Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphony No 8

[@andrewpetersen5272]

We are a fortunate few who know and love and live the music of Ralph. A few who enjoy the beauty others cannot fathom.

[@jgesselberty]

At a time when music was becoming more mathematical, more mechanical; Ralph Vaughan-Williams, gave us beauty.

[@oliverschwarz-roosmann5249]

Das ist wunderbar treffend beschrieben!

[@sshuck]

Those aren't opposites. He's toward the conservative end of the spectrum for his time, but this piece in particular is him at his most technically adventurous, harmonically and colorostically, and features formal terseness which is a classic aesthetic of 20th century music. Within his own output, this piece is him "becoming more mathematical".

[@stenaldomehilli8809]

I can never forget this channel and the honor it gave me. Listening Vaughan Williams’s work from some of the best recordings available is a bless! When I first heard this 6 years ago, I wrote: “why doesn’t those opening bars last infinitely”! A conversation with a splendid Albanian conductor now living and working in England, Maestro Eno Koco, triggered me to visit this masterpiece again; and proved my memory right. Because I still want to say, why, why don’t those opening bars last infinitely. They make me see a gray sky on a late autumn day.

[@robertzeek4020]

At a time, 1953, when so much was uncertain post WWII and in the Nuclear age to write a Fantasia (with no theme) is brilliant! Such a great work. It's is so timely today in 2023!!!

[@fizzao1342]

I did not realise until just recently how blessed we were as children that our working class parents loved classical music and encouraged us to listen to my father’s beloved record collection. My maternal grandfather was a musician but he did not bring my mother up. I do not know where they discovered it but I am so thankful that they did. I love Vaughan Williams. Thank you for this.

[@pattomuso]

My family was also working class. My Mum sung in a church choir when single and loved classical music which was often on the radio when I was going up. There was also a collection on 78rpm records which I was allowed to play when deemed old enough to handle. Pop music records were not present which put me at odds with school friends as early as mid-'60's Beatles!

[@uralbob1]

Couldn't agree more! As a youngster, my father played the local university's radio station throughout his small factory. It was classical and other contemporary pieces nearly every day from the time I was born. We were so fortunate! Good listening to you!

[@susanmoran2154]

My family were working class . My father had a good collection of second hand classical recordings . And we used much classical music in the church I attended , so got to listen to classical music from an early age.

[@tazpoochie]

Same here . Father was a steel worker but also a brass band cornet player . Both my parents loved classical music . As a child I hated it and listened to black sabbath and deep purple etc. . Now I can’t get enough of classical music . It takes my mind to much better place ! . I have just discovered Gerald finzi . Sublime . I think probably we are deep thinkers . ( unfortunately ) . I’m sixty years old now and none the wiser ! Stop thinking is my advice .

[@awaitthegroom]

Same for us we were raised on Debussy and Rachmaninov. My father worked extra so my sister and i could learn the piano. We sang in school choirs and travelled to Gibraltar and Africa to sing. I am so grateful now. My Dad sold his baby grand in 1952 as down payment on the mortgage to their house. In contrast a librarian told me recently that todays children dont have Shakespeare or Austen in their sections as they wont read them. I think my Dad did whathe did as fought at Dunkirk and Gold Beach and then onto Operation Market Garden where he was hammered by German Panzas. Saw his best friend blown up too. Makes you think whats important in life- certainly not most of the crap we listen to today

[@healym67]

I'm pleased to see the comments here about appreciation for RVW's work. I adore him, and his works first struck me when I was a young man in my twenties. He hit me like a freight train: Symphonia Antarctica; The Lark Ascending; Variations on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. I was lucky enough to see Kurt Masur conduct the New York Philharmonic with "Greensleeves" on the program. which I had loved even before I heard the Vaughn Williams arrangement. Since then I've explored much of his music, although I need to look into more of his contemporaries. He is once of the great Geniuses of modern music.

[@organo3112]

Marc Healy I am one who appreciated his 3rd and 5th Symphonies. Sadly in the 70's it was fashionable to like all things avantgarde and VW was not fully appreciated for the giant he is. Now I consider him as the greatest English symphonist - his music speaks to me rather more than Elgar and though I'm fond of Walton's symphonies I think on the whole VW by his great output is superior (and original).

[@alistairrobertson3198]

I can only agree ... nearly 50 years since I found this composer ...

[@pimentocheeseboy34]

I found him because my high school band teacher selected English Folk Song Suite as one of the pieces to play, I really liked it and decided to see what all he had composed and found the Sea Symphony and fell in love

[@julianallen6849]

Yes his work is sublime. It seems like some living breathing organism

[@steveblack3010]

What a symphonic cycle he gave us! The greatest of the nine is always the one you're currently listening to...and this is no exception. Astounding invention and lyricism.

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

I agree. The RVW Society is a must for those who appreciate this music and want to keep it alive. Please check it out.

