# The Lark Ascending



## Queen of the Nerds

I have recently fallen in love with this Vaughan Williams piece... So I made a thread about it!


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## DavidA

Fantastic! Try the version with Andrew Davis and Tasmin Little


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## arpeggio

Now this is my wife's favorite piece of music.


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## MoonlightSonata

Last year's #1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame.


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## Sloe

MoonlightSonata said:


> Last year's #1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame.


I had never heard of it until recently and I still haven´t heard all of it. I wonder what makes it so popular the only thing I think of hearing it is string music move on to something else.


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## LancsMan

I very much like the Lark Ascending but there's rather more to Vaughan Williams than this. I almost regret it's popularity.


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## PetrB

Sloe said:


> I had never heard of it until recently and I still haven´t heard all of it. I wonder what makes it so popular the only thing I think of hearing it is string music move on to something else.


I think you have to allow that some listeners find the piece, genuinely, to be the most beautiful thing they have ever heard, that it moves them deeply, often to tears because for them its beauty overwhelms, and for some, tears or not, it gives them an uplifting feeling of a near to ecstatic spirituality.

I find the piece, and those in a similar vein, more 'excessively pretty' than anything, exactly the type of piece which I find both cloying and annoying, so it is clearly 'not my cuppa.' It is a beautifully executed bit of masterly writing, as is his modal contrapuntal masterly _Variations on a Theme by Thomas Tallis_, which also leaves me stone cold.

Those pieces are going to stay in the repertoire for a long time, and there will be 'generations' who newer to music, will discover it and be as rapt about it is the OP and many of the contributors in this thread. For some, it will remain in as high a favor their entire listening lives.

That said, I think telling the lovers of such music to move on is very different and infinitely more thoughtless than my honest dislike of the piece, and saying why it is not my cuppa while giving it its due as to the quality of the craft it displays.


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## Sloe

PetrB said:


> I think you have to allow that for some listeners find the piece, genuinely, to be the most beautiful thing they have ever heard, that it moves them deeply, often to tears because for them its beauty overwhelms, and for some, tears or not, it gives them a feeling of a near to ecstatic uplifting and spirituality.


I did not tell anyone to move on what I meant was that when I hear it I think this is something I don´t want to listen to so I will listen to something else instead.
My only intention was to give the perspective from someone who really have no relationship to lark ascending or to Vaughan Williams and I would also like to hear from someone who actually loves it why they love it. What they hear but I don´t. I like pretty music I just don´t hear much pretty in lark ascending.


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## SONNET CLV

I first encountered this piece many years ago on an EMI disc with a performance by violinist Hugh Bean accompanied by Sir Adrian Boult. It remains my favorite reading to date.


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## Gaspard de la Nuit

PetrB said:


> *I think you have to allow that some listeners find the piece, genuinely, to be the most beautiful thing they have ever heard, that it moves them deeply, often to tears because for them its beauty overwhelms*, and for some, tears or not, it gives them an uplifting feeling of a near to ecstatic spirituality.
> 
> I find the piece, and those in a similar vein, more 'excessively pretty' than anything, exactly the type of piece which I find both cloying and annoying, so it is clearly 'not my cuppa.' It is a beautifully executed bit of masterly writing, as is his modal contrapuntal masterly _Variations on a Theme by Thomas Tallis_, which also leaves me stone cold.


The highlighted part you described is exactly as it is for me - I find the piece has a soulful kind of beauty that usually eludes Western art as a whole, that it escapes the mold of emotion that the Western Classical sensibility deems valuable. The harmonic language of his teacher Ravel also manages to evade evoking anything near the aforementioned archetype, but is most of the time unconcerned with the kind of emotion in The Lark Ascending, which has an earthy, peasant feeling to it, as well as a pathos that Ravel normally doesn't have.

I think, in addition to the powerful beauty it exudes, it is this slight novelty that attracts people to it so much. Or maybe it's the drop of novelty that accounts for the beauty?


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## Triplets

arpeggio said:


> Now this is my wife's favorite piece of music.


The same is true for my ex-wife, but I try not to hold that against RVW


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## Haydn man

arpeggio said:


> Now this is my wife's favorite piece of music.


