Vaughan Williams : Serenade in A minor for orchestra (1898)

Edited from the manuscript by Julian Rushton (2011)
I. Prelude (Andante sostenuto) 00:00-04:20
II. Scherzo (Allegro) 04:20-08:10
III. Intermezzo & Trio (Allegretto Trio (poco piu mosso)) 08:10-13:30
IV. Romance (Andantino appassionato) 13:30-22:25
V. Finale (Allegro) 22:25-26:25
Performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Martin Yates.

[@paulschlitz5256]

Even in 1898 VW goes his own sweet way. Ride on Uncle Ralph. Those who love you are forever with you. The composer that won my heart in the 1970s can still surprise and awaken it

[@richh9450]

This is insanely beautiful. Vaughen-Williams left to all of us a legacy like none other.

[@MikeDial]

RVW's music is a dream from which I never want to awaken.

[@Londonfogey]

How can I have reached nearly half a century on this earth and not heard this marvel before?

[@TheMonolake]

I hear you .who else wont hear of it. I dont understand this.

[@peterbargmann7341]

Vaughn- Williams is seen by so many as a "utilitarian" kind of composer... Give him some kind of premise--a place, an objective, a discovery, an observation, an artifact--and he will write a composition for it. Hum-drum, tweedle-dee, tweedle-dum. Nice earworms. My view of Vaughn-Williams is that he is among those in the musical firmament who could make music that stirred his countrymen's souls. Maybe not a ground-breaker, but surely grounded in his homeland's heritage, which he could turn into extraordinary melody. A wonderful source of pride and joy.

[@bredbandtva7177]

The tallis fantasia was groundbreaking though with the acoustics he got from the placement of the performers in the Gloucester Cathedral+ the mix of having a very old tune and the latest hyper-chromatic haromonics. Before WW1 he was considered modern, he just stuck to his late victorian/edwardian style for his remaining 40 years (thankfully!).

[@pp312]

Only not ground-breaking in the sense that he rejected atonalism. I would consider, say, the 8th symphony as ground breaking with its use of a different instrumental cluster for each movement, and its last movement, if not ground-breaking, is certainly very "modern" (as for that matter were the 4th and 6th symphonies). I don't think VW ever got left behind. He liked the modern tonal form, hence his eagerness to get film score assignments. To me atonalism is an aberration and really not worth considering. It's gone up the dead-end of musical history, and rightly so.

[@bgccallahan4116]

@@pp312 A recent book by John Maucieri addresses this. How atonalism was a rather unfortunate byproduct of the Nazi regime/WW2.

[@pp312]

@@bgccallahan4116Sounds interesting, but didn't Atonalism begin in the early part of the 20th Century with composers like Schonberg?

[@bgccallahan4116]

@@pp312 It did, and was reinforced in pre WW2 Europe, due to Hitler's demonizing of "decadent" music. Gad, can't locate reference to most recent book by John Maucieri on this topic.

[@RJPacittiII]

How have I not heard this before? The Romance is just breathtaking.

[@anitrabn2110]

Maybe because it's early work? I heard it for the first time only a few years ago despite the fact I very like music of Vaughan Williams. This piece isn't frequently recorded or performed (sadly!).

[@271250cl]

@@anitrabn2110 Until about 20 years ago it was forbidden to perform any of Vaughan Williams's music written before 1904. This embargo was eventually lifted and many lovely pieces have been revealed.

[@wesn.9174]

@@271250cl Why was that?

[@craigbritton3213]

Delightful. The older I get, the more I am learning to appreciate perhaps more "hidden" works and composers. While RVW needs no help to be known amongst music lovers, a trek through the breadth and quality of his work is a task worth taking on. Thanks for your assistance in that task.

[@PhrygianPhrog]

RVW had an interesting metric feel to his melodies. My father was friends with his wife Ursula VW :) Used to go round there quite often.

[@wielandwittmann9832]

Großartige Musik eines großartigen Komponisten. Bravissimo!

[@LKemp-lr1ky]

I can recall a time when I'd never heard of RVW--and KXPR "bravely" played a Mahler work! Yes, I'm up there a bit, but just think: are there composers of merit who are not being heard? Ours is a great age for music.

[@3253222]

The intermezzo seems to soar! The whole piece does!

[@stixpooper3704]

Celebral artwork, painting beautiful pictures in our heads with music!

[@grandemauro344]

Majestic and oneiric!

[@annfarmer7966]

Fantastic, exhilarating, superb!

[@glenncambray626]

A lovely piece.

[@Mark_Dyer1]

Thank you for this gorgeous post! And well done the Royal Scottish National Orchestra for recording this poorly-known work by RVW. In the superb documentary video on RVW, called 'O, Thou Transcendent' (from the 1st Symphony) one of those who knew him, personally, made the comment that "Ralph Vaughan Williams is often accused of writing tunes: but WHAT 'tunes'?!" That says it all.