[@xenasloan6859]

Listening to the invention battling with VW's natural love of beautiful sound, I'm taken back to the withering scorn of the 1970's of any music evoking tonality. I now smile wryly as the pendulum predictably oscillates. Truth is beauty beauty is truth, as a young man wrote

[@lewstone1934]

A welcome escape from the lunatic asylum that is the UK at present. Surreal, Sublime, Sensational, Soothing and Enlightening; this touches the spirit within.

[@uralbob1]

Don't fret my friend, it's juast as bad or worse on my side of the pond. Remember: "There will always be an England". I'm not so sure anymore about USA. Hell, we may eventually be annexed by Venezuela! Whatever happens, we'll have our music to escape with.

[@SerafinDrake]

Having resided in England for several years as a graduate student before moving back to this side of the pond (I got defenestrated out of the ivory tower - combination of severe poor health, financial problems, and nobody being interested in supervising my proposed thesis) I can only say that I sympathize with both you and Mr Tisch. It would appear things are nutty everywhere, and alas, this has been going on for several years, now (although I doubt it will be Venezuela that annexes us, if we are to be annexed - Venezuela can't afford us). We do have Vaughn-Williams, though. That is something.

[@shin-i-chikozima]

The feelings that boil over are revence for the composer and the music, nostalgic, comfort, and joy seeping into the heart

[@shin-i-chikozima]

This symphony is beyond description , inspirational , graceful and comfortable to the ear and the mind From Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun 🇯🇵

[@jeffdawson2786]

One of those symphonic beauties that has the whole of life in it.

[@Allusionary]

Can't think of anything to add to the host of excellent comments on this exquisite piece, except to add my "Thank you, Colin" to the crowd's. My favorite RVW symphony is whichever one I'm listening to at the moment-- I think I'll listen to #8 again.

[@BrucknerMotet]

It's hard not to come away feeling refreshed after witnessing one of Colin's RVW vids. This thankful observer's experience tonight is no exception.

[@271250cl]

+David Floren Great to hear from yo David, and glad to hear that you enjoyed it!

[@lunarlight3131]

His symphonies were always so fulfilling and rich.

[@shin-i-chikozima]

It is not possible to suppress the floating vortex of excitement and impression . My heart ascend , and admiration changed to deep reverence . 🍎

[@b1i2l336]

This has become my favorite of the nine Vaughan Williams Symphonies, and this is the best performance of it I've heard; Maestro Elder provides perfect "flow" from beginning to end, and the playing of the Halle Orchestra is superb.

[@ianfraser4243]

This is a very special piece of music for me. I think I was about 13 years old when I was listening to the radio (we had no tV then) and heard some music. I had no idea what it was but listened absolutely spellbound for it must have been 30 minutes. The longest piece I had ever listened to has been my cousin's choice, Frankie Valle, say 4 minutes. I found a copy of the Radio Times and discovered that what I had been listening to was in fact a Promenade Concert ( I had no idea what that was) and the piece of music was a symphony ( no idea what that was). It was by someone called Vaughan Williams. No 8 in D minor. That didn´t mean much to me, especially as I had never heard of anything by anyone called Williams, which was my mother's maiden name. But I was hooked without fully knowing it.One thing I did realize was I had to hear it again. I later discovered that it had been written only a few years previously, so it was modern. Absolutely great. ( No idea of course that RVW was 81). The following week I went to the record shop. Mr Parry (no relation) did his best to conceal his surprise at my request and apologized for not having it in stock. He said he could order it for me. Then he told me the price. Four week's pocket money! Fortunately I had no girlfriends at that age so I told him to go ahead. The recording I got was the first ever made ( I had no idea of any of this of course) by Sir John Barbirolli and the Hallé Orchestra ( never heard of them). After at least 20 replayings (I'm sad to say I no longer have the original LP, it must be worth quite a lot now ), I still think this is one of the most astonishing pieces of music ever written. Postscript; About 3 years later as a far-too-young hippy, I was bumming around Europe and had arrived in Rome with about half of a year's pocket money left. I was staying at the Youth Hostel and one evening I could hear some music floating across from the Coloseum. I decided to stroll across. Nobody seemd to be checking tickets so I just wandered in. It was Sir John Barbirolli and the Hallé Orchestra.That was on a poster. Once again I had no idea what I was listening to, but remembered. About a year later it was on the radio ( my father still would not permit TV). It was the Enigma Variations by Elgar.....

[@271250cl]

I discovered RVW by accidentally catching the final 3 or 4 minues of 'A Pastoral Symphony' on the Third Programme (as it was then). My father used to listen to the Test Match on the Third and had left the radio tuned to that station. I think we must be of an age, Ian, because I recall visiting Rome as a young man as just wandering into the Colosseum! Happy days. Last time in Rome we queued for an hour.

