Page 104 - GTMF 2024 Season Program

July 19 & 20 PROGRAM NOTES

Symphony No. 5 in oeuvre. It’s a lyrical, reflective For the finale Vaughan Williams
D Major piece written for a relatively small fashions a passacaglia, an antique
orchestra—reduced brass and no structure dating back to the
continued percussion save timpani—largely 16 century, in which a bass line
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built out of materials from The repeats cyclically while all else
of the nine symphonies is a world Pilgrim’s Progress, an opera that above it changes. The journey
unto itself, from the late Romantic had engaged Vaughan Williams begins with that cyclic bass in
choral splendor of the “Sea” for over 30 years and which the lower strings, and what
Symphony No. 1 through the he suspected he might never follows displays all the inevitability
autumnal introspection of the Ninth complete. (Nota bene: he did.) of an organism growing from
in 1958. These are masterfully its seed. Towards the end
constructed, expertly orchestrated, The Vaughan Williams Fifth themes from the Preludio recur
deeply felt and altogether splendid may be laid out in the traditional and lead to an ending aglow in
examples of the symphonic art four-movement structure, but shimmering enchantment.
at its best as of the early there’s little that’s traditional about
20 century. Nevertheless, the movements themselves. Written and premiered as the
th
American listeners encounter The opening Preludio might Second World War raged, the
the symphonies largely via superficially conform to the usual Fifth offered balm, respite and
recordings by mostly English sonata-allegro form typical of a generous equanimity during
orchestras and conductors. classical symphonies in that it those terror-wracked years—just
displays an exposition, as it continues to offer its
Like Edward Elgar, Ralph development and recapitulation, comforting and healing presence
(pronounced “Rafe”) Vaughan but that’s about as far as the to its listeners today.
Williams was of a distinctly similarity extends. It doesn’t even
different stripe than the clubby really start so much as it reveals
gents who made up the bulk of itself, almost as though it has
Britain’s compositional elite around been playing in the distance for
the turn of the 20 century. Far a while and is just now becoming © 2024 Scott Fogelsong
th
less Germanically-oriented than audible. Even its tonality is loosely
such stalwarts as Charles bound; in some places it’s in two
Villiers Stanford or Hubert Parry, keys simultaneously, in others
Vaughan Williams studied for in one of the church “modes” of
a brief but intense period with ancient and folk music.
Maurice Ravel and dug in deep
to the folk roots of native English It takes a bit for the second-
music. His style was vivid and movement Scherzo to get rolling,
highly personalized; there’s just but once it does it suggests
no mistaking Vaughan Williams very little of the original idea
for anyone else, whether in his of a “scherzo” as lighthearted
English pastoral or aggressive or sporting. Instead, it offers a
modernist modes. Of all early gently rolling, sometimes even
20 -century composers his tip-toeing, dancelike affair
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closest counterpart would seem to interleaved with two trios that
be the great Finnish symphonist add just a touch of buffoonery
Jean Sibelius, surely more so than to the mix. Then comes the
any of his English colleagues. Romanza, a magical idyll
featuring a bewitching solo in
One can make an excellent case the cor anglais along with an aura
for Symphony No. 5 in D Major of calmness and consolation.
as the perfect entry point to the
Vaughan Williams symphonic

102 Grand Teton Music Festival Season 63