Symphony No. 5 in D Major

Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote his Symphony No. 5 between 1938 and 1943. It represents a shift away from the violent dissonance of his 4th Symphony, and a return to the gentler style of the earlier Pastoral Symphony. Many of the themes in this Symphony stem from his unfinished operatic work, The Pilgrim’s Progress. Vaughan Williams dedicated it “without permission” to Jean Sibelius. Sibelius was quite influential with British symphonists in the years between the two World Wars. After listening to it from Stockholm under the leadership of Malcolm Sargent, Sibelius wrote, “This Symphony is a marvelous work. The dedication made me feel proud and grateful. I wonder if Dr. Williams has any idea of the pleasure he had given me?” 
 
Here are four albums:

Vaughan Williams, Symphony No. 5. Martyn Brabbins with BBC Symphony Orchestra. Release Date: 30 Oct 2020. Label: Hyperion.

Vaughan Williams, Symphonies No. 5. Richard Hickox withLondon Symphony Orchestra. Release Date: 1 Jan 1999. Label: Chandos.

​Vaughan Williams, Symphonies Nos. 5 & 8. Sir Mark Elder with Halle Orchestra. Release Date: 11 Feb 2013. Label: Halle.

​Vaughan Williams, The Complete Symphonies. Bernard Haitink with London Philharmonic Orchestra. Release Date: 5 Aug 2013. Label: Warner Classics.

(2022). Ralph Vaughan Williams and His Fifth Symphony: Ultimately, A Paean to Hope. Chicago Symphony Orchestra. USA: Authors.  https://cso.org/experience/article/11247/ralph-vaughan-williams-and-his-fifth-symphony