# William Walton (1902-1983)



## Sid James

One of the most significant British composers born in the early years of the Twentieth Century, along with Benjamin Britten and Michael Tippett.

His output includes two symphonies, the first of which is one of the most signifant symphonies of the inter-war years. He wrote three concertos, each for viola, violin and cello. The viola concerto is, apart from Bartok's, the most significant Twentieth Century work for that instrument. Like alot of his work, it has a wistful, melancholic and bittersweet lyrical quality, underscored by bristling tension. Also significant was his contribution to film music, particular those based on Shakespeare's plays by Lawrence Olivier. His chamber music output was not large, but it included the richly dark String Quartet, the only work in which he experimented with atonalism.

Other important works are his music accompanying Edith Sitwell's poetry called Facade and one of the most significant choral works of the century, the oratorio Belshazzar's Feast.


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## PostMinimalist

Yes, Walton is one of the Greats of British music. His marvelous 'Portsmouth Point' came up in a concert program when I was at college. The bass professor (the late Peter Moore, principal bass with BBCSSO for 27 years) took the bass section through the demanding part in a sectional. After an hour of hard work he asked if there any passages that we were still having trouble with. As section principal I replied, 'From six bars before figure 'A' to the end.' Without thinking, professor Moore started looking for the notorious passage only to find that the piece starts six bars before figure 'A'! Laughs all round but we gave a great performance and it remains one of my fondest memories of the Great man.
FC


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## JTech82

Walton composed some good works, but I prefer Arnold Bax, Vaughan Williams, Elgar, Frank Bridge, Delius, and Holst. Their work is more appealing to me.


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## Bach

Certainly an able composer, doesn't really interest me though.


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## PostMinimalist

Most viola players know at least one piece by WW. His is one of the few 'serious' concertos for the instrument. (Making up for my 'viloa jokes' thread!)
FC


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## Sid James

post-minimalist said:


> Most viola players know at least one piece by WW. His is one of the few 'serious' concertos for the instrument.


I also forgot to mention in my introduction, that besides Walton's and Bartok's concertos for viola, there were also a few significant concertante works composed for that instrument by Paul Hindemith. Hindemith was one of the greatest violists of his generation, and he actually played the premiere of Walton's concerto. Hindemith was also Walton's friend, and a major influence on him. Other influences included Ravel, Stravinsky and Prokofiev.


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## Sid James

I've just recently purchased Walton's film music for _Henry V_ arranged by Christopher Palmer. It's a grand piece, for narrator, harpsichord, chorus and orchestra. You can pick up influences of Wagner, Debussy and Ravel, and Walton actually quotes from Canteloube's Songs of the Auvergne. This 1990 recording features narration by Christopher Plummer who is accompanied by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields orchestra & chorus conducted by Neville Marriner. Quite simply, it is superb.

I also have the Naxos disc which is similar, but has the music from _As You Like It _and _Hamlet_. There are only two soliloquies spoken by the narrator in _Hamlet_, and the music is much darker than the others above, brilliantly reflecting the tragic narrative. The speaker is English actor Michael Sheen.

Both these discs are excellent and I recommend them to anyone into Walton or film music in general. The collaboration between Walton and Olivier was very fruitful and productive indeed.


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## Rachovsky

I'll just say this:








One of my favorite symphonies.


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## Lisztfreak

Andre said:


> His chamber music output was not large, but it included the richly dark String Quartet, the only work in which he experimented with atonalism.


And what about the 2nd symphony? The last movement, Passacaglia, is based on a twelve-tone row, even though treated melodically more than with Schönberg's rules on mind.


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## EarlyCuyler

_Portsmouth Point_ has one of the most fun, and challenging, tuba parts that exist. _Belshazzar's Feast_ is a riot. The fact is that he's one of my favorite composers. The symphonies are amazing. He has written nothing that displeased me in the slightest.


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## Lisztfreak

And what's the talk about his Violin Concerto being like Elgar's? There's no similarity at all, IMO.


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## Mirror Image

Walton is fantastic. I have only become more interested in his work having owned a 2-CD of collected works on RCA. I finally got around to his music and giving it more attention. He's quite good. Love that Neo-Classical style he writes in. He's also a very melodic composer and can be quite lyrical.

I finally got around to buying some more of his recordings and look forward to diving into this composer's sound world.


