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Editorial Reviews

The art song -- whether the German lied, the French mélodie, or their counterparts in other languages -- developed during the 19th century primarily as a genre for voice with keyboard, or eventually with orchestra. As this collection shows, Ralph Vaughan Williams was acutely aware of the expressive possibilities provided by different forms of accompaniment, and he experimented with these throughout his career. On Wenlock Edge (1909) combines the tenor soloist with string quartet and piano -- an intimate ensemble, but one that can provide more intricate forms of support and counterpoint to the voice. The harmony and the folksong-like inflections are characteristically English and quintessentially Vaughan Williams, although coming right after a sojourn of study with Ravel in Paris, there are French echoes too. For Merciless Beauty (1921), a setting of three rondels by Chaucer, Vaughan Williams pares down the ensemble, using only two violins and cello. The other songs here are sparer still. The two folksong settings from 1913 and the cycle Along the Field (1927) are written for voice and violin alone. Ranging from simple drones to evocations of rural dances, the violin plays the role of rustic fiddler here, an appropriate match for the pastoral verses. As an exercise in deceptive simplicity, it's topped only by the Ten Blake Songs (1958) for voice and oboe. Dating from the last year of Vaughan Williams's life, this cycle embraces an expressive range that belies its spare means. Joined by members of the Nash Ensemble in various configurations, John Mark Ainsley -- always a particularly fine champion of his native English music -- gives a sensitive, insightful, and often ravishing set of interpretations in this richly varied recital. Scott Paulin, Barnes & Noble

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