PROGRAM NOTES : RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

SYMPHONY No. 2, “A LONDON SYMPHONY”

I. Lento – Allegro risoluto

II. Lento

III. Scherzo (Nocturne)

IV. Finale – Andante con moto – Maestoso alla marcia – Allegro – Lento – Epilogue

DURATION: About 50 minutes

PREMIERED: London, 1914

INSTRUMENTATION: Three flutes and piccolo, two oboes and English horn, two clarinets and bass clarinet, two bassoons and contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, two cornets, three trombones and tuba, timpani, bass drum, snare drum, triangle, tam-tam, sleigh bells, cymbals, glockenspiel, harp, and strings

“I’d never written a symphony and never intended to… I suppose [George] Butterworth’s words stung me…From that moment, the idea of a symphony dominated my mind.”

— Ralph Vaughan Williams (Born 1872, England; died 1958

SYMPHONY: An elaborate orchestral composition typically broken into contrasting movements, at least one of which is in sonata form.

ABSOLUTE MUSIC: Music without any particular story or idea attached; works like symphonies, sonatas, or concertos that exists for the sake of their own beauty and passion and ingenuity or abstract music.

PROGRAM MUSIC: Music that follows a narrative or musically illustrate an idea; works like tone poems or works with descriptive titles.

FURTHER LISTENING:

Williams: Symphony No. 1 “A Sea Symphony”

Symphony No. 3, “Pastoral Symphony” Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

by Jeremy Reynolds

In an art museum, curators provide descriptions of the featured works on plaques that hang near the paintings or sculptures. These “glosses” contain a mix of historical and technical information as well as some suggestions about interpretation at times. In music, a program note does something similar, and at different points in history, debates have raged regarding how much “glossing” is appropriate for a piece of music.

Take Vaughan Williams’ “London Symphony.” Despite the title, the composer himself said he intended the work to be heard as absolute music, or music meant to be enjoyed purely on its own merits. This is in contrast to “program” music, or music inspired by or intended to illustrate a specific scenario or narrative. The “London” symphony falls between these two polls. It’s inspired by Vaughan Williams’ experiences and impressions in London, but it’s not a work of music about London or in any way describing life in London. “If listeners recognize suggestions of such things as the Westminster Chimes or the Lavender Cry, they are asked to consider these as accidents, not as essentials, of the music,” he wrote.

This may seem like a subtle distinction, but it’s key to the listening experience — knowing that a piece is intended to be about a specific place or region will likely encourage listeners to look for connections. This isn’t good or bad on its face, but perhaps a bit prescriptive. During the Romantic era of music, music that was written to be descriptive was thought to be entertainment, while absolute music was seen as more dignified and worthy.

Historical dickering aside, the symphony begins slowly, sleepily even. Soon, however, the movement takes off in earnest, winding melodies cascading. As in most of Vaughan Williams’ pieces, there’s a certain stiffness of upper lip in the music, no doubt thanks to the

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