[@germanquintero10121946]

magnifico

[@RobvanderHilst]

RVW's music is the best embodiment of both the contemporary Grand Gesture of his lifetime (Romanticism, in his case of the healthiest round apple cheeks sort, as can also be found in the works of R.Schumann and Grieg), and of the Enlightenment in all its transparent, crystal-clear splendor. This is very, very exceptional. "Even" for a genius like this really Great Creator. Gloria, laus et honor.

[@jeppemoulijn1]

It is surprising to find so many features that became so important in his mature works are allready there. Especially his very unique use of modal harmony. In that sense, this IS a groundbreaking work for 1898. The roots of his 'pastoral style' are completely there. And without RVW none of the film scores to any British costume drama would have sounded as they do. :) So all of that started here in 1898.

[@nickwright6034]

Excellent.

[@kaybeenullenvoyde9196]

I WISH I could locate a copy of this to play while I do my road trips.

[@manichols84]

oh my goodness! 1:10 was a huge surprise!

[@melindalemmon2149]

Yes yes yes.

[@chsc4134]

Gostei.

[@williamrubinstein3442]

Why would RVW suppress his pre 1903 works, when they are outstanding?

[@samuelstalder9522]

16:18 sounds pretty good.

[@GringatTheRepugnant]

Hey ho ho, it's one for all for one..

[@malcolmosman6111]

The seven individuals who down thumbed this work obviously have no soul...

[@samuelstalder9522]

or they're Australian. Big up my Ozzy mates.

[@pp312]

@@samuelstalder9522 What! I'm Australian and I thought this was exquisite. We're not all footy-loving, pie-munching drongos, you know.

[@samuelstalder9522]

@@pp312 Haha, don't worry, I've been there enough to know that :)). I was referring to the meme about Australians living upside down so they mistake the dislike button for a like button.

[@pp312]

@@samuelstalder9522 Oh, I must have missed that meme. Sounds a bit subtle for the likes of me anyway. :)

[@raymondtogtman1047]

@@pp312 Did Melbourne ever host the Summer Olympics?

[@sweatylasagna4081]

I. Prelude: 0:00 II. Scherzo: 4:19 III. Intermezzo & Trio: 8:10 IV. Romance: 13:30 V. Finale: 22:28

[@kaybeenullenvoyde9196]

I utilize music for emotional and spiritual support. Hearing newly discovered (by me) works by any composer, no matter what time of life the work originated, no matter whether it is "derivative" or utterly created out of fresh air, is so often a thing of joy. This is one such work, and hearing echoes of the future RVW here is such a delight.

[@anselman3156]

If you haven't already found it, check out the upload of the Romance segment by David Harris. It has paintings which complement the music beautifully. "Ralph Vaughan Wiliams:Serenade in A Minor: Romance. George Cole, George Vicat Cole: Paintings".

[@kaybeenullenvoyde9196]

@@anselman3156 This work has really been getting under my spiritual skin this year., like having my Thomas Tallis fix from 1968 back all over again, but more subtle.

[@bgccallahan4116]

@@anselman3156 Now it's 2022 and this music is just as powerful as it was in 2019. Why do the "cognoscenti' condemn this as "Merely early Vaughan Williams", just fast forward to Thomas Tallis Fantasia, do not pass GO". GAD!!!

[@Muvandfarve]

The prelude follows English speech rhythms. Reduces me to pulp every time.

[@C.F.6718]

La musica di Ralph Vaugan Williams e' un esperienza totalizzante che ruota attorno alla grandezza della Gran Bretagna alla sua varieta' di colori e alle sue risorse isolate dai mari del nord.

[@tonyobadinage6647]

This is new to me and fascinating indeed. Interesting to hear his early work, before being taken under Ravel's wing for a spot of "French Polish". Like your other correspondents, I heard hints of other works in there, specifically (at the end of the First Movement) a taste of "Dives and Lazarus". Marvelous stuff!

[@steveturpin4242]

What a wonderful composer....thank you.

[@maxmerry8470]

The CD shown is special to me with its selection of premiere recordings. The Serenade is, in spite of its earliness, a highly attractive work, each movement revealing a composer beginning to reach a distinctive style. The Romance (my favourite) and Finale are, I think, the nearest to the later (post-Ravel's input) RVW voice.

[@kaybeenullenvoyde9196]

Extremely impressed with this album, cannot find a record store anywhere that happens to carry these gems. I have searched in Archiv for music I have heard here on this site, but, bupkis. I haven't become conversant with Amazon or similar sites, guess this ole music biddy will have to gal up and do so!

[@kaybeenullenvoyde9196]

@@amn91459 Thank you! Hope i can track this down.

[@molnarattila5129]

Beautiful! Very like Vaughan Williams!

[@mrrkdino]

Thank you this posting.

[@webrarian]

Definite hints of Stanford's Irishness in the second movement. And very odd it sounds, coming from Vaughan Williams.

[@richardsquince6487]

Folk of these isles?