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## Sid James

Mirror Image said:


> Walton is fantastic...


Walton is one of my favourite composers, without doubt. I really like his style, which can be spiky & dissonant, but also very lyrical & melancholic, as you suggest. He's one of the few composers whose works I can listen to, no matter how many, & still not get bored. It's a pity he had such a relatively small output.

My favourite works would have to be his _String Quartet, Viola Concerto _& the film scores. He was never afraid to experiment, but surprisingly his music remains quite listenable & melodic. In some ways, I would call him the English Prokofiev. If you like the latter's music you will probably like Walton as well...



Liszthfreak said:


> And what about the 2nd symphony? The last movement, Passacaglia, is based on a twelve-tone row, even though treated melodically more than with Schönberg's rules on mind.


I haven't heard Walton's 2nd, at least not within living memory. I'll have to get it at some stage, sounds very interesting...


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## Lisztfreak

As I said in at least two other threads, there's no symphony like Walton's First symphony.


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## kg4fxg

*Walton Who?*

I wish I could say that I was more familar with Walton, I did receive Symphony No 1 with my BBC Music Magazine subscritption - so far I like it.

That what I like about this forum. After I listen to Sym No 1 several times I know what other pieces to try.

So many composers - how can I know it all like MI?


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## Mirror Image

kg4fxg said:


> So many composers - how can I know it all like MI?


I don't know that much.  I've learned everything I know by simply reading, being interested/passionate, listening, and researching. Once you find say a composer like Walton, then one composer leads to another one. I kind of stay in the same area, which is the Romantic period and the early 20th Century period, because this is the classical music that I enjoy most.

Now granted, there are still a lot of obscure composers whom I never even heard of or I had heard of, but haven't heard their music, but, thankfully, the good people at Naxos and Chandos are introducing the world to a lot of great, lost music.


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## kg4fxg

*Mi*

And you have been on the forum much longer than I! I have learned so much here and just checking out peoples responses on different threads have led me to learn about pieces I would have over looked on my own.

I am sure I learn more as I continue to log hours here. I'll have to check out Chando's as I already recieve the NAXOS newsletters via email.

Thanks


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## Mirror Image

kg4fxg said:


> And you have been on the forum much longer than I! I have learned so much here and just checking out peoples responses on different threads have led me to learn about pieces I would have over looked on my own.
> 
> I am sure I learn more as I continue to log hours here. I'll have to check out Chando's as I already recieve the NAXOS newsletters via email.
> 
> Thanks


You're welcome. This forum is a good resource for fans, but for me, it's all about exploring and stepping into the unknown.

As I said, one composer leads to another one. It's kind of like a domino effect. You knock one composer down, there's another composer standing right behind them.


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## Mirror Image

I've been listening to Walton a good bit lately. I'm particulary fond of his ballets: "The Quest" and "The Wise Virgins." I have also enjoyed his choral work "In Honour of the City of London." This work is for double chorus and orchestra and it's very powerful and majestic. A very different side to Walton's more Neo-Classical writing.


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## Mirror Image

You must all hear "In Honour of the City of London." This is such an outstanding piece of music.


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## Marco01

I love his score to Richard III, especially the main overture.

I've recently been listening to some of his early work, including 'Portsmouth Point' ... it's quite different to much of his other work, but fantastic nonethless.


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## Mirror Image

Marco01 said:


> I love his score to Richard III, especially the main overture.
> 
> I've recently been listening to some of his early work, including 'Portsmouth Point' ... it's quite different to much of his other work, but fantastic nonethless.


Walton, as you know, was a very versatile composer. He wrote symphonies, film music, vocal/choral music, concerti, ballets, etc. Quite a composer of many talents.


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## Sid James

Marco01 said:


> I love his score to Richard III, especially the main overture...


Check out his film music for _Henry V, Hamlet & Much Ado About Nothing_, which have all been arranged by Christopher Palmer. They're available on Chandos & also Naxos...


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## Mirror Image

Andre said:


> Check out his film music for _Henry V, Hamlet & Much Ado About Nothing_, which have all been arranged by Christopher Palmer. They're available on Chandos & also Naxos...


Actually, "Hamlet" is sadly out-of-print as is "Henry V.," so looks like he'll have to find them used.


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## jives11

Walton - what more can I say. Symphony No 1 is probably my favourite symphony (.)