This is up near the top of my wife's list as well
She would recommend the Iona Brown/Marriner/ASMF version as the 'bees knees' and she ain't easy impressed


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## senza sordino

I have three versions: Tasmin Little, Nigel Kennedy and the Senza Sordino attempt. I started to learn The Lark Ascending last summer, but it's a bit difficult for me. I have played through the entire piece, but I've got a lot of work to do to make it sound lovely. So I put it aside for a while. I'll go back to it sometime later this year.


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## QuietGuy

SONNET CLV said:


> I first encountered this piece many years ago on an EMI disc with a performance by violinist Hugh Bean accompanied by Sir Adrian Boult. It remains my favorite reading to date.


This is the same recording I have. It's a wonderful piece.


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## SONNET CLV

senza sordino said:


> I have three versions: Tasmin Little, Nigel Kennedy and the Senza Sordino attempt. * I started to learn The Lark Ascending last summer, but it's a bit difficult for me. *I have played through the entire piece, but I've got a lot of work to do to make it sound lovely. So I put it aside for a while. I'll go back to it sometime later this year.


Hmm ... I was surprised to hear that you find this piece difficult. I would have thought it would be a breeze for you. (Or do I confuse your avatar photo for someone else?)









It's interesting that you note "I've got a lot of work to do to make it sound lovely". That's a fascinating concept -- that a piece of music isn't by it very nature "lovely", but must be _made_ to be lovely by exacting, repetitive practicing. It returns us to the philosophical question of "what is music". In a more specific instance -- is any music scored on a page of paper intrinsically lovely?

In any case, senza, I salute your efforts on that violin. All the best bringing out whatever loveliness may lie inherently in VW's "Lark Ascending".


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## senza sordino

SONNET CLV said:


> Hmm ... I was surprised to hear that you find this piece difficult. I would have thought it would be a breeze for you. (Or do I confuse your avatar photo for someone else?)
> 
> View attachment 63454
> 
> 
> It's interesting that you note "I've got a lot of work to do to make it sound lovely". That's a fascinating concept -- that a piece of music isn't by it very nature "lovely", but must be _made_ to be lovely by exacting, repetitive practicing. It returns us to the philosophical question of "what is music". In a more specific instance -- is any music scored on a page of paper intrinsically lovely?
> 
> In any case, senza, I salute your efforts on that violin. All the best bringing out whatever loveliness may lie inherently in VW's "Lark Ascending".


Even Heifetz had to practice. These soloists make it seem so easy, but behind the facade is hundreds / thousands of hours of practice.


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## Gaspard de la Nuit

SONNET CLV said:


> It's interesting that you note "I've got a lot of work to do to make it sound lovely". That's a fascinating concept -- that a piece of music isn't by it very nature "lovely", but must be _made_ to be lovely by exacting, repetitive practicing. It returns us to the philosophical question of "what is music". In a more specific instance -- is any music scored on a page of paper intrinsically lovely?
> 
> In any case, senza, I salute your efforts on that violin. All the best bringing out whatever loveliness may lie inherently in VW's "Lark Ascending".


I think it has what it has before a performer goes to work at it......because the composer imagined it first.


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## Becca

While I most definitely do not intend to disparage those who like The Lark Ascending (count me as most definitely in the RVW lovers), it seems that some pieces owe their popularity to being a piece of classical music that non-classical music lovers love, and this piece is certainly in that list. Now if only its popularity would lead to people exploring deeper into the composer's oeuvre, but unfortunately that doesn't often happen (except here at TC!)


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## Badinerie

There is nothing wrong with classical piece that crosses over to non classical music lovers. 
The lark ascending is an amazing composition that has probably introduced more new listeners to classical than many of the more well known composers. Forty years ago I remember being recommended to listen to it by some Prog Rock friends ( Iona Brown/Marriner of course) RVW, Greig's Peer Gynt, Holst's Planets and Orff's Carmina Burana were popular' first steps' at the time.


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## DeepR

Don't like it, but I do love the Tallis theme!


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## hpowders

senza sordino said:


> Even Heifetz had to practice. These soloists make it seem so easy, but behind the facade is hundreds / thousands of hours of practice.


Sure! Heifetz was human! Although in his prime, some considered him a god.


