Thread: Hello from Britain

Hello everyone. I'm new here so thought I'd introduce myself.
I've been interested in classical music for around eighteen months, prior to then it was a closed book to me. My username is an obvious giveaway to my favourite composer, Vaughan Williams, and The Lark Ascending is my favourite piece of classical music. Other British composers rank highly with me - Holst, Finzi, Delius, all the usual suspects.
I also love the music of Ravel, Chopin, Grainger and Schubert amongst others. I don't play an instrument or read music, but thoroughly enjoy listening, although I know I still have a lot to learn. I look forward to posing here.

Hi Lark Ascending
Vaughan-Williams is also one of my favourite composers, and I would wish that he was more played here on the continent ! There is not many who know his music here, don't know why? Do you? I have always wished to hear some of his music live at an concert, but it's never played! :angry:
Have you heard his symphony no. 5? Don't you think it is great and so beautiful?

best regards

Topaz & vonK, thanks for your replies.

Topaz, I like all of the types of music you mentioned, orchestral is my favourite. As for music periods, I listen to composers from the Classical, Romantic and early 20th Century, although I don't dislike EM and Baroque. Some modern classical music leaves me unmoved, 12 tone for example is a complete mystery. I can listen to modern tonal composers like Britten and Shostakovich, although I prefer the lighter works of the latter such as the Jazz Suites. I have CDs from most of the well known composers in my ever expanding collection.

vonK, I have heard The Lark Ascending played live by Hilary Hahn at a concert in London, which was a wonderful experience. My favourite symphonies are the 2nd (London) and the 6th, which I listened to earlier today. As to why VW's music is not played on the continent, perhaps it's because he's so "British" .

Welcome to Talk Classical, Lark Ascending!

Great that you have found an interest in classical music! May I ask what events caused this newfound interest? I hope you will enjoy taking part in this forum - looking forward to see you around.

Best regards,
Frederik

Lark A & Topaz,
Yes Vaughan-Williams sounds very british, if I may say so even though I'm not british I think it has a lot of folktune in it self - with lots of fouth intervals I think. In continental music there is much more major thirds and major chords - if you understand me. Sometimes Bartok sounds a bit like RVW and the other way around. Maybe it's because Bartok used a lot of hungarian folktunes in his music? What do you think? Is there a connection?

Do you know who's the best RVW conductor today? I only know british conductors as Barbirolli and Boult but they are also great I think, especially Babirolli.

Cheers

vonK,

I have a box set of VW symphonies conducted by Sir Adrian Boult (I've not heard the Haitink set so can't comment). You mentioned the similarities between Bartok and VW. I haven't heard a lot of Bartok apart from the Romanian Folk Dances which I like. I know that Bartok, like VW and Holst, collected the folk music of Eastern Europe (composers who collected the folk music of their countries really appeal to me).

Frederik,

My interest in classical music was sparked by hearing VW's music used in a BBC documentary. I thought it was the most beautiful music I had ever heard so next day I bought the box set of VW symphonies I referred to above and I've not looked back since. I now rarely listen to the pop music that was my music taste prior to discovering classical.

Gatton,

Thanks for your welcome, and welcome to you. I hope you enjoy listening to the music of VW when you can.

Hmm...I must apologize. I have never heard of this composer named Vaughan Williams before(I blame my age)...I must get a CD of his works! what pieces do you recomend?

4/4player

4/4

His name is Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 -1958), often simplified to RVW. He and Sir Edward Elgar are the two highest rated English composers.

Best to go to your record store and have a look through what they have, but try to get one with a British orchestra (honestly it's better for this material, conducted by the likes of Sir Adrian Boult or Sir John Barbirolli) and including pieces like Lark Ascending, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Norfolk Rhapsody, Fantasia on Greensleaves, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Symphony No 2 and 5. You may need to get two CDs in order to get this lot but it's worth it.



Topaz

4/4 player,

I can reccomend an eight CD box set of VW's nine symphonies and various other orchestral works. It's on EMI Classics, catalogue number 5 73924 2. The recordings are of various British orchestras conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Whatever of his works you decide to purchase I hope you enjoy them. It's good to post on a forum where people seem more open minded about British classical music (I've seen it dismissed with contempt on other classical music forums).

Topaz - I think Delius might have had something to say about your crediting On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring to VW.