I'd also add the 5 bagatelles for Guitar too, which are absolute gems.


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## TWhite

Andre: 

You mentioned that Walton 'quotes' Cantaloubes "Songs of the Auvergne" in his "Henry V" music. Actually, he's doing the same thing Cantaloube did--quoting an old 14th Century Auverngne song called "Bailero". Cantaloube only took the tune and arranged it (beautifully, I might add) for voice and orchestra, it's not an original melody with him. 

As to Walton--I think he's a terrific composer, and extremely versatile in his styles. I love "Facade", it's extremly droll and witty (and even wittier if you hear it with the Edith Sitwell verses that inspired the music). And "Belshazzar's Feast" is one of the most astounding choral works of the 20th Century, IMO. Absolutely spectacular--great choral writing (one of Walton's strong points, I've always thought) and incredible dramatic intensity. The "Praise Ye" section is simply one of the most vivid musical orgies I've ever heard. 

I love his Viola Concerto, several of his incidental overtures--"Portsmouth Point" is particularly good--and his arrangements of Bach Chorales in his ballet "The Wise Virgins" is charming and witty. His First Symphony is right up there with Vaughn Williams' First as my favorite British symphony, and his coronation march "Crown Imperial" is just thunderously exciting. 

I love the scores for the Olivier Shakespeare films--"Henry V" is some of the best film music I've ever heard--it's in a special place for me as far as film music--right up there with Prokofiev's "Alexander Nevsky". 

I just like Walton. A helluva lot! Haven't heard everything, but what I've heard just satisfies me all over!

Tom


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## Sid James

Thought I'd add some recent things I've discovered, or re-discovered, by Walton to this thread (a bit of a "necro" post , I know!).

_*Siesta for orch.*_ (1926)
A quite gentle piece, illustrating the title. Warmth and sensuality is the word here, quite "Mediterranean" for an English composer (Walton went to live on the island of Ischia, off Naples, after 1945).

Siesta (English Northern Philharmonia/David Lloyd-Jones, cond.) (5:12)

*Scapino - a comedy overture *(1940)
Inspired by an etching of Scapino, a comedic character from the Commedia dell'arte, this work is an escapade in sound, of a rouge somewhere between Leporello & Till Eulenspiegel. Listen for the jaunty rhythms reminiscent of Prokofiev & the dotted figures played esp. on the trumpets. Bits of it kind of remind me of film scores, not surprising since Walton composed for a number of films.

Scapino (Philharmonia Orch./William Walton, cond.) (7:40)

*Johannesburg Festival Overture *(1956)
Composed for the 70th anniversary of the city, this work incorporates some "African" rhythms on percussion, which come in briefly on the recording below at about 3:50 & also towards the coda. A very colourful & optimistic piece. Overall, it's much more Walton than anything typically "African," but a pleasure to hear nonetheless.

Johannesburg Festival Overture (English Northern Phil./Paul Daniel, cond.) (7:51)


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## clavichorder

Timely that this composer has come up again, I'm really getting into his symphonies 1 and 2 right now.


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## hpowders

Like Walton's violin concerto very much. Zino Francescatti's performance is a favorite of mine.


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## elgar's ghost

I recommend his one-acter The Bear - a pithy rendering of the Chekhov comedy.


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## hpowders

I've not heard that one yet. Thanks.


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## Vaneyes

*Walton Symphony 1* is discussed in The Guardian this week. I like the Harrell/CBSO/Rattle (rec. 1990/1), cw. Cello Concerto.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2014/apr/01/symphony-guide-william-walton-first


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## MusicSybarite

Definitely, his _magnum opus_, masterwork, masterpiece is IMHO the astounding Symphony no. 1. What a level of inspiration he had! My favorite recording is by Haitink and the Philharmonia Orchestra. It's slower than other recordings, therefore the music is more detailed and pleasant.


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## elgar's ghost

I love _Façade_, one of his earlier works - reminds me of _Pierrot lunaire_ with lashings of _Les Six_ puckishness.


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## eugeneonagain

At the weekend I loaded Walton's _Sonata for Strings_ (an arrangement for string orchestra of his 2nd quartet) onto my mp3 player. I'd heard the quartet, but never heard this arrangement before, what a fantastic work.

