Ian Foster wrote:

>I possess at least one recording of every Vaughan Williams symphony, except
>No 8.  Could anyone suggest a suitable version of this work, which I've
>never heard - not even on the radio?
>
>Has anyone else heard this yet? What do others think about the rest of
>Haitink's Vaughan Williams cycle? Has Haitink recorded No 8 yet? (I don't
>think so, but I may have missed it).

It's funny.  I've never really honed in on a "best" 8th.  I have for
many of the others, but not this one, and yet I like it very much.  It
could be that I find something to like in all the ones I've heard over the
years (Barbirolli, Boult/London, Boult/EMI, Previn, Bakels).  I do know
that a lot of people have found something special about that Barbirolli
performance, but, as I've said, I've liked all of these.  Bakels is on
Naxos with a very highly praised 7th.  I'm not *quite* as enthusiastic
about the 7th (it's a bit urgent and fast at times), but it's certainly is
dramatic, and it has great sound.  And I've read real enthusiasm for this
CD in such diverse publications as American Record Guide and The Absolute
Sound, so my slight reservations aside, I'd give it a whirl at the price.

Roger Hecht