Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love

There's no lack of glorious melody in Sir Johnin Love, and not just folksong cunningly interwoven.
Musically, what comes over strongly, more richly than ever before in this magnificent recording... — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 More…

Release Date: 1st Jun 2001
Catalogue No: CHAN9928(2)
Label: Chandos
Length: 2 hours 16 minutes

Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love, Act I

Work length39:16

$11.00

$13.65

Richard Hickox, Northern Sinfonia, John Bowen, Adrian Thompson, Matthew Best, Susan Gritton, Mark Richardson, Richard Lloyd-Morgan, Stephan Loges, Sarah Connolly, Mark Padmore, Brian Bannatyne-Scott, Stephen Varcoe, Laura Claycomb, Anne-Marie Owens, Northern Sinfonia Chorus, Daniel Norman, Alan Fearon, Donald Maxwell, Henry Moss, Roderick Williams

Orchestral Introduction - What hoa, what hoa! (Shallow, Sir Hugh Evans)

Track length6:47

$1.00

$1.30

Ahem (Anne Page, Slender)

Track length1:47

$1.00

$1.30

This is my father's choice (Anne Page, Fenton, Page)

Track length8:02

$2.00

$1.95

How now, what does Master Fenton here? (Page, Fenton, Anne Page)

Track length1:01

$1.00

$1.30

Vere is dat knave Rugby? (Dr Caius, Rugby, Peter Simple, Mrs Quickly, Fenton)

Track length6:52

$1.00

$1.30

Episode. Say dainty dames shall we go play… (Nym, Pistol, Bardolph, Chorus of Ladies and Gentlemen)

Track length2:22

$1.00

$1.30

How now, mine Host of the Garter (Bardolph, Nym, Pistol, Host, Sir John Falstaff)

Track length2:49

$1.00

$1.30

I spy entertainment in her… (Sir John Falstaff, Pistol, Nym, Bardolph, Host)

Track length3:37

$1.00

$1.30

Wilt thou revenge? (Pistol, Nym, Ford)

Track length2:21

$1.00

$1.30

Love my wife? I will be patient (Ford, Mrs Page, Mrs Ford)

Track length3:38

$1.00

$1.30

Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love, Act II Scene 1

Work length9:25

$2.00

$2.60

Richard Hickox, Northern Sinfonia, Sarah Connolly, Laura Claycomb, Anne-Marie Owens

Orchestral Introduction - Thine own true knight (Mrs Page, Mrs Ford, Mrs Quickly)

Track length6:24

$1.00

$1.30

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more (Mrs Page, Mrs Ford, Mrs Quickly)

Track length3:01

$1.00

$1.30

Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love, Act II Scene 2

Work length19:18

$4.00

$5.20

Richard Hickox, Northern Sinfonia, Donald Maxwell, John Bowen, Adrian Thompson, Anne-Marie Owens, Matthew Best, Daniel Norman, Stephan Loges, Roderick Williams

Bardolph! Bardolph, I say! (Sir John Falstaff, Bardolph, Mrs Quickly)

Track length5:27

$1.00

$1.30

Go thy ways, go thy ways, old Jack! (Sir John Falstaff, Bardolph, Ford)

Track length5:09

$1.00

$1.30

Sir, my name is Brook (Ford, Sir John Falstaff)

Track length5:31

$1.00

$1.30

Ha, is this a vision? (Ford, Dr Caius, Bardolph, Slender, Shallow, Page)

Track length3:11

$1.00

$1.30

Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love, Act III Scene 1

Work length10:46

$3.00

$3.90

Richard Hickox, Northern Sinfonia, Mark Padmore, Stephan Loges, Susan Gritton, Northern Sinfonia Chorus, Alan Fearon

Orchestral Introduction - Yet hear me speak (Fenton, Host, Anne Page, Chorus of Young Men and Women)

Track length5:41

$1.00

$1.30

Fair and fair and twice so fair (Fenton, Anne Page, Chorus of Young Men and Women)

Track length2:40

$1.00

$1.30

But listen, good mine Host (Anne Page, Host, Fenton, Chorus of Young Men and Women)

Track length2:25

$1.00

$1.30

Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love, Act III Scene 2

Work length10:25

$4.00

$5.20

Richard Hickox, Northern Sinfonia, Stephen Varcoe, Sarah Connolly, Henry Moss, Laura Claycomb, Adrian Thompson, Anne-Marie Owens, Daniel Norman, Northern Sinfonia Chorus, Stephan Loges, Alan Fearon, Roderick Williams

Orchestral Introduction - When as we sat in Papylon (Sir Hugh Evans, Peter Simple)

Track length3:48

$1.00

$1.30

Yonder he's coming (Peter Simple, Sir Hugh Evans)

Track length2:29

$1.00

$1.30

Come, Master Ford (Page, Ford, Sir Hugh Evans)

Track length1:45

$1.00

$1.30

Orchestral Introduction - What, John! What, Robert! (Mrs Ford, Mrs Page, John, Robert, Mrs Quickly)

Track length2:23

$1.00

$1.30

Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love, Act III Scene 3

Work length9:24

$3.00

$3.90

Richard Hickox, Northern Sinfonia, Sarah Connolly, Matthew Best, Donald Maxwell, Laura Claycomb, Anne-Marie Owens, Roderick Williams, Northern Sinfonia Chorus, Stephen Varcoe, Alan Fearon, Adrian Thompson

