▁direct ▁mel od ic ▁appeal ▁of ▁the ▁Ser en ade ▁to ▁Music , ▁the ▁past oral ▁poetry ▁of ▁The ▁L ark ▁As c ending , ▁and ▁the ▁grave ▁ser en ity ▁of ▁the ▁Fif th ▁Sym phony ". ▁By ▁contrast , ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁fer ocity ▁of ▁the ▁Four th ▁and ▁Six th ▁Sym phon ies ▁and ▁the ▁Con cer to ▁for ▁Two ▁P ian os : ▁" in ▁his ▁gr immer ▁m ood s ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁can ▁be ▁as ▁fright ening ▁as ▁Sib el ius ▁and ▁Bart ók ". ▁ ▁Sym phon ies ▁It ▁is ▁as ▁a ▁sym phon ist ▁that ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁is ▁best ▁known . ▁The ▁composer ▁and ▁academic ▁Elli ott ▁Schw art z ▁wrote ▁( 1 9 6 4 ), ▁" It ▁may ▁be ▁said ▁with ▁truth ▁that ▁V aug han ▁Williams , ▁Sib el ius ▁and ▁Pro k of ie ff ▁are ▁the ▁sym phon ists ▁of ▁this ▁century ". ▁Although ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁did ▁not ▁complete ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁them ▁until ▁he ▁was ▁thirty - e ight ▁years ▁old , ▁the ▁nine ▁sym phon ies ▁span ▁nearly ▁half ▁a ▁century ▁of ▁his ▁cre ative ▁life . ▁In ▁his ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁analysis ▁of ▁the ▁nine , ▁Schw art z ▁found ▁it ▁striking ▁that ▁no ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁sym phon ies ▁are ▁al ike , ▁either ▁in ▁structure ▁or ▁in ▁m ood . ▁Comment ators ▁have ▁found ▁it ▁useful ▁to ▁consider ▁the ▁nine ▁in ▁three ▁groups ▁of ▁three — ear ly