Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; Fantasia on

1. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, for 2 string orchestras
Composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Performed by London Festival Orchestra Conducted by Ross Pople

2. Partita for double string orchestra
Composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Performed by London Festival Orchestra Conducted by Ross Pople

3. Fantasia on Greensleeves, for harp, flute, & strings (arranged by R. Greaves; from the opera Sir John In Love)
Composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Performed by London Festival Orchestra with Edward Beckett , Richard Blake , John Marson
Conducted by Ross Pople

4. In the Fen Country, symphonic impression for orchestra
Composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Performed by London Festival Orchestra Conducted by Ross Pople

5. The Lark Ascending, romance for violin & orchestra
Composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Performed by London Festival Orchestra with Richard Friedman
Conducted by Ross Pople

Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; Fantasia on,Ralph Vaughan Williams,Ross Pople,Edward Beckett,Richard Blake,John Marson,London Festival Orchestra,Richard Friedman,Asv Living Era,20th/21st Century Orchestral Music,Chamber Music & Recitals,Classical,Classical Composers,Classical Music,Concerto,Orchestral,Violin Concerto

Average customer rating: Marvelous Pretty Good the music Good incidental music but not great listening music - except the classical pieces Great classical music accompanies bland original score

Master and Commander Christopher Gordon , and Richard Tognetti Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Boccherini | Boccherini, Luigi | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Corelli | Corelli, Arcangelo | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concerto Grossi | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Indie Music | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Musical Evenings With The Captain Musical Evenings With The Captain, Vol. 2 Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World (Widescreen Edition) Musical Evenings in the Captain's Cabin A Sea of Words, Third Edition: A Lexicon and Companion to the Complete Seafaring Tales of Patrick O'Brian ASIN: B0000DG07D Release Date: 2003-11-11

Tracks:

1. The Far Side Of The World
2. Into The Fog
3. Violin Concerto No. 3 'Straussburg' K.215, 3rd Movement
4. The Cuckold Came Out Of The Amery (Traditional) 5. Smoke N' Oakum
5. Fantasia On A Theme - Barry Wordsworth 7. Adagio From Concerto Grosso Op. 6. No. 8 In G Minor Christmas Concerto - Arcangelo Corelli Listen Listen Listen
6. The Doldrums
7. Prelude (From The Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 In G Major, BWV 1007 - Yo-Yo Ma
8. The Galapagos Listen Listen Listen
9. Folk Medley: O'Sullivan's March/Cuckold Came Out Of The Amery/Mother Hen/Mary Scott/Nancy Dawson - Jim Walker
10. The Phasmid
11. The Battle
12. Boccherini La Musica Notturna Delle Strade Di Madrid No. 6, Op. 30
13. Full Circle

Product Description

A trio of noted Australian musicians--Iva Davies, Richard Tognetti and Christopher Gordon--composed the film's score. They previously collaborated on "The Ghost of Time," a piece commissioned for the Millennium celebrations in Sydney, which came to the attention of Peter Weir. The director was so impressed, he played the piece on the Master And Commander set throughout production, and he asked its creators to write the music for his movie. The score interweaves "Old World" and "New World" music, reflecting the talents and backgrounds of its composers. Iva Davies hails from both pop and classical traditions; Richard Tognetti, one of the world's great violin virtuosos, taught Russell Crowe the ins and outs of the instrument; and film/television composer Christopher Gordon brought orchestral texture to the project. Given the period, it comes as no surprise that the score is infused with source music from Bach (Cello Suite) and Mozart, among other great classical composers. Percussion dominates portions of the score. "Drums signal the forward movement of the ship," says Davies, "that it's on a mission. It brings you back into the action." The score's biggest surprise comes with its use of synthesizers. "Peter doesn't make films in the expected way," says Davies, "and for that reason we wanted the score to be not what everyone expected. Peter wanted some scenes to have what I call a kind of 'futuristic' sense"--conveying the idea that these 19th century sailors were cutting-edge explorers.

Customer Reviews:

Marvelous.......2007-02-12

A marvelous collection of compositions which greatly enhanced this fantastic film. This CD is marvelous on its own. It did not leave my CD player for weeks.

Pretty Good.......2006-12-14

I purchased this soundtrack because I really enjoyed this music while watching the movie. But I was a little disappointed at the CD. Some soundtracks allow you to follow the entire plot like through the music (such as the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack). But this CD doesn't provide that. Several of the songs are recurring in the film but are only played once in the soundtrack. I would have liked the soundtrack to reflect the music for the whole film rather than just excerpts.

I give the music 5 stars and the CD 2-1/2 stars.

the music .......2006-11-10

The music is excellent . Flows well Better than the movie score

Good incidental music but not great listening music - except the classical pieces.......2006-11-09

The soundtrack for Master and Commander contains two distinct types of music. First there is the incidental music for the film. These pieces are heavy on the bass side of the orchestra and are often emphasized with bass drums and tympani. This music is very effective and appropriate for the scenes in the film, and I commend the composers for making a soundtrack that so seemlessly and effortlessly invokes the moods and excitement of the visuals. Unfortunately, these pieces are quite moody and slow moving - great as incidental music but not so interesting to listen to as straight orchestral music.

The second type of music is much more enjoyable to listen to. Those that have seen the film know there are several scenes in which people are playing music - for example, Aubrey and Maturin in the captain's cabin performing a cello-violin duet, or the sailors on deck playing sea shanties on tin whistles. The pieces chosen for the film range from Bach to traditional folk music, and are a welcome addition to the soundtrack. The performances are very good (including a cello solo by Yo Yo Ma), and the recording quality is excellent. Deserving special mention is the Boccherini piece (La Musica Notturna Delle Strada di Madrid), which serves as a second unofficial theme song for the movie. The piece itself is presented in its entirety, and there is a callback to the piece in the incidental music as well, which is a welcome ray of levity in an otherwise oppressive piece.

