Vaughan Williams, R. - Symphony 8/9 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Both cassations KV 63 KV and 99 of the 13-year-old Mozart are among the earliest surviving serenades, and occupy the whole mastery of the young genius. These Inchoccasional piecesInch arrived at the Salzburg public good and thus to 1779 followed numerous other orchestral serenades and Divertiemnti for festive occasions. Sigiswald Kuijken and La Petite Bande make this little-known Unterhaltunsgmusiken Mozart a musical treat. Import Hybrid-SACD pressing.

To commemorate the centenary of Parry's death, Rumon Gamba and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales offer this rare album of major works never recorded before, at the center of which stands the original version of Symphony No. 4. These works highlight Parry's skills as an orchestrator to supreme effect, the music full of attractive thematic invention, the scores wonderfully expansive, the canvas more intellectual, the many ideas more bold and passionate. The works prove to be a much severer challenge for the musicians but are here masterfully tackled thanks to both orchestra and conductor's experience performing forgotten or unpublished British repertoire. The Suite modern was written for the Three Choirs Festival. Despite it's popularity, the work remained unpublished at Parry's death and is performed here in a new edition by Jeremy Dribble. The album is completed by Parry's one and only ballet score, Proserpine. A triptych in miniature, the colorful scene is full of great delicacy.

The Hallé releases it's second volume of works by Vaughan Williams, continuing it's award-winning survey of British music under Musical Director Sir Mark Elder. The combines two highly contrasting works, for a disc that is both moving and uplifting. The Symphony No. 5 is a generally tranquil work with music influenced by Ravel, with whom Vaughan Williams had studied, and is scored for very traditional forces. The Symphony No. 8 is dedicated to Sir John Barbirolli, and was premiered by the Hallé in 1956. It is the shortest and least serious of the symphonies, and has a more exotic instrumental color, with an enhanced percussion section.