The Hallé Orchestra
www.halle.co.uk are
really on top form as demonstrated by their latest release on their label of Vaughan
Williams’ A Sea Symphony. Here Sir
Mark Elder www.ingpen.co.uk/artist/mark-elder
and the orchestra are joined by the Hallé
Choir www.halle.co.uk/halle-choir.aspx
, Hallé Youth Choir www.halle.co.uk/halle-youth-choir.aspx
, Schola Cantorum www.schola-cantorum.net and Ad
Solem www.mumusicsociety.co.uk/adsolem
with
soloists Katherine Broderick (soprano) www.maxinerobertson.com/index.php?load=artists&artist=kb
and
Roderick Williams (baritone) www.ingpen.co.uk/artist/roderick-williams
 |
| CD HLL 7542 |
An early work, written between 1903 and 1909 and revised in
1923, it was one of the works that revealed Vaughan Williams to be the leading
English composer of his generation. It was first performed at the Leeds
Festival in 1910 and sets words from various poems found in Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass.
The first movement, A
Song for All Seas, All Ships (Moderato maestoso) of A Sea Symphony is given a glorious opening, beautifully paced, especially after the choral ‘Behold the Seas
itself…’ when the following passages have a fine inevitable flow. There is a
fine rhythmic pulse in the orchestra before baritone Roderick Williams enters
for ‘Today a rude brief recitative …’ where he brings a wonderfully clear, fine
tone. The agility of the chorus is really very fine, bringing a tremendous
sense of freedom. Roderick Williams is
surely one of our finest baritones especially in repertoire such as this with
his strong, secure, finely held long phrases and fine tone. He brings a
wonderfully phrased sense of drama.
When soprano Katherine Broderick enters with ‘Flaunt out O
Sea your separate flags of nations!’ she displays a lovely texture in her
dramatically enunciated phrases. In the longer breathed phrases of ‘But do you
reserve especially for yourself and for the soul of man one flag above the
rest.’ she reveals a voice of richness, strength and wonderfully musical tone
and when she sounds out in ‘Token of all brave captains…’ she is amongst the finest. The female chorus
finds a lovely counterbalance in the following quieter passages with the Hallé Orchestra
bringing some really wonderfully, gently subtle moments. The chorus rises to a fine
peak before quietening as Williams enters for ‘A pennant universal, subtly
waving all time’ the orchestra providing a lovely rippling, undulating
orchestral accompaniment. I’ve never heard the orchestral part here done so
beautifully. When Katherine Broderick joins, all these forces blend superbly to
bring about the climax of this movement. When Broderick rises over all the
others she is exceptionally fine and as she reprises the words ‘Behold the sea
itself…’ she brings almost mezzo richness of tone.
Sir Mark Elder brings a lovely deep heft to the opening bars
of On the Beach at Night Alone (Largo
sostenuto) creating a wonderful hushed, expectant atmosphere. This is a
real nocturne such as Whistler might have conceived. When Roderick Williams
enters with the chorus quietly echo his words with all of Vaughan Williams’
fine orchestration revealed. This soloist phrases the text wonderfully,
bringing a lovely clarity and fine tone. His is such a musical voice, totally
unforced. Elder draws such subtleties in this movement before allowing the
chorus and soloist to breath a fine expressiveness into ‘A vast similitude
interlocks all.’ They get the sense of flow and tempi just right here, with a
fine underlying orchestral pulse. There is a finely controlled climax for the
chorus and orchestra at ‘This vast similitude spans them …’ before setting the atmosphere
for the baritone to bring back ‘On the beach at night alone’ with some of this
composers finest orchestral passages. Elder knows just how to subtly turn up
the tempo at times here to point up the music before it is allowed to sink into
the darkness.
The chorus bring a lightness of texture to Scherzo - The Waves (Allegro brillante)
with Elder encouraging a buoyancy that fully evokes the surges of the sea.
There is a fine orchestral rubato, a terrific ebb and flow, whipping up some
terrific passages. Later orchestral passages bring some lovely moments, subtle
little shapings with this chorus bringing a real sense of urgency to their
singing and a great precision in the concluding ‘...following’ to end.
In the final movement, The
Explorers (Grave e molto adagio - Andante con moto) what fine, clear
diction this large chorus bring to the gentle ‘O vast Rondure, swimming in
space’ with some absolutely wonderful singing. Guest choral director, James
Burton deserves a special mention here. This chorus bring a fine rubato over a
subtly shifting orchestral layer with Elder always seemingly seeking out the
longer musical vision. The Hallé bring some quite wonderful passages, so
sensitively handled. The tenor and
basses subtly pick up the tempo at ‘Ah, who shall sooth these feverish
children.’ Elder handles all the
transitions of tempi to perfection building some fine choral layers. ‘Yet soul
be sure the first intent remains’ brings a wonderfully restrained tempo before
slowly rising to a fine climax at ‘Finally shall come the poet worthy of that
name’ a spectacularly fine moment.
‘O we can wait no longer, We too shall take ship, O Soul’
brings a wonderful blend of solo voices with soprano and baritone bringing the
most exquisite singing, beautifully shaped in ‘Sailing the seas or on the hills,
or Waking in the night.’ When the soloists, chorus and orchestra rise at ‘Oh
thou transcendent’ what a spine tingling moment it is. There are some of Roderick Williams’ finest
moments in ‘Swiftly I shrivel at the thought of God’ before the chorus enter
for ‘Greater than stars or suns.’ Soloists, chorus and orchestra bring a fine impetus
to the climax at the words ‘Sail forth – steer for the deep waters only before
leading to a wonderfully expansive, beautifully controlled, hushed coda.
If you love this work then you should acquire this
remarkably fine performance without delay. The live recording from Bridgwater
Hall, Manchester, UK is excellent, allowing a real breadth to the sound.
Applause is excised.
The late Michael Kennedy’s notes are all that one could wish
for and there are full English texts.
See also:
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