People purchasing this disc run the real risk of being disappointed - the incidental music works so well in the context of the film that you are likely to think (as I did) that the music is itself worth listening to alone. Unfortunately, I don't find this is the case, but the classical music that is included makes this a soundtrack worth having, especially for the Boccherini piece.

Great classical music accompanies bland original score.......2006-09-27

The original music to this film is dull, repetitive, and only offers the hint of good music at certain points during it's lengthy tracks. But what about all the good music you heard in the film? That was all classical music, which was used in the film incredibly well. There are three tracks in particular that save this album. The piece by Corelli is used as something the captain and doctor play together. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of baroque music of which I am aware. A second piece, Vaughn Williams "Fantasia" is the piece heard when the crewmen have to cut the line that might save their friend who fell overboard. It's a tragic scene and accompanied perfectly by the heart-breakingly glorious piece. The original piece of music is quite a bit longer than the version on the CD, but the original version also tends to drag a little in places. All the best parts are on the version of the piece in the film. The third classical piece from the album that saves it is the cello solo by Bach that plays as a theme for the galapagos islands. This solo is performed perfectly by Yo Yo Ma. These tracks make the album worth purchasing. If you already have them, avoid the album because the rest is not very enjoyable. If you wonder about this one, watch the film and listen for the music. It speaks well for itself in the film.

Average customer rating: Superb Powerful and Moving Barber's adagio My inner beauty Oscar Wilde plays Barber?

Barber's Adagio Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mahler | Mahler, Gustav | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Mahler, Gustav | ( M ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11/Orchestral Music; Leonard Slatkin Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain Copland: Appalachian Spring/Fanfare For The Common Man/El Salón México/Danzón Cubano Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris Agnus Dei: Music of Inner Harmony ASIN: B0000025TX Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Adagio For Strings, Op. 11
2. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
3. Fantasia On 'Greenleaves'
4. String Quartet No. 1,. Op. 11: 'Andante Cantabile' - Tchaikovsky
5. Symphony No. 5 In C Sharp Minor: 'Adagietto'

Customer Reviews:

Superb.......2007-05-15

Bernstein's usual wonderful interpretations of 5 pieces.
This is probably the best performance of Barber's Adagio you can find and I have heard them all. One other note is Williams' Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis... it is spellbinding. This cd is definately worth the price if you are into slower strings.

Powerful and Moving.......2007-02-07

Barber's Adagio for Strings has become my favorite piece of music ever since hearing this recording several years ago. I definitely recommend this for anyone who likes violin music.

Barber's adagio.......2007-02-01

This sounds like a great recording of the Adagio adopted for orchestra.
I personally discovered another cd called Cathedral Classics recorded by Dale Warland Singers which gives a superior recording of the same music.
Dale Warland gives an unmatched quality that is available on the Internet.

My inner beauty.......2007-01-20

This music brings thoughts to my mind. I relax and think about good memories. But something in the music makes me sad sometimes and I can't stop listening to it because it is so beautiful. I want this CD to be played at my funeral. Only because it would bring good thoughts to people who know me now, but also just because it is so serene.

Oscar Wilde plays Barber?.......2005-07-12

Apparently, Thomas R. Brown is the only reviewer who has actually listened to this disc.

The performance of the Barber is not only the worst performance of the Adagio that I've ever heard; it's probably the worst performance of any piece by a major orchestra that I've ever heard, live or recorded. The complete lack of synchronization between the various string sections is embarrassing; the sloppy entrances are distracting and graceless. The orchestra sloshes from phrase to phrase like water in a bucket being carried over rough terrain. One wonders whether Bernstein was bothering to conduct at all, or was making everyone guess. This performance would have been unacceptable from my Youth Orchestra 25 years ago.

The other tracks are considerably better, but it's hard to make up for such a pathetic effort on the lead track.

Average customer rating: Iona Brown was very special Superb this England! tallis and lark smooth as silk

Vaughan Williams: Fantasies; The Lark Ascending; Five Variants Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Marriner, Sir Neville | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5 Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; Fantasia on Vaughan Williams - Serenade to Music · Five Mystical Songs · Fantasia on Christmas Carols · Flos Campi / Sixtieen Soloists · Thomas Allen · Nobuko Imai · Corydon Singers · ECO · Matthew Best Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music; The Lark Ascending; Fantasia on Greensleeves; English Folk Song Suite; In the Fen Country; Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1 Vaughan Williams: Orchestral Works ASIN: B000004CVM Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
2. Fantasia On Greensleeves
3. The Lark Ascending
4. Five Variants Of 'Dives And Lazarus'

Amazon.com

Marriner's evergreen 1972 recording of favorite shorter works by Vaughan Williams has yet to be surpassed for warmth of conception and smoothness of execution. The soloists in these accounts (among them William Bennett in the Greensleeves Fantasia and Iona Brown in the Lark Ascending) are all first-rate, and the Academy's strings play with polish and great beauty of sound. The analog recording is excellent, and Marriner's remarkable empathy for the music comes across effortlessly. Some listeners may prefer the richer sonority and arrestingly mystical manner of Marriner's 1993 digital remake of the Tallis Fantasia for Philips, but this disc offers the most desirable coupling of other works and remains a first choice for those interested in getting to know the composer's finest short essays. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

Iona Brown was very special.......2007-06-11

The Iona Brown recording of "Lark" here is famous in Britain and justifiably so. Brown, who died in 2004, grew up in the English countryside and had a deep experience of what Vaughan Williams was trying to capture. The rest of the CD is lush, crisp and wonderful -- the Academy's renowned strings at their early 70s peak. It's an analog recording (1972) and the sound is terrific. I don't think this recording has ever been out of print -- how many thousands of us owned the LP and bought the CD as soon as it came out.

