Fritz Busch
Most composers rarely experience a rediscovery of their original works after revisions. Sometimes, however, posterity makes other decisions, as with Vaughan Williams' 'London Symphony'. This symphony was composed between 1912 and 1913 and dedicated to his friend George Butterworth, who later died in the First World War. Butterworth had originally encouraged Vaughan Williams to write a purely orchestral symphony. The premiere took place on March 27, 1914, at Queen's Hall, conducted by Geoffrey Toye, and was a success. Shortly afterward, the composer sent the score to the conductor Fritz Busch in Germany, whereupon the original score disappeared with the outbreak of the First World War. The second performance took place on August 12, 1914, in Harrogate, performed by the Harrogate City Orchestra under Julian Clifford. The composer, with the help of Geoffrey Toye, Butterworth, and the critic E. J. Dent, reconstructed the score from the orchestral parts. This reconstruction was performed on February 11, 1915, by the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra under Dan Godfrey. The orchestral score was later reconstructed from the instrumental parts and published in 1920. The 'London Symphony' is about the impressions, sounds, and moods of the metropolis. The opening movement suggests a misty dawn over the city, followed by an Allegro risoluto section filled with street traffic and the distant chimes of Big Ben. The slow movement, according to Butterworth, conveys the feeling of 'grey skies and remote side streets—an aspect of London as familiar as any other: the feeling of the music is distant, mystical.' These sensations are equally palpable in the 1920 score.