Credits:

Federico Mecozzi

Description:

Following the first collection (ARIADNE5016), this album commemorates the 150th anniversary of Vaughan Williams' birth. This time, three works conducted by Adrian Boult are reissued in clear sound. The first two works are performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, which Boult founded in 1930 and served as chief conductor until 1950. Thanksgiving for Victory is a large-format work with soprano solo, narrator and organ, orchestra, and chorus, recorded for the radio broadcast that premiered the work in 1945. Serenade to Music" was performed on the opening night of BBC program 3 (now Radio 3) in 1946, and is based on Act 5, Scene 1 of "The Merchant of Venice. This one was written in 1938 as a tribute to the composer's friend, the famous conductor Henry Wood. Originally intended for 16 singers, it was arranged by Vaughan Williams himself for orchestra, four soloists, and chorus. This broadcast was the world premiere of this version. Job" was a favorite of Vaughan Williams, who made four studio recordings of the work after this performance with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The reissue was carefully remastered by Rani Spahr, a leading British remastering engineer who has reissued many masterpieces in the past, to bring back the realistic sound with less noise.The booklet includes a commentary (English only) by Simon Heffer, a British researcher who wrote a critical biography of Vaughan Williams. Naxos Japan