First movement:


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## hpowders

Walton's Violin Concerto is excellent, but sadly neglected.

I love the performance with Zino Francescatti/Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy.

A great 20th century violin concerto!!


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## Gaspard de la Nuit

MusicSybarite said:


> Definitely, his _magnum opus_, masterwork, masterpiece is IMHO the astounding Symphony no. 1. What a level of inspiration he had! My favorite recording is by Haitink and the Philharmonia Orchestra. It's slower than other recordings, therefore the music is more detailed and pleasant.


Yeah, the symphony is one of the greatest of all time......Walton was a composer with an amazing, potent aesthetic sensibility IMO.


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## tdc

I sure like Walton's set of bagatelles for the guitar, too bad he didn't compose more for the instrument.


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## cougarjuno

Belshazzar's Feast is an amazing piece -- a great choral work. Was lucky enough to hear a performance of this at Carnegie years ago. IMO it's pretty close with the Symphony No. 1 as his greatest work. The Viola Concerto has to be one of the best written for the instrument. The Guitar Bagatelles are wonderful. String Quartets also deserve more attention. Walton took much time when composing and almost every note seems meaningful, so his output is not quite as large as contemporaries Britten and Vaughan Williams.


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## eugeneonagain

Well I finally listened to Walton's entire output by finishing with his opera Troilus and Cressida, what a chore! I had to take it in small chunks to manage it. I'm sure for people who like opera the effort would be far less painful, but I suffered. It's actually quite a boring opera as operas go and wasn't much of a success at the time either.

I've found I enjoyed about 85% of everything I listened to and also discovered his neglected first string quartet. Pity he had to write the opera and besmirch a great body of work. This 'need' for composers to write an opera to be a 'real composer' is a curse on the music world.


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## elgar's ghost

eugeneonagain said:


> Well I finally listened to Walton's entire output by finishing with his opera Troilus and Cressida, what a chore! I had to take it in small chunks to manage it. I'm sure for people who like opera the effort would be far less painful, but I suffered. It's actually quite a boring opera as operas go and wasn't much of a success at the time either.
> 
> I've found I enjoyed about 85% of everything I listened to and also discovered his neglected first string quartet. Pity he had to write the opera and besmirch a great body of work. _This 'need' for composers to write an opera to be a 'real composer' is a curse on the music world_.


At least Walton never attempted another on such a scale. The pithiness and concision of _The Bear_ was a much better example of his talent.


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## eugeneonagain

elgars ghost said:


> At least Walton never attempted another on such a scale. The pithiness and concision of _The Bear_ was a much better example of his talent.


Yes, I agree. I'l be clear though that I wasn't railing against opera in general. Some composers are very suited to opera, but others aren't and for the latter the quest to produce one that can compete with the major examples just drains their talent away from better things.


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## elgar's ghost

eugeneonagain said:


> Yes, I agree. I'l be clear though that I wasn't railing against opera in general. Some composers are very suited to opera, but others aren't and for the latter the quest to produce one that can compete with the major examples just drains their talent away from better things.


It's a good point. It could be argued that Vaughan Williams never nailed it either.


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## Larkenfield

What good are opera reviews by those who are lukewarm on opera to begin with, or may be unfamiliar with more than one recording? While _Troilus and Cressida_ received lukewarm reviews at its premiere in 1954, Walton revised it to tighten the libretto and change the vocal range the mezzo role to a soprano. I find it an outstanding 20th-century opera that had the misfortune of being premiered and considered old-fashioned during the period when Serialism was all the rage. But it has a certain unmistakeable virility and one of the few operas that I feel works in English, God save the Queen! The Chandos recording is outstanding and well-reviewed, with the complete opera available to be heard online.

Gramophne Review: https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/walton-troilus-and-cressida


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## R3PL4Y

Walton is probably my favorite British composer after RVW. I especially like the cello concerto; it is very dark and much more subdued than much of Walton's output and is severely underrated and underplayed.


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## Melvin

Congratulations Eugene on completing the entire Walton oeuvres. It's something I'd hope to get around to myself


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## eugeneonagain

Larkenfield said:


> What good are opera reviews by those who are lukewarm on opera to begin with, or may be unfamiliar with more than one recording? While _Troilus and Cressida_ received lukewarm reviews at its premiere in 1954, Walton revised it to tighten the libretto and change the vocal range the mezzo role to a soprano. I find it an outstanding 20th-century opera that had the misfortune of being premiered and considered old-fashioned during the period when Serialism was all the rage. But it has a certain unmistakeable virility and one of the few operas that I feel works in English, God save the Queen! The Chandos recording is outstanding and well-reviewed, with the complete opera available to be heard online.


