Sibelius; Vaughan Williams Symphonies No 4
Clear-sighted Proms performances to grace the Sargent discography
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Jean Sibelius, Ralph Vaughan Williams
Genre:
Orchestral
Label: BBC Legends
Magazine Review Date: 10/2008
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
Stereo
ADD
Catalogue Number: BBCL4237-2

Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Symphony No. 4 |
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer
BBC Symphony Orchestra Malcolm Sargent, Conductor Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer |
Author: Andrew Achenbach
The Sibelius, captured at a Prom two seasons later, has many comparable virtues. Sargent was a devoted Sibelian (he recorded three of the symphonies and a number of tone-poems for EMI) and his cannily paced, shrewdly observant reading of the Fourth displays a big-hearted honesty that outweighs any minor imperfections or audience distractions along the journey. If Sargent’s rewardingly unforced approach makes the Fourth a less forbidding creature than we are used to nowadays, there’s no disputing the thoughtful preparation and nourishing wisdom of the finished article. Admirable, tweak-free transfers (Paul Baily) and knowledgeable annotation (Colin Anderson) bolster the appeal of an instructive pairing.
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