Superb.......2007-03-16

This is an essential recording for any classical music collection. I've probably played this CD a thousand times, and I never grow tired of it. Wonderful music beautifully played - buy it.

this England!.......2006-12-14

It is perhaps impossible to hear Vaughan Williams' short works performed more beautifully and unforgettably than in this 1972 ADRM/Argo recording. Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields acquit themselves above reproach. Vaughan Williams - you love him or hate him - must be loved for his Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, that haunting and almost religiously uplifting setting of Medieval plainsong that is capable of shifting a driver to the side of the road in open-jawed amazement at the sheer evocative beauty of it.

Greensleeves is emblematic of the English countryside and its melody, easily dismissed as the primped-up stuff of 'Rule Brittania' shops but so much more worthwhile than all that. Iona Brown's violin on 'The Lark Ascending' sounds as though crafted to play this piece once - enduringly- and then tossed like unused Eucharistic wine.

How, one wonders in aesthetic and rationally unguarded moments, could a nation that produced such music have lost an Empire? Or, more accurately, how could a people capable of such lyricism have done otherwise than believed - for an historical blink of an eye - in its own superiority?

That a coterie of *English* musicians should produce the definitive recording of these works is poetically appropriate.

That listeners of many tongues should listen and wonder at Williams' temperamental genius is simply a musical fact on the ground.

Begin Vaughan Williams with this recording. The rest are derivative.

tallis and lark.......2006-10-06

Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis was a piece of music John Williams discovered in a house of sorts during the war in a dresser.He loved to visit small villages to hear local music. This piece and Lark Ascending are, in my mind, the finest music ever written. I love Beethoven, Willie and Lobo, Miles Davis, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nina Simone, Pat Metheny, Patrick O'Hearn, John Lee Hooker, I can go on. But it's these 2 pieces that completely consume the listener, pull you in and stop you dead in your thoughts....to dream. Lark Ascending was literally a piece of music written with the author watching a lark(bird) in a small, cozy valley rising up from the floor, singing all the way up. I have given away these CD's 6 and 7 times over because guests at my house are so touched after the music is over, especially after a jug of wine. Thank you for reading, Greg-Fresno, CA.

smooth as silk.......2006-09-30

I too fell for this music in college long ago, and carry it inside me everywhere I go. I have listened to Lark and Tallis many times when I was worried about school or work, and hum them in my mind when I need an emotional lift. Interesting comment about the Japanese connection -- when listening to Lark I sometimes imagine an English countryside with stream, and sometimes a Japanese.

Marriner is a genius at small orchestra. I like the famous Barbirolli version of Tallis too, but it was Marriner's I fell in love with. A great collection to own. If you love this, don't miss RVW's Serenade to Music on Hyperion - an awesome musical setting of Shakespeare that is as satisfying as Lark and Tallis.

Average customer rating: Fantasia on a Theme-Vaughan Williams barbirolli at his best Wonderful! Still the best after 40 years! Barbirolli at his most warm-hearted and passionate

Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; Fantasia on Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Elegies | Requiems, Elegies & Tombeau | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Divertimentos | Serenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music $7.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music; The Lark Ascending; Fantasia on Greensleeves; English Folk Song Suite; In the Fen Country; Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1 Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5 Vaughan Williams: Fantasies; The Lark Ascending; Five Variants Elgar: Cello Concerto; Sea Pictures; Cockaigne Overture Great Recordings Of The Century - Beethoven: Symphony no 9 / Furtwangler, Schwarzkopf ASIN: B00004R95R Release Date: 2000-03-14

Tracks:

1. Introduction And Allegro, Op.47
2. I. Allegro Piacevole
3. II. Larghetto
4. III. Allegretto - Come Prima
5. Elegy, Op.58
6. Sospiri, Op. 70
7. Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
8. Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - Ralph Vaughan Williams

Customer Reviews:

Fantasia on a Theme-Vaughan Williams.......2007-03-28

This is beautiful. Imagine music to the sun rising, or the view from a mountain top, above the clouds, the sun rising and the grandeur of the vision before you is put to music. This is it.

barbirolli at his best.......2007-03-10

I first heard Elgar's Introduction and Allegro for Strings in a DG recording by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; when I saw this recording in my college library, I thought to myself, "I wonder if Barbirolli can play it better..."

Barbirolli seems to have Midas' touch with British orchestral music - and this repertoire brings out some of his best qualities (namely the string playing). The London Sinfonia is just as good as any chamber orchestra out there (including their fellow countrymen, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields), and overall this is a wonderful performance. Both Vaughan Williams pieces are especially refreshing - especially the Thomas Tallis Fantasia.

Wonderful!.......2007-01-11

This CD is a must have if you are an Elgar and Vaughan Williams fan, particularly the Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, which is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. This particular 1966 recording with the Sinfonia of London, Allegri String Quartet and the New Philharmonia Orc. under the baton of Sir John Barbirolli is unsurpassed and Wonderful.

Still the best after 40 years!.......2006-10-29

I can't believe that it is nearly 40 years since I first bought this record on LP!
I was a teenager and it was a revelation. I have never been without it and it has been one of my favorite discs ever since.

The newer CD has some extra music from the LP and the new transfer is even better than before.

I had the pleasure of seeing and listening to Barbirolli talk about music when I was at school and I feel that his achievements sometimes are relatively neglected. This disc though should dispel any doubts that he was a great conductor of English music. (Of course he was "glorious" in other composers too)!

If you have just one disc of English String Music - get this disc - you won't regret it!

