Description
Dvořák · Purcell · Vaughan Williams: Music for Strings – Leopold Stokowski / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Newton Classics CD)
- UPC: 8718247710256
- MPN (Manufacturer Part Number): 8802025
- Brand Name: Newton Classics
- Product Type: Audio CD
- Genre: Classical / Orchestral
- Style: Romantic & 20th-Century English String Works
- Recording Type: ADD Stereo
- Total Duration: 52′02″
Overview
This elegant Newton Classics release brings together three luminous masterpieces of the string repertoire — Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Purcell’s Dido’s Lament (in Stokowski’s rich orchestral transcription), and Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings in E major, Op. 22.
Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the legendary Leopold Stokowski, these recordings capture both grandeur and intimacy. Stokowski’s interpretations combine his signature lush sound with emotional transparency — perfectly suited to these works of beauty, melancholy, and grace.
Recorded at Abbey Road Studio No. 1, London, in August 1975, this album remains one of Stokowski’s most atmospheric later recordings. The digital remastering by EMI Records (1998) and Newton Classics (2010) preserves every nuance of the orchestra’s silken tone and the Abbey Road acoustics.
Product Features
- Format: Audio CD
- Recording Type: ADD Stereo
- Recording Dates: 16, 18–19 August 1975
- Recording Location: Studio No. 1, Abbey Road, London, UK
- Producer: Anthony Hodgson
- Executive Producer: Marcos Klorman
- Balance Engineer: Neville Boyling
- Digital Remastering: EMI Records Ltd., 1998
- Label: Newton Classics BV
- Country of Manufacture: Netherlands
- Total Playing Time: 52′02″
Interesting Facts
- The Legendary Stokowski Sound: Renowned for his colorful orchestrations and visionary approach, Leopold Stokowski (1882–1977) was one of the 20th century’s most influential conductors, known for shaping the Philadelphia Orchestra’s luxurious tone and for his collaborations with Walt Disney on Fantasia (1940).
- Abbey Road Acoustics: The recording venue — Abbey Road Studio No. 1 — is famed for its exceptional warmth and clarity, lending a golden glow to the strings.
- Vaughan Williams’ Spiritual Depth: The Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910) uses Renaissance church modes to evoke English spirituality and pastoral transcendence.
- Purcell through Stokowski’s Lens: Stokowski’s orchestration of Dido’s Lament magnifies Purcell’s baroque sorrow with Romantic intensity, making it a true orchestral elegy.
- Dvořák’s Serenade: Composed in 1875, Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings radiates optimism and Slavic charm — a perfect counterbalance to the English introspection of Vaughan Williams and Purcell.
Track Listing
-
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis – 16′33″
-
Henry Purcell (1659–1695) Dido’s Lament (from Dido and Aeneas, orchestrated by Leopold Stokowski) – 4′55″
-
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22 I. Moderato – 5′03″ II. Tempo di valse – 6′04″ III. Scherzo: Vivace – 7′30″ IV. Larghetto – 6′14″ V. Finale: Allegro vivace – 5′40″
Total Duration: 52′02″
Publishers
Originally produced by Marcos Klorman and Anthony Hodgson (1975). Digital remastering by EMI Records Ltd., 1998. Reissued by Newton Classics BV, 2010. Manufactured and printed in the Netherlands.
All rights of the producer and of the owner of the work reproduced reserved. Unauthorized copying, hiring, lending, public performance, and broadcasting prohibited.
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Hashtags
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