[@amandalee3517]

I think this is fabulous - 1st Movement: Prelude- Andante maestoso* (Vaughan Williams: Sinfonia Antartica [Haitink] Sheila Armstrong)

[@pp312]

"After at least 20 replayings...I still think this is one of the most astonishing pieces of music ever written." How well I relate to that! Strange music that somehow makes perfect sense. VW had a very unusual sensibility, but great genius. The 8th is in fact my second favourite of his symphonies, the first being the 9th, but neither symphony is among his most popular. Indeed, both have suffered an odd neglect and sometimes quite unfavourable comments from reviewers (though less so these days). One day I believe the 9th will be regarded as a masterpiece, and the 8th not much less.

[@TimonofBath]

That's an enchanting reflection, Ian. Thank you for taking the time to write it down.

[@vincentgarcia-delgado6265]

What a wonderful little story! Thank you for sharing it. :)

[@jackharrison6771]

Thank you for ALL of your Vaughan Williams Posts. His music inspires a lot of my poetry; as do Butterworth and Sebelius' 5th. The VW Society published one of my poems 'Poppies In a Field', in their Journal (June-2017). I then published it in my first book recently 'Rhyming Lines - The Poems of Jack D. Harrison. But VW's music has rarely been far away, as I write. And to Ian below, I say who need's live TV? Your father was right. I haven't seen it for about seven years, and never looked back. POPPIES IN A FIELD. Poppies in a field, for the boy no longer here; he sailed for the Western Front without any fear. Peaceful was the image in his head that day; just turned twelve, as he lay in the newly cut hay. And now turned fourteen, he's gone, having lied about his age; Recruiting Sergeants didn't care, as the boy signed the page. So many of these boys, joined up, forsaking favourite toys; Like Pied Pipers, the call of the guns led them to the noise. A hundred years ago this morning; he left his trench, the July day was dawning. They trample the Poppies all around; as allied shells and mortar, pound the German ground. Quickly over the top he went, the Officer was keen to teach;but the bullet with his name on it, was not yet in the breech. "Not too fast, keep the line straight"; he heard the Lieutenant’s call, not daring then to wait. Across the broken ground they stare; resilient Poppies still defiant, here and there. He passed what resembled Tommy Mc'Aid; still missing from last night's trench raid. They tread the hell of 'No-man's Land', the gallant lines progress; amongst them, blasts artillery shells, causing Shellshock and distress. Then Private Muller from the Rhine, replaced the magazine; the bullet with his name on it, the boy had never seen. And now our boy has fallen in the same old way; The French field reminds him of that newly cut hay. He'll never get a chance to write; to explain to grieving parents, "it's alright". His blood now feeds the Poppies here; Poppies in that field, for the boy no longer here. By JACK D. HARRISON. (In memory of Grandad, who spent time on the Somme; and to the 250,000 boys who lied about their age; to get into The Great War].

[@carmongers]

Thank you Jack. I always think about my grandfather on 10 July 1917 and the Battle of the Dunes. One of only 9 out of 600 who managed to survive that day, swam across the Eser with a bullet in his arm and get back to the rear and hospital. Brave men, stupid war. Always remembered.

[@robinjackson7882]

Jack Harrison Jack, have you read « The Naming Of Parts » by Harry Reed? You might like it.

[@jackharrison6771]

@@robinjackson7882 thanks Robin. No I haven't, but will look it up.

[@jackharrison6771]

Found it - Very cleverly done. Thanks again. www.warpoets.org/conflicts/world-war-ii/henry-reed-1914-1986/

[@malcolmbird1933]

An old friend the eighth . Thank you RVW

[@JohanHerrenberg]

This video is a work of art in itself, as befits a marvellous piece of music. Chapeau!

[@271250cl]

Thanks so much Johan - I'm very glad you enjoyed it!

[@1RobertCEvans]

Another splendid video from the man who has done more to promote VW's music on KZbin than anyone else. Many thanks to you, Colin.

[@271250cl]

+Robert Evans Thanks Bob!

[@TonusFabri2024]

This short symphony is in some ways the quintessence of RVW to me...haven't listened to it in years. The performance feels *just right*...thanks so much for posting.

[@TheMikkis100]

One composer who didn't jump to the atonality bandwagon, but followed his heart. How beautiful and unfortunately rare.

[@PM_ME_MESSIAEN_PICS]

there are a lot of composers who didn't, i can name 10 off my fingertips

[@Lupito44]

Well Mr. Colin, you’ve done it again. You’ve given us another wonderful example of RVW’s marvelous music together with some equally wonderful visuals. Thank you once again for this music. Thanks to you I’m discovering RVW’s music and it’s been altogether a very nice experience.

[@camarasaurus1]

One of my two favorite composers ....I have wanted to listen to this symphony for some time . Thanks for posting

[@billwagstaff9986]

Yet again Colin you have made my day complete, superb pictures and wonderful music thank you.

[@271250cl]

Glad you liked it Bill!

[@RASTAFALLI]

It may be the shortest of the nine, but is still an epic voyage. Thank you for having me on board! More power to you sir!

[@barbarahildner3671]

An absolutely gorgeous symphony!!

