This has always been my favorite piece. I am 71 now and losing my hearing, and can't hear the high notes any more, but I still listen to this, and will until I can no longer hear it at all. It's beauty if beyond description. Ms. Hahn is stupendous.
Keith, such a heartfelt, loving posting. Thank you for sharing your words with us. This beautiful piece will never leave you, as it will always play in your heart & soul. I'm sure Hillary Hahn would be touched to hear this too. Wishing you good health and joy.
Soon after Hilary began her solo violin career, I heard her give an NPR interview. At that time she had just performed this piece with the St Martins in the Fields. A group of older men politely asked Hilary, "Have you ever seen a lark? A lark ascending?" Her answer was no. So, one day when no rehearsing nor performing was scheduled, they took her to a hillside field and she saw a lark ascending. She said in the interview that that experience influenced her performance. Larks ascend like our birds of prey ascend, only larks nest in meadows, not in trees. Take off is slow and low, flying in circles until an updraft is captured under their wings and then up to the highest hieghts.
I shall never the first time I heard the lark sing. I was perhaps six years old and, for some reason, by myself on a road that ran along the ridge of a hill that overlooked our village nestling some distance below and away. It was late spring. The sky was a brilliant blue, completely cloudless and Then I heard this breathtaking bird song. High up, really high up. A bird singing as though it’s heart would burst with joy. I looked, searching the sky, looking for the bird and then I spotted it. The tiniest black spot in the sky, rising and falling in the immensity of the blue sky yet it’s song seemed to fill the whole space. This is one of the moments of greatest happiness that I can remember. One that I experienced 75 years ago.
Martin Green I’m 72 and have never heard a lark, or a nightingale, for that matter. There are no larks in New Orleans, where I grew up, nor in Georgia, where I now live. I keep hoping to get the opportunity to hear one - both of them - but this performance was so evocative of true birdsong that I can probably live without the real thing now. I’d still love to hear it. Thank you for your post.
Decades ago, as an ICU nurse, I had a terminal, comatose patient who happened to have been a concert violinist. Over the span of night shifts when she was under my care I witnessed the indignity of edema, the growing forest of IV poles and pumps, the continuous ventilator noises, the steady decline and loss of her humanity despite or because of every measure the Intensivists inflicted on her... I would speak to her as I went about her care, speaking of her son, of the worthwhile life she had lived, of the beauty she brought to so many, and on occasion reassuring her that it's okay to let go... One evening I played this ineffably beautiful piece for her, in honor of her...knowing that some aspect of her soul might soar. The next evening her room was empty. She had passed a few hours after my shift ended. I have instructed my kin to play this at my funeral. It still brings tears to my eyes and is so beautifully symbolic of the flight of the soul freed from the gravity of the earth. God bless RVH for bequething this to humanity.
Yes, it is an essentially sacred work. _Very_ few performers bring this out, however, and I don't count Hilary among them. For an interpretation that is genuinely visionary and transcendent, there is only one place to go ... ruclips.net/video/-PsyKWhn_ps/видео.html
After 50 years of listening to rock, blues and jazz, at the age of 62 I am being drawn to the classics. It’s like……..hearing music for the first time again. Beautiful stunning delicate piece. Wonderful.
@@markosborne8784 Louis Armstrong, Artie Shaw, Ruth Etting, Bing Crosby, Earl Hines, Jimmie Rodgers, Bix Beiderbecke. Just learning how to listen to it.
Nearly 4 years ago I took my son to see Hilary Hahn perform with the Dallas Metropolitan Orchestra for his 21st birthday present. We had eye-level 7th row center seats. Although they didn’t perform this piece, every note from her violin was magical. Every time I glanced at my son or he looked at me, tears covered his face. A night neither of us will ever forget.
Now *that* is an unforgettable 21st birthday present! Your son is fortunate to have such a sensitive person as his father. Hilary Hahn is a magician, a genius. A memory to last forever between father and son.
What is SO refreshing about this artist is that there is not one ounce of pretense in her performance. No affectations of the 'self' imposed in her interpretation. Every movement she makes is pure efficiency in honor of the music. I really appreciate that. She provides a noble example for us all to emulate.
Her performance is at times very Brechtian. The Brecht method of acting says the artist should never get emotionally involved when creating a character and let the words, notes in this instance speak for themselves. Art, however, is a mixture of surrender, subjective thought, and controlled emotions. She is close to perfect at that.
Some people are put off by the lack of emotional expression on Hilarys face but I think her performance is more genuine that way. Compare her style for instance with the pianist Lang Lang whose distracting facial contortions make it seem like he is more important than the music.
This is art worth living for. After the death of Alex Navalny this is tonic for a weary soul, tired of man's beasteality and depravity. This is why God bothers with us at all. Sublime rendering of a masterpiece by a masterful Hilary Hahn. Forever grateful I am for the genius sent to accompany us home.
alex navalny??? you bring this cockroach who betrayed his country to the fucking anglo-saxon turds to a discussion about music??? what the hell is wrong with you
I am an oldtimer Englishman from Shropshire who has lived in the countryside all of my life. The Lark is a birdsong I have listened to in early Spring forever, blessed eh ?
I know it's been a year and also that your question was more rhetorical than anything, but I figure I can give you some insights. First of, we don't start crying as much because it's our job, but also because by the time the piece is performed we've already played it a dozen times. That doesn't mean we don't enjoy it or that we think it's nothing special, but there's a big difference in the experiences of the audience and a performing musician. Think of it like this: The audience goes into a concert to feel, to hear, to cry, to relax, whatever else. Musicians, although we chose what I would say is the most beautiful and fulfilling profession in the world, for us an individual concert is at the end of the day is kind of just another day at the office. I promise you, we get emotional, we feel with the soloist, we are deeply touched by great music, but we are primarily focused on delivering a great performance to the audience. We have to count bars, play each note perfectly, make sure our insturment retains tuning, and if it doesn't, adjust the positions of our hands, we have to pay close attention to what the soloist is doing, we need to make sure we follow the conductors instructions, we need to listen to what each other section is doing, we need to listen to what our own section is doing, and so forth. There's a million factors, split second decisions that require intense focus over a long period of time and thousands of microscopic details that we need to respond to. It's exhausting, sometimes draining and still just the greatest job in the world. Also, some of the slower pieces like those by Vaughan Williams (thinking of Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis) are in this weird twilight zone of being both pretty tricky because of the multilayered instrumentation and rhythms, but also incredibly boring to play because you're after all that still really "just" holding a lot of very long notes haha. Even if you love your job, most days you're just happy to go home afterwards.
On November 9th, 2017, I had to put my dog to sleep. She was very young, but had fatal kidney disease. When I got home from the vet, I played some music and one of the first pieces was "The Lark Ascending". Hearing it, all I could think of was my poor dog's soul, rising up to doggie heaven. Ever since then, this piece has a whole different, and intensely emotional, meaning for me. Beautiful performance.
I am so so sorry. I will go through the same soon. I once dreamt I was dead. It felt different from a dream though. I was outside my grandmother's house and I was watching my family carrying on with their lives. I was also trying to understand the mechanics of my new reality. But I was not alone, my dog was with me. That dream alone won't make this any easier... but it felt almost real. My dog is old and she also has kidney desease.
I so understand. My devoted Devon Rex cat came to his final hour in August, his head on my shoulder and purring to the last. I don't think I could have coped with this beautiful music at the time, but I'll be coming back to this again soon. Thank you for posting your comment🙏
It is an interesting and certainly not random choice, a beautiful piece, indeed, one must say. This performance of The Lark Ascending takes place during the George Enescu Festival in Romania. Enescu has also composed something called The Lark, which is based on a Romanian folk dance. His Lark, however, is on the other end of the human range of emotions Williams' piece is: ruclips.net/video/b5Pn1X1_a64/видео.html
srlucado Friend your dog IS in Heaven! The bible says: ‘ALL of Creation is in the birth pangs awaiting for the New Heaven and New Earth.’ Isaiah says of Heaven: ‘The Lion will lie with the lamb, the oxen will graze with the wolf.’ The Psalms say: ‘I am coming to make ALL THINGS NEW.’ Jesus said: ‘Preach the Good News to All of Creation, that the Kingdom of God is at hand.’ The Book of Genesis describes God making animals in a similar manner to how He made human souls: He breathed the life of His Spirit into them. St Francis of Assisi said animals souls go to Heaven: ‘Would God unmake anything that He has made? No. And he does not unmake the animals when they die.’ Many people who have had near death experiences saw their pets in Heaven. The Book of Revelation even describes Jesus coming back on a white stallion horse.
