Description
This Albion compendium of remastered recordings of Vaughan Williams works represents the CD première of each one of them – a wonderful insight into performers and performing styles of the mid 20th century.
This recording brings together remastered early recordings of a broad variety of works by Vaughan Williams, including two of his greatest works: On Wenlock Edge and Five Tudor Portraits (which is almost a symphony in song).
Alexander Young (1920-2000) studied at the Royal College of Music. He sang with the BBC and Glyndebourne choruses, and at Covent Garden and Sadler's Wells. He had a fine musicianship and a complete identification with his chosen repertoire. Nell Rankin (1926-2006) was an American mezzo-soprano who made her concert debut in New York in 1947. She performed at the Met for over 20 years and sang at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Five Tudor Portraits was recorded live at the First Pittsburgh International Music Festival in 1952.
Reviews
Albion have been doing splendid work in recording rare and interesting works by Vaughan Williams. Here they turn their attention to works most of which enthusiasts will already have in their collections but in recordings they may well have previously overlooked. None more so than the Five Tudor Portraits, a setting of verses by John Skelton (1460-1529). Steinberg takes a very vigorous view of the music, and this extra energy brings real life to the music. The two slower movements, and especially the longest movement – Jane Scroop's Lament for Philip Sparrow – are given real pathos without any unnecessary lingering. Although this was a live performance, slips are few and there is a real feeling of a live occasion. Nell Rankin sings with real commitment as do the choir.
On Wenlock Edge is a wonderfully imaginative series of six settings of Housman's verse. The balance tends to favour the piano but in my experience of live performances this is an inherent problem with this work, and in any event it does not prevent appreciation of a superb performance by Alexander Young. His diction is faultless, and he manages to avoid sounding self-pitying or simply feeble as do some of his rivals on disc. All in all, this is a performance of real character which thoroughly deserves reissue. His performance of Merciless Beauty is also very fine and better recorded.
The presentation of this disc is all that could be wanted, with texts of the vocal works and extensive and interesting notes. There is also an extra disc containing a broadcast talk on the subject of Bach in which Vaughan Williams attacks those trying to perform that composer with historic instruments or a greater regard for historic performance practice than was normal in England at that time. It is usually revealing to hear one composer discussing the work of another, and this example is particularly so.
This is a very welcome and imaginatively chosen selection of recordings which very much deserve resurrection. --John Sheppard, Musicweb International
