This recording of 'Sinfonia antartica' includes the quotations that preface each movement in the published score, read by David Timson.
Composition History
Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 7, 'Sinfonia antartica', is based on music he composed for the 1949 film 'Scott of the Antarctic'.
Composer Biography
Vaughan Williams collected folk music in various regions of England, an interest that significantly influenced his musical language.
Compositional Technique
The 'Sinfonia antartica' uses a wide array of percussion, including a wind-machine, bells, glockenspiel, xylophone, and vibraphone, along with organ, piano, and harp.
Compositional Technique
Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 8 begins with a movement titled 'Fantasia (Variazioni senza Tema)', meaning 'seven variations in search of a theme'.
Composer Biography
Ralph Vaughan Williams's maternal grandfather was a Wedgwood, and his grandmother was a Darwin, indicating a family background of intellectual distinction.
Composer Biography
Vaughan Williams studied composition with Hubert Parry and Walter Parratt at the Royal College of Music, and later with Stanford, where he befriended Gustav Holst.
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