[@robertspeicher5047]

I started to listen to classic music just for a change. I was into landscape photography as a hobby and one beautiful autumn day while slowly driving on a quiet back road looking for possible photos, I was listening to a cassette tape of classic music. The music relaxed me, slowed down the tendency of rushing. The music opened up my "seeing`. I wish I could remember which "work" was on the tape. The music here has some affect.

[@johnminster3205]

I’m not saying that VW iS the greatest composer in history but he’s become my favorite.

[@sallyhaugland4368]

And mine

[@jimmyhillschin9987]

that's a great distinction.

[@williamrubinstein3442]

There is a good case that he was the greatest composer in history. Again and agaun he wrote music of transcendant beauty.

[@carlharris2600]

@@williamrubinstein3442 'There is a good case that he was the greatest composer in history'. VW wrote some really very good pieces, including this one, but I am sure he himself would laugh at your comment. A good B list composer he is, and nothing wrong with that. He is flawed unfortunately, using often the same modal harmonic progressions.

[@fanorydberg2424]

@@carlharris2600 He might laugh at yours as well! Are you suggesting he didn't know what harmonic progressions he was using? God save us from KZbin experts. In what regard is he inferior as a symphonist to Sibelius, for example?

[@MichaelVanderosen]

First time I've listened to the 8th... more sweeping musical grandeur... and a host of fitting, evocative scenes to enhance the experience... many thanks Colin... you have a wonderful gift of ear, eye and empathy with RVW's music... he'd have loved what you've created with his musical canvases!

[@pibbles-a-plenty1105]

It was the 20th century, an epoch of such great tragedy, that brought about the rich sonorities of Vaughn Williams, Britten, Ravel, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok, and many others. As a music Iover I was lucky to be growing up then. VW is one of my favorites.

[@marcap1000]

The visual translation of the Scherzo is pure genius! Congratulations and many thanks.

[@juliasanders1441]

His song, the key to a small gate in walls so high they separate me from that fair, green place I know lives in my mind I regret that I first heard Lark Ascending years after the Composer had passed away. I would have sent him my poem, a heartfelt thanks for how I felt after hearing it. "His song..." was not the lark's alone.

[@271250cl]

Lovely thoughts, Julia. Thanks for sharing.

[@tinysteelorchestra]

Lovely words Julia.

[@Arrokoth]

Thanks for uploading all the Vaughan Williams pieces Colin, your videos got me into his music.

[@271250cl]

That's very good to hear Aimiliaya! You can look forward to many years' happy listening, I think. RVW wrote a LOT of music and almost all of it is now on CD!

[@071949]

A treat for both the ears AND the eyes. Thanks, Colin!

[@Mlx51]

Même si les couleurs sont parfois un peu trop poussées, les photos de ces paysages sont magnifiques. Et plus j'écoute Ralph Vaughan Williams - que je connaissais mal - et plus j'aime sa musique. Une musique qui m'évoque une Angleterre de rêves et de légendes.

[@271250cl]

Translation: Even if the colors are sometimes a little too heightened, the photos of these landscapes are beautiful. And the more I listen to Ralph Vaughan Williams - whom I did not know well - the more I like his music. A music that evokes an England of dreams and legends.

[@robinjackson7882]

Marc Lemieux D’accord. C’est fantastique

[@Captanuki]

Votre explication est magnifique et très appréciée. Je vous remercie.

[@shin-i-chikozima]

The sound comfort and wonderfulness of the music Williams creats is out of this world

[@ravecousins2882]

Dear Collin, thank you for this excellent music pieces👍

[@lairddon]

Wonderful images ,wonderful music what more could you want . Well done indeed !!

[@rioazul23]

What a beautiful video and piece of music by Ralph Vaughan Williams, who seems to be one of your favorite composers. Thanks Colin

[@mnbvc60]

This is one of my all time favourite symphonies. Thank you for this interpretation as well as for the amazing pictures!

[@toprightchannel3080]

Colin the combination of the landscape painting and the music- it's the best thing I've experienced on youtube. It's memorizing and I can't thank you enough.

[@271250cl]

Thanks so much Matthew. I hope you might find time to look (and listen!) to some of the other stuff on my channel. If you do, please let me know what you think. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[@barbaracadogan2215]

Dear Colin I just came across the Brigg Fair by Delius that you and I also must add that the photos and paintings are fabulous. What exquisite taste you have in music and art.

[@271250cl]

@@barbaracadogan2215 It's a bit late, I know, but thanks very much for your kind remarks!

[@MikeDial]

I've loved the music of Tschaikovsky and Grieg ever since i was 4 or 5 years old. Later, I came to love pretty much everything ever written by Rachmaninov, Mozart, Saint-Saens, Ravel, Debussy, and Dvorak. Even though I know what I like, I don't know very much about it. I mention all this because it seems to me that Vaughn Williams's music doesn't have as much structure as that of the the composers I've known so far, so I don't think I'll be walking around the lab at work humming his melodies. RVW's music is like a dream from which I never want to awaken. I'll have to get his music on CD now, so I can listen to it at my desk. I want every moment of my life going forward to feel as it feels now.

