London Philharmonic Orchestra Bernard Haitink - Vaughan Williams: A London Symphony (1987)

This well recorded disc from 1986 offers a typically thoughtful pair of interpretations from Haitink and his orchestra. Those brought up with the emotionally charged Barbirolli disc with the Halle orchestra may well find this to be emotionally anaemic. That however, would be to sell this disc short.
Barbirolli's early Halle disc is the most exciting version I know and is justifiably famous. The orchestra's strings are the weakest part of the orchestra being somewhat thin. The recording is also showing its age even in the newly remastered and improved version. Previn offers an exciting account, more measured than Barbirolli but with much better orchestral response and recorded sound. Boult offers an imperious account that is typical of his work and is deeply satisfying. Handley falls somewhere between Boult and Previn with less expansive sound. Bakels on Naxos is the nearest to Barbirolli and would be my performance and recording of choice if I was looking for an emotionally exciting performance. Hickox offers a superb performance of a different work - the original version.
Haitink is quite different to all the above. He is neither imperious nor emotionally exciting. His orchestra plays superbly and with discipline. This is a thoughtful and considered view of this work where the performance is less about London than about being a central European classical symphony of stature. Everything is well controlled, in its place and structured to hit climatic points with precision. I would describe it as coolly impressive. As such it is also satisfying but strictly on its own terms. The Tallis Fantasia is treated in much the same way and once more, admirers of the famous Barbirolli account on EMI from 1063 will feel emotionally short changed. So will those who can recall the electrifying account by Silvestri with the Bournemouth orchestra.