Robert Stumpf writes of Vaughan Williams 4th Symphony:

>The Vaughan Williams Symphony was thought to be a "war symphony"

More a picture of a world in turmoil during the mid-1930's when it was
written than a war symphony.  You may be referring to the 6th, which
Stokowski also conducted superbly (and considerably more than once, I
understand).

VW would get very cross indeed when people foisted programmatic
interpretations onto these middle symphonies, although there's no doubt
people related to them strongly in those ways at the time.  In fact, his
only real "war" symphony is the Pastoral (No.3) which was inspired less
by the English than by the French countryside as he experienced it during
World War I - as witness the distant evocation of bugle calls in the 2nd
movement.

>It is possible that he had heard the Vaughan Williams before studying the
>score.

Listening to his interpretation it's pretty certain he knew the composer's
own famous recording made with the BBC Symphony Orchestra soon after
the premiere, preserving the original ending to the 2nd movement.  That
extraordinary effort remains the touchstone for the work.  Despite these
fine American performances - Bernstein's is another - nobody has come
anywhere near VW's for edge of the seat energy and sheer ferocity!  It
is currently available in various CD transfers.

Christopher Webber,  Blackheath, London,  UK.
http://www.nashwan.demon.co.uk/zarzuela.htm
"ZARZUELA!"