RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)

 

The Film Music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, Volume 3

 

Bitter Springs

The Loves of Joanna Godden

The Story of a Flemish Farm

 

BBC Philharmonic / Rumon Gamba

 

Chandos Movies is one of the best-known film-music labels in the industry, and has received tremendous critical acclaim. The series is especially associated with the conductor Rumon Gamba, whose understanding of and enthusiasm for the genre is famous.

 

Story of a Flemish Farm, dating from 1943, was a Second World War propaganda feature film based on a true story. It has a rich and vivid score and there is the added interest that two themes (not used in the film) became the principal themes of the second and fourth movements of the composer’s Sixth Symphony. Vaughan Williams wrote the music for The Loves of Joanna Godden between March and December 1946. Ernest Irving, who conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra for the film, wrote: on hearing the score: ‘I am carefully concealing it from the directors…it is the best music we have ever had here…’

 

Vaughan Williams’ film music ranks amongst the very finest ever written, and this CD includes some of his best examples. This disc is especially important as some of the material has never been recorded before. The result is a hugely important release which will be of interest to both film music buffs and fans of Vaughan Williams.

 

Rumon Gamba secures exemplary results from his assembled forces…and the recording is spectacularly truthful to match. I’m already impatiently awaiting Volume 2.

 

Gramophone on Volume 1 (CHAN10007)

The contribution being made by Chandos to the preservation and reassessment of British film music has to be one

of the most important projects undertaken by the classical recording industry in the past decade… as with Volume

1, this CD is a must for any Vaughan Williams enthusiast

 

Music from the Movies on Volume 2 (CHAN10244)

 

Chandos CHAN10368