Vaughan Williams - A Sea Symphony

The 'Sea Symphony,' Vaughan Williams's first, written just after he'd returned from his few months studying with Ravel, was my first RVW symphony back in the 1950s. I knew it even before the most popular one, the 'London' Symphony, No. 2. My introduction was Sir Adrian Boult's classic mono recording which many consider to be, even yet, the finest ever made. But that recording's sound, alas, shows its age. [I dug out my old LP just to give it another listen after a number of years. It is also out on a mid-priced CD on EMI and I believe it is still widely available. My old impression remains; it is a very fine performance. I will admit that perhaps I like it because it was my first recording, but apparently others feel the same about it.] Since the Boult there have also been fine recordings by Previn, Slatkin and Hickox that I've heard. I like all three, and particularly like the choral sound of the London Symphony Chorus in the Hickox recording.

Naxos has put out its own RVW symphony set with all but the 1st and 4th conducted by Kees Bakels with the orchestra on this CD, the Bournemouth Symphony, that recording-est of non-London British ensembles. I have not, truthfully, been taken with those recordings, although they are solid enough and I did really like the one that included both the 5th and 9th symphonies. Perhaps we can hope that the 4th symphony, not yet recorded by Naxos as far as I know, will be directed by the present conductor, Paul Daniel, and this group.

This performance uses two superior vocal soloists. Christopher Maltman has a masculine baritone and impeccable diction. His dramatic declamation of Whitman's soaring text is exemplary. The lesser role assigned to the soprano, Joan Rodgers, is well-taken; she has the pure spinto sound needed. I am a bit less impressed with the singing of the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus; perhaps it's because they don't sound particularly British--as, for instance, the choruses on the Boult, Hickox and Previn recordings do--and I miss that.

Paul Daniel is a rising star amongst British conductors. I thought his recording of the Elgar/Payne Third Symphony was a real triumph; I liked it even more than the Andrew Davis/BBC Symphony world première recording. And I loved his 'Elijah' with Bryn Terfel and Renée Fleming as well as his recording of Walton's First Symphony and Partita. He directs a somewhat muted performance here. He does not squeeze the last drop of drama out of Whitman's exceedingly dramatic verse here, although he really comes into his own in the lyrical second movement, 'On the Beach At Night, Alone.' He directs the third movement, the Scherzo 'The Waves,' with headlong abandon, but his chorus sounds like they are singing a bit above their heads; admittedly, this is exceedingly difficult contrapuntal music that would tax most choruses. However, Boult's and Hickox's choruses do it almost without breaking a sweat.

The final and longest movement (at 27 minutes), 'The Explorers,' is a triumph. It is a loosely constructed and dramatically complicated piece and Daniel leads his forces expertly. Throughout the symphony RVW uses sea shanty tunes and rhythms, and especially so in the culmination of this last movement; Daniel conveys them without their becoming trite, somewhat difficult considering that the subtext of this movement is the journey of the soul towards a spiritual resting-place.

A worthwhile recording which is, as indicated in the above title line, just a little below the best recordings of this monumental 65-minute piece.

Scott Morrison