Disagree .There are cultures much better DNA . In Fact all living beings have great DNA. The comment is biased. European DNA origins is African DNA and European civilisation built on the shoulders of other , civilisation, Babylon,Soumaria, Akkadian, Eygption, Persian, 😩Greek , Roman and so on . Education make open minds and accept diversity and differences. God bless you and thanks for the emotional comment not scientific.
Oh my goodness what a miraculous, transparent performance. Hilary Hahn is such an unprecedented vehicle for the composer's wishes. In a world of ego-driven soloists, she stands alone as a beacon of selflessness. Bless her and her artistry.
This is exactly what I feel about her playing: she is transparent and natural, with no "stuff" put onto the music. That transparency can initially almost feel bare when you first hear her play something new, but it grows in power on repeated listening.
It is excellent no doubt, but for me I think Janie Jansen version tops it ... she plays it slightly slower and captures the atmosphere better. Though her beauty, the setting, the lighting and orchestra might be playing a part also... :).ruclips.net/video/b5yPdAjzihY/видео.html
True. Hawn shines so brightly the orchestras she plays with all too often simply get overlooked. That said, this one really deserves some recognition!!
The orchestra is not just the accompaniment, if Hilary is the Lark the orchestra is the landscape it flies over. This piece is one that is not described as "for violin and orchestra" but is a whole. Yes there are numerous recordings with brilliant soloists but 1st and foremost it "The Lark Ascending"
Now in my 94 year and hearing for the first time Hilary Hahn in Lark Ascending, absolutely superb, bringing such a lovely piece of human feeling for the natural world into our very troubled world!
This piece has taken me out of a dark place and will always continue to. It’s extremely refreshing and beautiful all in one. You have to listen to every bit, every note is so accurate. I’m 19 and really really appreciate music like this.
Many years ago, my wife and I went to a chamber orchestra concert in an ancient church near Reeth in the Yorkshire Dales. The conductor told the story of a talented, beautiful Australian violinist who came to the UK on a years sabbatical with the chamber orchestra. Her favourite pice of music was The Lark Ascending. Unfortunately, on Christmas Eve she went down with influenza and on New Yearks Eve she died of multiple organ failure. Ther played this in her honour and remembrance.
This piece of music takes me back to a time as a child I used to lie in a Field belonging to my Grandmother, and watch and listen to the sky larks ascending, they would fly higher and higher until they were the smallest dot in the sky, yet every note could be heard with absolute clarity. This Vaughan Williams greatest masterpiece, it is the English countryside set to music, now at the age of 73 it immediately brings back those long summer days that seemed to last forever
@@hanwentian8096 The symphonies, esp 4&5&6, Thomas Tallis fantasia, Dona Nobis Pacem, Job, coupla operas -- all this merely chopped liver for HT. RVW stacks up well in the great composers list....
I am 78 and in younger times a french hornist and lover of classical music, but that fell by the wayside as practicalities of life took precedence. Last Thursday, when returning from a ride around the neighbourhood with my wife Christine as a well distanced break from isolation since March 12th, we heard the first notes on the radio of The Lark Ascending and only two minutes passed before we returned home. But the sounds of pure bliss kept us both in our seats not wishing to miss anything having never heard its like before. Immediately after it ended and we learned the name of the piece and the violinist we search for and found it online. Hilary Hahn is an imposter! Like her sister Kira (Terpsichore) who came to Earth from Xanadu, Hilary's real name is Euterpe and comes from Parnassus, the home of the muses. No other explanation can exist for the perfection of her performance of RVWs composition, and no other could match the elegance and lightness of touch to pull the hearts strings. We are both captivated by her and are seeking performances of other works by the only earthbound muse.
This heavenly music from Ralph Vaughan-Williams remains pure magic and a balm for the human soul, a sort of immersion in the music and nature of the lush and green English countryside, a remote call, far away from everyday´s madness, back to the blessings of good Mother Nature ... Compared to other interpretations, I appreciate Hilary´s pureness of tone and in particular her perfect intonation of the highest notes (which often sound too high in those of other violinists), showing that she is not just a highly skilled violinist but also the owner of a remarkably well-tuned pair of ears ... Bravo Hilary !!
for anyone that is aware there is a poem connected to this piece. He rises and begins to round, He drops the silver chain of sound Of many links without a break, In chirrup, whistle, slur and shake, All intervolv’d and spreading wide, Like water-dimples down a tide Where ripple ripple overcurls And eddy into eddy whirls; A press of hurried notes that run So fleet they scarce are more than one, Yet changingly the trills repeat And linger ringing while they fleet, Sweet to the quick o’ the ear, and dear To her beyond the handmaid ear, Who sits beside our inner springs, Too often dry for this he brings, Which seems the very jet of earth At sight of sun, her music’s mirth, As up he wings the spiral stair, A song of light, and pierces air With fountain ardor, fountain play, To reach the shining tops of day, And drink in everything discern’d An ecstasy to music turn’d, Impell’d by what his happy bill Disperses; drinking, showering still, Unthinking save that he may give His voice the outlet, there to live Renew’d in endless notes of glee, So thirsty of his voice is he, For all to hear and all to know That he is joy, awake, aglow, The tumult of the heart to hear Through pureness filter’d crystal-clear, And know the pleasure sprinkled bright By simple singing of delight, Shrill, irreflective, unrestrain’d, Rapt, ringing, on the jet sustain’d Without a break, without a fall, Sweet-silvery, sheer lyrical, Perennial, quavering up the chord Like myriad dews of sunny sward That trembling into fulness shine, And sparkle dropping argentine; Such wooing as the ear receives From zephyr caught in choric leaves Of aspens when their chattering net Is flush’d to white with shivers wet; And such the water-spirit’s chime On mountain heights in morning’s prime, Too freshly sweet to seem excess, Too animate to need a stress; But wider over many heads The starry voice ascending spreads, Awakening, as it waxes thin, The best in us to him akin; And every face to watch him rais’d, Puts on the light of children prais’d, So rich our human pleasure ripes When sweetness on sincereness pipes, Though nought be promis’d from the seas, But only a soft-ruffling breeze Sweep glittering on a still content, Serenity in ravishment. For singing till his heaven fills, ’T is love of earth that he instils, And ever winging up and up, Our valley is his golden cup, And he the wine which overflows To lift us with him as he goes: The woods and brooks, the sheep and kine He is, the hills, the human line, The meadows green, the fallows brown, The dreams of labor in the town; He sings the sap, the quicken’d veins; The wedding song of sun and rains He is, the dance of children, thanks Of sowers, shout of primrose-banks, And eye of violets while they breathe; All these the circling song will wreathe, And you shall hear the herb and tree, The better heart of men shall see, Shall feel celestially, as long As you crave nothing save the song. Was never voice of ours could say Our inmost in the sweetest way, Like yonder voice aloft, and link All hearers in the song they drink: Our wisdom speaks from failing blood, Our passion is too full in flood, We want the key of his wild note Of truthful in a tuneful throat, The song seraphically free Of taint of personality, So pure that it salutes the suns The voice of one for millions, In whom the millions rejoice For giving their one spirit voice. Yet men have we, whom we revere, Now names, and men still housing here, Whose lives, by many a battle-dint Defaced, and grinding wheels on flint, Yield substance, though they sing not, sweet For song our highest heaven to greet: Whom heavenly singing gives us new, Enspheres them brilliant in our blue, From firmest base to farthest leap, Because their love of Earth is deep, And they are warriors in accord With life to serve and pass reward, So touching purest and so heard In the brain’s reflex of yon bird; Wherefore their soul in me, or mine, Through self-forgetfulness divine, In them, that song aloft maintains, To fill the sky and thrill the plains With showerings drawn from human stores, As he to silence nearer soars, Extends the world at wings and dome, More spacious making more our home, Till lost on his aërial rings In light, and then the fancy sings. George Meredith
Here is a link to the RUclips video about Hahns studio recording of The Lark Ascending where the producer Thomas Frost talks about how pure her pitch is and Sir Colin Davis the conductor of the London Symphony orchestra talks about her bow control and said she is gifted as anyone can be. ruclips.net/video/DrDjzA7RtdM/видео.html
Reading the other comments has brought tears to my eyes. So often all we see if negativity online. It's wonderful to see a whole comment section opening up with heartfelt stories, reminiscences, and lots of love. Thankyou.
