Composers: Vaughan Williams
Compositions: Sinfonia Antartica, Symphony No 9
Performers: Royal Liverpool PO/Andrew Manze
Catalogue Number: ONYX ONYX4190

Of all Ralph Vaughan Williams’ symphonies, Nos 7 and 9 are possibly the most misunderstood and least often programmed. Sinfonia Antartica (No 7) is a symphonic elaboration of themes from the score the composer provided for the film Scott of the Antarctic, but it is more than a hastily collated suite. In five movements, it has a genuinely symphonic structure with a central slow movement, a scherzo, and a mysterious epilogue. The enigmatic Ninth, lasting over 40 minutes, is a vast canvas that does...