of working. No wonder he was the one of conductors premieres highest numbers of famous symphonic works of the time. He was also conductor of performances published on first long playing records and many of them were premiere recordings in history of phonographic industry. He premiered Symphony No. 6 in E Minor by Ralph Vaughan Williams April 21st, 1948 conducting BBC Symphony Orchestra and recorded this work three times, first in 1949 with London Symphony Orchestra, second time with London Philharmonic Orchestra published by Decca in 1971 with short speech by Ralph Vaughn Williams. Third recording with New Philharmonia Orchestra for His Masters Voice was published in 1967 in UK by HMV and in US by EMI Angel label.
   Composed in four movements Symphony No. 6 is clear form even though its parts are played attaca (without breaks). It is based on tonal and sound binary contrary; also facture, articulation and rhythm are organized in contrasts. In first movement Allegro conflict between E minor and F minor is playing role of exposition of disturbance and anxiety, and its contrast is episode in syncopated rhythm which is like recollection of previous naïve beliefs. In closing part of Allegro comes cheerful theme like the recollection of lost serenity but it is covered with anxious orchestral tutti. Some similarities with Holst’s Planets are element of semantics clear to listeners in first decades after the war. The 2nd movement Moderato is unquiet and full of worst expectancies, which are growing from three note motif and developing in great crescendo to carminative turmoil in Scherzo (Allegro vivace). This part is unrest and agitated. In trio dominated by brass and winds with tenor saxophone composer placed some references to jazz and this corresponds to 1st movement. Finale part called here Epilogue (Moderato) is full of concerns and anticipations with strong pessimistic conclusion and suspended question in last E minor chord. Perfectly catching the idea of Symphony No. 6 recording is worth of four stars.