She is pouring her heart on in this piece. She is not just playing the violin, she is sculpturing it. The piece always puts my mind among rolling hills in the country on a beautiful sunny day. Nowadays I need this feeling more than ever. I yearn to go back to those rolling hills again.
In 2021 we went to the Lake District for the first time, and half way up Blencathra a Skylark ascended. As a bird lover it was something special to me - as is this piece of music.
This is the first time I've heard this piece. I found myself holding my breath and closing my eyes. I'm there with the Lark ascending those wind currents. It is so evocative. Beautiful.
Many years ago now I was walking a couple of dogs, and we stopped in a field to rest!! Lay back, and a Lark started its climb, circling and singing 'til out of sight. One of the most wonderful experiences in my life.
this performance is the peace I need during these times when the world is suffering and you can’t do much except pray and hope that the virus ascends this earth forever
@Susan Moran yeah, what im trying to say is that can we just appreciate it for what it is? does 'only a bird' not worthy of admiration? before performing this piece, st martins in the fields took Hilary to the countryside so she can observe the lark literally ascending. that's it. of course you can pretend its about something more grandiose, that there are possible semiotics, hidden messages and such, but in the end its about the lark ascending. its that simple. RVW just want you to appreciate the lark as it is. and that is the purest form of art.
I heard this composition the other day while driving. I caught Hilary Hahn...ascending.... I went online right away to find this. My soul is deeply moved by this piece. I read the history of both the composer and the poet and this knowledge is very enlightening. During a pandemic , Nature , music always provides Peace and Healing. Brilliant performance. I listen to this every day. Thank you.
I grew up in the Yorkshire country side. While I listen I reflect on those feelings of warm contentment roaming the fields in the summer months, while the sun sets on a beautiful day.
Mitchhutch29. I too am in my 70's and I thank God I have heard her play at a live performance. If possible in the next year or so, I will see her again.
It's been over twenty-five years since I first saw her perform, and my reaction was pride to come from a species that could produce her. Now she's 40 and I'm feeling so old!
As a military man and Harley Davidson rider l love most music, lm 64 and been around done stuff been good and bad choices made, by chance l heard this music.Born in England and playing in the fields and fishing climbing trees and being a boy , mischievous yes going to school knowing l was getting the cane in the morning.Brings back so many memories, l wish l could go back and do it all over my childhood, just like l repeat this beautiful and joyous music, it brings me tears and joy.
It was a day in 2015 around 6:00pm, the orange sun was setting I was walking on a bridge. I had my ear phones on & the radio started playing this...I didn't know what I was listening initially...but the moment the violin came in...I knew I got to have it...breathtaking. The Lark Ascending - Vaughan Williams, forever I remember it.
Thank you edition Prima Vista. I just heard Fantasia on Themes by Thomas Tallis after your recommendation...not too bad. But the Lark Ascending is still a very special piece compared to many many pieces out there. It is the only piece that can gain acceptance easily without the knowledge of symphony orchestra music. It was right at the " intro " then follow by the subtle surprise solo violin that first pull one's soul into its poem right from the beginning...it is less difficult for anyone to enjoy a simple piece with peace. Then the magic begin at 2:10 (Sir Adrian Boult / New Philhamonia Orchestra / Hugh Bean-violin) timing......here is at 2:35
I'm nearly 14 I wish kids/teens had more appreciation for classical music it has such beauty. I listen to this every morning now. I love her version of der erlkonig , may be spelt wrong but hey... Hillary hahn is my fav violinist.
I too wish more people had an appreciation for classical music. More kids of all ages, but I’m impressed that you see the beauty in it at your age. What a beautiful piece. Very moving.
Historically one of the best versions of this fabulous musical piece by Ralph Vaughan Williams that I ever heard. And to top it off Hilary Hahn plays her heart out. What an amazing version of the "Lark Ascending" . Hilary Hahn, you are amazing!!
The dislikes are from the people so emotionally moved that they missed the like button. Hilary Hahn is just amazing... I love her playing and as a person ❤❤
I'm 60 and new to this. Heard it on a film track I watched this evening, 'Joy'. Beautiful. I heard it and thought it must be an English composition. It just has to be as it gave me the impression of an English countryside. There were no surprises when I found RVW was behind it. ❤
O...M...G... Five minutes in and I am blasted at high volume with an asinine Liberty Mutual commercial. Are you effing kidding me?!? In the middle of Lark Ascending? Could there BE a more inappropriate time for an ad? RUclips can't withhold their greed for a 15 minute piece, and put ads at either the beginning or end? I am so sick of RUclips making millions off of content that they did not create. How much of the ad revenue went to Hilary for this breathtaking performance??
Why is it that i never heard this amazingly beautiful music before? Why is it that i never find good classical music on anything labeled something like 'top classical hits'? And yet over the years continually find astonishingly beautiful classical music hidden away from mainstream?
It's not really hidden away, but you do have to keep hunting. So much of our country is taken over by Americana. Our young seem to loathe their own culture which is misguided and ignorant. I am over 70 and currently in isolation. I am ashamed of the younger generation. Embrace your culture, especially music which is international. It is one of the very best in the world. Appreciated internationally. It is not sexist, genderist, racist just ENJOY. The rest of the world seems to appreciate it more than the natives - that should tell you something.
I think part of the problem is that anything labelled "best" or "top" anything is trying to appeal to EVERYBODY and therefore doesn't risk anything that might not. Think of them as the elevator music of classical music. The same thing happens with contemporary music too.
The first time l heard this piece, I was in my 20's and driving home from giving an English lesson to an older student. We often talked about classical music and he was incredibly knowledgeable and had made me a copy as a gift. Had to park on the side of the road til it was finished, I was so overwhelmed by how beautiful it was, I was crying too much to drive.
I found this piece several years ago by way of a very different British composer, Kate Bush. In her lovely song Prologue she asks "can you see the lark ascending?" It felt like a quote.
What a melodic piece of music and matchless performance by Hilary With composition by Ralph Vaughan williams.. I am a Neurosurgeon by profession. Nothing can be more pleasureable when i am doing brain surgery of my choice with background Lark ascending Symphony which gives unmatched coordination and harmony to my operating hands and being overwhelmed with ecstasy. Mortal Man immortal melodies
Hilary is a great violinist of course, but this performance is not "matchless." On the contrary, Hilary's tone and phrasing falls far short of the luminous and transcendent beauty conjured up by Chloe Chua - an extraordinary young violinist who is on course to be even greater than she. ruclips.net/video/-PsyKWhn_ps/видео.html
A wonderfully rapt, technically very accurate performance. There is never any doubt that she, and indeed conductor and orchestra, are fully 'inside' this music. Completely absorbing.
Merci à Radio Classique en cet après-midi automnal d'avoir diffusé cet air merveilleux plein de sons issus du " pays du soleil levant". Ces consonances d'une parfaite harmonie, interprétées avec tant de sensibilité éveillée vous transportent dans un autre monde. C'est divin.
I can't hear it without crying. It reminds me of my childhood in the English countryside; walking through fields and jumping over streams. The skylarks above.
Perhaps one of the most gorgeous pieces ever written for violin and orchestra, Ralph Von William's "The Lark Ascending" transports one. Hats off, Hilary Hahn!
Ralph Vaughan Williams always brings me to tears. Hahn's performances are always so airy and floating and graceful and thoughtful. It's said that an artist's personality comes out in their performances, and I think that's very true with Hahn. So blessed to have discovered this artist.
“He rises and begins to round And drops the silver chain of sound Of many links without a break In chirrup whistle slur and shake.. For singing ‘til his heaven fills ‘Tis love of earth that he instils And ever winging up and up Our valley is his golden cup And he the wine that overflows Until aloft upon his aerial wings in light And then the fancy sings.”
Ms. Hahn truly is an artist when it comes to her instrument. You can feel her emotions coming through the sound. Most anyone can learn to "play" an instrument, but not everyone can convey such emotions. I always know when it's her playing. Magnificent.
Everything Hilary Hahn plays turns to gold. More than once I listen back to this performance. Soloist, orchestra and conductor put on a beautiful Lark Ascending.
