Symphony No. 1 "A Sea Symphony" by Ralph Vaughn Williams.
(Musical Heritage Society 514556H)

Ralph Vaughn Williams has set his Sea Symphony to Walt Whitman's poetry. The American poet uses the image of the sea as a metaphor for the soul's journey and I must say RVW captures same spirit impeccably in this glorious choral cum symphony masterpiece.

This is first class music; at times poignant with haunting piano passages, and then the music suddenly swells into heart-stirring crescendos of incredible power.

Conductor Bernard Haitink expertly takes the listener on this emotional rollercoaster of shifting musical moods. The London Philharmonic sounds positively glorious under his leadership. In this stunning recording, RVM's music is brought out in all its glory and drama; you can almost smell the sea air.

Felicity Lott's limpid, crystal-clear soprano blends wonderfully with Jonathan Summers' potent baritone and both are wonderfully evocative in their solo work as well. Both soloists compliment the fine work of the London Philharmonic Choir to a T with all creating a most memorable interpretation of this symphony.

The sound engineering is first class; musical textures are captured with stunning clarity; the sound itself has depth and spaciousness.

I highly recommend this recording.

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