What good are opera recommendations from people who clearly love opera to those who aren't great lovers of it? I don't need schooling on the matter, I made my decision long ago. I know all the back-story about Troilus and Cressida and what Walton did with it later, I wasn't just listening to the works like a consumption drone. The Chandos recording is the very one I listened to, from the local library.

It does work in English, but at the end of the day it is just another opera among many other alleged 'unsung masterpieces'. Walton had great talents in other areas of music and there are others like him who have suffered the ball and chain of needing to have produced an opera to be taken seriously. No doubt brought on by Britten and his rude dismissals of Walton's music, when all he did was write tedious folk operas for his own festival like some kind of cut-price Wagner.

I am extremely irritated by the menace of 'opera'.


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## eugeneonagain

Melvin said:


> Congratulations Eugene on completing the entire Walton oeuvres. It's something I'd hope to get around to myself


Thanks. I think you'll enjoy the ride, I found very few of his works to be a chore. Probably because he was a slow and careful composer and it shows in the quality of his work.


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## Janspe

I listened to Walton's violin and viola concertos for the first time today, in fine performances by James Ehnes and Yuri Bashmet, respectively. I know hardly anything about his music - the only work of his that I've heard before is the _Belshazzar's Feast_ and even that only once. All the more reason to start exploring his work now! I was very pleased with the music, and I'll surely return to his work regularly in the future.


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## Pugg

​
Sir William Turner Walton, OM (*29 March 1902 *- 8 March 1983) was an English composer.


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## LP collector

A couple of years ago I visited Walton's home and beautiful gardens in Ischia which are open to the general public.

This at the highest point at a serene spot is Walton's final place of rest.


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## Tchaikov6

The viola concerto is my favorite viola sonata/concerto or anything else with a viola as a solo of all time. It just seems that Walton understand the viola better than say, Berlioz, or Brahms. He writes for it so beautifully!


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## Sid James

*A Walton diary - recent listening, reading, observations*

_"I think a lot of one's energies match the sort of sexual energy…I think it is very much the same thing, that exuberance, that spirit, that heart quickening feeling, belongs in the same area of human nature, I think. It's a lot more to do with love, its a very strong, vibrant kind of love, its not a soft kind of love at all. William's music is the strong kind of love."_
- Laurence Olivier.

*Symphony #1* (1935)

David Hurwitz says that this symphony is "insane, crazy, thoroughly exciting, physical." I think its about being on the edge.

Its well known how the tense first three movements and the triumphant finale where premiered about a year apart. In between, Walton had girl trouble. The somewhat lopsided nature of the work might be hard to grasp, but its part of what makes it unique. It is music that directly comes out of a space of passion, an experience common to us all.

I like the eclectic nature of the piece. There are aspects which reflect the impact of jazz, from the rhythms in the intro where it sounds as if there's a huge double bass plucking away in the background, to the bluesy trumpet solo at the very end. I also like how the timpani is used throughout the piece to underpin the action and push things along. There's also a sense of colour, wild emotional contrast and even brutality to the piece, which brings to mind the Russians - especially Prokofiev and Stravinsky.

Video: The famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy from the 1948 film version of Hamlet.






*Hamlet* (adapted by Christopher Palmer after the 1948 film score)

Walton's film music is a significant part of his output, and the scores he did with Laurence Olivier are considered to be among his best.

Not surprisingly, *Hamlet* is a sombre score, and Walton's music emphasises the strong psychological element of the drama. The theatrical (as opposed to overly cinematic) presentation of the scenes and the pared down sets mean that Walton's music is constantly in the foreground. It's an integral part of the film.

Walton does much more than just using leitmotifs to portray the main characters, he mirrors their emotions in the music. We often hear Hamlet's voice, accompanied by the music, with the camera walking us through the castle. Amidst the gloom, Ophelia's theme allows in some light with its poignant oboe solo. The courtly dance music which accompanies the 'play within a play' sequence also offers contrast, the startling sonorities during its climax serving to emphasise the moment when the truth is revealed.

