Classics At The Beach

On this CD:

1. Sea Interludes (4), from Peter Grimes, for orchestra, Op. 33a No 1, Dawn
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Leonard Slatkin

2. Images (3), for piano, Set I, L. 110 Reflets Dans L'eau
Composed by Claude Debussy
Performed by Kathryn Stott

3. Victory at Sea, suites from the film score, Nos 1-3 (complete) The Song of the High Seas, Arranged by Bennett
Composed by Richard Rodgers
Performed by RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Robert Russell Bennett

4. An der schönen, blauen Donau (On the Beautiful, Blue Danube), waltz for orchestra (with chorus ad lib), Op. 314 (RV 314)
Composed by Johann II Strauss
Performed by Boston Pops Orchestra
Conducted by Arthur Fiedler

5. The Swan Lake, suite, Op. 20a Waltz
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Boston Pops Orchestra
Conducted by Arthur Fiedler

6. Song of the Seashore, for Japanese folk ensemble
Composed by Tamezo Narita
Performed by Tokyo String Orchestra with James Galway
Conducted by Hiroyuki Iwaki

7. Water Music Suites Nos 1 - 3 for orchestra, HWV 348 - 350 Excerpts
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Performed by RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Leopold Stokowski

Classics At The Beach, Music, Benjamin Britten, Claude Debussy, George Frideric Handel, Tamezo Narita, Richard Rodgers, Johann II Strauss, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Arthur Fiedler, Hiroyuki Iwaki, Leonard Slatkin, Leopold Stokowski, Robert Russell Bennett, James Galway, Boston Pops Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo String Orchestra, Kathryn Stott, 20th/21st Century Orchestral Music, Baroque Suite/Partita for Orchestra, Chamber, Chamber Music, Classical, Classical Music, Coll. of Character/Single-Movement/Misc. Works for Keyb., Film, Film Music, Keyboard, Orchestral, Suite for Orchestra, Waltz for Orchestra

Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony
Average customer rating:

An excellent version for the poetry

Music of Power, Majesty, and Melodic Beauty

Vast, Fresh and Wild as the Sea Itself

Behold ! The Symphony itself . . .

Actually 4.75 Stars is what I wanted to give

Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Vaughan Williams, Ralph | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Vaughan Williams: Sinfonia Antartica/The Wasps

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Vaughan Williams: An Oxford Elegy/ Flos Campi/ Sancta Civitas/ etc.

Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony; Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music; The Lark Ascending; Fantasia on Greensleeves; English Folk Song Suite; In the Fen Country; Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1

ASIN: B000002S2N
Release Date: 1991-09-12

Tracks:

A Sea Symphony: Behold, The Sea Itself
A Sea Symphony: Today A Rude Brief Recitative
A Sea Symphony: Flaunt Out, O Sea, Your Separate flags Of Nations!
A Sea Symphony: Token Of All Brave Captains
A Sea Symphony: A Pennant Universal
A Sea Symphony: On The Beach At Night, Alone
A Sea Symphony: Alone A Vast Similitude Interlocks All
A Sea Symphony: III. Scherzo: The Waves (Allegro Brillante)
A Sea Symphony: O Vast Rondure, Swimming In Space
A Sea Symphony: Down From The Gardens Of Asia Descending
A Sea Symphony: O We Can Wait No Longer
A Sea Symphony: O Thou Transcendent
A Sea Symphony: Greater Than Stars Or Suns
A Sea Symphony: Sail Forth
A Sea Symphony: O My Brave Soul!

Customer Reviews:

An excellent version for the poetry.......2005-10-04

I admire this recording as much as all the other reviewers, but it has a special quality that isn't present on, for example, the Slatkin version on RCA. You can understand the poetry sung by the soloists. This clarity results because EMI has put the singers far forward, a wise decision. When the soprano and baritone are imbeddded sonically halfway betwee the chorus and orchestra--the usual practice--the vast forces arrayed against htem drown out the words.

