01. - 04. A London Symphony (No.2)# [45'46]
05. - 06. Prelude and Fugue in C minor* [10'16]
07. - 10. Symphony No. 6 in E minor [35'19]
London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vernon Handley (with David Bell- organ*)
EMI (Warner Music) 5865922 (Recorded on 5 & 6 January 1977# and February 1979; CD issued 2006)
(digital download; FLACs and cover scan only)
Recording venue: Kingsway Hall, London#; not stated
Recording engineers: Not stated# and Mike Clements
Producers: Anton Kwiatkowski# and Barry McCann
These superb recordings and performances of Vaughan Williams' London and Sixth Symphonies have generally been overlooked due to Tod Handley's very fine later recording of the nine symphonies made with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic for EMI's Eminence label (later reissued on Classics for Pleasure). This pair of recordings were also made for Classics for Pleasure, issued on separate LPs in 1978 and 1980 but didn't make it to CD until 2005. The digital download comes in usual Warner Music fashion without any documentation. I have included the original LP sleeve notes (sourced from the interweb) in this download.
In some ways, these are even finer than the later recordings - particularly the London Symphony which often seems rather episodic despite the wonderful music. Handley keeps it all flowing beautifully - this is a performance for those who may be generally unconvinced by this symphony. And a lovely Kingsway Hall late-analog recording, to boot.
At least one commentator has found this recording of the Sixth Symphony with the London Philharmonic a little too polished and less wild than Handley's later recording in Liverpool but I find it equally terrific as the London Symphony and Mike Clements offers a beautifully detailed recording from the Abbey Road Studio.It's great to hear everything in the long "waste land" finale for a change. The infrequently heard Prelude and Fugue was the original coupling with Symphony No.6 on LP.
Download from MEGA.