Repertoire: The BEST and WORST Vaughan Williams 5th Symphony

Vaughan Williams had the singular gift of writing music that's incredibly beautiful without ever sounding facile or sentimental, nowhere more so than in his Fifth Symphony. The trick for conductors is making sure that's how it really sounds, while at that same time avoiding an approach that's overly reverential or sanctimonious. Pacing is critical. Here are 18 performances, most of which get the job done admirably--but some don't.