01. - 04. Symphony No.2 'A London Symphony' [47'04]
05. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis [14'44]
06. Serenade to Music * [14'13]
*Felicity Lott, Lisa Milne, Rosa Mannion, Yvonne Kenny - sopranos; Ann Murray, Diana Montague, Della Jones, Catherine Wyn-Rogers - altos;
Anthony Rolfe Johnson, John Mark Ainsley, Toby Spence,
Timothy Robinson - tenors;
Stephen Rpberts, Christopher Maltman- baritones;
Michael George, Robert Lloyd - basses;
London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Roger Norrington
Decca 4788348 [recorded in June, July & November 1996 and December 1997; CD release 2000 - this digital download 2015]
[digital download; flacs, booklet, cover and inlay scans]
Recording venue: The Colloseum, Watford
Recording engineers: Simon Eadon, James Lock & John Dunkerley
Producers: Chris Hazell, Chris Sayers & Christopher Pope
This was the third and last issue in this series of Vaughan Williams symphonies with Norrington and the London Philharmonic before recording was abandoned. This is actually the second incarnation of this set of recordings - the first CD issue being in 2000 as Decca 467047-2. This is the only one of those three reissued in Decca's short-lived 20C series and, wonders will never cease, this digital download is graced with a digital booklet.
For me, this is the only disappointing issue of the three - finding A London Symphony particularly uninvolving and just too cool - completely missing the anguish and heartache of the finale. Others may well find it more to their taste.
And, despite the line up of star singers in the Serenade to Music, Vaughan Williams' beautiful setting of Shakespeare text from The Merchant of Venice (thankfully performed in the original version for 16 solo voices), the performance doesn't really catch fire and is certainly no match for either the first recording, made by Henry Wood with Isobelle Baillie and Heddle Nash among the singers in 1938, nor with Adrian Boult's supreme achievement for EMI with Norma Burrowes and Alfreda Hodgson in 1969.
The Serenade to Music was the first recording to be made in this series - in June and July 1996 - and A London Symphony was the second - in November 1996 - so maybe these were made at the beginning of a rapidly improving "learning curve". No doubt these relatively disappointing performances were the reason why this was the last to be released. The Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis is the most satisfying performance here and that wasn't recorded until late 1997.
The London Philharmonic again play very well for Norrington and there is the usual vivid Decca sonics.