Barbirolli at his most warm-hearted and passionate.......2006-07-12

In some ways the greatness of Sir John Barbirolli was masked by his devotion to the Halle Orchestra, an ensemble that was in a shambles when he arrived in WW II and was raised to the level of pretty decent. Despite their love affair, the Halle wasn't worthy of Barbirolli's talents, and on the rare occasions when he recorded with other orhestras--especially his late-life engagements in Berlin--the veil dropped away.

That's certainly true in this transcendent recording of string music by Elgar and Vaughan Williams, which features the rich sound of a group I associate only with this CD, the City of London Sinfonia. They are very able musicians, and when joined by the highly expressive Allegri Qt. for Elgar's Introduction and Allegro, the results are superlative. EMI's remastering has removed hints of glare and edginess in the upper registers, allowing Barbirolli's uniquely passionate conducting to shine through. This is very warm-hearted, often measured musicmaking, at times almost too itense and breathless in the Tallis Fantasia. But it's undeniably great, and I've listened to it with deep admiration for forty years.

Average customer rating: Inspiring, noble, and also relaxing! Beautiful Music I love this composer Balanced & Refined English Folk Song Adaptations A great CD

Vaughan Williams: Orchestral Works Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concerto Grossi | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Oboe | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5 Vaughan Williams: The Nine Symphonies Vaughan Williams: Fantasies; The Lark Ascending; Five Variants Vaughan Williams - Serenade to Music · Five Mystical Songs · Fantasia on Christmas Carols · Flos Campi / Sixtieen Soloists · Thomas Allen · Nobuko Imai · Corydon Singers · ECO · Matthew Best Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music; The Lark Ascending; Fantasia on Greensleeves; English Folk Song Suite; In the Fen Country; Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1 ASIN: B00000IX81 Release Date: 1999-05-11

Tracks:

1. Fantasia on Greensleeves
2. English Folk Song Suite: I. March: Seventeen come Sunday
3. English Folk Song Suite: II. Intermezzo: My bonny boy
4. English Folk Song Suite: III. March: Folk songs from Somerset
5. Oboe Concerto: I. Rondo pastorale
6. Oboe Concerto: II. Minuet and musette
7. Oboe Concerto: III. Finale
8. Concerto Grosso: I. Intrada
9. Concerto Grosso: II. Burlesca ostinata
10. Concerto Grosso: III. Sarabande
11. Concerto Grosso: IV. Scherzo
12. Concerto Grosso: V. March and Reprise
13. Romance (for Harmonica, Strings & Piano)
14. The Lark Ascending (for Violin And Orchestra)

Tracks:

1. Five Variants of 'Dives and Lazarus'
2. Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1
3. Partita For Double String Orchestra: I. Prelude: Andante tranquillo
4. Partita For Double String Orchestra: II. Scherzo ostinato: Presto
5. Partita For Double String Orchestra: III. Intermezzo (Homage To Henry Hall)
6. Partita For Double String Orchestra: IV. Fantasia: Allegro
7. In the Fen Country
8. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Customer Reviews:

Inspiring, noble, and also relaxing!.......2007-06-15

Hi. I am familiar with a lot of classical music. However, I knew little about the oeuvre of Vaughan Williams. What a great find! Getting so much of his instrumental work is truly a bargain. He evokes the English countryside and folk traditions very effectively. "The Lark Ascending" is relaxing while also being a virtuoso piece of work. Makes me wonder if J.R.R. Tolkien, with his love for rural England, ever attended a concert by Vaughan Williams...

Highly recommended! :)

Beautiful Music.......2007-01-29

Each piece on this CD is wonderful to listen to. My 2 year old daughter takes her nap everyday with this CD playing softly in the background. This CD is a great deal as it includes 2 CD's including Vaughan Williams: Fantasies; the Lark Ascending; Five Variants. Which is also a wonderful CD, we got it for 2 friends at our church. But better to get this CD with 2 CD's for the price of one. My favorite is Fanatasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis!

I love this composer.......2006-03-17

While not all his works are to my taste, his pastoral ones are so gorgeous that you don't really care that the more boisterous ones are wanting.

Balanced & Refined English Folk Song Adaptations.......2005-02-04

Vaughan Williams is certainly one of the consummate English composers who took the folk song of his country and compsed delightful orchestra works around them.

This budget worthy 2-CD set displays this in two parts, the first performed by the Acadamey of St.Martin in-the-Fields while the second disc features more period instruments with the New Queen's Hall Orchestra and the London Philharmonic.

Celia Nicklin is superb with the Oboe Concerto nusancing this pastoral yet lively offering. Iona Brown likewise contributes a fine solo violin performance with "The Lark Ascending"

The strings also provide a strong offering on the "Tallis Fantasia", one of his strongest compositions on this selection.

Excellent example of this prominent English composer's love with folk song interpretation, in this recording done passionately and naturally.

A great CD.......2004-02-10

English Folk Song Suit is one of my favorite pieces ever! I first heard the song when I played it in Windensambe. It's an exciting piece to play and to listen to. I would recommend this Cd to anyone with an intrest in great music.