The first time I ever heard this played was today during my son’s school concert. It was magnificently done there and tremendously done here. What a beautiful work of art.
I love the way she "dances" on stage, a beautiful piece of music played by a beautiful lady. Her playing is simply breathtaking, heaven sent I'm sure. A truly magnificent piece of musicianship ❤️
Sublime, this moves me to my depths, to love of this Lark Ascending, to the earth, to the nobility that humans can embody. And such an incredible performance by Hilary and the orchestra, who seem truly moved by the piece, one of the most beautiful ever created.
I'm from Cornwall in the far South west of England, and Cornwall hardly recognises English jurisdiction. 'The Lark Ascending' is not a piece of music that epitomises Cornwall to me, but this wonderous music from Vaugh-Williams really says England to me. This is a stupendous performance by the marvellous Hilary Hahn, who enthrals me with her performances from Bach to Mozart and to Vaughan Williams.
The orchestra is beyond sublime. M. Labree, their director, is to be noted at 14:52, and while he has no more conducting to do, the utter focus and concentration is the greatest compliment to be made to Ms. Hahn and her playing. The pause at the end is also noteworthy - this suspension before the audience begins to applaud. This was an audience that had "entered the moment." I cannot abide the tendency in American audiences to have to be the first person to begin the applause. Let the music rest; let it dissipate; let it rise. This was simply beautiful.
So much beautiful music the general public Never get to hear such as this piece I believe our world would be a better place if people took the Time To Smell the Rose's 🌹🙏
This is a beautiful piece of music through and through....but when Hilary Hahn plays it, then it is out of this world....you only can bend your knees and say thank you...so i say thank you....
I dedicate this to my sister Louise who is going through a hard time right now. This summarises all that is beautiful in life and what incredible things human beings are capable of achieving.
I look at the faces of people in the audience - every single one quietly amazed I look at the orchestra - you can actually read the music on their expressions, in their body language I look at Ms. Hilary Hahn, her long neck and her arm movement, and I think it’s incredible that you can see the marks left on her body after years of playing the violin; she’s been doing this for years and years, every since she was a little girl probably, and that actually influenced the way her neck and shoulders developed after being locked in a certain position so often, for so long. These details, and then the music and actually picturing a lark ascending - that’s magical.
You’re right I hadn’t thought about that but it did occur to me if her hands hurt from the strain of using them in such a way. I have worn out hands from years of work and my hands hurt watching the loveliness of her hands playing this beautiful piece of music.
This has always been my favorite piece. I am 71 now and losing my hearing, and can't hear the high notes any more, but I still listen to this, and will until I can no longer hear it at all. It's beauty if beyond description. Ms. Hahn is stupendous.
Keith, such a heartfelt, loving posting. Thank you for sharing your words with us. This beautiful piece will never leave you, as it will always play in your heart & soul. I'm sure Hillary Hahn would be touched to hear this too. Wishing you good health and joy.
keep it in your memory, never forget it
Hi Keith - I'm so sorry about your hearing loss, but this is as beautiful as sound gets and I hope it remains in your memory. She is stupendous!!!
Keith, I love your comment, and pledge to adopt your heartfelt attitude to all of life.
This piece always makes me feel how precious life is
One of the most beautiful tunes ever created by humankind!
Soon after Hilary began her solo violin career, I heard her give an NPR interview. At that time she had just performed this piece with the St Martins in the Fields. A group of older men politely asked Hilary, "Have you ever seen a lark? A lark ascending?" Her answer was no. So, one day when no rehearsing nor performing was scheduled, they took her to a hillside field and she saw a lark ascending. She said in the interview that that experience influenced her performance. Larks ascend like our birds of prey ascend, only larks nest in meadows, not in trees. Take off is slow and low, flying in circles until an updraft is captured under their wings and then up to the highest hieghts.
Nice!
I shall never the first time I heard the lark sing. I was perhaps six years old and, for some reason, by myself on a road that ran along the ridge of a hill that overlooked our village nestling some distance below and away. It was late spring. The sky was a brilliant blue, completely cloudless and Then I heard this breathtaking bird song. High up, really high up. A bird singing as though it’s heart would burst with joy. I looked, searching the sky, looking for the bird and then I spotted it. The tiniest black spot in the sky, rising and falling in the immensity of the blue sky yet it’s song seemed to fill the whole space. This is one of the moments of greatest happiness that I can remember. One that I experienced 75 years ago.
Martin Green I’m 72 and have never heard a lark, or a nightingale, for that matter. There are no larks in New Orleans, where I grew up, nor in Georgia, where I now live. I keep hoping to get the opportunity to hear one - both of them - but this performance was so evocative of true birdsong that I can probably live without the real thing now. I’d still love to hear it. Thank you for your post.
Thanks for this story. Its just great to read.
And yet Georgia's Johnny Mercer wrote that lovely song 'Skylark'
Decades ago, as an ICU nurse, I had a terminal, comatose patient who happened to have been a concert violinist.
Over the span of night shifts when she was under my care I witnessed the indignity of edema, the growing forest of IV poles and pumps, the continuous ventilator noises, the steady decline and loss of her humanity despite or because of every measure the Intensivists inflicted on her...
I would speak to her as I went about her care, speaking of her son, of the worthwhile life she had lived, of the beauty she brought to so many, and on occasion reassuring her that it's okay to let go...
One evening I played this ineffably beautiful piece for her, in honor of her...knowing that some aspect of her soul might soar.
The next evening her room was empty. She had passed a few hours after my shift ended.
I have instructed my kin to play this at my funeral. It still brings tears to my eyes and is so beautifully symbolic of the flight of the soul freed from the gravity of the earth.
God bless RVH for bequething this to humanity.
Yes, it is an essentially sacred work. _Very_ few performers bring this out, however, and I don't count Hilary among them.
For an interpretation that is genuinely visionary and transcendent, there is only one place to go ...
ruclips.net/video/-PsyKWhn_ps/видео.html
Such a beautiful, soulful comment. Thank you for being such a sensitive and soulful nurse.
Beautiful sentiment. Thank you.
Silverback. You are an angel. ❤
AMEN. Your comment is proof enough for me that the soul really does exist.
After 50 years of listening to rock, blues and jazz, at the age of 62 I am being drawn to the classics. It’s like……..hearing music for the first time again. Beautiful stunning delicate piece. Wonderful.
@dhouse live long professional cellist here. happy to advise you anytime about cello and bach
And me as well. Beautiful, intricate, soulful, deeply moving.
After 50 years of listening to classical music, I am being drawn to the popular music of the 1920s and 30s.
@@4Topwood that’s interesting. What in particular?
@@markosborne8784 Louis Armstrong, Artie Shaw, Ruth Etting, Bing Crosby, Earl Hines, Jimmie Rodgers, Bix Beiderbecke. Just learning how to listen to it.
Nearly 4 years ago I took my son to see Hilary Hahn perform with the Dallas Metropolitan Orchestra for his 21st birthday present. We had eye-level 7th row center seats. Although they didn’t perform this piece, every note from her violin was magical. Every time I glanced at my son or he looked at me, tears covered his face. A night neither of us will ever forget.
If only those in charge of school budgets perceived beauty in music *and realized what a loss it is for children not to experience it.
Now *that* is an unforgettable 21st birthday present! Your son is fortunate to have such a sensitive person as his father. Hilary Hahn is a magician, a genius. A memory to last forever between father and son.
you sound like the kind of father so many young men are sadly lacking in this world, good job man
That's heart , pure and pure
She is ling ling
What is SO refreshing about this artist is that there is not one ounce of pretense in her performance. No affectations of the 'self' imposed in her interpretation. Every movement she makes is pure efficiency in honor of the music. I really appreciate that. She provides a noble example for us all to emulate.
You are SO right! This woman is phenomenal, no matter what she plays (and her repertoire is amazing.)
Wonderful to me, as the sometimes capricious flight of the lark itself is so beautifully interpreted.
notice the conductor appears to be following HER lead???? shes just a conduit for the purity and spirit of the piece. poetry in motion.
Her performance is at times very Brechtian. The Brecht method of acting says the artist should never get emotionally involved when creating a character and let the words, notes in this instance speak for themselves. Art, however, is a mixture of surrender, subjective thought, and controlled emotions. She is close to perfect at that.
Some people are put off by the lack of emotional expression on Hilarys face but I think her performance is more genuine that way. Compare her style for instance with the pianist Lang Lang whose distracting facial contortions make it seem like he is more important than the music.