Not here. VW had a deep feeling for Walt Whitman, nad it's crucial to hear the verses. Try the second movement "On the Beach At Night, Alone," where the sensitive singing of John Carol Case can be deciphered word for word without a libretto. Now listen to Thomas Allen on the Slatkin recording, and barely a word can be heard at times. (Because of her ample vibrato, Sheila Armstrong, sadly, is not nearly as clear, but putting her forward at least allows her to sing without strain.) As a lover of Whitman's verse, I consider this an important feature of the Boult reading.

Music of Power, Majesty, and Melodic Beauty.......2002-09-01

I fell asleep at a performance of Vaughan Williams' "A Sea Symphony" some years ago. It is a LONG piece. I would not recommend it as a first Vaughan Williams purchase, unless you are a particular fan of choral music.
On the other hand, I couldn't ignore it. Robert Shaw (America's "Mr. Choral Music") described this symphony on the radio as "the most beautiful piece of choral music written in the 20th century". Wow! That covers 100 years, you know. And I deeply enjoy other pieces by RVW, including his Four Hymns and Five Mystical Songs.
So I bought this CD and now, instead of listening to this 70-minute symphony in one very long sweep, I listen to songs and sections.
The symphony is a setting of poems by Walt Whitman that celebrate human daring, and RVW matched that by writing an immense symphony. If you have not heard this symphony before, you could not imagine the sonic images Vaughan Williams creates for ships, sailors, and the sea. The first notes at the music's very beginning have the full chorus and orchestra at top voice
singing "Behold, the Sea itself!" It is startlingly majestic, and yet it is followed by an almost vulgarly pop and spiky little tune for male voice (baritone) and bassoon that I now sing everyday while shaving "today, a rude brief recitative about ships sailing the sea ..." The diversity is wonderful - Vaughan Williams must have oozed all kinds of music, since he composed the hushed hymn-like Tallis Fantasia at about the same time.
If you are new to Vaughan Williams, I would suggest you purchase Boult's wonderful collection of short RVW compositions first. It is also in EMI's British Composers series. It has the lovely and songful "Serenade to Music", the tune-filled and simple "English Folk Song Suite", and the lovely beyond words and soul-filled "The Lark Ascending." As a first symphonic purchase, the "London Symphony" (#2) is wonderful. But if you know Vaughan Williams already and just don't know "the Sea Symphony", fear not: It is a great score. The quality and variety of the melodies is deeply satisfying; the rhythms swing and stride at one moment and are raptly processional at another; the harmonies are rich and can be colorful or strange and foreboding; the orchestra is used idiosyncratically. The sonic range is enormous: the baritone sings quietly in meditation of the sea at night at one point, and at another the entire chorus calls out in joy, "Sail forth!"
There are several recordings of this symphony. Which to choose? You cannot go wrong with this CD. This performance has been admired for a generation. I might prefer Thomas Allen's "rude brief recitative" for Leonard Slatkin, but the composer himself admired John Carol Case's singing (in "The Pilgrim's Progress") and Adrian Boult had been performing Vaughan Williams' music for 40 years when this recording was made. He premiered major pieces. He knew Vaughan Williams' music as few others and he captures every mood. He sings and dances, meditates and exults.

Vast, Fresh and Wild as the Sea Itself.......2002-07-11

The combination of Whitman's wonderful poetry with Vaughan Williams' music is one of the happiest of artistic events; they each own the freshness of the outdoors, and a voice as strong as sunshine, and an effortless candor which must speak to any soul on the planet. Whitman's poetry WORKS in a way that all too little free verse works; think of it not as poetry, but as a poet singing his soul to you, and hear the music in the ideas and in the words, a music that runs deeper than simple meter and rhyme.

It were hard to imagine a performance which could do Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony better justice than this one under Sir Adrian Boult (hard to imagine, but if it's out there, reserve me a seat). The immensity of the opening chorus, the plain honest sea-shanty which John Carol Case makes look easy, the purity of Sheila Armstrong's voice - a choir and orchestra whose love for the music shines through every bar ... "All lives and all deaths, all of the past, present, future, / This vast similitude spans them, and always has spanned, / And shall forever span them and shall compactly hold and enclose them."