Palmer's adaptation basically maintains the sequence of the music originally found in the movie. It reads more like a symphony or tone poem than just a suite.

Video: Cellist Li-Wei Qin talks about the Walton concerto.





*Cello Concerto* (1956)

Walton's three string concertos share a lyrical and nostalgic quality. The *Cello Concerto* was the last of them, and as with the other two, Walton uses the same layout which he took from Prokofiev's _Violin Concerto #1_. The fiery side of Walton breaks out in the explosive middle movement, which acts as a pivot between the two more reflective ones.

Right from the beginning, from the rocking motion which brings to mind gently lapping waves, a sense of mystery pervades this work. The most challenging part for the soloist is reserved for the middle movement, while the finale presents a series of variations. Alternating between passages with and without orchestral accompaniment, its much like a mini concerto in itself, a series of reminiscences on what went before. I like how the cello just fades out at the end (Walton composed three separate codas for the piece, and in the recording I heard, Li-Wei Qin plays the third one from 1975).

*Scapino - A comedy overture* (1940)

If we divide Walton's music along an emotional continuum, _Hamlet_ and the _Cello Concerto_ can be said to inhabit a mostly introspective realm. At the other extreme are extroverted works like _Façade_ and his concert overtures, of which _Scapino_ is one. The _Symphony #1_ might be somewhere in the middle.

*Scapino* reads like the _Till Eulenspiegel_ of the jazz age. The rogue is less like the commedia dell'arte figure and more like Walton himself, a denizen of the jazz bars and nightclubs of the 1930's. The piece contrasts a riotous tune vividly scored for brass and percussion with a serenade featuring the strings. A march intervenes before the initial tune closes the piece.

The recordings I listened to:

Symphony - Philharmonia Orch./Louis Fremaux (alto ALC1130)

















Hamlet - Michael Sheen, narrator/RTE Concert Orch. / Andrew Penny (Naxos 8.553344)





Concerto - Li-Wei Qin, cello/London PO/Zhang Yi (ABC Classics 4811243)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ldtje25JfvCdiBsA2MW_kbwNq4sc MJ_R0

Scapino - London PO/Adrian Boult (Eloquence 4803783)





Selected sources:

Palmer, Tony (dir.), _At the haunted end of day: A profile of William Walton_, The London South Bank Show, 1981.






David Hurwitz's review of recordings of Walton's _Symphony #1_






_Hamlet_ (1948, dir. Olivier) full movie






Hume, P., 'The Substance Behind the Façade of William Walton,' in _Washington Post_, 27/3/1977.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...-walton/aa2d5116-3889-47d4-9082-3a938f1c6cfe/


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## Ludwig Schon

I have never understood the appeal of William Walton. 

Edmund Rubbra was a far greater contemporary composer of his, and not nearly as melodramatic to the point where the orchestra in the 1st symphony, sound like Harry Enfield’s Kevin the spoilt teenager having a meltdown, because his mom bought him the wrong breakfast cereal…


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## Neo Romanza

Ludwig Schon said:


> I have never understood the appeal of William Walton.
> 
> Edmund Rubbra was a far greater contemporary composer of his, and not nearly as melodramatic to the point where the orchestra in the 1st symphony, sound like Harry Enfield's Kevin the spoilt teenager having a meltdown, because his mom bought him the wrong breakfast cereal…


That's okay, because there are plenty of people who do understand the appeal of Walton and I'm one of them. I think he's a fantastic composer. Many people seem to think of him as a "crash, bam, pow!" kind of composer and, while he could certainly pull out all the stops, he also wrote some of the most touching, emotional music one could imagine. Give a listen to the slow movement of his _String Quartet in A minor_ for example. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

My only question is have you explored his oeuvre in-depth?


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## Sid James

Ludwig Schon said:


> I have never understood the appeal of William Walton.
> 
> Edmund Rubbra was a far greater contemporary composer of his, and not nearly as melodramatic to the point where the orchestra in the 1st symphony, sound like Harry Enfield’s Kevin the spoilt teenager having a meltdown, because his mom bought him the wrong breakfast cereal…


I'd shudder to think how you'd react to a Mahler or Shostakovich symphony, then.  Seriously though, I get what you're saying. A friend of mine asked what's the point of Walton composing his symphony, was it to make people feel sorry for him having a break up? I guess if he simply had gotten over it, there would be no symphony.