Alas, my love, you do me wrong (Mrs Ford, Sir John Falstaff)

Track length2:47

$1.00

$1.30

Mistress Ford! (Mrs Quickly, Sir John Falstaff, Mrs Ford, Mrs Page, Chorus of Men)

Track length2:08

$1.00

$1.30

Ah! (Ford, Page, Mrs Ford, Mrs Page, Sir Hugh Evans)

Track length4:29

$1.00

$1.30

Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love, Act IV

Work length3:35

$1.00

$1.30

Richard Hickox, Northern Sinfonia, Matthew Best, Sarah Connolly, Roderick Williams, Laura Claycomb, Stephen Varcoe

Orchestral Introduction - Pardon me, wife… (Ford, Mrs Ford, Page, Mrs Page, Sir Hugh Evans)

Track length3:35

$1.00

$1.30

Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love, Act IV Scene 1

Work length8:40

$2.00

$2.60

Richard Hickox, Northern Sinfonia, Matthew Best, Sarah Connolly, Roderick Williams, Laura Claycomb, Stephen Varcoe, Adrian Thompson

There is an old tale that goes Herne the hunter (Ford, Mrs Ford, Page, Mrs Page, Sir Hugh Evans)

Track length6:37

$1.00

$1.30

Interlude

Track length2:03

$1.00

$1.30

Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love, Act IV Scene 2

Work length25:42

$9.00

$11.70

Richard Hickox, Northern Sinfonia, Anne-Marie Owens, Stephen Varcoe, Roderick Williams, Donald Maxwell, Mark Padmore, Sarah Connolly, John Bowen, Matthew Best, Laura Claycomb, Richard Lloyd-Morgan, Susan Gritton, Brian Bannatyne-Scott, Northern Sinfonia Chorus, Alan Fearon, Stephan Loges

Orchestral Introduction

Track length1:57

$1.00

$1.30

The Windsor bell hath struck twelve (Sir John Falstaff)

Track length2:48

$1.00

$1.30

Ah - Who comes here? (Mrs Ford, Sir John Falstaff, Mrs Page, Anne Page, Fairies)

Track length3:29

$1.00

$1.30

But till 'tis one o'clock (Mrs Quickly, Anne Page, Fairies)

Track length0:57

$1.00

$1.30

Dance of the Fairies

Track length1:56

$1.00

$1.30

But stay! I smell a man of middle earth (Sir Hugh Evans, Sir John Falstaff, Bardolph, Nym, Pistol)

Track length2:10

$1.00

$1.30

Nay, do not fly (Page, Mrs Page, Ford, Mrs Ford, Host, Nym, Bardolph, Pistol)

Track length4:23

$1.00

$1.30

My heart misgives me (Mrs Page, Fenton, Anne Page, Chorus)

Track length2:58

$1.00

$1.30

Stand not amazed (Sir John Falstaff, Ford, Mrs Ford, Page, Mrs Page, Mrs Quickly, Anne Page, Pistol, Fenton, Sir Hugh Evans, Host, Bardolph, Nym, Pistol, Chorus)

Track length5:04

$1.00

$1.30

Reviews
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Reviews

2010

There's no lack of glorious melody in Sir Johnin Love, and not just folksong cunningly interwoven.
Musically, what comes over strongly, more richly than ever before in this magnificent recording from Richard Hickox, is the way that the writing anticipates later Vaughan Williams, not just the radiant composer of the Fifth Symphony and Serenade to Music, with keychanges of heartstopping beauty, but the composer's darker side, with sharply rhythmic writing.
The work's title, Sir John in Love, points to Vaughan Williams's different approach to the central character. With him Shakespeare's fat knight isn't just comic but a believable lover, more genial and expansive than in Boito's portrait, yet hardly a noble figure such as Elgar portrayed in his big symphonic study. Donald Maxwell makes a splendid Falstaff, relishing the comedy without making it a caricature. Above all, his full, dark voice is satisfyingly fat-sounding. On Vaughan Williams Opera 1205 the only previous recording, the vintage EMI set of 1974, Raimund Herincx gave a finely detailed performance, but lacked that important quality.
The 1974 set certainly stands the test of time remarkably well, but the extra fullness and richness of the Chandos sound coupled with as keen a concern for the atmospheric beauties of the score, notably in offstage effects, gives the new set an obvious advantage. Interpretatively, Hickox is just as incisive as Meredith Davies on EMI in bringing out the sharper side of the score, though he's more warmly expressive, a degree more affectionate in drawing out the glowing lyricism.
Chandos's casting is satisfyingly consistent, with no weak link. Matthew Best may be rather gruff at times as Ford, but that's very much in character, when, if anything, he's more venomous here than in Verdi, until at the start of Act 3 Vaughan Williams allows a wonderful duet of reconciliation with Mrs Ford, 'Pardon me, wife'.
As Ursula Vaughan Williams has reported, her husband wrote Sir John in Love 'entirely for his own enjoyment', because he was in love with the subject. And from first to last this new set reflects that.

Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love

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