[@271250cl]

Thanks for your very interesting response, Mike. I've known the music of RVW since I was a very young man and in many ways I envy people like you who are just discovering his work for the first time. One of the most remarkable things about his nine symphonies is that each is quite different from all the others. The fourth, for instance, is strident, vigorous and often angry, whilst the fifth is serene, radiant, almost like a vision of heaven. You might be interested in visiting the website of the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society, which has many excellent resources. Keep in touch and let me know how your discovery of RVW is going!

[@stevenoclock]

This is such a good description, I totally relate. I'm so in love with these romantic and impressionist composers you mentioned, and today I discovered RVW.

[@wojtekostrowski456]

As for the dreamlike music, you might want to try Alan Hovhaness. He created some really fantasy-like and picturesque music, which quite often reminds me of RVW.

[@uncawizard]

You may be surprised to find that his melodies do stay with you. Keep listening! He is often magically memorable.

[@redsonnetmusic]

Do also check out Sibelius's 5th symphony. :)

[@Dantianblue]

Hi Colin, thank you so much for uploading all this marvellous RVW music. I have now subscribed to your channel. What a wonderful resource. Invariably your visuals are lovely, too; his music is so evocative (with a deeply spiritual and serious edge to it always) that landscapes are often the perfect accompaniment! I grew up in remote countryside and will never forget it and RVW's music evokes all that and can reduce me to tears very easily! Neil

[@michaelmurphy326]

Yes Im a RVW devotee....why do we really like one composer or another? The one constant is his 'consciousness'...how he thinks in the story he is telling....I paid great attention to know that man in his times....armies organized by geography..so his music college friends including his hero George Butterfield was in the same regiment. Also RVW grew up in the Cotwolds...a most picturesque bit of gorgeousnes...gentle hills...intersting cottages..flowers and the singing of the birds. He enlisted but assigned to ambulance service due to age. Well most of his heroes in that damnedd war were blown to bits...and he brought back the residuary...to 'collect the wounded and unrecognizable'...in his 3rd Symphony about this war....many soldiers became the 'lost generation' succumbing to the drunken nihilism of the 1920's....but RVW used the pastoral or his youth as a personal meditation...a prayer of continuance...and in the violin of the 'Lark Ascending' we hear Meredith's lark but also a soldiers plea for deliverance from the ghastiness of everyday life. This is the spiritual strugle and what will be put our attention on.?...like most academics...he was agnostic...but so much of his best work is for the church...Thomas a Tellis....a Roman Catholic composer for the 'church' at a time of Henry Viii??? These are some of the reasons i love this man...he is deeply rooted in the human experience...

[@271250cl]

Thanks for your comment, Michael, but several points of fact need correcting here. First, RVW's friend George's surname was Butterworth not Butterfield. RVW did not grow up in the Cotswolds; he was born in a village called Down Ampney which is situated in rather dull, featureless countryside near Cheltenham. His father, who was vicar of the village, died when he was baby so his mother moved to live with her family at Leith Hill in Surrey which was Ralph's home till he went to school at Charterhouse and, later, Cambridge University. 'The Lark Ascending' has nothing to do with war; it was composed in 1914 before RVW enlisted, though it was revised before its first performance in 1920. Though RVW started his war service as a private in the Royal Army Medical Corps, he was later commissioned as an officer in the Royal Garrison Artillery with the rank of Lieutenant. Thomas Tallis was a Catholic (and so was Henry VIII) but he also wrote music for the Church of England.

[@keithbennett694]

When life`s commitments prevent me from walking our Beautiful Hills, Valleys & Fields, just listening to this & enjoying these images is the closest experience to that Delightful maelstrom of emotions & Hiraeth . Thanks for these uploads Colin, I will be collecting as many RVW Cds as possible . John Barry & Pat Metheney can borrow some portable Landscape for me, but nothing like this.

[@271250cl]

So glad you enjoyed it. If you don't know them already, I'd recommend the 3rd (Pastoral) and Fifth Symphonies - and the London Symphony too. Numbers 4 and 6 are very different in character - startlingly so - but very great pieces of music. Happy listening.

[@keithbennett694]

Will certainly check them out. Thanks, Colin.

[@b1i2l336]

This is simply gorgeous music, from first note to last, and the performance here is superb.

[@steveegallo3384]

I SECOND the MOTION!

[@kubyco]

The most original of VW's symphonies. Excellent video, Colin!

[@uralbob1]

Colin, wonderful content here. Thank you! The imagery that accompanied this RVW piece was appropriate and beautiful as well.

[@271250cl]

Thanks so much Robert. Glad you liked it.

[@janhalldin]

Warm thanks and greetings from Sweden!

[@MrRbjunior83]

One of the greatest for all times!

[@WilcoG]

The autumn images in the Cavatina are gorgeous!

