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Vaughan Williams 'Tallis Fantasia' - Stokowski's last public performance

3,468 views · Published 19 May 2013 · 17:05 · Indexed 14 November 2026

Channel: adam28xx · 2013 · Music

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Leopold Stokowski first conducted Vaughan Williams's 'Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis' in 1926 with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He later made the first American LP of the work in 1952 with a hand-picked orchestra of top New York string players (this recording is also uploaded here). His last public performance of the work took place with the New Philharmonia in London's Royal Albert Hall on 14 May 1974 when, at the age of 94, he gave what proved to be his last public concert in the UK. Here from that concert, happily recorded by the BBC and issued on CD,  is  Vaughan Williams's masterpiece. Stokowski conducted this music for the very last time the following year when he made a commercial studio recording with the strings of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The work was first played in Gloucester Cathedral  in 1910 under the composer's own direction. The accompanying video features photos of the Cathedral and also the Royal Albert Hall where this performance took place. (With all due acknowledgements to 'BBC Legends' ... BBCL 4205-2).

The complete concert featuring this work can be heard in a 6CD Stokowski Set as per this link ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl96Kv0XPvI&t=1s

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