Symphony 8; 2-Piano Concerto; Tallis Fantasia.

This article reviews Volume 4 of Somm's concert recordings of Ralph Vaughan Williams's music, featuring his Symphony No. 8, Two-Piano Concerto, and Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. The 1964 recording of Symphony No. 8 conducted by Dmitri Mitropoulos is described as competent but lacking the flow and mystery characteristic of Vaughan Williams's style, with John Barbirolli's earlier 1956 recording noted as more convincing. The Two-Piano Concerto, a revision of Vaughan Williams's 1933 Piano Concerto, is performed from a 1952 recording that is considered adequate but overshadowed by a superior EMI version conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. The 1943 Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis is praised for its intimate and probing interpretation, though the older recording technology limits the capture of Vaughan Williams's rich string textures. Overall, these historical recordings are valuable for study but less suited for general listening compared to modern versions.