威廉斯自幼學習鋼琴與(yu)小提琴,曾入(ru)劍(jian)橋大學和皇(huang)家音(yin)樂(le)院,畢(bi)業(ye)后當了教堂的(de)(de)琴手與(yu)合唱(chang)指揮。先后從師于布魯赫和拉威爾(er)學作曲。第一(yi)次世界大戰時(shi)入(ru)伍,退役后一(yi)直(zhi)在皇(huang)家音(yin)樂(le)院任教。畢(bi)生謙遜地工作,品格高尚,待人真(zhen)誠。深愛民(min)(min)間音(yin)樂(le),曾入(ru)居鄉間收集(ji)民(min)(min)歌,參(can)加農村的(de)(de)節日和音(yin)樂(le)賽會,將(jiang)人民(min)(min)的(de)(de)音(yin)樂(le)語匯融(rong)入(ru)自己的(de)(de)創作,同時(shi)又向都鐸王期(qi)的(de)(de)作家和普塞爾(er)的(de)(de)音(yin)樂(le)吸取養料,逐(zhu)步形成了自己的(de)(de)風格。
拉爾夫·沃恩(en)·威廉斯(si)是屬于(yu)(yu)英(ying)(ying)國(guo)的(de),就像小酒吧里(li)擲飛鏢和王宮衛(wei)隊換班是屬于(yu)(yu)英(ying)(ying)國(guo)的(de)一樣。1872年(nian)10月12日誕生于(yu)(yu)格羅墨斯(si)特(te)鄔的(de)下安普勒,而(er)(er)(er)后(hou)成(cheng)為聞(wen)名全世(shi)界的(de)管風琴(qin)(qin)(qin)演奏(zou)(zou)者和作曲(qu)家,并(bing)特(te)別致(zhi)力(li)于(yu)(yu)研究英(ying)(ying)國(guo)古樂(le)與民謠,將(jiang)其轉化為新的(de)英(ying)(ying)格蘭(lan)風格,引(yin)導了(le)英(ying)(ying)國(guo)音樂(le)廿(nian)世(shi)紀的(de)復興(xing)。他的(de)音樂(le)有英(ying)(ying)國(guo)式的(de)平易、幽默,精力(li)充沛而(er)(er)(er)不(bu)失文雅(ya)的(de)格調。沃恩(en)威廉斯(si)寫過幾乎所(suo)有形式的(de)音樂(le):九(jiu)首交(jiao)響曲(qu)鋼(gang)琴(qin)(qin)(qin)、小提琴(qin)(qin)(qin),甚至豎笛協奏(zou)(zou)曲(qu)、彌(mi)撒曲(qu)、歌劇等(deng)等(deng)。此外,在一些很短的(de)曲(qu)子中(zhong),你千萬(wan)不(bu)要(yao)錯過為小提琴(qin)(qin)(qin)與樂(le)團而(er)(er)(er)寫的(de)浪漫曲(qu) (The Lark Ascending) 及綠袖子幻想曲(qu) (Fantasia on "Greensleeves")。
在五十(shi)多(duo)年間寫出來的交響曲中,最有名的可能(neng)是(shi)稱為(wei)「倫(lun)敦(dun)」的。這件作品寫于1913年,是(shi)屬(shu)于標(biao)題性的。
Hugh the Drover或Love in the Stocks(1910-20)
Sir John in Love(約(yue)翰(han)爵士談(tan)戀愛1924-28),即其創(chuang)作之綠袖子(zi)主題幻想曲的來源(yuan)。
The Poisoned Kiss(1927-29,修訂版為1936-37及1956-57)
Riders to the Sea(海上騎(qi)士、騎(qi)馬(ma)入海的人,1925-32),由(you)約(yue)翰·米靈頓·辛(xin)奇(John Millington Synge)之劇(ju)本(ben)改篇。
The Pilgrim's Progress(天路(lu)歷程,1909-51),基于(yu)約翰·本仁之托寓(yu)詩
Old King Cole(大(da)王(wang)科(ke)爾,1923)
Job, a masque for dancing(假面舞劇《約(yue)伯(bo)》,1930)
《海洋交(jiao)響(xiang)曲》A Sea Symphony(1903-1909)
《倫(lun)敦交響曲》A London Symphony(1913)
《田園交響曲》A Pastoral Symphony(1921)
f小調(diao)第4號交響(xiang)曲(1931-34)
D大調第5號交響曲(1938-43)
e小調第6號交(jiao)響曲(1946-47)
《南極交響曲》Sinfonia Antartica(1949-52)(基于Scott of the Antarctic這套1948年的電(dian)影)
d小(xiao)調第8號交響(xiang)曲(1953-55)
e小調第(di)9號交響曲(1956-57)
《在郊野的沼(zhao)澤上》In the Fen Country(1904)
《第1諾福克幻(huan)想曲》Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1(1906,1914修(xiu)訂)
《黃蜂》The Wasps,阿里斯托芬式(shi)組曲(qu)(1909)
《泰利斯主(zhu)題幻想曲》Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis(1910,1913及1919修(xiu)訂(ding))
《綠(lv)袖子幻(huan)想曲》Fantasia on "Greensleeves"(1934)
《迪夫與拉沙羅的五個(ge)變奏曲》Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus(1939)
《大協(xie)奏(zou)曲》Concerto Grosso(1950)
鋼琴
C大(da)調(diao)鋼琴協奏曲(1926-31)
雙鋼琴協奏曲(1946,為上者(zhe)之(zhi)重制(zhi))
小提琴
《云雀高飛》The Lark Ascending,為小(xiao)提琴和管弦樂(le)所作(1914)
《學院協奏曲》Concerto Accademico,為小提(ti)琴和(he)管(guan)弦樂(le)所作(1924-25)
中提琴
《田野之花(hua)》Flos Campi(中(zhong)提琴、無詞合唱團、小(xiao)型樂(le)隊)(1925)
《中提琴及小(xiao)型管弦樂套曲(qu)》Suite for Viola and Small Orchestra(1936-38)
雙簧管(guan)協奏曲,a小調,(雙簧管(guan)及弦(xian)樂器(qi))(1944)
為(wei)(wei)鋼琴、合唱團和交響樂團所寫(xie)的(de)《為(wei)(wei)詩篇104篇而寫(xie)的(de)幻想(xiang)曲(類近變奏曲)》Fantasia (quasi variazione) on the Old 104th Psalm Tune(1949)
為口(kou)琴及樂(le)隊所寫的(de)《降D大調(diao)浪漫曲》Romance in D flat for harmonica and orchestra(1951)(為拉(la)利阿德勒(le)Larry Adler所作(zuo))
f小調大號協奏曲(1954)
Toward the Unknown Region, song for chorus and orchestra, setting of Walt Whitman (1906)
