Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony; Serenade to Music

Featuring

Christopher Seaman
Juliana Athayde
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Mercury Opera Rochester
Ralph Vaughan Williams

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Compositional Technique

The Serenade to Music uses text from Act Five, Scene One of William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, where characters discuss music's power to soothe the soul.

Composer Biography

Ralph Vaughan Williams, born in Down Ampney, England, in 1872, found his unique musical style by drawing inspiration from English folk songs and 16th-century Tudor-dynasty music.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Vaughan Williams referred to the conclusion of H. G. Wells' novel Tono-Bungay as an inspiration for the haunting Epilogue of A London Symphony, which evokes a nostalgic journey down the Thames.

Recording & Production

This recording was funded by the late Alfred L. Davis and an anonymous listener, honoring Christopher Seaman's dedication and leadership of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

Composition History

The Serenade to Music was commissioned by Sir Henry Wood, the founder of the famous Promenade Concerts (Proms) in London, to celebrate his fiftieth anniversary on the podium.

Composition History

Vaughan Williams's A London Symphony was first performed in London on March 27, 1914, but the original manuscript score was lost during World War I after being sent to a German conductor.