Average customer rating:

Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5/Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Tallis | Tallis, Thomas | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony Julius Röntgen: Symphony No. 3; Suite "Aus Jotunheim" Soprano Grieg: Norwegian Dances; Ballade; Slåtter Mahler: Symphony No. 3 ASIN: B000NOKBIE Release Date: 2007-04-24

Tracks:

1. Why Fun'th In Fight?
2. Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
3. Preludio: Moderato
4. Scherzo: Presto
5. Romanza: Lento
6. Passacaglia: Moderato
7. Serenade To Music

Amazon.com

The major item here, Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 5, is flanked by one of his most popular works, the Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, and another regarded as a connoisseur's delight, the Serenade to Music. Spano prefaces the Fantasia with Tallis' 16th-century hymn, which Vaughan Williams expanded into an extensive work for two string orchestras and string quartet. It's a deep toned homage to Renaissance music whose noble expressiveness and archaic harmonies are irresistible, especially when played with the rich string tone of the Atlantans. In the Serenade, written for "sixteen soloists," who also sing as an impeccable choral ensemble, and this well-paced performance is arguably the finest on disc. The Fifth Symphony was written amid the carnage of World War II, but it offered solace instead of anger, reminiscent of the composer's earlier pastoral works in its serene, autumnal mood. Here too, the orchestra plays with great tonal beauty as Spano directs a performance whose sensitive awareness of the composer's spiritual subtext does not preclude flowing tempos and pointed phrasing. A disc to treasure! --Dan Davis

Album Description

In 2003, Robert Spano and the ASO won three GRAMMY awards for Vaughan Williams' "A Sea Symphony" (Best Classical Album, Best Choral performance and Best Classical Engineered Album). The album was hailed by The Philadelphia Inquirer as "...one of the most distinctive recordings ..." and the Symphony Magazine called the ASO Chorus' command of Vaughan William's fascinating and varied choral effects "...simply spectacular."

The critical acclaim is likely to continue for this new recording of Vaughan Williams' music. Anchoring this brilliant disc is the composer's peaceful Symphony No. 5 which was first heard in 1943 in the midst of World War II. A departure from his angry and strident Fourth Symphony, Symphony No. 5 was welcomed as an island of serenity in a time of great uncertainty.

Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis is considered by many to be the composer's first indisputable masterpiece and has been featured in several films, including Remando al viento in 1988 with Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World in 2003 with Russell Crowe.

Opening the disc is the Elizabethan church composer Thomas Tallis' four-part a cappella hymn "Why fum'th in fight," a paraphrase of Psalm 2 "Why do the nations rage?" which is one of nine Psalm settings by Tallis. This tune is the basis for Vaughan Williams' Fantasia.

The composer's Serenade to Music has been called one of the most sublime musical creations of the 20th century. Set to the final scene of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, it was originally created for 16 soloists, but the composer designed the work so that it could also be performed by four soloists and chorus. This work was composed for and dedicated to Sir Henry Wood - who instituted London's Promenade Concerts - in celebration of his 50th anniversary as a conductor.

Average customer rating: Took a nap during labor Awesome! Induces great relaxation, pair with noise-cancelling headphones and sleep on plane. Recommended for first rate relaxation and sleep! Worth the listen

Brainwave Symphony Manufacturer: Relaxation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Albinoni | Albinoni, Tomaso | ( A ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Beethoven | Beethoven, Ludwig van | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Britten | Britten, Sir Benjamin | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Chopin | Chopin, Frédéric | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Finzi, Gerald | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Franz Joseph Haydn | Haydn, Franz Joseph | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Holst | Holst, Gustav | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Warlock | Warlock, Peter | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Sonatinas | Sonatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Trumpet | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Clarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Oboe | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cello | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music Similar Items: Brainwave Suite Theta Meditation System: Let Go of Stress, Renew Your Spirit, Gain Insight, and Intuition Creative Mind System Awakened Mind System 2.0 Brainwave Journey ASIN: B00009L4UI Release Date: 2003-06-03

Tracks:

1. Violin Concerto In A Minor, BWV 1041, Andante
2. Concerto For 2 Violins In D Minor, BWV 1043, Largo Ma Non Tanto
3. Sinfonia Decima A 7 For 2 Trumpets and Strings, Op. 3, Adagio, Grave, Adagio
4. Cello Concerto In C, Adagio
5. Cello Concerto In D, Op. 101, Adagio
6. String Symphony No. 4, Andante
7. Capriol Suite Pieds-En-Lair
8. Violin Concerto No. 4 In D, K. 218 Andante Cantabile
9. Concerto In F Major, F VII 2, RV. 455, Grave
10. Concerto In A Minor, F VII 5, RV. 461 Larghetto
11. Symphony No. 6 In F Major Op. 68, 'Pastoral' Szene Am Bach/Scene By The Brook, Andante Molto Mosso

Tracks:

1. Concerto In D For 2 Trumpets, Strings, And Continuo
2. Sonata In D For 2 Trumpets, Strings, And Continuo
3. Violin Concerto In A Minor, BWV 104 First Movement
4. Cello Concerto In C, Moderato
5. Oboe Concerto In B-Flat, Op. 7, No. 6 Allegros I & II
6. Oboe Concerto In D Major, Op. 7, No. 6 Allegros I & II
7. Oboe Concerto In D Major, F VII 10 RV. 453 Allegro, Largo, Allegro
8. Symphony No. 40 In G Minor, K. 550 Andante
9. Basset Clarinet Concerto In A, K. 622 Allegro

Tracks:

1. The Planets Suite: Venus, Bringer Of Peace
2. The Planets Suite, Neptune, The Mystic
3. Adagio For Strings
4. Adagio In G Minor
5. Symphony No. 4 In C Minor, Andante
6. Symphony No. 5 In B-Flat Major, Andante
7. Violin Concerto In E Minor, Andante
8. Lady Radnor's Suite, Slow Minuet
9. Sospiri, Op. 70
10. Suite For String Orchestra, Nocturne
11. Marche Funevre, Lento, Excerpt
12. Calm Sea & Prosperous Voyage Op. 27

Tracks:

1. Fantasia On A Theme By Tomas Tallis
2. Lark Ascending
3. Eclogue For Piano And Strings
4. Clair De Lune
5. Clarinet Concerto, Adagio
6. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op. 10, Adagio
7. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge, Op. 10, Chant

Album Description

BRAINWAVE SYMPHONY combines carefully selected music from the baroque, classical, romantic, impressionistic, and twentieth-century eras with breakthrough audio technology to give you the best of classical wisdom and modern science.

