Fine orchestral music for wartime movies
jean couture | Quebec city - Canada | 04/05/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"We know Vaughan Williams for his film score to "Scott of the Antarctic" which became his 7th symphony. In Vaughan Williams, we had a great maker of film music. He scored 11 films - sometimes with the helping hand of Muir Mathieson, among others. I wonder how some classic sci-fi movies from the 1960's to present-day would have sounded like under his gifted musical direction . . .
An interesting thing to mention is the admiration Bernard Herrmann, "one of the most influential film composers of all time," had for British composers like Elgar and Vaughan Williams, among others. In regards to film music, i don't know if one had an influence on the other, but it is quite significant that Herrmann enjoyed the music of Vaughan Williams : As he declared in an article for the Musical Times, "in reading the warm and affectionate tributes paid to the late Vaughan Williams by his many friends, I began to think about the personal enrichment that his great art had brought to my musical life [...]." In the United States, Herrmann conducted some works by the eminent Englishman - notably the London Symphony (Symphony No.2) and the Oboe Concerto.
Most of the tracks here were composed in the 1940's and early 50's. The record includes the fascinating Prelude to "49th Parallel", as well as solemn and atmospheric music from "The Story of a Flemish Farm". In the same vein, "Coastal Command", a wartime epic, reveals some of the best aspects of the British composer : Tension and disquietude are sustained, along with very enjoyable music ("Dawn Patrol" and "U-boats" are highlights here). In the "Three Portraits" - also finely recorded by Previn on RCA - we recognize a typical "mood" that belongs to this most amazing composer. I enjoyed "Poet", in particular, for its sheer beauty.
The numbers are appropriately well-rendered by conductor Andrew Penny and RTE ; they reproduce faithfully the Vaughan Williams "signature" sound. It's undeniable that we have here a most interesting soundtrack music disc. The dark and, sometimes, heavy atmosphere of those vintage films is really what you hear on this cd (of course, the dominant theme is war). Though Rumon Gamba (Chandos) provides excellent renditions, i still favor Andrew Penny for his fine delineation in "Coastal Command". V W was convincing in his film music writing and certainly proves a delightful illustration of the fusion of two art forms. *****"
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1