John Gallant:

>Well, the larger forms by almost every great composer, even LvB, contain
>"the galumphing sections, the noodly sections," and so on.  No shock
>that there are some in RVW too.  For me, it is hard to pick out a perfect
>slice, but I would nominate either of the following: the oboe concerto
>(written not long after Dives & Laz), for its perfect writing for oboe
>and strings; or the much earlier Norfolk Rhap #1, for those unforgettable
>settings and noodlings on noble, modal folk melodies.

I nominate "The Lark Ascending" as the most beautiful of RVW's works,
and one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever.  Not the most
expressive, not the deepest, but the most beautiful.

Bernard Chasan