We all experience many states of consciousness, from ordinary waking and sleeping states to extraordinary states in which we are more at peace, particularly aware, or unusually creative. Each state has a unique pattern of brainwaves that can be mapped and measured. Brainwave Symphony uses of inaudible pulses of sound, based on these brain maps, to trigger your brain to produce the state you want to experience.

Combining this powerful new recording process with carefully selected works of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Bach, and other masters offers a beautiful and unique listening experience as well as a powerful tool for personal transformation.

Orchestrate Your State of Mind

CD1 Alpha Relax & Let Go Alert Meditation, Tranquillity, and Active Relaxation. Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Warlock, Vivaldi, Bononcini, and Beethoven

CD2 Beta Energize & Focus Heightened Focus, Enhanced Energy, and Peak Performance. Mozart, Bach, Alberti, Haydn, Albinoni, and Vivaldi

CD3 Delta Unwind & Sleep Deep Relaxation, Rejuvenation, and Restful Sleep Holst, Barber, Albinoni, Parry, Elgar, Bridge, Mendelssohn, and Chopin

CD4 Theta Meditate & Create Deep Meditation, Heightened Intuition and Enhanced Creativity.

Williams, Finzi, Debussy and Britten

All brainwave frequencies were scored by Dr. Jeffrey Thompson whose innovative work, based on over 20 years of clinical research, is used by healthcare professionals in 26 countries. Dr. Thompson is currently on the faculty of, and has research and clinical offices at, the California Institute for Human Science.

Music was selected and sequenced by Pat Moffitt Cook, M.M., Ph.Dc., AMI Fellow, a pioneer in the use of music in health care. Pat is the founder and director of the Open Ear Center for Music in Healthcare and Education, where she trains professionals, musicians, and laypeople in the use of healing music.

Customer Reviews:

Took a nap during labor.......2007-01-16

I used the first CD in this collection (Alpha) to assist me during the labor and delivery of our daughter. I put it on our ipod and listened to it over and over during the labor process. I actually managed a light nap during active labor and had very little pain throughout the process. It that doesn't tell you that it keeps you relaxed and able to meditate, I don't know whatelse might convince you. The recording is great, the music lovely, and it does what it claims to do. I highly recommend it!

Awesome!.......2006-03-17

These really work! Ever wonder why listening to classical music may make you more up-tight than relaxing you? Here's the reason...

Induces great relaxation, pair with noise-cancelling headphones and sleep on plane........2005-12-30

So far I have only really used the relaxation CD, which works amazingly well. I have been flying more red-eyes lately in part because I know I can sleep on the plane from as soon as I get on. However, I have always slept pretty well on airplanes!

I keep forgetting to try out the rest of the CD collection.

Recommended for first rate relaxation and sleep!.......2005-06-06

These cds sound like simple classical music, but they do indeed assist you to enter different states of mind. For best effect, wear stereo headphones. But even without, you will find it easier to relax, sleep and meditate. If you don't like classical, the Brainwaves Suite has a new age/environmental sound.

Worth the listen.......2004-10-17

My curiousity was well rewarded when I first listened to these four CDs. The symphonic music is seamlessly recorded, accented with tone notations that are easy on the ear and peaceful on the mind. This set is at the office, on the iPod and the home computer, and loaned to others on a regular basis. They have flavored prayer services and supported pastoral conversations. Make good presents, too. Worried about subliminal suggestion? Well, if clearer thinking and thoughtful reflection is subliminal thinking, then you will get the message each time you listen to these recordings. Other recordings by Dr. Thompson deliver just as these do.

Average customer rating: Altogether Wonderful The Best Musical bliss

String Serenades Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dvorák, Antonín | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Elgar | Elgar, Sir Edward | ( E ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concertinos | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Divertimentos | Serenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses; Concert Music for Strings and Brass; Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin - Suite Dvorak: Serenades Op. 22 & 44 Scandinavian String Music Suk: Summer Tale / Fantastic Scherzo - Charles Mackerras / Czech Philharmonic Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings ASIN: B00004LCB1 Release Date: 2000-06-27

Tracks:

1. Ser Op.48: Pezzo In Forma Di Sonatina: Andante Non Troppo - Allegro Moderato
2. Ser Op.48: Waltz: Moderato, Tempo Di Valse
3. Ser Op.48: Elegie: Larghetto Elegiaco
4. Ser Op.48: Finale: Tema Russo: Andante - Allegro Con Spirito
5. Ser in E, Op.22: Moderato
6. Ser in E, Op.22: Tempo Di Valse
7. Ser in E, Op.22: Scherzo: Vivace
8. Ser in E, Op.22: Larghetto
9. Ser in E, Op.22: Finale: Allegro Vivace - Moderato - Presto
10. Intro & Allegro Op.47
11. Ser in e, Op.20: I. Allegro Piacevole
12. Ser in e, Op.20: II. Larhetto
13. Ser in e, Op.20: III. Allegretto

Tracks:

1. The Lark Ascending, Romance
2. Fant On 'Greensleeves'
3. Fant On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
4. Ser Op.8: Andante Con Moto
5. Ser Op.8: Allegro Ma Non Troppo E Grazioso
6. Ser Op.8: Adagio
7. Ser Op.8: Allegro Giocoso, Ma Non Troppo Presto

Customer Reviews:

Altogether Wonderful.......2005-12-25

I like this cd.

Tchaikovsky's Serenade had some tempi I hadn't been used to, especially in the first movement, but the orchestra made just as wonderful a recording.

Dvorak's Serenade is my favorite among the four, and this recording is great. The orchestra is never too harsh, especially in the second, and fourth movements.

Introduction and Allegro is an interesting piece. I love how full the sound is. Some recordings feature smaller orchestras, and the sound is not as big and lush. As for Elgar's Serenade, it was played precisely. Besides that, i don't have much to say about it.