Behold ! The Symphony itself . . ........2002-03-27

THE FIRST SYMPHONY created by the great British musician, arranger, conductor and composer, is a complete choral symphony. It was perhaps the first of it's kind since Sibelius's earlier `Kullervo', a choral symphony of 1892 (often referred to as a "symphonic cantata" or "symphonic poem"), and Beethoven's Ninth---taking into account that the latter is a "choral" work in part, not entirely. It was in 1910 that the first performance of A Sea Symphony took place. The English composer Granville Bantock conceived the bold idea of symphonies "for voices only" ; he wrote his unusual "choral symphonies" in 1911 and 1913. Gustav Holst's First Choral Symphony (with words by Keats) was given its premiere in Leeds Town Hall on 7 October 1925. It was created for soprano solo, chorus and orchestra, but was admittedly of lesser scope than that of his counterpart. In fact, Vaughan Williams---like Holst---was an innovator in his use of the materiau on the symphonic terrain, fusing large choral parts with the prevalent forms of orchestral music---in any case, this could serve also to reveal how both were partially indebted to Parry and Elgar. In an immensely interesting article, Dr. Jack Sullivan wrote of A Sea Symphony : "Like the poetry, the music has a little of everything. It is part symphony, part oratorio, part opera, and part `fantasia' (a favorite Vaughan Williams form). The slow movement and Scherzo have traditional ABA formats, but the huge outer movements (even with the hidden sonata form in the first) seem to invent their forms as they proceed, echoing the `organic' principle of Whitman's free verse. The hymn-like finale, aptly subtitled `The Explorers', is almost a symphony in itself, one without closure. Refusing to end, it fades `farther' and yet `farther' out to a sea whose depths are subliminally suggested by whispers in the lower strings". (Please note that ABA is symbolizing ternary form in which the first section A precedes and follows a second section B, a form so common in classical song that its also called 'song form' -or sonata form- while AB is a musical form that has two sections, A followed by B, and is known as 'binary form')

For a very first attempt at writing a symphony, in such a huge scale, the result was far from a failure. Quite to the opposite, the fascinating verses of Whitman are well integrated to the orchestral element ; by means of almost seamless musical procedures, what i am tempted to term "the sailcloth of the symphony," VW developed a singular way in constructing an orchestral edifice. Thanks to the lyrics, the work has a mystical feel to it---since Whitman's poems are like the footpath to a sort of initiation, much like a ritual, a "rite of passage" for the soul pointing perhaps `toward the unknown region' of immortality :

Darest thou now O soul,
Walk out with me toward the unknown region,
Where neither ground is for the feet
nor any path to follow.

- Excerpts from Toward the Unknown Region (1906) ; from `Leaves of Grass'.

I think it is significant that VW took inspiration from the great American writer, for not only did he used texts for A Sea Symphony and Toward the Unknown Region, but also for `Dona nobis pacem' and some songs such as `Nocturne', `A Clear Midnight' and `Joy, shipmate, joy'. Perhaps i should quote a reviewer for classical.net : "Here is a composer who apparently loved Whitman. He used Whitman's works as a basis for his First Symphony - `The Sea' and `Toward the Unknown Region'. It is interesting that this English composer seems to so deeply understand the poetry of Walt Whitman. [...] The music flows from the rhythm inherent in the language." Incidentally, in the same tone is the poem `A Clear Midnight' - excerpt from `Leaves of Grass' (1900) :

This is thy hour, O soul,
thy free flight into the wordless . . .

Attempts at describing the composer as either a "visionary" or a sort of "seer", not quite in conformity with his humble and candid personality, fits a lot more with the mystic literary works of Whitman. Therefore, we can assume a kind of complementary connection took place between Whitman and VW, binding together unrelated (though neighbored) art forms in the best interest of both---such was the case, to great effect, with A Sea Symphony.

