The symphony as a semi minor of Ralph Vaughan Williams (symphony No 6) was made up between 1944 and 1948, during and immediately after the Second world war. Dedicated to Michael Mullinar, it was created by Sir Adrian Boult and the Symphony orchestra of the BBC in April 1948.

Work is in four movements:

I. Allegro

II. Moderato

III. Scherzo (long-lived Allegro)

IV. Epilog (moderato)

The fourth movement, whose character musicalement static and uniform is rather single in the history of the symphonic music from its absence of clean topic and development, is sometimes attached to the preceding movement, with the result that for some work consists only of three movements.

The sixth symphony represents the top of the musical corpus of Vaughan Williams. It is with many regards its composition most expressive and daring: violence and the rhythmic richness set of themes and of the first and third movements are compensated by the tearing character of the movement (semi) - slow and the funeral meditation of the epilog.

Certain commentators saw in work a reflection on the atomic war: a portrait of the madness of the world (the first three movements) then of its consequence, end of any terrestrial life (epilog). But the type-setter denied any extra-musical program.

Discography

The discography is dominated by the recording of Adrian Boult which, in terms of clearness, balance, dynamism and intelligence will undoubtedly remain eternally the reference. Bernard Haitink and John Barbirolli however also left interesting readings, that of proceeding Haitink of an approach definitely more intellectual.

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