The Lark Ascending on this cd is a good version, maybe not the best, but there are certainly many ups about it. The violinist is very playful and does a good job of portraying the little bird. I don't listen to Fantasia on "Greensleeves" much. I don't know why. I can't say much about it, but they certainly do a good job of making it sound "English", for that matter. The Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis is fine. I wouldn't choose this version though. The piece just didn't sweep me up, especially during the climax.

Suk's Serenade is a fun piece to listen to. The piece never gets boring, perhaps due to the actual composition but also with help from the orchestra.

Get this cd if you want a collective, but good picture of the String Serenades out there. I would recommend it.

The Best.......2003-01-26

The music and the musicians of this CD are the of greatest quality. I do not think that many words are necessary, but I must say that this is by far one of my favorite CDs. If you are unsure about classical music or dyed in the wool listener, or a musician, I would recommend this by all means. Even as a musician who has played several of these serenades and heard them many times, I do not tire of hearing them. Coupled with the great sound of the London Chamber orchestra this album is a rare jewel.

Musical bliss.......2000-08-13

I attended a concert in which the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, known better for their Mozart music, performed the Serenade for strings by Dvorak. It is an excellent piece. The Larghetto, the slowest movement in the serenade, is a fine work. It is slow and nearly an adagio for strings, with a serious and meditative tone. The scherzo, like the measure, is a rollicking and bouncy bit of music, with skipping strings and bouncing notes. The scherzos of Mendelsshon I particularily enjoy. Dvorak is'nt exactly like Mendelsshon when it comes to the scherzo form, but he is can alternate from grave to joyous tones.

Average customer rating:

Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem and Other Works Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Concerto Grossi | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Cantatas | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Psalms | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Vaughan Williams: An Oxford Elegy/ Flos Campi/ Sancta Civitas/ etc. Hodie / Fantasia on Christmas Carols Vaughan Williams: Sir John In Love Vaughan Williams: The Shepherds of the Delectable Mountains Howells: Orchestral Works ASIN: B00005Q2X8 Release Date: 2005-07-13

Tracks:

1. Toward The Unknown Region - London Phil Chor/John Alldis
2. Dona Nobis Pacem: I. Agnus Dei (Lento) - Sheila Armstrong/John Carol Case/London Phil Chor/John Alldis
3. Dona Nobis Pacem: II. Beat! Beat! Drums! (Allegro Moderato) - Sheila Armstrong/John Carol Case/London Phil Chor/John Alldis
4. Dona Nobis Pacem: III. Reconciliation (Andantino) - Sheila Armstrong/John Carol Case/London Phil Chor/John Alldis
5. Dona Nobis Pacem: IV. Dirge For Two Veterans (Moderato Alla Marcia) - Sheila Armstrong/John Carol Case/London Phil Chor/John Alldis
6. Dona Nobis Pacem: V. The Angel Of Death Has Been abroad (L'istesso Tempo) - Sheila Armstrong/John Carol Case/London Phil Chor/John Alldis
7. Dona Nobis Pacem: VI. O Man Greatly Beloved - Sheila Armstrong/John Carol Case/London Phil Chor/John Alldis
8. Fant (Quasi Vars) On The Old 104th Psalm Tune - Peter Katin
9. Magnificat - Helen Watts/Ambrosian Singers/Christopher Hyde-Smith

Tracks:

1. Partita: I. Prld (Andante Tranquillo) - LPO/Sir Adrian Boult
2. Partita: II. Scherzo Ostinato (Presto) - LPO/Sir Adrian Boult
3. Partita: III. Intermezzo (Homage To Henry Hall) (Andante Con Moto) - LPO/Sir Adrian Boult
4. Partita: IV. Fant (Allegro) - LPO/Sir Adrian Boult
5. Con Grosso: I. Intrada (Largo) - LPO/Sir Adrian Boult
6. Con Grosso: II. Burlesca Ostinata (Allegro Moderato) - LPO/Sir Adrian Boult
7. Con Grosso: III. Sarabande (Lento) - LPO/Sir Adrian Boult
8. Con Grosso: IV. Scherzo (Allegro: Tempo Di Valse) - LPO/Sir Adrian Boult
9. Con Grosso: V. March (A La Marcia) And Reprise - LPO/Sir Adrian Boult
10. Fant On A Theme By Thomas Tallis - Philharmonia Orch/Sir Malcolm Sargent
11. Romance in D flat - Larry Adler/Eric Gritton
12. The Lark Ascending - Jean Pougnet

Average customer rating: A Sterling Compilation A good program, woodenly played Not just the more famous works Excellent Vaughan Williams Wonderful music, beautiful recordings

Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; Variants Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Vaughan Williams, Ralph | Composers | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Variations | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Marriner, Sir Neville | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music; The Lark Ascending; Fantasia on Greensleeves; English Folk Song Suite; In the Fen Country; Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1 Vaughan Williams: Fantasies; The Lark Ascending; Five Variants Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; Fantasia on Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis; Barber: Adagio for Strings; Grainger: Irish Tune from County Ravel: Boléro / Ma Mère L'Oye (complete ballet) / Rapsodie espagnole / Une Barque sur l'océan / Alborada del Gracioso - Berliner Philharmoniker / Pierre Boulez ASIN: B00000419V Release Date: 1995-04-11

Tracks:

1. The Wasps
2. Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis
3. In The Fen Country
4. Variations For Orchestra
5. Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1 In E Minor
6. Five Variants Of 'Dives And Lazarus'

Amazon.com

This 1993 digital recording is not likely to be surpassed for warmth of conception and smoothness of execution. Sir Neville Marriner is at the top of his form, the interpretations are first rate, and the strings of the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields play with polish and great beauty. The recorded sound is superb. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

A Sterling Compilation.......2006-01-24

This recording features exquisite performances, flawless sound, and a very well-chosen program. A previous reviewer categorized the playing as "wooden," but I disagree; perhaps the sublime subtlety of some of these pieces struck that listener as being timidity on the part of the orchestra, especially after the rousing opener, the "Wasps Overture."