If i'd have to point toward the unknown regions of favorite traversals of this symphony, i'd go for Thomson and Boult. Bryden Thomson with the London Symphony brought what i hear as a tightly refined, let's say "well-balanced" reading. His opening, 'A Song for all Seas, all Ships', is resolute and really provides a subjective impression of huge waves and sail-ships. Other than Thomson's brilliant rendering, sir Adrian Boult's glorious account with the LPO (the EMI album), remains a grand interpretation. The very opening reveals poignant, mellifluous sounds that proclaim the greatness of seas through a sort of hymnic fanfare---a common trait of the "lyrical" Boult of the 1960's. This is a strong presentation. Vernon Handley with RLPO (EMI) offers an enticing version, still somewhat on the lower side of the chorus performance but otherwise excellent. Robert Spano's direction (Telarc) is one of the finest, and sound quality excels : Clearly a serious challenge for Boult's version. Spano's strength resides especially in his high-magnitude finale, probably unmatched on record. Paul Daniel (Naxos) offers a very good account on it's own but, still, not with quite the best sonics---at least when put side-by-side with the records i've mentioned earlier. Here, the Bournemouth and their conductor have taken a "safe" approach, managing adequately the orchestral balance and handling with care the numerous climaxes and contrasts of the score. Notwithstanding there are quite a few inspired moments, performance and sound aren't exactly on par with their gorgeous reading of the Fourth Symphony (also on Naxos).

There's a great deal of value in this reading from Boult, not to mention the almost unparalleled singing of Sheila Armstrong and John Carol Case. The London Philharmonic chorus is effective, and it is audibly more immersing than most other choruses (i've been a bit deceived by Andrew Davis's rendering of this symphony, mainly because of that). Needless to say, A Sea Symphony is very demanding on both musicians and singers. In a certain way, the work shares some features with the `Sinfonia antartica', even though there's no profound similitude pertaining to the "cinematic quality" of the latter ; instead, it is in terms of a bold, at times grandiose-sounding music where a connection exists. Boult's rendering portrays vividly those facets of the symphony.

Considering that there's a variety of very good recordings on cd's (i recommend you check out Slatkin, by the way), i think you cannot go wrong with any of them. Although it isn't the strongest record of A Sea Symphony, Andrew Davis (with the BBC, Teldec) has done a very good job ; his orchestration is refined (i like the way he dealt with the vocal quality of the music in 'On The Beach At Night Alone', in particular). And, perhaps, you shouldn't overlook Previn, as it is a very good account indeed (RCA). In order to get the best you should perhaps consider first Thomson, Spano, Handley and this fine version from Boult. If you don't mind monophonic sound, then the younger and perhaps tauter Boult on Decca should satisfy on its own : "Walt Whitman's soulful evocation of Man's relationship to the sea is fully realized. There is sincerity, commitment, adulation--but not vain self-importance. The chorus is especially fine."

A Sea Symphony was---and still is---a truly unique musical venture. Whitman's words sit perfectly on the surprisingly mature score, which is a fairly complex composition for a "first" symphonic essay. You'll hear the influence of Elgar somewhere (think about parts of Gerontius) as well as many other "flashes" that hark back to so many things. On the one hand, this is certainly a major symphonic work of the 20th century, not to mention that this could be one of the greatest choral works in history ; on the other hand, the work appears to age very well and the different recordings i've referred to have just proven how fresh and vital that work of art can appear today.
*****

Actually 4.75 Stars is what I wanted to give.......2000-02-05

Sir Adrian Boult.......he knew his Vaughn Williams. It is quite apparent when the chorus proclaims, "Behold, the Sea itself....." that this recording will bring a sense of fulfillment to the listener. There is something about the music of Vaughn Williams that says, "I am one of the most important composers of the 20th century. There are still valid things to say. The symphony is not dead, and I will prove that". This symphony demonstrates that even in the 20th century important music was being written. This recording demonstrates that important music was being performed and captured for future generations beautifully.