As long as there is music like this and people who want to listen to it, there is hope for us.
.. hope yes ..
@AuntFanny, yes - because music like this is delivered from, and to, the soul.
You bet )
Amen.
Hope❤
This is art worth living for. After the death of Alex Navalny this is tonic for a weary soul, tired of man's beasteality and depravity. This is why God bothers with us at all. Sublime rendering of a masterpiece by a masterful Hilary Hahn. Forever grateful I am for the genius sent to accompany us home.
alex navalny??? you bring this cockroach who betrayed his country to the fucking anglo-saxon turds to a discussion about music??? what the hell is wrong with you
I am an oldtimer Englishman from Shropshire who has lived in the countryside all of my life. The Lark is a birdsong I have listened to in early Spring forever, blessed eh ?
Thou sayest well, for so you are
I can NOT Believe this beautiful music is interrupted by a loud commercial with the announcer yelling!
I don't know how the supporting musicians aren't teary eyed by the time they have to start playing, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.
Tbh, I dont listen to this piece in public bec I would just tear up every single time without reason and that would be embarassing 😂
@@bobababy6089 It's embarrassing not to..
I know it's been a year and also that your question was more rhetorical than anything, but I figure I can give you some insights.
First of, we don't start crying as much because it's our job, but also because by the time the piece is performed we've already played it a dozen times. That doesn't mean we don't enjoy it or that we think it's nothing special, but there's a big difference in the experiences of the audience and a performing musician. Think of it like this: The audience goes into a concert to feel, to hear, to cry, to relax, whatever else. Musicians, although we chose what I would say is the most beautiful and fulfilling profession in the world, for us an individual concert is at the end of the day is kind of just another day at the office. I promise you, we get emotional, we feel with the soloist, we are deeply touched by great music, but we are primarily focused on delivering a great performance to the audience. We have to count bars, play each note perfectly, make sure our insturment retains tuning, and if it doesn't, adjust the positions of our hands, we have to pay close attention to what the soloist is doing, we need to make sure we follow the conductors instructions, we need to listen to what each other section is doing, we need to listen to what our own section is doing, and so forth. There's a million factors, split second decisions that require intense focus over a long period of time and thousands of microscopic details that we need to respond to. It's exhausting, sometimes draining and still just the greatest job in the world.
Also, some of the slower pieces like those by Vaughan Williams (thinking of Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis) are in this weird twilight zone of being both pretty tricky because of the multilayered instrumentation and rhythms, but also incredibly boring to play because you're after all that still really "just" holding a lot of very long notes haha. Even if you love your job, most days you're just happy to go home afterwards.
On November 9th, 2017, I had to put my dog to sleep. She was very young, but had fatal kidney disease.
When I got home from the vet, I played some music and one of the first pieces was "The Lark Ascending".
Hearing it, all I could think of was my poor dog's soul, rising up to doggie heaven.
Ever since then, this piece has a whole different, and intensely emotional, meaning for me.
Beautiful performance.
srlucado I’m so sorry for your loss
I am so so sorry. I will go through the same soon.
I once dreamt I was dead. It felt different from a dream though.
I was outside my grandmother's house and I was watching my family carrying on with their lives.
I was also trying to understand the mechanics of my new reality.
But I was not alone, my dog was with me.
That dream alone won't make this any easier... but it felt almost real.
My dog is old and she also has kidney desease.
I so understand. My devoted Devon Rex cat came to his final hour in August, his head on my shoulder and purring to the last. I don't think I could have coped with this beautiful music at the time, but I'll be coming back to this again soon.
Thank you for posting your comment🙏
It is an interesting and certainly not random choice, a beautiful piece, indeed, one must say. This performance of The Lark Ascending takes place during the George Enescu Festival in Romania. Enescu has also composed something called The Lark, which is based on a Romanian folk dance. His Lark, however, is on the other end of the human range of emotions Williams' piece is: ruclips.net/video/b5Pn1X1_a64/видео.html
srlucado
Friend your dog IS in Heaven! The bible says: ‘ALL of Creation is in the birth pangs awaiting for the New Heaven and New Earth.’ Isaiah says of Heaven: ‘The Lion will lie with the lamb, the oxen will graze with the wolf.’ The Psalms say: ‘I am coming to make ALL THINGS NEW.’ Jesus said: ‘Preach the Good News to All of Creation, that the Kingdom of God is at hand.’ The Book of Genesis describes God making animals in a similar manner to how He made human souls: He breathed the life of His Spirit into them. St Francis of Assisi said animals souls go to Heaven: ‘Would God unmake anything that He has made? No. And he does not unmake the animals when they die.’ Many people who have had near death experiences saw their pets in Heaven. The Book of Revelation even describes Jesus coming back on a white stallion horse.
If somebody had never witnessed the beauty of the British countryside on a summers day, this arrangement would perfectly describe it.
This is what I think of every time I hear RVW, though I have never been there.
This piece, not just the solo but the whole orchestra, is heartbreakingly beautiful. How can such beauty possibly exist?
It's called art..
IT GROWS FROM THE UNIQUE BEAUTY AND GENIUS OF EUROPEAN DNA......WHICH IS LIKE NO OTHER DNA THE EARTH HAS KNOWN
Disagree .There are cultures much better DNA . In Fact all living beings have great DNA. The comment is biased. European DNA origins is African DNA and European civilisation built on the shoulders of other , civilisation, Babylon,Soumaria, Akkadian, Eygption, Persian, 😩Greek , Roman and so on . Education make open minds and accept diversity and differences. God bless you and thanks for the emotional comment not scientific.
@@darlingstuff1560 european DNA is different? LOL what..
@@darlingstuff1560😂
Oh my goodness what a miraculous, transparent performance. Hilary Hahn is such an unprecedented vehicle for the composer's wishes. In a world of ego-driven soloists, she stands alone as a beacon of selflessness. Bless her and her artistry.
You put that so well Best regards and god bless
This is exactly what I feel about her playing: she is transparent and natural, with no "stuff" put onto the music. That transparency can initially almost feel bare when you first hear her play something new, but it grows in power on repeated listening.
Love one another as I have loved you, so love one another. Jesus Christ!!
@philuip Cummins I think it has might have something to do with the fact that it is a very difficult life, being a renowned soloist.
It is excellent no doubt, but for me I think Janie Jansen version tops it ... she plays it slightly slower and captures the atmosphere better. Though her beauty, the setting, the lighting and orchestra might be playing a part also... :).ruclips.net/video/b5yPdAjzihY/видео.html
Oh! The orchestra deserves recognition for such an ideal accompaniment.
At 13 minutes it was beautiful
True. Hawn shines so brightly the orchestras she plays with all too often simply get overlooked. That said, this one really deserves some recognition!!
The orchestra is not just the accompaniment, if Hilary is the Lark the orchestra is the landscape it flies over. This piece is one that is not described as "for violin and orchestra" but is a whole. Yes there are numerous recordings with brilliant soloists but 1st and foremost it "The Lark Ascending"
When I die, this is the only music I want played at my funeral.
Same
Now in my 94 year and hearing for the first time Hilary Hahn in Lark Ascending, absolutely superb, bringing such a lovely piece of human feeling for the natural world into our very troubled world!
So sad you spent your entire life without this exceptional piece of music. Glad you finally heard it.
Belleza en estado puro
This piece has taken me out of a dark place and will always continue to. It’s extremely refreshing and beautiful all in one. You have to listen to every bit, every note is so accurate. I’m 19 and really really appreciate music like this.
Hope you're still out 🙏
Many years ago, my wife and I went to a chamber orchestra concert in an ancient church near Reeth in the Yorkshire Dales. The conductor told the story of a talented, beautiful Australian violinist who came to the UK on a years sabbatical with the chamber orchestra. Her favourite pice of music was The Lark Ascending. Unfortunately, on Christmas Eve she went down with influenza and on New Yearks Eve she died of multiple organ failure. Ther played this in her honour and remembrance.
the flu does not cause multiple organ failure. something else does that.
@@JamesHawkeRUclips the flu can certainly cause multiple organ failure. That’s how it usually kills people
This piece of music takes me back to a time as a child I used to lie in a Field belonging to my Grandmother, and watch and listen to the sky larks ascending, they would fly higher and higher until they were the smallest dot in the sky, yet every note could be heard with absolute clarity. This Vaughan Williams greatest masterpiece, it is the English countryside set to music, now at the age of 73 it immediately brings back those long summer days that seemed to last forever
Ralph Vaughan-Williams, deserving of being one of the best composers in history.
