Ralph Vaughan Williams:
Symphony no.2. "A London Symphony"
I: Lento - Allegro risoluto ~ II: Lento ~ III: Scherzo (Nocturne) Allegro vivace ~
IV: Andante con moto - Maestoso alla marcia (quasi lento) - Allegro - Lento - Epilogue (Andante sostenuto)
"The Wasps" - overture / Fantasia on "Greensleeves" 6 files zip FLAC Mega Download
The Queens Hall Orchestra (leader: George Stratton) conducted by Sir Henry Wood
Decca ACL 255 Issued 1965. Matrices: ARL 6727 -2A / ARL 6728 -2A First issued 1936 as Decca X.114-18 & K.821/2
Recorded: 21-22 April 1936 - Thames Street Studios. Re-edited: March 2022
Sleeve-note / 'The Times' 1936 review + Henry Wood's rebuttal >>>
Great version of thios symphony, thanks for your work in making it available!
ReplyDeleteHello Ewan. I think so too.. 'The Times' article is distinctly harsh - as RVW's 'meandering passages' are difficult maintain 'tension': and you can sense a slight bit of that; but I was very pleased with these performances - which weren't too much of a chore to edit (the Boult Job/Tallis was another matter entirely..). I doubt if Wood's records were overly popular (on 78) - and this was one of Decca's rare reissues from shellac - as they scarcely bothered with their archive material - rather a pity.
ReplyDeleteSincere thanks for this transfer.
ReplyDeleteIt's an estalished occupant of my
virtual turntable.
Novak.
I may upload the mono Halle/Barbirolli PYE version of the 'London' (the 1952 LPO/Boult is also excellent - the ACL transfer makes the EMI LPO/Haitink CD sound very poor).
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit annoyed that I missed a 'click' @ 10:47.6620 on the Wood version - and have uploaded a corrected file - though it was barely audible, being in a loud passage...
These are nice versions - and 'Greensleeves' has a touch of 'rusticity' that I don't recall in other versions.
I was not aware of any intrusive clicks. From my limited perspective I thought the recording very detailed despite the obvious restrictions in louder passages.
ReplyDeleteOne can never have too many'London's.
The possible glimmer of a Barbirolli/Hallé version warms the veritable cockles.
Novak.
Thanks (once again) for making (and keeping!) these wonderful things available. Such a magnificent resource, heart-warming in these days of streaming.
ReplyDelete