|
A Sea Symphony
by Ralph Vaughan Williams
(1872 - 1958)
A Sea Symphony is truly a choral symphony, since it is the choir that sets the theme and brings to life the image of undulating waves or the solid chord reminding us of a ship's horn. Vaughan Williams uses for the text excerpts from four poems (of nearly 400) from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass.
There are four movements (times* are approximate):
- "A Song for all Seas, all Ships" (baritone, soprano, and chorus) 18:00
- "On the Beach at night, Alone" (baritone and chorus) 10:00
- "The Waves" (chorus) 8:00
- "The Explorers" (baritone, soprano, semi-chorus, and chorus) 27:00
The first movement deals with the sea, ships with sails flapping in the wind, steamers chugging along, and with sailors and flags. This was a time when except for a border along the shore, the ocean was considered 'free to all and belonging to none.' Men are called to the sea, by the sea, to share their lives with the sea, and uniting nations, to die with the sea.
The second movement, a nocturne, leads one to consider the nature of the universe and life's place within it. Vaughan Williams uses the sea and sky, with their underlying currents, to inspire a sense of timelessness, continuity, and unity to all mankind. The sea is like an old mother, rocking her child, and each listener is called to listen to the rhythm of the universe.
In the third movement the mood is both chaotic and regal, as the composer uses sweeping crescendos to describe the storming of the sea, and majestic pomp to enhance the image of a 'stately and rapid ship'. Underlying the surface perturbations of daily life is the deep flow of the sea, and Vaughan Williams brings its dignity to the surface when he unites the sea and seafarers who co-exist with it.
The fourth movement is a history of the world, opening with a hushed chorus that reminds one of the creation story as depicted in Genesis. It is man's progress in time that gives order to the chaos, which is then followed by death luring one to mystic identification. We are led to compare the explorer's voyage with the journey into the afterlife, and the work ends appropriately with the chorus fading away as the ship sails out of sight, while an eternal rhythm is carried on by the waters of the sea.
* Times are taken from the Telarc recording #089408058820, with the Atlanta Symphony, conducted by Robert Spano, 2002.
|
