Vaughan williams symphony 5
Vaughan williams symphony 5 imslp...
Ralph vaughan williams symphony 5
This symphony consists largely of fragments from Vaughan Williams' then-unfinished opera, The Pilgrim's Progress. In his late 60s and early 70s when he began the Fifth, Vaughan Williams was to some extent impelled by the possibility that he might not finish the opera and hated to waste good ideas.
I'll try to point out the symphony's musical connections to the opera (I'll undoubtedly miss some), where it seems relevant. In general, however, the symphony's musical themes bear only a very abstract relation to the opera.
Vaughan williams symphony 5
One can't say that the symphony has a specific program, although Vaughan Williams once affixed a quote (later removed) from Bunyan himself to the opening of the slow third movement.
The symphony is in the "usual" four movements: a "Preludio" first movement; Scherzo; a "Romanza" slow movement; a "Passacaglia" finale.
These correspond (sort of) to a sonata-allegro first movement, scherzo, song-form slow movement, and rondo finale of the classical s