VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: O Thou Transcendent - The Life of Vaughan Williams (NTSC)
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Ralph Vaughan Williams - 'O Thou Transcendent' - The Life of Ralph Vaughan Williams The first ever full-length film biography of the great man, produced by...
Ralph Vaughan Williams - 'O Thou Transcendent' - The Life of Ralph Vaughan Williams
The first ever full-length film biography of the great man, produced by the multi-award winning director, TONY PALMER.
"Tony Palmer's film is now complete. Undoubtedly controversial it will also be very important in raising awareness of RVW. Two and a half hours long, it looks at Vaughan Williams' life as a disturbed and frustrated one. Powerful with some harrowing imagery, the film firmly dispels the myth that VW was a cuddly folk song collector and recycler who was affectionately known as "Uncle Ralph". As well as exploring his musical legacy, Palmer also focuses on the human side of VW. His frustration at living in a cosy market town, looking after an invalid wife (which he did devotedly) and the fury as well as the kindness and humanity which were all features of his remarkable character and which in their turn affected his music. The music passages are superbly played and filmed. The film is available on DVD. An absolute must see." - www.rvwsociety.com
O Thou Transcendent - The Life of Vaughan Williams (NTSC) (more info)
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O Thou Transcendent - The Life of Vaughan Williams (NTSC) - 2:09:00
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correpondent of Ursula VW (Apr 15, 2008)
Reviewer:
tolley d.j.
A misrepresentation: muddled time sequential, musical references tied to inappropriate subjects: 3rd symphony (relating to Great War) omitted:
Edition submitted to RVW Society contains Sir George Grove masquerading as Charles Stanford, later changed. Checkmate apparently representing Job, and Down Ampney church (c.1265) presented as 1850. Lousy editing.
In all the time...
A misrepresentation: muddled time sequential, musical references tied to inappropriate subjects: 3rd symphony (relating to Great War) omitted:
Edition submitted to RVW Society contains Sir George Grove masquerading as Charles Stanford, later changed. Checkmate apparently representing Job, and Down Ampney church (c.1265) presented as 1850. Lousy editing.
In all the time given up to irrelevant interviews including the size of VW's footwear, no space could be found to cover the value of RVW's association with Ella Leather, nor the fact of his interest in Hardy's fictional heroine Tess Durbeyfield which led him to follow in her footsteps and was a formative inpsiration for his final symphony , number 9, mistakenly attributed by Stephen Johnson to some fateful vision,...maybe?
On the subject of symphony No. 6 the interpretation was also wide of the mark: that is obviously about his great friend and influence, Gustav Holst, whose work it reflects. amen
I wonder if Ursula was trying to tell us something when she said "...I will not have all these ideas..."
By the way, programme's admirers don't seem to have much problem with the Norfolk Rhapsody being illustrated with Cornish scenes, something with which the composer had no apparent connection: so it's ironic that all these admierers who think they know about VW don't know that he slated Ernest Irving for including a Cornish carol in the film The Loves of Joanna Godden, which is set in Romney Marsh Kent. What he would have said about this, is hard to imagine. As for the 4th symphony being about his lack of sex life with Adeline, "...why can't a fellow just write a piece of music?".
Palmer seemed very upset that the BBC wouldn't take his programme, we must hope John Bridcut does better.
l
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