Vaughan Williams: Sinfonia Antartica, Symphony No. 9 in E Minor Andrew Manze, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra & Timothy West

• Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958): Sinfonia Antartica:
• 1 Sinfonia Antartica: I. Prelude. Andante maestoso 11:06
• 2 Sinfonia Antartica: II. Scherzo. Moderato 05:24
• 3 Sinfonia Antartica: III. Landscape. Lento 10:57
• 4 Sinfonia Antartica: IV. Intermezzo. Andante sostenuto 06:20
• 5 Sinfonia Antartica: V. Epilogue. Alla Marcia, moderato (non troppo allegro) 09:01
• Symphony No. 9 in E Minor:
• 6 Symphony No. 9 in E Minor: I. Moderato maestoso 10:55
• 7 Symphony No.9 in E minor: II. Andante sostenuto 08:52
• 8 Symphony No.9 in E minor: III. Scherzo 05:49
• 9 Symphony No.9 in E minor: IV. Andante tranquillo 15:05
• Total Runtime 01:23:29

Info for Vaughan Williams: Sinfonia Antartica, Symphony No. 9 in E Minor

The final volume in the RLPO/Andrew Manze Vaughan Williams Symphony cycle contains ‘Sinfonia Antartica’ No.7 and his final enigmatic symphony, the 9th. The 7th drew its inspiration from music RVW had composed for the film ‘Scott of the Antartic’, though very little of that score actually made it to the symphony. This often mis-understood work is a true symphony that draws on themes from the film. The composer headed each movement with a literary quotation, and these are narrated on this recording by the distinguished actor Timothy West, following in the footsteps of Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson. The 9th symphony dates from his final years and shows no trace of any creative decline. It is a challenging forbidding work and if music could be hewn from granite, then this symphony is a supreme example. RVW initially thought of a programme based on Thomas Hardy’s ‘Tess of the d’Urbevilles’, but characteristically denied this. However his manuscripts show otherwise!

Rowan Pierce, soprano
Timothy West, narrator
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Ladies of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir
Andrew Manze, conductor

Andrew Manze
has rapidly emerged as one of the most stimulating and inspirational conductors of his generation. His extensive and scholarly knowledge of the repertoire, together with his rare skill as a communicator and his boundless energy, mark him out.

In September 2014 Manze became the Principal Conductor of the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in Hannover. As a guest conductor Manze has regular relationships with a number of leading international orchestras including the Munich Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Scottish and Swedish Chamber Orchestras.

From September 2006 until summer 2014 Manze was Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Sweden. With the orchestra he made a number of recordings including Beethoven’s Eroica (Harmonia Mundi) and a cycle of Brahms’s symphonies (CPO). He now holds the title of Honorary Conductor of the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. From September 2010 to August 2014, Manze held the title of Associate Guest Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra from 2008 to 2011.

Recent orchestral debuts have included the Los Angeles Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony orchestras and the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo. Alongside his regular guesting, Manze returns in 2015/16 to the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Tonkünstler Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and also returns in summer 2015 for his fourth consecutive appearance at the Mostly Mozart Fesival, New York. In autumn 2015, Manze tours with the NDR Radiophilharmonie to venues including the Wiener Musikverein, Kölner Philharmonie and Großes Festspielhaus Salzburg.

After reading Classics at Cambridge University, Manze studied the violin and rapidly became a leading specialist in the world of historical performance practice. He became Associate Director of the Academy of Ancient Music in 1996 and then Artistic Director of the English Concert from 2003 to 2007. As a violinist Manze has released an astonishing variety of CDs, many of them award-winning.

Manze is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and a Visiting Professor at the Oslo Academy and has contributed to new editions of sonatas and concertos by Mozart and Bach published by Bärenreiter and Breitkopf and Härtel. He also teaches, edits and writes about music, as well as broadcasting regularly on radio and television.

In November 2011 Andrew Manze received the prestigious ‘Rolf Schock Prize’ in Stockholm. Previous winners include Ligeti, Kagel, Saariaho, Panula, Gidon Kremer and Anne Sofie von Otter.

Booklet for Vaughan Williams: Sinfonia Antartica, Symphony No. 9 in E Minor