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## JACE

SONNET CLV said:


> I first encountered this piece many years ago on an EMI disc with a performance by violinist Hugh Bean accompanied by Sir Adrian Boult. *It remains my favorite reading to date.*


I feel the same. Tremendously affecting performance.


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## starthrower

^^^
I'm currently going through the Vaughan Williams/Boult box set. I don't find VW to be boring like many have stated. I love his choral writing, and his compositions for double string orchestras are awesome!


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## Dirge

I don't hold the popularity of _The Lark Ascending_ against it, but it does have about as much cloying potential as any work ever written, luring performers to their doom with its seemingly irresistible calls to wallow in the lark's theme and milk it to sweet saccharine excess. About the only performer who manages to resist these sirens is Jean Pougnet in his early '50s EMI account with Boult and the LPO, as he gives one of those perfectly judged performances that's more affecting for being unaffected.


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## Sloe

Sloe said:


> I had never heard of it until recently and I still haven´t heard all of it. I wonder what makes it so popular the only thing I think of hearing it is string music move on to something else.


I have heard it a few times since I post that and I think it is really beautiful.


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## Antiquarian

He rises and begins to round,
He drops the silver chain of sound,
Of many links without a break,
In chirrup, whistle, slur and shake.

For singing till his heaven fills,
'Tis love of earth that he instills,
And ever winging up and up,
Our valley is his golden cup,
And he the wine which overflows
To lift us with him as he goes.

Till lost on his aerial rings
In light, and then the fancy sings.

- George Meredith

VW used these verses for inspiration, as they are inscribed on the flyleaf of his score. This 'Romance for Violin and Orchestra' is among my most beloved.


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## Animal the Drummer

Yet another vote for the wonderful recording with Hugh Bean, Sir Adrian Boult and the New Philharmonia Orch. Bean is a somewhat self-effacing soloist (too much so for my money in his recording of the Elgar concerto, for example) but IMHO strikes just the right balance in this piece.


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## Haydn man

This piece is a firm favourite with my wife in particular the aforementioned Brown/Marriner ASM performance.
Up until yesterday I would have said she is a women of impeccable taste, however last night she claimed all Haydn's symphonies sound the same.
Divorce proceedings start tomorrow :devil:


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## Pugg

Haydn man said:


> This piece is a firm favourite with my wife in particular the aforementioned Brown/Marriner ASM performance.
> Up until yesterday I would have said she is a women of impeccable taste, however last night she claimed all Haydn's symphonies sound the same.
> Divorce proceedings start tomorrow :devil:


Take a deep breath first, before you doing things in a rush and will regret later.


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## sbmonty

I have the Boult box set with Bean. It is terrific, but there seems to be a poor editing glitch at about 4:12 into the recording. I had hoped it was just my disc, but the same thing is audible when I listen to the iTunes version. Just a heads up if that sort of issue bothers one.
I also have Hilary Hahn's recording with the LSO and Colin Davis. It is very well recorded.


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## Pat Fairlea

Apologies if I have already said this on another thread...

I have a real problem with _The Lark Ascending._ It is a glorious piece of music, and not without structural interest. However, I cannot shake off hearing an echo of 'The Last Post' in the violin's opening subject. And that reminds me of the frequent mention of skylarks in the poetry of the Western Front, and of the fact that RVW saw active service in that meat-grinder and was deeply affected by it. He quotes Meredith's poem on the score, but I wonder whether he was also thinking of John McCrae's famous _In Flanders Fields_:
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

Or Isaac Rosenberg's _Returning, we hear larks_:
Dragging these anguished limbs, we only know
This poison-blasted track opens on our camp -
On a little safe sleep.
But hark! joy - joy - strange joy.
Lo! heights of night ringing with unseen larks.
Music showering our upturned list'ning faces.

Sorry if this 'spoils' _Lark_ for anyone - I just wanted to share my odd and probably entirely individual response to the piece.


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## Animal the Drummer

Quite understand how you'd come to that conclusion. The Lark" was composed in 1914 (for violin and piano initially) so the original inspiration won't have been RVW's wartime experiences, but it wasn't orchestrated till after the war, so aspects of the orchestration may have been affected by those experiences.


