Album

Film music is often regarded as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for some composers, and because of this, it is often glossed over by scholars and academics. In the first half of the twentieth century, though, film music was still a rapidly developing idiom that was varied, diverse, and exciting. In addition to the many new composers who became known through film, many existing composers tried their hand at this new genre (some with more success than others).

English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams was one of the former who was in many ways quite successful: today, though, his film music is all but overlooked. His work included standard feature films, documentaries, and even shorter, government-related informational films. Containing his typical combination of sensuous, romantic gifts for melody with folk music and occasional undercurrents of darkness, Vaughan Williams' film music soars with the same lyricism as his choral and orchestral works, even if they lack some of the latter's creative spontaneity. Those who are familiar with Vaughan Williams' symphonic writing will also notice the tendency of overlap between the two genres.

This release is the third installment of a Chandos series dedicated to these works, featuring Rumon Gamba conducting the BBC Philharmonic. Their initial album featured the film score Scott of the Antarctic, from which Vaughan Williams drew much of the material for his Symphony No. 7. The second disc featured another work centered on exploration: the 49th Parallel. It is the third installment of Vaughan Williams' film music, though, that comes from one of the most interesting times in the composer's life: the period surrounding World War II.

The suite of the Story of a Flemish Farm, based on true events, is a patriotic and compelling tale of a symbolic 1940 flag burial upon Belgium's surrender to Germany that doesn't quite turn out to be everything it seems. Vaughan Williams later incorporated some of these motivic ideas into his war-torn, turbulent Sixth Symphony, which he finished a few years later. Gamba draws warm, breezy colors from his BBC players, and although the palette is mostly pastoral, the brooding opening of "The major goes to face his fate" is hair-raising. The prayer-like "Dead Man's Kit," evocative of a distant pipe organ, eventually blossoms into a beautiful violin solo featuring the Philharmonic's concertmaster, Yuri Torchinsky. Gamba deftly sculpts the reserved optimism of the "Wanderings of the Flag" into the folk-like, blazing triumph into which it evolves at the end.

A tale of three suitors, The Loves of Joanna Godden is based on a novel by Sheila Kaye-Smith. Featured here is not the official suite, but rather a collection of 10 brief snippets that Vaughan Williams authorized, here reconstructed by Stephen Hogger into a form somewhat reminiscent of a tone poem. The gut-wrenching opening alludes to the dark, mysterious, and somber atmosphere throughout, well defined by Gamba, and enhanced by the eerie, wordless woman's chorus. Bitter Springs, though, is a bit of a disappointment, and while the liner notes are not clear on this, this work is not all (or even mostly) from the pen of Vaughan Williams: much of this work was actually composed by conductor Ernest Irving. Although it is a tale of the Australian outback, the gruffness and virility of the score do not have much in common with Vaughan Williams' musical language.

Fans of Vaughan Williams will find this an interesting release since although these are hardly the "premiere recordings" that Chandos claims, the number of times any of these works has been recorded can indeed be counted on a single hand. Chandos' sound is the usual crisp and clear, with sharply defined edges. If you are looking for an introduction to Vaughan Williams' work, though, there are better places to start, like his excellent symphonies (Nos. 2, 5, and 6) or his beautiful choral music.

© C. Ryan Hill, All Music Guide

CD 1
Ralph Vaughan Williams Composer The Story of a Flemish Farm (suite from the film score) Work 25:07 Rumon Gamba Conductor, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
1	1.The Flag Flutters in the Wind	2:39			$0.99
2	2.Night by the Sea. Farewell to the Flag	2:25			$0.99
3	3.Dawn in the Old Barn. The Parting of the Lovers	5:45			$0.99
4	4.In the Café	2:22			$0.99
5	5.The Major Goes to Face his Fate	3:12			$0.99
6	6.The Dead Man's Kit	4:23			$0.99
7	7.The Wanderings of the Flag	4:21			$0.99
Ralph Vaughan Williams Composer The Loves of Joanna Godden (film score) Work Darius Battiwalla Chorus/Choir Director, Rumon Gamba Conductor, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra, Manchester Cathedral Girls' Choir Chorus/Choir
8	The Loves of Joanna Godden (film score)	15:13			$2.49
Ralph Vaughan Williams Composer Bitter Springs (arr. and orch. by Irving from material supplied by Vaughan Williams) Work 25:56 Rumon Gamba Conductor, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra Orchestra
9	1.Main Titles; 2.Opening Music	4:30			$0.99
10	3.Rocks	2:20			$0.99
11	4.First Desert	1:34			$0.99
12	5.Waterhole	2:12			$0.99
13	6.End of the Trek	2:45			$0.99
14	7.Axes	0:29			$0.99
15	8.Kangaroos	2:00			$0.99
16	9.Boomerang	1:37			$0.99
17	10.Housewarming	1:37			$0.99
18	11.Hunters	0:39			$0.99
19	12.Fire	1:46			$0.99
20	13.Abos Retreat	1:16			$0.99
21	14.Warragani Boy	0:40			$0.99
22	15.Ma and Abos	0:55			$0.99
23	16.Round Up	1:36			$0.99