I own a number of Vaughan Williams recordings, but this compilation is by far my favorite [it is rarely out of my CD player]. The symphonies are masterworks and the multitudes of songs and choral works are very effecting, but these orchestral works are magnificent in their breadth of styles -- Vaughan Williams really knew how to make use of all the colors an orchestra can create, alternating from huge tuttis to quartet soli; he was a master of writing, for lack of a better phrase, "just the right amount of music" at any given moment, never afraid to have the majority of the orchestra tacet for dozens of bars so that simplicity may reign.

When I first got this CD, I was unfamiliar with the "Norfolk Rhapsody" or "In the Fen Country", but was soon very happy to have encountered them. Though this recording contains the oft-recorded Tallis Fantasia, this is by far the best reading of that magnificent work -- Marriner brilliantly gives all of Vaughan Williams' orchestration tricks their due, from the manipulation of using simultaneous unison and divisi writing to emphasize harmonics, to a striking short section of sustained chords played con sordino that sounds like a church organ; it's simply gorgeous and breathtaking. Above all, I'm grateful this recording does not include the Greensleeves Fantasia that seems to be on virtually every other Vaughan Williams recording.

This recording makes a superb introduction to Vaughan Williams for neophytes [I've gifted this CD to numerous people over the past few years]. Though British music has a reputation for being pretty but restrained, Vaughan Williams' works are passionate, extremely melodic, fetchingly harmonic, and at times achingly bittersweet. A passionate Englishman -- what a concept!

A good program, woodenly played.......2003-01-07

You'll want to buy this CD for the lively recording of Vaughan Williams' "The Wasps" overture--a surprisingly well-crafted piece from his undergraduate days at Cambridge. And overall, it's an interesting compilation of Vaughan Williams' shorter works for orchestra.

But by the time you get to the last track--the beautiful "Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus"--you run up against the limitations of Sir Neville Marriner, and his band, the Academy of St. Martins in the fields. Listen to this rendering, and then compare it with William Boughton and the English String Orchestra. You'll see how it's possible to play the notes in tune, with the correct rhythm, as written, and yet totally rob the piece of it's music.

Sir Neville is the most-recorded conductor ever(searching Amazon.com alone returns 551 hits)but you can't help but feel that he long ago gave up quality for quantity. With a lack of specialization, he has no distinctive "voice" as compared with, say, Sir Charles Mackerras has with his recordings of Mozart symphonies, or Harnoncourt achieved with ancient instruments.

Not just the more famous works.......2002-12-29

Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martins in the Fields presents a fine recording of one of Vaughn William's more famous works, along with a few lesser known and hardly played works.

Begining with "The Wasps", this collection of orchestral works by Vaughn Williams will satisfy even the more demanding listener. Marriner proves why he was knighted with his masterful rendition of Vaughn Williams' "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis". His familiarity with Vaughn William's works continues thru renditions of "In the Fen Country", "Variations for Orchestra", the "Norfolk Rhapsody" and concluding with "Five Variations of Dives and Lazarus".

Vaughn Williams manages to evoke images of the English countryside he knew so well in many of the musical numbers on this disc. His "Norfolk Rhapsody" was originally meant to be a full symphony, but Vaughn Williams finally presented it in this form.

The only fault I found with this disc is that I thought it could have included Vaughn Williams' other famous work, "Fantasia on a Theme of Greensleeves", but that work, as well as "Thomas Tallis", get so much airplay that it is almost a relief to see a disc that does not include both works.

This totally digital recording belongs on the shelves of every classical music station as well as a look for other classical music libraries.

Excellent Vaughan Williams.......2002-03-27

I was unfamiliar with the majority of the pieces on this CD, which made it attractive for me. The music comes from widely spaced periods of Ralph Vaughan Williams's life (1903 to 1957). The familiar works, The Wasps and Thomas Tallis, are very well played by the Academy of St Martins in the Fields, as indeed are the other selections. I liked the phrasing in Tallis and The Wasps overture was played with great fun and spirit.

In the Fen Country, Norfolk Rhapsody (based on folk songs from Norfolk) and Five Variations of Dives and Lazarus recall Vaughan Williams's The Lark Ascending and his Third and Fifth symphonies. There are serene, bucolic works that have the feel of the English countryside in them. The Variations for Orchestra was written when the composer was 85 for wind band, but is played here in an orchestration by Gordon Jacobs. The variations recalling the then large-scale work the composer was writing - his Ninth symphony, but is even reminiscent of his Fifth.

To conclude, this is a disc of beautiful music well played by St. Martins in the Field, under their longtime conductor Neville Mariner. Not to be missed by lovers of Vaughan Williams's music.

Wonderful music, beautiful recordings.......2000-09-15

This CD is a delightful collection of some of Vaughan Williams' best-known and best-loved works. All of the recordings are superb, nothing less than what is expected of Marriner and the Academy. If there is any gripe at all, the earlier recording of the Thomas Tallis Fantasia by Marriner and AMSF (on the Argo label) has a little more of the "grab-you" effect when the full orchestra comes cascading in after the first pizzicato statement of the melody. Haitink's performance of the Norfolk Rhapsody (coupled with the Symphony #5) is a little more driven and striking... but folks, these are very minor points. All in all, you will be hard-pressed to find a more satisfying collection of these pieces. When you hear "the wasps" buzzing in the first 10 seconds of the CD, you will know you are in for a treat.

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