Vaughan Williams:
- Piano Quintet, and more.
There are many works by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams that I particularly enjoy. Among these is the well-known “Lark Ascending” for violin and orchestra.
This CD invites the listener to become familiar with this composer’s chamber music. We get to there the following:
Vaughan Williams:
- Quintet in D major for clarinet, horn etc
- Six Studies in English Folksong
- Romance for viola & piano
- Piano Quintet in C minor
Performed by the London Soloists Ensemble
Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote chamber music throughout his long creative life. The Piano Quintet in C minor uses the same rich instrumentation as Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet, while the Quintet in D major (on this CD) has an alluring wit and playfulness of its own.
Vaughan Williams’s discovery of the English folk song contributed greatly to his composition voice, and the ‘Six Studies’ introduce subtle elaborations on each of the themes.
Formed in 2011 by some of Britain’s most distinguished musicians, the London Soloists Ensemble have very quickly established themselves as a chamber group of top quality.
Here is the Quintet in D major (1898) by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 – 1958):
And next, here is the lovely second movement, titled “Intermezzo”:
Finally, since I mentioned the “Lark”, here it is: ‘The Lark Ascending” performed by violinist Janine Jansen:
http://youtu.be/2XT9KLu86EE
Tags: Ralph Vaughan Williams, chamber music, Quintet in D-Major, The Lark Ascending, Six Studies in English Folksong