Description
Sir Adrian Boult began his long association with the music of Vaughan Williams in 1918 when he conducted A London Symphony, earning praise from the composer. Boult’s commitment to the symphony, which he described as very near to his heart, never wavered – he conducted it over 60 times, from the 1918 concerts right through to 1973.
The Daily Telegraph described Boult’s conducting of this performance from the 1971 Proms as ‘quietly authoritative.. which held one’s attention throughout’. Martin Cotton, in his booklet note, states that the performance is closer to his 1952 recording when the composer was present, with a greater sense of flow than his EMI recording from March 1971. The fill-ups of Butterworth’s A Shropshire Lad from 1971 and Moeran’s Sinfonietta from 1963 are testimony to Boult’s deep engagement with British music, which remained strong throughout his career.
· Authoritative interpretations from Sir Adrian Boult who was closely associated with all three composers represented here
· These broadcasts of Vaughan Williams’ A London Symphony and Butterworth’s A Shropshire Lad have never been issued before. The Moeran was issued over 25 years ago on the now defunct BBC Radio Classics label, and has been completely remastered
· With the release of A London Symphony, together with Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6 (ICAC 5164) and Sinfonia Antartica (ICAC 5173), ICA Classics adds important live recordings to the Boult/Vaughan Williams discography
· These ‘live’ performances create extra atmosphere and tension
· Superb remastering by Paul Baily