[@lejayarielle3877]

Until a path leads to the horizon, nothing is ever really over. As aesthetic with colors than in black and white. Thank you for this video. Best regards.+Colin

[@michaelbradburn-ruster9110]

Colin, bless you for this wonderful performance - the celesta and bells more prominent and articulated (and rightly so, I think) than in many versions. And as others have commented, your choice of images to accompany this underrated marvel of a symphony are so apt. Thank you for your effort.

[@271250cl]

... And thank you for taking the time to comment, Michael. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Do check out my other uploads, which you might enjoy also.

[@fredamel]

You've done it again, Colin! Many thanks,

[@271250cl]

+fredamel You're most welcome. Thanks for taking the time to respond, it's good to hear that you like this stuff.

[@martinlagrange8821]

Hi Colin, thank you for this - I have fond memories of playing the Scherzo with my University Wind Band in 2001. In my reading, I find its a conscious echo of the Wind Band Folksong Suite, and an evocation of one of RVW's best friend's music - the works of Gustav Holst.

[@jakobpetropoulos8850]

Thank you Colin, I adore RVW and your videos are a perfect match. Greetings from Athens Greece. Take care.

[@271250cl]

Thank you Jacob. It is kind of you to take the time to respond!

[@paulschlitz5256]

Most underrated of the VW symphonies IMHO

[@kathleenferrier1]

Bravo Colin. What a superb reading. Initially I thought it was too quick - but after a few minutes it all made powerful sense. Thanks too for the images of nature. I loved the images of Poppies and Corn Flowers at around 5 minutes - and in the finale the images of the sea. This is a gem of a symphony unjustly neglected imho. Thanks again for being such a stalwart champion of RVW's music. Looking forward to more :-)

[@271250cl]

+Laurence Skelding My pleasure Laurence - and thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@shin-i-chikozima]

We are both happy to be able to welcome the New Year safety in 2020❗ May glory and prosperity be brought to person who deeply loves this exquisite music and practice filial piety From Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun Which are you watching this from ？

[@keithsutton3567]

Listening to music for the first time at 13 is very special. For me it was Beethoven's third, Thaikovsky's marche slav and the Warsaw Concerto. I full understand how it stays with us.

[@uncawizard]

I love the gongs! I don't think he uses percussion effects like this anywhere else in his work.

[@RichardASalisbury1]

Thanks for this! Your choice of accompanying scenes is in itself a minor artistic triumph. Vaughn Williams is one of my favorite composers--though my most favorite tends to oscillate among my four Bs: Bach, Beethoven, Bartok, and Britten. And I tend to favor music of the twentieth century. Vaughn Williams is more of the 20th century than of the 19th, but is, like Sibelius and Nielsen, two other great symphonists, somewhat of a transitional figure IMO; the most radical modernists follow almost on the heels of those three: Schoenberg, Bartok, and Stravinsky. Yet I love the music of Vaughn Williams, in somewhat the same way I love that of Copland from the other side of the pond: each is for me a home, a kind of country, in which I can find rest and comfort, as well as excitement and drama. Of Vaughn Williams's symphonies, I love best the 4th, the 5th, and this one; maybe the 4th most of all because it's his most radical work. But I had forgotten the quality of this one, deeper than its mercurial charm, clarity, and liveliness, which it has in abundance. I love its beautiful and unusual sonorities, its lightness, nimbleness, and brevity--remarkable from a man of his age when he composed it. (This performance shows off all these qualities well.) I'll have to listen to this work more often than I have in quite a long time.

[@271250cl]

Thanks for taking the time to respond, Richard. I'm a little surprised you don't mention the 6th symphony, which many regard as the pinacle of RVW's symphonic achievement. Thanks again for your interest!

[@uncawizard]

I think that the photo at 5:01 is actually used for an RVW CD cover, tho I'm not sure which one.

[@WilcoG]

Beautiful images! This is definitely my favorite channel!

[@271250cl]

+Larry Lanier Thanks Larry, so glad this meets with your approval!

[@WilcoG]

+Colin I watched the latest film version of Far From the Madding Crowd last night. It brought to mind your videos.

[@271250cl]

+Larry Lanier Yes, I love where Bathsheba sings the folk song. But I'm really a Julie Christie many myself! Wouldn't RVW have written a wonderful score for a film of F F t M C ?

[@WilcoG]

I had a mad crush on Julie Christie when I saw her in Dr. Zhivago! RVW would have made the film even more beautiful.

[@Alix777.]

This is a marvellous work ,thank you

[@malcolmbird1933]

In spite of all that's happening to our country at the moment , listening to the eighth makes me proud again to be an Englishman

[@tinysteelorchestra]

Another lovely video Colin, thank you as always. I'm growing rather fond of the Halle/Mark Elder combination. Still boggles my mind that RVW wrote this in his eighties, and still had one more to come. Remarkable.

[@271250cl]

Glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for taking the time to respond.

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

This is VW's shortest symphony and he crams so much into it, including an extensive yet sometimes discreet percussion department. (e.g. tuned gongs). This is a work of art by England's greatest symphonic composer and needs repeated listening to reap the rewards. Sensitive performance here by Mark Elder with the Halle Orchestra. Interesting to note that Sir John Barbirolli gave the premiere in 1956 with the same orchestra. Doubtful if any of the current members were playing !!!!!