Composing one great piece doesn't immediately make a musician one of the GOATs, imo.
I absolutely agree.💜
@@hanwentian8096 The symphonies, esp 4&5&6, Thomas Tallis fantasia, Dona Nobis Pacem, Job, coupla operas -- all this merely chopped liver for HT. RVW stacks up well in the great composers list....
@@hanwentian8096 RVW composed rather more than one great piece!
@@hanwentian8096
Yes it dies, if it’s great enough; “Lark” is.
I am 78 and in younger times a french hornist and lover of classical music, but that fell by the wayside as practicalities of life took precedence. Last Thursday, when returning from a ride around the neighbourhood with my wife Christine as a well distanced break from isolation since March 12th, we heard the first notes on the radio of The Lark Ascending and only two minutes passed before we returned home. But the sounds of pure bliss kept us both in our seats not wishing to miss anything having never heard its like before. Immediately after it ended and we learned the name of the piece and the violinist we search for and found it online.
Hilary Hahn is an imposter!
Like her sister Kira (Terpsichore) who came to Earth from Xanadu, Hilary's real name is Euterpe and comes from Parnassus, the home of the muses. No other explanation can exist for the perfection of her performance of RVWs composition, and no other could match the elegance and lightness of touch to pull the hearts strings. We are both captivated by her and are seeking performances of other works by the only earthbound muse.
Ray: You have found Paradise. You Tube has most of her recordings that I know of, and all of them are sublime.
This heavenly music from Ralph Vaughan-Williams remains pure magic and a balm for the human soul, a sort of immersion in the music and nature of the lush and green English countryside, a remote call, far away from everyday´s madness, back to the blessings of good Mother Nature ... Compared to other interpretations, I appreciate Hilary´s pureness of tone and in particular her perfect intonation of the highest notes (which often sound too high in those of other violinists), showing that she is not just a highly skilled violinist but also the owner of a remarkably well-tuned pair of ears ... Bravo Hilary !!
Please, never delete this.
Never, ever.
four words, so touching! wow..
Just download while you can
Hi Kevin, just reminding you to come by and give this another listen ❤
So beautiful.
This piece by Ralph Vaughan Williams came from Heaven.
When I go out for a walk in the woods - I hear this in my heart and soul :)
Yuna Kim,figure skater from Korea skated to this beautiful piece of music so i wanted to hear it full. Hilary is perfect
for anyone that is aware there is a poem connected to this piece.
He rises and begins to round,
He drops the silver chain of sound
Of many links without a break,
In chirrup, whistle, slur and shake,
All intervolv’d and spreading wide,
Like water-dimples down a tide
Where ripple ripple overcurls
And eddy into eddy whirls;
A press of hurried notes that run
So fleet they scarce are more than one,
Yet changingly the trills repeat
And linger ringing while they fleet,
Sweet to the quick o’ the ear, and dear
To her beyond the handmaid ear,
Who sits beside our inner springs,
Too often dry for this he brings,
Which seems the very jet of earth
At sight of sun, her music’s mirth,
As up he wings the spiral stair,
A song of light, and pierces air
With fountain ardor, fountain play,
To reach the shining tops of day,
And drink in everything discern’d
An ecstasy to music turn’d,
Impell’d by what his happy bill
Disperses; drinking, showering still,
Unthinking save that he may give
His voice the outlet, there to live
Renew’d in endless notes of glee,
So thirsty of his voice is he,
For all to hear and all to know
That he is joy, awake, aglow,
The tumult of the heart to hear
Through pureness filter’d crystal-clear,
And know the pleasure sprinkled bright
By simple singing of delight,
Shrill, irreflective, unrestrain’d,
Rapt, ringing, on the jet sustain’d
Without a break, without a fall,
Sweet-silvery, sheer lyrical,
Perennial, quavering up the chord
Like myriad dews of sunny sward
That trembling into fulness shine,
And sparkle dropping argentine;
Such wooing as the ear receives
From zephyr caught in choric leaves
Of aspens when their chattering net
Is flush’d to white with shivers wet;
And such the water-spirit’s chime
On mountain heights in morning’s prime,
Too freshly sweet to seem excess,
Too animate to need a stress;
But wider over many heads
The starry voice ascending spreads,
Awakening, as it waxes thin,
The best in us to him akin;
And every face to watch him rais’d,
Puts on the light of children prais’d,
So rich our human pleasure ripes
When sweetness on sincereness pipes,
Though nought be promis’d from the seas,
But only a soft-ruffling breeze
Sweep glittering on a still content,
Serenity in ravishment.
For singing till his heaven fills,
’T is love of earth that he instils,
And ever winging up and up,
Our valley is his golden cup,
And he the wine which overflows
To lift us with him as he goes:
The woods and brooks, the sheep and kine
He is, the hills, the human line,
The meadows green, the fallows brown,
The dreams of labor in the town;
He sings the sap, the quicken’d veins;
The wedding song of sun and rains
He is, the dance of children, thanks
Of sowers, shout of primrose-banks,
And eye of violets while they breathe;
All these the circling song will wreathe,
And you shall hear the herb and tree,
The better heart of men shall see,
Shall feel celestially, as long
As you crave nothing save the song.
Was never voice of ours could say
Our inmost in the sweetest way,
Like yonder voice aloft, and link
All hearers in the song they drink:
Our wisdom speaks from failing blood,
Our passion is too full in flood,
We want the key of his wild note
Of truthful in a tuneful throat,
The song seraphically free
Of taint of personality,
So pure that it salutes the suns
The voice of one for millions,
In whom the millions rejoice
For giving their one spirit voice.
Yet men have we, whom we revere,
Now names, and men still housing here,
Whose lives, by many a battle-dint
Defaced, and grinding wheels on flint,
Yield substance, though they sing not, sweet
For song our highest heaven to greet:
Whom heavenly singing gives us new,
Enspheres them brilliant in our blue,
From firmest base to farthest leap,
Because their love of Earth is deep,
And they are warriors in accord
With life to serve and pass reward,
So touching purest and so heard
In the brain’s reflex of yon bird;
Wherefore their soul in me, or mine,
Through self-forgetfulness divine,
In them, that song aloft maintains,
To fill the sky and thrill the plains
With showerings drawn from human stores,
As he to silence nearer soars,
Extends the world at wings and dome,
More spacious making more our home,
Till lost on his aërial rings
In light, and then the fancy sings.
George Meredith
Shared this with my five-year-old, her comment, “she is like a dancing rose.” 🌹
and there is a David Austin rose named "The Lark Ascending"!
When I am broken, a great artist recuses me.
I love you.
Love your words / your thoughts ❤️❤️❤️
I often yearn for the halcyon days of my youth, when all was right with the world. This stunning interpretation by Hahn nearly takes me there.
Psalm 37 verses 10,11,29, all is not lost Revelation chapter 21 verse 4, Matthew cpt 6 verse 33, Daniel cpt 2 verse 44😊
That bow control is mind blowing. How all the notes speak so perfectly and beautifully... Green with envy here.
Yes and yes again!!! What a player.
Katie O Agreed! That's really difficult to do!!!!!
Sim lindamente !!!
Beautiful
Here is a link to the RUclips video about Hahns studio recording of The Lark Ascending where the producer Thomas Frost talks about how pure her pitch is and Sir Colin Davis the conductor of the London Symphony orchestra talks about her bow control and said she is gifted as anyone can be. ruclips.net/video/DrDjzA7RtdM/видео.html
Reading the other comments has brought tears to my eyes. So often all we see if negativity online. It's wonderful to see a whole comment section opening up with heartfelt stories, reminiscences, and lots of love. Thankyou.
She is pouring her heart on in this piece. She is not just playing the violin, she is sculpturing it. The piece always puts my mind among rolling hills in the country on a beautiful sunny day. Nowadays I need this feeling more than ever. I yearn to go back to those rolling hills again.
In 2021 we went to the Lake District for the first time, and half way up Blencathra a Skylark ascended. As a bird lover it was something special to me - as is this piece of music.
i don't know how anyone can listen to this and not cry tears of melancholy joy.
I can't find another song in the world that is more beautiful.
