Vaughan Williams and Opera?

I have to say, prior to this week I really didn't even know that Vaughan Williams had written any operas. It was really nice to become acquainted with some of his work in this way. After listening to some of the operas I have to say the music is very beautiful and really easy to listen to. Quite a contrast to what we see coming out of some other countries in Europe at this time... Not that either is better, it is just interesting to see the difference in what was being performed in other parts of the world. It also made me think about what Vaughan Williams himself said about a genius. Maybe if Vaughan Williams had come earlier he too could have established a different and maybe more lasting tradition of British music. Anyway about the operas, I really appreciated the format of the article comparing these two operas in particular. Although the time between the release of Hugh the Drover and Sir John in Love was a short five years, there was really a significant change in the approach to composition that is apparent in these works. As I said in class when I was reading about Hugh the Drover I was thinking to myself that a more integrated use of folk song something that would propel the motion of the drama would make more sense and then when Saylor described Sir John in Love, it seemed to fit the bill. I really think that by using folk elements and making it a part of the characters by using diegetic music allows a flexibility and an overall more effective approach into integrating folk song into the traditions of English music. I was also happy that we discussed the appearance of the French chanson in the opera, Sir John in Love. I thought that it was funny that this happened when I read the article thinking, "Wouldn't it undermine his own efforts to establish English folk song in 'serious art' to establish a sound of England? But considering the long lasting opinion of both the French of the English and the English of the French it makes the appearance of the chanson laughable as far as the character is concerned. It adds a whole new level of insincerity to the character. Overall I loved considering these works and hope to learn more about his operas. They definitely seem worth it.