[@marcela77777]

David A So nice comment...🌹 Marcelina

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

@@marcela77777 Thank You. x

[@frederickhill7181]

I am not normally impressed by attempts to murror music, especially classical music, in pictorial terms but the visuals accompanying this symphony are inspired. The funfair shots accompanying the scherzo are in striking contrast to the by turns lush, rugged, intimate and sweeping images in the outer three movements which are peculiarly English but also universal.

[@271250cl]

Many thanks; glad you like what I did.

[@MedievalRichard]

Splendid stuff.

[@ogredad55]

It doesn't have much in the way of a beat (I'm a drummer!) but I LIKE it just FINE! Thanx 4 Sharing, Colin! Verrrry sooothinnng........

[@michaelhall9467]

All of the below. Thanks, Colin. I don't know how you do it, or how you go about it (nor do I need to know, since you are doing it for me, and I have my own things to do), but I love what you are doing.

[@271250cl]

+Michael Hall Thanks for taking the time to comment, Michael. Kind remarks like yours keep me interested in doing this stuff!

[@uncawizard]

"The Story of the Gongs" Without the Turandot gongs, this symphony isn't what RVW meant for us to hear. The gongs are everything in this piece because they are unusual and very rare in the repertoire, and because they have a unique and gorgeous sound. In this recording they come through beautifully, singing their resonant tones, along with almost every known tuned percussion instrument. You don't hear the Turandot gongs very often because they are extremely rare and expensive to rent. These gongs mean a lot to me because the original set, commissioned by Puccini, was owned by my late friend Howard Van Hyning. Here, from his 2010 obituary, is the story of the original Turandot gongs: When struck, a traditional Chinese gong - properly called a tam-tam - produces a shuddering “whump” of indefinite pitch. But when Puccini was writing “Turandot,” the tale of a Chinese princess, he envisioned a whole family of gongs, each tuned to a specific pitch, that could lift their brass voices in song. He commissioned the Tronci family, an Italian cymbal-making dynasty, to build a graduated set of 13. Puccini died in 1924. On April 25, 1926, “Turandot,” completed by the Italian composer Franco Alfano, had its world premiere at in Milan. The gongs were ensconced in the orchestra, their bell-like tones woven throughout the opera's three acts. Lacking proper gongs, most companies stage “Turandot” with ersatz instruments. City Opera long used a set of tuned metal bars, like a motor-less vibraphone, borrowed from the Metropolitan Opera and familiarly known as “the steam table.” Mr. Van Hyning first encountered his gongs in the mid-1970s. He was playing a “Turandot” with the New York Grand Opera, which stages productions in Central Park. Where, he wondered, might he find a proper set of tuned gongs? The Grand Opera’s artistic director, Vincent La Selva, suggested he visit the Stivanello Costume Company, which supplies opera companies with sets, costumes, props and assorted curiosities. At the Stivanello warehouse, then in Manhattan, Mr. Van Hyning was shown to a crate. Inside were Puccini’s original 13 gongs. Anthony Stivanello, who ran the company, told him that he had won them decades earlier in a bet with an Italian music publisher. Spanning an octave from A to A, the gongs range in diameter from 10 to 16 ¼ inches. Collectively, they weigh 169 pounds. Their sound, Mr. Van Hyning later said, is “colorful, intense, centered and perfumed.” When the production ended, Mr. Van Hyning returned the gongs, but he pined for them. In 1987, his wife said, he bought them from Mr. Stivanello for several thousand dollars and carried them tenderly home in a burlap bag.

[@TonusFabri2024]

Thanks for this...the gongs were what first "struck" me about this symphony. Not sure whose performance it was, but the gongs sang out magnificently against the full orchestra. Accept no substitutes, glockenspiel just won't do, none genuine without this label....

[@steveegallo3384]

Fascinating! Gracias for your erudition....from México!

[@galas062]

thank you!

[@FranciscoFerrerGaliana1930]

Magnifica sinfonía, las imágenes esplendidas..¡¡

[@steveegallo3384]

De acuerdísimo.....Saludos desde Puerto Aventuras!

[@Griffinmc]

I listen to a lot of great classical music on KZbin while I write. But your wonderful images are so distracting! Keep up the good work, my friend.

[@mizofan]

marvellous music and videos

[@brunocostapiano]

I love the beginning

[@stenaldomehilli8809]

Ah, the beginning suggests, -or at least I perceive it so-, beautiful and deeply describing autumn motifs. I recall it so vividly, these feelings I experience while listening to first movement’s introduction are the same feelings I experienced as a kid during fall season in my grandparents’ village, I swear! I am actually sorry that Vaughan Williams didn’t work more with that beautiful theme. Instead, he transformed that from a beautiful, to a very ugly and scary one, (always musically speaking). Nonetheless, it is his creation; and a splendid creation indeed. Wish you well!