This is the first time I've heard this piece. I found myself holding my breath and closing my eyes. I'm there with the Lark ascending those wind currents. It is so evocative. Beautiful.
I wish I could hear it again, for the first time. Such a wonderful feeling. But still, it's such a special piece that it moves me to tears every time.
Many years ago now I was walking a couple of dogs, and we stopped in a field to rest!! Lay back, and a Lark started its climb, circling and singing 'til out of sight. One of the most wonderful experiences in my life.
this performance is the peace I need during these times when the world is suffering and you can’t do much except pray and hope that the virus ascends this earth forever
no it isnt. its about the lark. remember avian virus.
Maulvi DM Oh shut up! Now is not the time for destroying someone’s perception of this music. Be kind.
@@christinemillership1189 jesus, stop overreacting. it's just a lark.
@Susan Moran yeah, what im trying to say is that can we just appreciate it for what it is? does 'only a bird' not worthy of admiration? before performing this piece, st martins in the fields took Hilary to the countryside so she can observe the lark literally ascending. that's it. of course you can pretend its about something more grandiose, that there are possible semiotics, hidden messages and such, but in the end its about the lark ascending. its that simple. RVW just want you to appreciate the lark as it is. and that is the purest form of art.
Susan Moran thank you for your kind message Susan, it gives me encouragement. I hope you stay safe and well until then too 😊
I heard this composition the other day while driving. I caught Hilary Hahn...ascending.... I went online right away to find this. My soul is deeply moved by this piece. I read the history of both the composer and the poet and this knowledge is very enlightening. During a pandemic , Nature , music always provides Peace and Healing. Brilliant performance. I listen to this every day. Thank you.
Soul... deeply moved
Nature and music...
Peaceful... and healing
✅️❤️✅️
...
Vaughn Williams has such a heart. His compositions stir the soul❤❤❤
I grew up in the Yorkshire country side. While I listen I reflect on those feelings of warm contentment roaming the fields in the summer months, while the sun sets on a beautiful day.
❤️❤️❤️ Your words (description) put me there in my imagination ➖️ and I can (almost) see and smell the beauty 🌄🌄🌄
That's perfect.
Absolutely amazing, I'm in my 70's and have never heard anyone play a violin like her, period!
Mitchhutch29. I too am in my 70's and I thank God I have heard her play at a live performance. If possible in the next year or so, I will see her again.
It's been over twenty-five years since I first saw her perform, and my reaction was pride to come from a species that could produce her. Now she's 40 and I'm feeling so old!
@@PSchearer wattt? NO WAY she's 40!
Granted. But you need to research and listen further.
This performance obtained a respectful silence from the audience between end and applause
As a military man and Harley Davidson rider l love most music, lm 64 and been around done stuff been good and bad choices made, by chance l heard this music.Born in England and playing in the fields and fishing climbing trees and being a boy , mischievous yes going to school knowing l was getting the cane in the morning.Brings back so many memories, l wish l could go back and do it all over my childhood, just like l repeat this beautiful and joyous music, it brings me tears and joy.
Tears in my eyes. My admiration for those dedicated to classical music, under appreciated by most but absolutely timeless.
It was a day in 2015 around 6:00pm, the orange sun was setting I was walking on a bridge. I had my ear phones on & the radio started playing this...I didn't know what I was listening initially...but the moment the violin came in...I knew I got to have it...breathtaking. The Lark Ascending - Vaughan Williams, forever I remember it.
You should listen to his Fantasia on Themes by Thomas Tallis... if you've never heard it. And also if you have. Uri, a fellow recorder-player.
Thank you edition Prima Vista. I just heard Fantasia on Themes by Thomas Tallis after your recommendation...not too bad. But the Lark Ascending is still a very special piece compared to many many pieces out there. It is the only piece that can gain acceptance easily without the knowledge of symphony orchestra music. It was right at the " intro " then follow by the subtle surprise solo violin that first pull one's soul into its poem right from the beginning...it is less difficult for anyone to enjoy a simple piece with peace. Then the magic begin at 2:10 (Sir Adrian Boult / New Philhamonia Orchestra / Hugh Bean-violin) timing......here is at 2:35
My god that's beautiful
It's exquisite. Probably my favourite. So lush.
I'm nearly 14 I wish kids/teens had more appreciation for classical music it has such beauty.
I listen to this every morning now.
I love her version of der erlkonig , may be spelt wrong but hey...
Hillary hahn is my fav violinist.
An understandable comment, but nobody really cares that you're 14 lol. We were all there at one point. Nothing special 😂
@@JDeffenb Couldn't have said it better myself 😂. Just appreciate the music, we all have different preferences, no big deal ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hey. Bravo for you . Keep exploring!
oh, and you spelled Erlkönig correctly, there's no der
I too wish more people had an appreciation for classical music. More kids of all ages, but I’m impressed that you see the beauty in it at your age. What a beautiful piece. Very moving.
Historically one of the best versions of this fabulous musical piece by Ralph Vaughan Williams that I ever heard. And to top it off Hilary Hahn plays her heart out. What an amazing version of the "Lark Ascending" . Hilary Hahn, you are amazing!!
The dislikes are from the people so emotionally moved that they missed the like button.
Hilary Hahn is just amazing... I love her playing and as a person ❤❤
Since I saw her on twoset violin I'm a huge fan xD
@@jbl9008 yeah same
If this doesn't have you in tears by the end,you have no heart or soul. Achingly beautiful.
Have you hear To Zanarkand by Nobuo Uematsu? Gets me every time,
Peter Green I think That is a Bit harsh but it is absolutely beautiful
I am weeping now..
@@SobrietyandSolace This is the classical section dude
@@kirakira_san You can keep your elitism to yourself
I cannot believe I have gone this far without this piece.
It's incredibly moving and stunningly beautiful every time
Me too!
This performance is impossibly perfect.
I am not a musician but I am glad i discovered hilary hahn throught twoset violin.Needless to say...I am in LOVE
Same here. And this vid followed on from Eddy's amazing chromatic rendition called Lark Descending (Oct 2017)
Ayyy! Where the twoset team at?! 🤩
I knew of Hahn before Twoset, but I love that they admire her as she well deserves, and that she is able to tolerate them.
There is Ling Ling level, and then there is Hilary Hahn level.
I'm 60 and new to this. Heard it on a film track I watched this evening, 'Joy'. Beautiful. I heard it and thought it must be an English composition. It just has to be as it gave me the impression of an English countryside. There were no surprises when I found RVW was behind it. ❤
This is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard, touched my soul
O...M...G... Five minutes in and I am blasted at high volume with an asinine Liberty Mutual commercial. Are you effing kidding me?!? In the middle of Lark Ascending? Could there BE a more inappropriate time for an ad? RUclips can't withhold their greed for a 15 minute piece, and put ads at either the beginning or end? I am so sick of RUclips making millions off of content that they did not create. How much of the ad revenue went to Hilary for this breathtaking performance??
Why is it that i never heard this amazingly beautiful music before? Why is it that i never find good classical music on anything labeled something like 'top classical hits'? And yet over the years continually find astonishingly beautiful classical music hidden away from mainstream?
You are absolutely right!
It's not really hidden away, but you do have to keep hunting. So much of our country is taken over by Americana. Our young seem to loathe their own culture which is misguided and ignorant. I am over 70 and currently in isolation. I am ashamed of the younger generation. Embrace your culture, especially music which is international. It is one of the very best in the world. Appreciated internationally. It is not sexist, genderist, racist just ENJOY. The rest of the world seems to appreciate it more than the natives - that should tell you something.
@@Insperato62 Spot on - Great comment (Y)
Insperato62 You are English, I suppose. Lucky you!
I think part of the problem is that anything labelled "best" or "top" anything is trying to appeal to EVERYBODY and therefore doesn't risk anything that might not. Think of them as the elevator music of classical music. The same thing happens with contemporary music too.
This is England. The pictures I conjure in my mind now are of everything good in our nation.
This was mesmerizing. I had intended to let this play in the background while I do something else but I couldn't tear my eyes away from her.
I've just finished watching the entire video, too.
The first time l heard this piece, I was in my 20's and driving home from giving an English lesson to an older student. We often talked about classical music and he was incredibly knowledgeable and had made me a copy as a gift. Had to park on the side of the road til it was finished, I was so overwhelmed by how beautiful it was, I was crying too much to drive.
Likewise.