Five Mystical Songs for baritone, chorus and orchestra, settings of George Herbert (1911)
Fantasia on Christmas Carols for baritone, chorus, and orchestra (1912; arranged also for reduced orchestra of organ, strings, percussion)
Mass in G小調 for unaccompanied choir (1922)
Sancta Civitas (The Holy City) oratorio, text mainly from the Book of Revelation (1923-25)
Te Deum in G (1928)
Benedicite for soprano, chorus, and orchestra (1929)
In Windsor Forest, adapted from the opera Sir John in Love (1929)
Three Choral Hymns (1929)
Magnificat for contralto, women's chorus, and orchestra (1932)
Five Tudor Portraits for contralto, baritone, chorus, and orchestra (1935)
Dona nobis pacem,沃特·衛特曼詞及其他(1936)
Festival Te Deum for chorus and orchestra or organ (1937)
Serenade to Music for sixteen solo voices and orchestra, a setting of Shakespeare (1938)
A Song for Thanksgiving (原作 Thanksgiving for Victory) for narrator, soprano solo, children's chorus, mixed chorus, and orchestra (1944)
An Oxford Elegy for narrator, mixed chorus and small orchestra (1949)
Three Shakespeare Songs ,為SATB沒有伴奏的,用作英(ying)聯邦國(guo)家(jia)音樂(le)競賽 (The British Federation of Music Festivals National Competitive Festival ,1951)
Hodie, a Christmas oratorio (1954)
Folk songs of the Four Seasons for unaccompanied SSA chorus.
Epithalamion for baritone solo, chorus, flute, piano, and strings (1957)
Numerous hymns, some of which were first published in the English Hymnal of 1906, of which Vaughan Williams was the musical editor, collaborating with Percy Dearmer.
"Linden Lea",歌(ge)(1901)
The House of Life (1904)
Songs of Travel (1904)
"The Sky Above The Roof" (1908)
On Wenlock Edge, song cycle for tenor, piano and string quartet (1909)
Along the Field, for tenor and violin
Three Poems by Walt Whitman for baritone and piano (1920)
Four Poems by Fredegond Shove: for baritone and piano (1922)
Four Hymns for Tenor, Viola and Strings (1914)
Merciless Beauty for tenor, two violins, and cello
Four Last Songs (Vaughan Williams)|Four Last Songs to poems of Ursula Vaughan Williams
Ten William Blake|Blake songs, song cycle for high voice and oboe (1957)
c小(xiao)調弦樂(le)五重(zhong)奏(小(xiao)提琴、中提琴、大(da)提琴、低音提琴及鋼琴)(1903)
g小(xiao)調第1弦樂(le)四重奏(1908)
a小(xiao)調第(di)2弦樂(le)四(si)重奏(1942-44)
《五(wu)重奏幻想曲》Phantasy Quintet(2小提琴、中提琴及2大提琴)(1912)
《六(liu)首英國民(min)歌練(lian)習曲》Six Studies in English Folk-Song(大(da)提琴(qin)及(ji)鋼琴(qin))(1926)
《三首以威爾士曲(qu)調而寫(xie)成(cheng)的前奏曲(qu)》Three Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes(管風琴)(1956)
為中提琴及鋼琴的浪漫曲(日子不(bu)詳(xiang))
Three Preludes on Welsh Hymntunes (Bryn Calfaria, Rhosymedre, Hyfrydol) (1920)
A Wedding Tune for Ann (1943)
Two Organ Preludes (The White Rock, St. David's Day) (1956)
The Old Hundredth Psalm-Tune (?)
49th Parallel, 1940, his first, talked into it by Muir Mathieson to assuage his guilt at being able to do nothing for the war-effort
Coastal Command (film)|Coastal Command, 1942[3]
BBC接納了The Pilgrim's Progress, 1942
The People's Land, 1943
The Story of a Flemish Farm, 1943
Stricken Peninsula, 1945
The Loves of Joanna Godden, 1946
Scott of the Antarctic (1948 film)|Scott of the Antarctic, 1948, partially reused for his Symphony No. 7 Sinfonia Antartica
《英國民歌(ge)組曲》"English Folk Song Suite"(1923)
Toccata Marziale for military band (1924)
Flourish for Wind Band (1939)
Sea Songs
Overture: Henry V for brass band
Variations for brass band (1957)