[@harryandruschak2843]

"Variations without a theme"....a little humour there.

[@Utoobtime27]

As I pointed out in a recent article for the Musical Times it is also possible to hear the VARIATIONS FOR BRASS BAND (1957) as a kind of fifth movement in a manner that reflects a kind of divertissiment: the 'variations with a theme' of the brass band work complements the first movement 'variations without a theme' of the symphony and the 'brass band' forms another 'consort' of colors complimenting the 'consort' colors of the individual movements of the symphony. The unprecedented presence of celesta and glockenspiel in the brass band work amplifies the connection to the "all kinds of phones" of the symphony finale. It is a creative way of looking at it but, as I show in my analysis, there are many thematic links between the two works that are also in dialog with the Ninth Symphony. (The "lack of cohesiveness" in the Eighth, as noted by others also, also accommodates such connections.)

[@4757bryce]

Lovely use of paintings!

[@ianfraser4243]

I got so carried away with my autobiography I forgot to thank you for the posting, Colin (again). The photos are remarkable, though I think much of RVW's music is unphotographable. One thing you don't say is what the recording is. Could it be, is it, Barbirollli and the Hallé?

[@271250cl]

The performers are credited at 0:15 in the video, Ian. It is the Halle but in a brand new recording conducted by Mark Elder.

[@raydickson2048]

Beautifully presented Colin. Perhaps your effort will present this shamefully neglected symphony to a wider audience?

[@charlespeterson4438]

I so much enjoy your channel. I have watched some of your videos again and again. Might you one day produce one on RVW's Oxford Elegy?

[@271250cl]

+Charles Peterson Thanks Charles. An Oxford Elegy is on my 'To do' list for the New Year...

[@malcolmbird1933]

Listening to this one year on

[@indiefilmcomposer]

Very cinematic and thought must have scored films, found him on IMDB

[@Russell_Huston]

Sounds at times like a Twilight Zone score. (Bernard Herrmann)

[@elisecurran9497]

Just subscribed, so I can always find THE source for the music of the great RVW!

[@271250cl]

Thanks, Elise!

[@maxlinder5262]

I like the Fotos .....Are they yours..????😮

[@malcolmbird1933]

Never forget Ursula's input amongst all this

[@cescocarpena]

And now the 8th :)

[@germanquintero10121946]

exquisito

[@cb6539]

Can hear the rain drops.

[@sim-sam]

Hi there: 5:46: What a picture. What's its name, where was it "taken/painted" - did not find something in Google oder MS... It is striking to me, i think, allthough I do not know, that i have been there...

[@davidjames9626]

Delightful, a very English work (in the John Donne way)

[@kimquinn7728]

The music is powerful....but the IMAGES! Whose work is that, please?

[@271250cl]

I put the picture sequence together from a range of photos found on the internet. If you're interested, Kim, take a look at my channel for videos linked to other works by Vaughan Williams and others.

[@kimquinn7728]

@@271250cl Thanks so much!

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

As fine as this is, it does come across as a bit calculated and academic. Nothing, but NOTHING will ever equal the first recording by Barbirolli on Pye/Nixa. It took on a life of its own and transcended the notes on the page. It had/has a soul.

[@chpnlzt]

COLIN HOW DO YOU GET AROUND COPYRIGHT STRIKES, WHAT'S YOUR SECRET, ARE YOU FRIENDS WITH THE RECORD COMPANIES ? I KNOW THEY ARE NOW ALLOWING A LOT OF STUFF ON YOU TUBE NOW TO GENERATE AN INTEREST IN SUCH THINGS AS THIS, AND EVERY CATEGORY REALLY, IT IS A GOOD IDEA FOR THEM TO ALLOW IT CAUSE I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT RVW AND I JUST MIGHT BE A GOOD CUSTOMER FOR THIS STUFF, IF IT TURNS OUT I LIKE IT !!! I'M MORE INTO PIANO MUSIC, LIKE LISZT !!! THIS IS NEW TO ME.......

[@chpnlzt]

I WILL DELETE MY MESSAGE AND QUESTION IN A FEW MINUTES, SO AS NOT TO GIVE THEM ANY IDEAS ABOUT ATTACKING YOUR WONDERFUL CHANNEL WHICH GENERATES SO MUCH INTEREST IN THIS WONDERFUL MUSIC...........THANKS FOR YOUR RESPONSE !!! CHEERS MATE !!! THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME RVW !!!

[@bennyhillschineseblokechar3689]

This whole piece would work a lot better in G minor.

[@Renee2004lr]

I cannot imagine a more biased and inane remark. The tonality of a work by an established composer such as Vaughn Williams would probably not sound better in ANY other tonality. He knew what he was doing and why he was utilizing D minor. Your remark makes no sense whatsoever. Please keep these kinds of words to yourself.

[@bennyhillschineseblokechar3689]

Lisa Ragsdale. When and whereabouts do you think you mislaid your sense of humour? If you need any help in finding it, I'm not busy most of next week.