Women at an Exposition: Music Composed by Women and Performed at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago

Average customer rating:

Chicago World's Fair of 1893 music

Women at an Exposition: Music Composed by Women and Performed at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago

Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001SH8
Release Date: 1993-07-27

Tracks:

Singing Joyfully
Rosemonde
Good Bye, Sweet Day
Romance
Sweetheart, Sigh No More
Polly Willis
The Throstle
Titania's Cradle
Chanson Bretonne
Ah, Love But A Day
In Autumn
In Autumn
Out of My Own Great Woe
Sonata for Violin, Op. 25: Allegro
Sonata for Violin, Op. 25: Andante con espressione
Sonata for Violin, Op. 25: Allegro giojoso
Sonata for Violin, Op. 25: Cecile Chaminade
L' Ete
Ici Bas

Customer Reviews:

Chicago World's Fair of 1893 music.......2007-05-07

This CD was purchased for a gift basket for the book "The Devil in the White City" and featuring the Chicago World's Fair of 1893.
I bought copies for family when I realized our friend Kimberly Schmidt, a world reknown pianist, was also the pianist on this CD. The CD itself was beautiful with songs, melodies, instrunmental and opera from the period. Very enjoyable...

Average customer rating:

March Classics

Manufacturer: Golden Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00013ND96
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Tracks:

Midsummer Night's Dream: Wedding March
Military March
Fidelio Op. 72: March
Carmen Suite No. 2: Marche des Contrebandiers
Florentine March, Op. 214 - London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sonata No. 11 in a Major, K. 331: Ronda Allo Turca (Turkish March) - Peter Schmalfuss
Damnation de Faust: Hungarian March
Marche ossaise Sur un Th Populaire
Sonata in B Flat Minor, Op. 35: Marche Fune - Peter Schmalfuss
Carnaval, Op. 9: March of the Davidsb- Peter Schmalfuss
Nutcracker Ballet Suite, Op. 71: March
Gypsy Baron: March
Bocaccio: March
Radetzky March, Op. 228 - Vienna Opera Orchestra
Aida: Triumphant March

Tracks:

Stars & Stripes Forever
Semper Fidelis
Diplomat March
Invincible Eagle
Liberty Bell
Hands Across the Sea
King Cotton March
Crusader
Bride Elect
Gladiator March
Manhattan Beach
High School Cadets
Capitano
Washington Post March
Bells of Chicago
Thunderer
U.S. Field Artillery
Hail to the Spirit of Liberty

Average customer rating:

Classics at the Beach

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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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
ASIN: B000003G7E
Release Date: 1997-04-15

Tracks:

Peter Grimes: Dawn - London PO/Leonard Slatkin
Reflets Dans L'eau - Kathryn Stott
Victory at Sea: The Song Of The High Seas - RCA Victor Sym/Robert Russell Bennett
On The Beautiful Blue Danube - Boston Pops/Arthur Fiedler
La Mer: Jeux De Vagues - Boston Sym/Charles Munch
Swan Lake: Waltz - Boston Pops Orch/Arthur Fiedler
Song of the Seashore - James Galway
Water Music Suite: Minuet
Water Music Suite: Andante
Water Music Suite: Allegro
Water Music Suite: Adagio E Staccato
Water Music Suite: Bourree
Water Music Suite: Hornpipe
Water Music Suite: Air
Water Music Suite: Alla Hornpipe

American Songbook - The American Music Collection, Vol. III

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American Songbook - The American Music Collection, Vol. III

Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

A Little Bit In Love - Steven Blier
Yankee Doodle Rhythm - William Sharp
I Wish It So - Steven Blier
Nurse's Song - Joan Morris
My Ship - Angelina Reaux
Never Give Anything Away - Cole Porter
Sonnets From The Portuguese (I Thought Once How Theocritus Had Sung) - Arleen Auger
Boatmen's Dance - National Gallery Vocal Arts Assembly
Singing Joyfully - Susanne Mentzer
Cavalry - Vivian Taylor
Oh, De Lawd Shake De Heavens/Leavin' Fo' De Promis' Lan' - Steven Blier
Storyette - William Sharp
Monday Morning Blues - William Sharp
He Loves And She Loves - Steven Blier
Mists - Karen Lykes
At Dieppe (Requies) - Susan Narucki
The Side Show - National Gallary Of Art Vocal Ensemble
There Is A Lane - National Gallary Of Art Vocal Ensemble
Dream With Me - Steven Blier

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