Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending / Fantasia On A Theme, etc

 
Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending / Fantasia On A Theme, etc cover
$35.00 In Stock add to cart

RALF VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending / Fantasia On A Theme, etc
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Orchestra, Andrew Manze, with James Ehnes (violin)

[ Onyx / CD ]

Release Date: Friday 11 October 2019

Andrew Manze and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra's cycle of the 9 Vaughan Williams symphonies have been praised by the reviewers, and their live performances rapturously received. This album contains the most popular of his shorter orchestral works - The Tallis Fantasy, Greensleeves, the Lark Ascending and the wonderful Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus. The Serenade to Music is heard in the rarely performed orchestral version - this album will be a must have for all fans of the composer!

"The success-level here is excellently high. Collectors will savour a genuine rarity: the composer's own orchestra-only arrangement of the Serenade to Music…the music sounds as rapturously beautiful as ever, and Manze's conducting gets a handsome orchestral response. Variants on Dives and Lazarus can sometimes come across as a semi-routine creation, but not with the beautifully shaded string orchestra textures conjured here…Similar care has been taken, too, with the Tallis Fantasia" Five Stars BBC Music Orchestral Choice Christmas 2019

"The clarity of James Ehnes's playing, with virtually flawless intonation, is relaxed and profoundly lyrical…The strings of the RLPO have a rich purple hue and Manze's control of the balance of the orchestra's rounded tone is beautifully judged and symptomatic of the deep sympathy he has for this music and these treasured scores. For all Vaughan Williams 'Liebhabers', this is a must!" Editor's Choice Gramophone Dec 2019

Tracks:

Serenade to Music - orchestral version
Five Variants of Dives & Lazarus
The Lark Ascending*
Fantasia on Greensleeves
Suite on English Folksongs
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis