RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)


Scott of the Antarctic: the complete score (1947-48 ed 2016)
Including numbers excluded from the final cut of the film
Transcribed and edited from the original manuscripts by Martin Yates (2016)

1. Main Title [“Heroism”] (Andante maestoso)
2. Antarctic Prologue (Lento)
3. Oriana [Wilson’s wife] (Lento movimento – Andante)
4. Doom [Oriana’s first meeting with Scott] (Lento)
5. Sculpture Scene Part 1 [Kathleen Scott and her husband]
Kathleen 1 (Andante sostenuto – Lento – Adagio)
6. Sculpture Scene Part 2 [Kathleen 2] (Andante – Lento)
7. Nansen (Andante misterioso – Allegretto)
8. Scott and Oates in the Rain (Lento)
9. Office (Allegro)
10. Queen’s Birthday March (Tempo di marcia)
11. Ship’s Departure from Cardiff (Lento ma non troppo – Pochiss. meno mosso)
12. Amundsen (Lento)
13. Ice Floes (Allegretto – Moderato)
14. Iceberg (Lento)
15. Penguin Dance (Molto moderato)
16. Ross Island (Lento)
17. The Ship’s Departure from Ross Island (Allegro con marcia)
18. Base Camp (Moderato)
19. Aurora 1 (Molto lento)
20. Pony March [Baltic Fleet] (Allegretto alla marcia)
21. Pony March 2 (Andante con marcia – Allegro)
22. Pony March and Aphelion (Moderato alla marcia)
23. Blizzard (Andante con moto – Poco piu lento)
24. Distant Glacier (Andante misterioso)
25. Climbing the Glacier (Lento)
26. Scott on the Glacier 1 [Version 1] (Risoluto – Andante)
27. Scott on the Glacier 2 [Version 2] (Andante maestoso)
28. Snow Plain [Scott’s decision] (Lento)
29. Kathleen 3 (Andante sostenuto)
30. Polar Party Departs 1 (Moderato alla marcia e pesante)
31. Polar Party Departs 2 (Moderato alla marcia e pesante)
32. No. 101 March (Alla marcia)
33. Black Flag (Andante moderato)
34. The Return (Andante alla marcia – Allegro)
35. Descending the Glacier (Lento)
36. The Death of Evans [Extended Version] (Lento – Lamentoso)
37. The Death of Oates (Lento – Maestoso)
38. Aurora 2 (Maestoso)
39. Only Eleven Miles (Lento)
40. The Discovery of the Tent and the Bodies (Lento moderato)
41. End Music (Andante sostenuto – Maestoso)

ILONA DOMNICH soprano
CHRISTOPHER NICKOL organ
WOMEN OF THE ROYAL SCOTTISH NATIONAL ORCHESTRA CHORUS directed by GREGORY BATSLEER
ROYAL SCOTTISH NATIONAL ORCHESTRA conducted by MARTIN YATES
WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING [3, 6-10, 12, 16-18, 21-22, 26, 30-33, 36, 38-40]

It is a revelation to hear every note that Vaughan Williams wrote, late in 1947, for the then unmade film Scott of the Antarctic. There have been previous attempts to revisit some of the unused music he sketched for the film, but now conductor Martin Yates, with the support of the composer’s estate, has transcribed from the original manuscripts all the music, comprising some 41 beautifully rounded numbers. Vaughan Williams subsequently reworked some of this material in the Sinfonia Antartica, but on this recording we are able to hear for the first time his vivid reaction to the story, before the film was even shot. Standing independently beside the Sinfonia Antartica, this is a gripping symphonic experience in its own right.

Multi-ch Stereo
All tracks available in stereo and multi-channel

SA-CD
This hybrid CD can be played on any standard CD players

CDLX7340

“Scott of the Antarctic is without doubt a wonderful score, and I don’t believe I’ve ever heard it sounding so good ...” Darren Allison, Soundtrack Editor, Cinema Retro Magazine, June 2017