William Ring Jr. nnul
I found this piece several years ago by way of a very different British composer, Kate Bush. In her lovely song Prologue she asks "can you see the lark ascending?" It felt like a quote.
What a melodic piece of music and matchless performance by Hilary With composition by Ralph Vaughan williams.. I am a Neurosurgeon by profession. Nothing can be more pleasureable when i am doing brain surgery of my choice with background Lark ascending Symphony which gives unmatched coordination and harmony to my operating hands and being overwhelmed with ecstasy.
Mortal Man immortal melodies
Hilary is a great violinist of course, but this performance is not "matchless."
On the contrary, Hilary's tone and phrasing falls far short of the luminous and transcendent beauty conjured up by Chloe Chua - an extraordinary young violinist who is on course to be even greater than she.
ruclips.net/video/-PsyKWhn_ps/видео.html
A wonderfully rapt, technically very accurate performance. There is never any doubt that she, and indeed conductor and orchestra, are fully 'inside' this music. Completely absorbing.
Merci à Radio Classique en cet après-midi automnal d'avoir diffusé cet air merveilleux plein de sons issus du " pays du soleil levant". Ces consonances d'une parfaite harmonie, interprétées avec tant de sensibilité éveillée vous transportent dans un autre monde. C'est divin.
@@marieclaudeducamin107 fall?????. Meaning in English please not Webster's rubbish
Just a flawless and captivating performance. I love how her dress has the same colors as a lark. I see what you did there, Hilary. :)
I read this and went searching for Larks online and see how she used their "design" for her dress, which she seems to enjoy.
I love that the conductor stood lost in the music at the last part.
Who is the conductor?
Louis Langree conducting Camerata Salzburg
14:48. yes.
You can see he accepts that he is in the presence of genius .
@@jonathancook9600 Yes, indeed. Very lovely.
Brought me to tears the first time hearing this, waves of emotions, up and down. Stunningly beautiful.
I can't hear it without crying. It reminds me of my childhood in the English countryside; walking through fields and jumping over streams. The skylarks above.
13:48 that cough destroy the moment
Perhaps one of the most gorgeous pieces ever written for violin and orchestra, Ralph Von William's "The Lark Ascending" transports one. Hats off, Hilary Hahn!
Ralph Vaughan Williams always brings me to tears. Hahn's performances are always so airy and floating and graceful and thoughtful. It's said that an artist's personality comes out in their performances, and I think that's very true with Hahn.
So blessed to have discovered this artist.
This piece just breaks my heart every time I hear it
“He rises and begins to round
And drops the silver chain of sound
Of many links without a break
In chirrup whistle slur and shake..
For singing ‘til his heaven fills
‘Tis love of earth that he instils
And ever winging up and up
Our valley is his golden cup
And he the wine that overflows
Until aloft upon his aerial wings in light
And then the fancy sings.”
grayRain This is lovely! What’s it called? Who wrote it? Is there more?
Karen Ramnath These are lines from the poem by George Meredith which inspired Vaughan Williams to write the music.
Craven Thank you! I’m gonna look him up and read the rest of it 😁
Very opportune! Those words are the ones behind this music and the inspiration granted to RVW.
that is lovely
She stood for that whole piece. Beautiful Bravo
An incredibly satisfying performance of this work. Hahn digs deep and avoids the melancholic tendencies usually imposed .
Ms. Hahn truly is an artist when it comes to her instrument. You can feel her emotions coming through the sound. Most anyone can learn to "play" an instrument, but not everyone can convey such emotions. I always know when it's her playing. Magnificent.
This comfortable feeling is like slumbering on the chest of my late beloved mother when I was infant
From
A corner of Tokyo 🇯🇵💮🎎🗾㊗️⛩️🌊🎌
Evokes the deepest longing for the light and joy that. C.S.Lewis tried so valiantly to describe in his writings.
Yes! The 30 seconds or so just before 1:00 is so sublimely beautiful that I am almost weeping.
I was thinking about faith/religion as well. (Weeping all over, actually)
Wow, I was thinking of C. S. Lewis and his longing for the transcendent, too. Maybe the composer was trying to capture this as well.
one of my favorite pieces
Truly.
This is one of the top five pieces of music that I have ever heard. Perhaps the greatest, I don't know. Simply miraculous.
She is stunning. Playing by memory as far as I can see. Powerful. Oh so many emotions....the larks would be proud. ❤
Fell in Love today with a lady who feels the music and shares it with us all, Thank you Hilary Hahn for lifting me up when I was down x.
This piece has such nostalgia for me, of people gone, sweet moments past, and tears...
One of the glories of the violin repertoire, played beautifully.
Until tonight (November 18, 2021) I had never heard of this song nor of Hilary Hahn. Now I have one word for both - Exquisite.
I know it's V. Williams but I hear the orient. Cherry blossoms. Larks ascending and over and beyond the English country side. Something in the fifths.
Conrad Ramirez That's the pentatonic scale you're hearing
what a beautiful image and absolutely with you on that journey
it's that and the truth in the playing
garbage music. don't get too excited. it has nothing interesting. it's just a simple useless chinese melody.
I know what you mean. Unfamiliar with the piece, my first assumption was that it was by a Chinese composer.
Hillary Hagn is magnificent. I love this piece of music.
Everything Hilary Hahn plays turns to gold. More than once I listen back to this performance. Soloist, orchestra and conductor put on a beautiful Lark Ascending.
4:38 those harmonies just hit me right in the feels
Play this to my husband who has dementia and he says it is beautiful 😍
The first time I ever heard this played was today during my son’s school concert. It was magnificently done there and tremendously done here. What a beautiful work of art.
This tears me up every single time and especially Hilary's playing.
I love the way she "dances" on stage,
a beautiful piece of music played by
a beautiful lady. Her playing is simply breathtaking, heaven sent
I'm sure. A truly magnificent piece
of musicianship ❤️
As a musician she has it all, and she really smashed this out of the park! A truly beautiful rendition.
My violin teacher introduced this to me, I'm so grateful for it. Beautiful piece and wonderful rendition.
Sublime, this moves me to my depths, to love of this Lark Ascending, to the earth, to the nobility that humans can embody. And such an incredible performance by Hilary and the orchestra, who seem truly moved by the piece, one of the most beautiful ever created.
I'm from Cornwall in the far South west of England, and Cornwall hardly recognises English jurisdiction. 'The Lark Ascending' is not a piece of music that epitomises Cornwall to me, but this wonderous music from Vaugh-Williams really says England to me. This is a stupendous performance by the marvellous Hilary Hahn, who enthrals me with her performances from Bach to Mozart and to Vaughan Williams.
The orchestra is beyond sublime. M. Labree, their director, is to be noted at 14:52, and while he has no more conducting to do, the utter focus and concentration is the greatest compliment to be made to Ms. Hahn and her playing. The pause at the end is also noteworthy - this suspension before the audience begins to applaud. This was an audience that had "entered the moment." I cannot abide the tendency in American audiences to have to be the first person to begin the applause. Let the music rest; let it dissipate; let it rise. This was simply beautiful.
agreed
I’ve always loved this piece….i believe Hilary takes it to another level…incredibly expressive.. I just love it so..🙏
So much beautiful music the general public Never get to hear such as this piece
I believe our world would be a better place if people took the Time To Smell the Rose's 🌹🙏
This peace is like a singing of a happy lark at winter season
This is a beautiful piece of music through and through....but when Hilary Hahn plays it, then it is out of this world....you only can bend your knees and say thank you...so i say thank you....
It is a wonderful thing to discover a song and an artist that you will carry in your heart for life. Thank you HH.
I dedicate this to my sister Louise who is going through a hard time right now. This summarises all that is beautiful in life and what incredible things human beings are capable of achieving.
I look at the faces of people in the audience - every single one quietly amazed
I look at the orchestra - you can actually read the music on their expressions, in their body language
I look at Ms. Hilary Hahn, her long neck and her arm movement, and I think it’s incredible that you can see the marks left on her body after years of playing the violin; she’s been doing this for years and years, every since she was a little girl probably, and that actually influenced the way her neck and shoulders developed after being locked in a certain position so often, for so long.
These details, and then the music and actually picturing a lark ascending - that’s magical.
You’re right I hadn’t thought about that but it did occur to me if her hands hurt from the strain of using them in such a way. I have worn out hands from years of work and my hands hurt watching the loveliness of her hands playing this beautiful piece of music.