I think though that the way it reflects his emotional experiences is a strength of the piece. Walton didn't reveal the real source of his inspiration until late in his life, prior to that people assumed it was something about war clouds gathering over Europe (an interpretation that was also applied to Vaughan Williams' 4th, another major British symphony from the 1930's).

When I first heard the symphony, I was baffled. I was already familiar with a few modern symphonies. I think a part of it might have been my being too young. The Walton symphony is a work that speaks directly, very passionately, from life experience. Its less like a conventional symphony and more like one of those convoluted solos in jazz, where say John Coltrane is just pushing all these emotions out through his instrument. Although I still find it to be strange - particularly the massive emotional contrast between the first three movements and the finale - I can appreciate it more because I now know where Walton was coming from.

During his life, Walton was mostly compared to Britten. Between the two world wars, Walton and Constant Lambert where among the leading lights of new music in the UK. After 1945, Britten's stature rose and Walton was seen by a lot of the cognoscenti as a has-been. This 2002 article by Edward Greenfield discusses that, and the symphony, amongst other things. I forgot to provide the link in my list, so here it is:









The Walton I knew


As the centenary of William Walton's birth approaches, Edward Greenfield remembers how the man he worshipped as a teenager became a firm friend, while Charlotte Higgins reconstructs the birth of Façade, the controversial work that made the composer's name at 21




www.theguardian.com


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## Ludwig Schon

Sid James said:


> I'd shudder to think how you'd react to a Mahler or Shostakovich symphony, then.  Seriously though, I get what you're saying. A friend of mine asked what's the point of Walton composing his symphony, was it to make people feel sorry for him having a break up? I guess if he simply had gotten over it, there would be no symphony.
> 
> I think though that the way it reflects his emotional experiences is a strength of the piece. Walton didn't reveal the real source of his inspiration until late in his life, prior to that people assumed it was something about war clouds gathering over Europe (an interpretation that was also applied to Vaughan Williams' 4th, another major British symphony from the 1930's).
> 
> When I first heard the symphony, I was baffled. I was already familiar with a few modern symphonies. I think a part of it might have been my being too young. The Walton symphony is a work that speaks directly, very passionately, from life experience. Its less like a conventional symphony and more like one of those convoluted solos in jazz, where say John Coltrane is just pushing all these emotions out through his instrument. Although I still find it to be strange - particularly the massive emotional contrast between the first three movements and the finale - I can appreciate it more because I now know where Walton was coming from.
> 
> During his life, Walton was mostly compared to Britten. Between the two world wars, Walton and Constant Lambert where among the leading lights of new music in the UK. After 1945, Britten's stature rose and Walton was seen by a lot of the cognoscenti as a has-been. This 2002 article by Edward Greenfield discusses that, and the symphony, amongst other things. I forgot to provide the link in my list, so here it is:
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> The Walton I knew
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> As the centenary of William Walton's birth approaches, Edward Greenfield remembers how the man he worshipped as a teenager became a firm friend, while Charlotte Higgins reconstructs the birth of Façade, the controversial work that made the composer's name at 21
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> www.theguardian.com


I have a fervent dislike for English music between Purcell and Bax/Bridge. I include Irish composers, such as Standford & Harty, as they were merely aping this kitsch, affected, maudlin style.

By contrast, I love Bruckner and Mahler, who created sublime citadels in the sky, while troglodytes such as Parry, Delius and Walton, trashed about in the subterranean darkness below…


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## mikeh375

Walton was a fine composer imv. I particularly like his Violin and Cello concertos and I especially like the 1st Symphony, the 2nd not so much. The 1st Symphony in particular has some amazing rhythmic vitality and the horn trills in the first mvt. always get my musical adrenaline pumping. He was also a fine orchestrator who knew how to give the brass some exciting moments.
I don't think Walton could hold a candle to Britten though, who was one of the great composing geniuses of the 20thC.


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## marlow

the violin and cello concerto are both excellent modern works. ThisNaxos disc is really good.


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## mikeh375

^^ I wouldn't call 'em "modern" Marlow...


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## scott.stucky48

Walton was one of the true greats of the 20th century. The First Symphony and Belshazzar (which I first heard 55 years ago) are simply stunning.


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