[.ca] Hickox Conducts Vaughan Willia

From Amazon.co.uk:
This slimline British Composers double-pack from EMI offers stunning value for money, cramming the contents of nearly three Vaughan Williams anthologies from the mid-1980s onto two extremely well-filled CDs--and all at mid-price, too. Performances and production values are consistently first-rate, and the pleasures come thick and fast. Under Richard Hickox's sympathetic and invigorating lead, the 1923 ballet score Old King Cole (still a considerable rarity) creates a delightful impression. There's an engaging contribution from the Sinfonia Chorus both here and in the lovely Five Mystical Songs (which finds baritone Stephen Roberts in rapt, if not perhaps always ideally steady voice). Elsewhere, the Northern Sinfonia's then leader, Bradley Creswick, excels in the bracing Concerto accademico (a title the composer later rejected in favour of the plainer Concerto for violin and strings in D minor) and ravishing The Lark Ascending, while the oboe concerto receives eminently stylish advocacy from soloist Roger Winfield. Not the least of this generous sets many attractions can be found in some of the shorter items such as the perky overture to the 1929 opera The Poisoned Kiss,, the gravely noble prelude to 49th Parallel (VW's first film score dating from 1940-41) and the jaunty Sea Songs. So, if the programme appeals (and it certainly should!), don't hesitate. --Andrew Achenbach END

Hickox Conducts Vaughan Williams:
This is a most-welcome CD release, especially since it contains a number of pieces not available on CD until now. It's also excellent value--two discs for the price of one. Of particular interest is the curious ballet Old King Cole, written for an outdoor performance at Trinity College, Cambridge. Essentially a light-hearted piece, the music is not of the highest level of inspiration overall, but there are moments of real beauty that make up for any shortcomings in the score. For the convinced Vaughan Williams admirer, this is a must-have (RVW himself recorded some of this music; this early mono recording has been released on CD by Pearl records.) Other items of similar interest include the Prelude On An Old Carol Tune, written for a BBC radio play, and a pair of hard-to-find marches. The instrumental version of the Serenade to Music is a gorgeous novelty, but no substitute for the original version for 16 vocalists and orchestra. Also included are two important concertos; one for oboe and one for violin, both with string accompaniment. The violin concerto receives the better performance. The rendering of the oboe concerto suffers from too-slow tempi, particularly in the final movement. Neither are major works, but are nonetheless full of interest and deserve to be better known. Some well-known RVW works are included, among them The Lark Ascending and Five Mystical Songs. The latter is marred by the soloist's excessive tendency to roll his r's--an almost comical sound sometimes. RVW was known to have disliked this sort of affectation. Overall a valuable collection for anyone interested in this composer. The recordings were made in the 1980s.

• Ser To Music (Orch Version) - Bradley Creswick
• The Poisoned Kiss - Ov - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• Old King Cole - A Ballet For Orch: (Allegro Moderato) - Bradley Creswick/Stephen Roberts
• Old King Cole - A Ballet For Orch: Pipe Dance - Bradley Creswick/Stephen Roberts
• Old King Cole - A Ballet For Orch: Bowl Dance - Bradley Creswick/Stephen Roberts
• Old King Cole - A Ballet For Orch: Morris Jig: ' Go And List For A Sailor' - Bradley Creswick/Stephen Roberts
• Old King Cole - A Ballet For Orch: Folk Sing: 'A Bold Young Farmer' - Bradley Creswick/Stephen Roberts
• Old King Cole - A Ballet For Orch: The Jolly Thresherman - Bradley Creswick/Stephen Roberts
• Old King Cole - A Ballet For Orch: Solo Jig - Bradley Creswick/Stephen Roberts
• Five Mystical Songs: Easter - Sinf Chor/Alan Fearon/Stephen Roberts
• Five Mystical Songs: I Got Me Flowers - Sinf Chor/Alan Fearon/Stephen Roberts
• Five Mystical Songs: Love Bade Me Welcome - Sinf Chor/Alan Fearon/Stephen Roberts
• Five Mystical Songs: The Call - Sinf Chor/Alan Fearon/Stephen Roberts
• Five Mystical Songs: Antiphon - Sinf Chor/Alan Fearon/Stephen Roberts
• Prld On An Old Carol Tune - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• The Running Set - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• Prld: 49th Parallel - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• Sea Songs - March - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• The Lark Ascending - Bradley Creswick
• Two Hymn - Tune Prlds: 1. Eventide - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• Two Hymn - Tune Prlds: 2. Dominus Regit Me - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• Ob Con in a: I. Rondo Pastorale (Allegro Moderato) - Roger Winfield
• Ob Con in a: II. Minuet And Musette (Allegro Moderato) - Roger Winfield
• Ob Con in a: III. Finale: Scherzo (Presto - Lento - Presto) - Roger Winfield
• Fant on 'Greensleeves' - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• Three Prlds Founded On Welsh Hymn Tunes: 2. Rhosymedre - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• Three Prlds Founded On Welsh Hymn Tunes: 3. Hyfrydal - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• Con Accademico (Con For Vn And Strs in d): I. Allegro Pesante - Bradley Creswick
• Con Accademico (Con For Vn And Strs in d): II. Adagio - Bradley Creswick
• Con Accademico (Con For Vn And Strs in d): III. Presto - Bradley Creswick
• Five Variants Of 'Dives And Lazarus': Adagio - Bradley Creswick
• Five Variants Of 'Dives And Lazarus': I. 1/4nt = 1/4nt - - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• Five Variants Of 'Dives And Lazarus': II. Allegro Moderato - - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• Five Variants Of 'Dives And Lazarus': III. 1/4nt = 150 - - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• Five Variants Of 'Dives And Lazarus': IV. L'Istesso Tempo - - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox
• Five Variants Of 'Dives And Lazarus': V. Adagio - Northern Sinf Of England/Richard Hickox