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## Weird Heather

I saw this thread and had to give it a listen. I have four recordings of it. This time, I chose Hilary Hahn/London Symphony/Colin Davis. This piece certainly is popular, and with good reason, but it wasn't my introduction to the work of Vaughn Williams. His 3rd and 4th symphonies are the works that initially captivated me, and I only came to this piece later, but it has become one of my favorites.


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## pcnog11

Great piece, Nicola Benedetti rendition is quite remarkable, great phrasing and the violin is sweet and elegant.


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## Reichstag aus LICHT

I love most of Vaughan Williams' music, but _The Lark Ascending_ does nothing for me. I'm sure there's more to it, but to me it comes across as aimless pastoral doodling; perhaps the epitome of what Elisabeth Lutyens called the "cowpat" school of music.


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## Retrograde Inversion

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> I love most of Vaughan Williams' music, but _The Lark Ascending_ does nothing for me. I'm sure there's more to it, but to me it comes across as aimless pastoral doodling; perhaps the epitome of what Elisabeth Lutyens called the "cowpat" school of music.


I'm a little surprised you haven't had hordes of irate VW admirers berating you for such a provocation, quite likely by contrasting the popularity of _Lark _ with Lutyens' seldom played atonal music. For my part, I'd rather have the latter, but as always, that's just personal preference.


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## Pat Fairlea

Retrograde Inversion said:


> I'm a little surprised you haven't had hordes of irate VW admirers berating you for such a provocation, quite likely by contrasting the popularity of _Lark _ with Lutyens' seldom played atonal music. For my part, I'd rather have the latter, but as always, that's just personal preference.


As a VW admirer, I am neither irate nor prone to beration. Each to their own. Lutyens was just identifying with the modernists in British music who took against the whole Late Romantic/Pastoral ethic that had dominated music and music education in Britain in the late 19th and first few decades 20th century. In dismissing VW as 'pastoral', I think they missed the point, but that's personal subjectivity.
Lutyens' music (and Maconchy's) I find quite interesting, but interesting rather than enjoyable. If _Lark_ is aimless pastoral doodling, quite a bit of their output comes across as aimless aural geometry. Not without its interest and value, and I have no beef with people who prefer it to a half-hour of modal meandering, but it's not my first choice.


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## Joachim Raff

RVW is not one of my favourite composers. To be honest, not a lot of English composers do it for me. There are some that are the exception to the rule though. Saying that, i find his shorter works quite palatable. My favourite recording is Boult's legendary recording with NPO. I do admire Boult as one of our best from these shores.


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## Judith

Not my favourite and don't know why it gets top of Classic fm "Hall of Fame" . Wish the Lark would descend


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## BoggyB

The popularity of The Lark obscures the fact that it's a marmite piece. I was wondering recently if it's a work of abstract art in musical form, rather than a "regular" musical opus, but that wouldn't explain why it's so popular with the man on the street (Classic FM).


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## HerbertNorman

Judith said:


> Not my favourite and don't know why it gets top of Classic fm "Hall of Fame" . Wish the Lark would descend


Please don't get yourself worked up about that...you know that such "hall of fame" is not a true representation of what classical listeners in the UK really value the highest! At least that is my experience. I think the Lark is not a bad piece , but it has been overrated imho

There are other RVW works that I value higher...


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## Azol

I quite enjoy The Lark Ascending and good performance never fails to move me. I consider myself a fan of RVW's music and it makes me wonder why this particular piece attracts so many polarized opinions. It's a nice and touching vignette, very lovely -- if it doesn't get imposed on you every day.


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## Nawdry

Queen of the Nerds said:


> The Lark Ascending
> I have recently fallen in love with this Vaughan Williams piece... So I made a thread about it!


Definitely one of Vaughn Williams' most enchanting short orchestral works.


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## 89Koechel

A wonderful work. OK, Mr. Raff if you'd ever want (almost) the OPPOSITE of the lyricism of the Lark, try V-W's 4th Symphony, in the recording that V-W, himself, did with the BBC (early 1930s) ... it's on YouTube. In it's slashing, hurtling, headlong, almost-violent DRIVE, it's one of the most-remarkable recordings of the previous century ... and the sonics "ain't" bad, either, for their time.


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